Blower device

Abstract

To provide a blower capable of easily attaching / detaching a panel to / from a body, and preventing a gap from being formed between the panel and the body when attaching the panel.SOLUTION: According to an aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an air conditioner including a main body that accommodates a fan and in which an air inlet and an air outlet through which an air flow generated by the fan passes are formed, a panel attached to the main body so that a filter faces the air inlet in a first direction, and a latch mechanism that allows the panel to be attached to and detached from the main body, wherein the latch mechanism includes a first member provided in the main body and a second member provided in the panel, and the latch mechanism changes a relative position between the first member and the second member in the first direction. A lock state in which a first member and a second member are coupled to each other, and an unlock state in which coupling between the first member and the second member is released, The body has a first overlapping region, the panel has a second overlapping region, and the first overlapping region and the second overlapping region overlap each other in a direction intersecting the first direction when the latch mechanism is in the locked state.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The following disclosure relates to a blower device. [Background technology]

[0002] Regarding a conventional blower, Patent Document 1 describes a front panel that constitutes an air intake. This front panel forms part of the main body case by being attached to a corresponding part of the main body case via a hook, and is detachable from the front of the main body case. The detachable front panel allows for easy maintenance without having to move the main body, improving usability for users. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-23544 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In Patent Document 1, the front panel is attached so that its upper edge is hooked onto the upper edge of the main body case, and a portion of the hook fits into the main body case, thereby securing the front panel. To remove the front panel, the hook is pressed to release the hook from the main body case, and then the panel is pulled up. However, to improve ease of handling, a panel that can be more easily attached and detached from the main body has been desired. Furthermore, when the main body draws in air through the air intake and blows it out through the air outlet, if there is a gap between the main body and the panel, air will be drawn in from sources other than the air intake. Therefore, it has been desired that not only the panel be easily attached and detached from the main body, but also that a gap not be formed between the panel and the main body when the panel is attached.

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a blower device in which the main body and the panel can be easily attached and detached, and in which a gap can be prevented from being formed between the main body and the panel when the panel is attached. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The blower device of the present disclosure comprises a main body that houses a fan and has an intake port and an exhaust port through which the airflow generated by the fan passes; a panel that has a filter and is attached to the main body so that the filter faces the intake port in a first direction; and a latch mechanism that allows the panel to be attached and detached to the main body, wherein the latch mechanism has a first member provided on the main body and a second member provided on the panel, and is configured to change states between a locked state in which the first member and the second member are connected and an unlocked state in which the connection between the first member and the second member is released depending on a change in the relative position of the first member and the second member in the first direction, wherein the main body has a first overlapping region and the panel has a second overlapping region, and the first overlapping region and the second overlapping region overlap each other in a direction intersecting the first direction when the latch mechanism is in the locked state. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a blower device in which the main body and the panel can be easily attached and detached, and in which it is possible to prevent a gap from being formed between the main body and the panel when the panel is attached. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is an external perspective view of a blower device according to an embodiment; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the blower taken along line AA in FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the blower device, showing a state in which a panel is removed from the main body. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the rear side of a panel included in the blower device of the embodiment. [Figure 5]2 is a cross-sectional view of the blower taken along line BB in FIG. 1. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the blower device, showing a state in which the main body has been removed from the fixture. [Figure 7] 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the longitudinal direction of a main body of the blower device according to the embodiment. FIG. [Figure 8] 4 is a schematic diagram showing an overlap between a first overlapping area of ​​the main body and a second overlapping area of ​​the panel in the embodiment. FIG. [Figure 9] 10 is a schematic diagram showing an overlap between a first overlapping region of a main body and a second overlapping region of a panel in a first modified example. FIG. [Figure 10] 10 is a schematic diagram showing an overlap between a first overlapping region of the main body and a second overlapping region of the panel in a second modified example. FIG. [Figure 11] 10 is a schematic diagram showing an overlap between a first overlapping region of the main body and a second overlapping region of the panel in a third modified example. FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing an overlap between a first overlapping region of the main body and a second overlapping region of the panel in a fourth modified example. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing an overlap between a first overlapping region of the main body and a second overlapping region of the panel in a fifth modified example. [Figure 14] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing an overlap between a first overlapping area of ​​the main body and a second overlapping area of ​​the panel in a sixth modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, an embodiment of a blower according to the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same or equivalent elements are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted.

[0010] In this disclosure, the term "air blower" refers to any device having a function of blowing air. The air blower may have a function other than air blowing in addition to the air blowing function, for example, an "air purifier" having an air cleaning function. The air cleaning function may simply remove dust and dirt from the air using a filter, or may perform sterilization or deodorization by blowing air containing charged particles. The temperature of the air blown by the air blower is not particularly limited, and the air blower may have a heating function, for example, blowing warm air.

[0011] In the present disclosure, "intersect" means that two directions or lines intersect, and preferably means "orthogonal."

[0012] [Embodiment] An overview of the air blower 1 of the embodiment will be described using Figures 1, 2, and 7. Figure 1 is an external perspective view of the air blower 1 of the embodiment. Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the air blower 1 taken along line AA in Figure 1. Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along the longitudinal direction of the main body 20 provided in the air blower 1 of the embodiment. The arrows in Figure 7 indicate the direction of the airflow generated by the air blower 1.

[0013] The blower 1 comprises a fixture 10, a main body 20, and a panel 80. The main body 20 has an air intake 24 and an air outlet 25 formed on the same surface. Unless otherwise specified, directions in this specification are based on the configuration of the blower 1, with the side where the air intake 24 and the air outlet 25 are provided being the "front side" and the opposite side being the "rear side." The front-to-rear direction of the blower 1 (the direction from the front to the rear, or the direction from the rear to the front of the blower 1) is defined as the "first direction." The main body 20 has a roughly rectangular parallelepiped shape, and of the two directions intersecting the front-to-rear direction of the blower 1, the short side direction of the main body 20 is defined as the "second direction," and the long side direction of the main body 20 is defined as the "third direction." In FIG. 1 , the second direction corresponds to the "up-down direction" of the blower 1, and the third direction corresponds to the "left-right direction" of the blower 1 in which the air intake 24 and the air outlet 25 are arranged side by side. The fixture 10 is located behind and below the main body 20, and the panel 80 is located in front of the main body 20. Note that the up-down and left-right directions shown in FIG. 1 are defined for the sake of convenience, and the orientation of the blower 1 is not particularly limited. That is, FIG. 1 shows the orientation when the blower 1 is used with the operating unit 26 positioned on the bottom. The blower 1 may also be used with the operating unit 26 positioned on top, in which case the left-right and up-down directions are reversed from those in FIG. 1 . Furthermore, the blower 1 may also be used with the longitudinal direction of the main body 20 (operating unit 26) facing up-down. The following description will be given taking as an example a case in which the blower 1 is used with the operating unit 26 positioned on the bottom, as shown in the figure.

[0014] The main body 20 has a generally rectangular parallelepiped shape and is hollow. Two fans 21 are housed inside the main body 20. An impeller 21b of the fan 21 rotates around an axis 21a to generate an airflow. The main body 20 has an air intake 24 and an air outlet 25 through which the airflow generated by the fan 21 passes. The air outlet 25 is located in the center of the front surface 20a of the main body, and two air intakes 24 are located on the left and right sides of the air outlet 25. As shown in the figure, air outside the device is drawn in through the air intake 24 by the rotation of the impeller 21b and blown out to the outside of the device through the air outlet 25. The main body 20 may further house an ion generator 22. The ion generator 22 generates charged particles to sterilize and deodorize the air. In this embodiment, an operation unit 26 is located in the lower center of the main body 20. The operation unit 26 includes buttons for the user to control the operation of the air blower 1 and a display that displays the operating status of the air blower 1.

[0015] Fixing device 10 that is detachable from main body 20 will be described using Figure 6. Figure 6 is an exploded perspective view of blower 1 showing a state in which main body 20 has been removed from fixing device 10. Blower 1 is fixed to a structure by fixing device 10. There are no limitations on the type of structure to which blower 1 can be attached, and examples include the wall or ceiling of a building, a desk, a chair, a bed, and a closet.

[0016] Fixing device 10 and main body 20 are detachably joined by fitting the recessed portion into the protruding portion, which allows main body 20 and panel 80 to be easily removed from blower 1 fixed to a structure.

[0017] Fixture 10 includes a bottom portion 12 that supports main body 20 from below, a rear portion 13 that supports main body 20 from the rear, and side portions that support main body 20 from the sides. Bottom portion 12 is provided with a through-hole 12c used for attachment to a structure. Rear portion 13 is provided with a through-hole 13c used for attachment to a structure and a through-hole 13d for passing wiring connected to main body 20.

[0018] 3 and 4, a panel 80 that can be attached to and detached from the main body 20 will be described. The panel 80 has a plate-shaped panel main body 81, a filter 89, and a louver 88. The panel main body 81 is attached to the main body 20 of the air blower 1 so as to cover the front surface of the main body 20 of the air blower 1 except for the area where the operation unit 26 of the air blower 1 is disposed. In the attached state, the panel main body 81 has an outer air intake port 82 positioned to face the air intake port 24 of the main body 20 of the air blower 1 in the first direction (front-rear direction), and an outer air outlet 83 positioned to face the air outlet 25 of the main body 20 of the air blower 1 in the first direction. The filter 89 is disposed overlapping the outer air intake port 82. The filter 89 may be disposed on the outer side (front) or the inner side (rear) of the panel main body 81. If the filter 89 is disposed on the inner side (rear) of the panel main body 81, the filter 89 will not be visible from the outside when it becomes dirty. Filter 89 is breathable and purifies the air by capturing dust particles in the air passing through. There are no particular limitations on the material of filter 89, and for example, nonwoven fabric is used. In blower 1, ambient air flows in through outer air intake port 82 and generates an airflow that is discharged from outer air outlet 83, causing the flowing air to pass through filter 89 and be purified by filter 89. If main body 20 is equipped with ion generator 22, air can be purified not only by filter 89 but also by ion generator 22.

[0019] The louvers 88 are configured by multiple rows of parallel protrusions that protrude from the panel main body 81 toward the opposite side of the main body 20 of the blower 1 in the first direction. The louvers 88 are formed so as to straddle the outer air intake port 82 and the outer air outlet 83, and the airflow passing through the outer air intake port 82 and the outer air outlet 83 is separated into multiple flows by the louvers 88. The arrangement direction of the protrusions of the louvers 88 is not particularly limited, and in this embodiment, the protrusions are horizontally elongated, parallel to the longitudinal direction of the rectangular panel main body 81, but may also be vertically elongated, perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the rectangular panel main body 81.

[0020] A dimension D2 of the louver 88 in the first direction is larger than a dimension D1 of the panel main body 81 in the first direction. The dimension D1 of the panel main body 81 in the first direction refers to the thickness of the plate-like portion and does not include the dimension of the second member 85 that constitutes the latch mechanism 90. By increasing the dimension D1 of the louver 88 in the first direction, it is possible to prevent the front surface and the interior of the main body 20 of the blower 1 from being seen from the outside. Furthermore, the louver 88 can adjust the direction of the flow of air released from the outer air outlet 83.

[0021] Attachment of the panel 80 to the main body 20 will be described using FIG. 5. The main body 20 and the panel 80 are detachably coupled by a latch mechanism 90. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the air blower 1 showing a state in which the panel 80 has been removed from the main body 20. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the back side of the panel 80 included in the air blower 1 of the embodiment. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the air blower 1 taken along line BB in FIG. 1, showing the latch mechanism 90 included in the air blower 1 of the embodiment. The latch mechanism 90 is formed by a combination of a first member 28 provided on the main body 20 and a second member 85 provided on the panel 80. The latch mechanism 90 changes state between a locked state in which the first member 28 and the second member 85 are coupled and an unlocked state in which the coupling between the first member 28 and the second member 85 is released, depending on a change in the relative position of the first member 28 and the second member 85 in the first direction.

[0022] The latch mechanism 90 of this embodiment is also referred to as a "push latch." The first member 28 and the second member 85 are arranged opposite each other in the first direction, and are coupled by fitting one member (protrusion) into the other member (recess). The number of latch mechanisms 90 is not limited, and in this embodiment, as shown in the figure, one pair of the first member 28 and the second member 85 is arranged at one end and the other end of the upper part of the blower 1. When a user removes the panel 80 from the main body 20 of the blower 1, the latch mechanism 90 can be unlocked by pushing the panel 80 toward the main body 20 in the first direction (front-to-back direction). Because the panel 80 can be easily removed without using any additional tools, the blower 1 of this embodiment allows for easy replacement of the filter 89 even if it is located inside (rear of) the panel 80. Furthermore, the easy removal of the panel 80 makes it easy to check the interior of the device and replace components stored in the main body 20.

[0023] The main body 20 has locking holes 29 formed to align with the first member 28 in the second direction (up-down direction), and the panel 80 has locking claws 86 formed to align with the second member 85 in the second direction and locked into the locking holes 29. In this embodiment, as shown in the figure, one set of locking holes 29 and locking claws 86 is disposed at one end and the other end of the lower part of the blower device 1. When a user attaches the panel 80 to the main body 20, the user inserts the locking claws 86 provided on the panel 80 into the locking holes 29 provided on the main body 20 and then pushes the panel 80 toward the main body 20 in the first direction (front-rear direction), thereby locking the latch mechanism 90 and connecting the main body 20 and the panel 80. When the locking claw 86 is inserted into the locking hole 29 and the tip of the locking claw 86 reaches the rear of the front surface 20a of the main body below the locking hole 29, the locking claw 86 catches on the main body 20 when the latch mechanism 90 is in the unlocked state, preventing the panel 80 from falling off. Also, the locking hole 29 is preferably large enough to fit a human finger. In that case, inserting a finger into the locking hole 29 makes it easier for a user to remove the main body 20 from the fixture 10 fixed to a structure.

[0024] Latch mechanism 90 switches between a locked state and an unlocked state depending on the change in the relative position of first member 28 and second member 85 in the first direction. For this reason, a space is provided between the opposing main body front surface 20a and the rear surface of the panel, which serves as a margin that allows panel 80 to be pushed in the first direction (front-to-back direction) toward main body 20. If this space were directly connected to the outside of blower 1, air would flow into blower 1 without passing through filter 89, and the flowing-in air would not be purified.

[0025] In this embodiment, the main body 20 has a first overlapping region 40R, and the panel 80 has a second overlapping region 50R. The first overlapping region 40R and the second overlapping region 50R overlap each other in a direction intersecting the first direction (front-rear direction) when the latch mechanism 90 is in the locked state. Examples of the intersecting direction include the second direction (up-down direction) and the third direction (left-right direction). When viewed from the second direction, the first overlapping region 40R of the main body 20 and the second overlapping region 50R of the panel 80 overlap. When viewed from the third direction, the first overlapping region 40R of the main body 20 and the second overlapping region 50R of the panel 80 overlap, preventing the space between the main body front surface 20a and the panel rear surface from being connected to the external space of the blower device 1. When the latch mechanism 90 is in the locked state, the space between the main body front surface 20a and the panel rear surface is preferably an enclosed space.

[0026] It is preferable that the first overlapping region 40R of the main body 20 and the second overlapping region 50R of the panel 80 are in direct contact with each other. This effectively prevents the space between the main body front surface 20a and the panel rear surface from being connected to the outside of the blower 1.

[0027] The first overlapping region 40R is preferably a region formed so as to surround at least a portion of the air intake 24. This makes it easier for air to flow into the blower 1 through the filter 89. In this embodiment, the first overlapping region 40R is a region formed along the edge of the main body 20, and the second overlapping region 50R is a region formed along the edge of the panel 80.

[0028] FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing the overlap between the first overlapping region 40R of the main body 20 and the second overlapping region 50R of the panel 80 in this embodiment. As shown in the figure, the main body 20 has a first rib 40 protruding in a first direction, and the first overlapping region 40R is a region formed in the first rib 40. The panel 80 has a second rib 50 protruding in the first direction, and the second overlapping region 50R is a region formed in the second rib 50. The panel 80 is configured to be pushed into the main body 20 by a predetermined distance D3 when the latch mechanism 90 is in the locked state. The user's pushing action switches the latch mechanism 90 from the locked state to the unlocked state. On the other hand, even though the latch mechanism 90 can be pushed into the main body 20 by the distance D3 when the latch mechanism 90 is in the locked state, the first overlapping region 40R and the second overlapping region 50R overlap, so no gap is formed between the main body 20 and the panel 80. Regarding the relationship between the first rib 40 and the second rib 50, if the side facing the intake port 24 is defined as the inside and the opposite side as the outside, the first overlapping region 40R (first rib 40) is located on the outside and the second overlapping region 50R (second rib 50) is located on the inside.

[0029] The present disclosure is not limited to the contents described in the above embodiments, and various modifications are possible without substantially departing from the gist of the present disclosure. Each drawing is shown schematically to the extent necessary to explain the invention, and the size, position, number, etc. of each component shown are examples.

[0030] [Variations] (1) In the embodiment, the panel 80 has the louvers 88, but a panel without louvers may also be used.

[0031] First Modification 9 is a schematic diagram showing the overlap between the first overlapping region 40R of the main body 20 and the second overlapping region 50R of the panel 80 in the first modified example. In the first modified example, the panel 80 does not have a louver 88.

[0032] (2) The configuration of the first overlapping region 40R of the main body 20 and the second overlapping region 50R of the panel 80 is not limited to the configuration shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, and may be the configuration shown in FIG.

[0033] Second Modification 10 is a schematic diagram showing the overlap between the first overlapping region 40R of the main body 20 and the second overlapping region 50R of the panel 80 in a second modified example. In the second modified example, the main body 20 has a first rib 40 protruding in a first direction, and the first overlapping region 40R is a region formed in the first rib 40. The panel 80 does not have a second rib 50 protruding in the first direction, and the second overlapping region 50R is a side surface of the panel 80. Regarding the relationship between the first rib 40 and the second rib 50, the first overlapping region 40R (first rib 40) is located on the outer side, and the second overlapping region 50R is located on the inner side.

[0034] Third Modification 11 is a schematic diagram showing the overlap between the first overlapping region 40R of the main body 20 and the second overlapping region 50R of the panel 80 in the third modified example. In the third modified example, the main body 20 has a first rib 40 protruding in a first direction, and the first overlapping region 40R is a region formed in the first rib 40. The panel 80 has a recess 51 recessed in the first direction, and when the latch mechanism 90 is in the locked state, the first rib 40 fits into the recess 51. The second overlapping region 50R is a region formed on the inner surface of the recess 51.

[0035] Fourth Modification 12 is a schematic diagram showing the overlap between the first overlapping region 40R of the main body 20 and the second overlapping region 50R of the panel 80 in a fourth modified example. In the fourth modified example, the main body 20 has a first rib 40 protruding in a first direction, and the first overlapping region 40R is a region formed in the first rib 40. The panel 80 has a second rib 50 protruding in the first direction, and is a region formed in the second rib 50. With respect to the relationship between the first rib 40 and the second rib 50, the first overlapping region 40R (first rib 40) is located on the inside, and the second overlapping region 50R is located on the outside.

[0036] Fifth Modification 13 is a schematic diagram showing the overlap between the first overlapping region 40R of the main body 20 and the second overlapping region 50R of the panel 80 in the fifth modified example. In the fifth modified example, the main body 20 does not have a first rib 40 protruding in the first direction, and the first overlapping region 40R is a region formed on the side surface of the main body 20. The panel 80 has a second rib 50 protruding in the first direction, and the second overlapping region 50R is a region formed in the second rib 50. With respect to the relationship between the first rib 40 and the second rib 50, the first overlapping region 40R is located on the inside, and the second overlapping region 50R (second rib 50) is located on the outside.

[0037] Sixth Modification 14 is a schematic diagram showing the overlap between the first overlapping region 40R of the main body 20 and the second overlapping region 50R of the panel 80 in the sixth modified example. In the sixth modified example, the main body 20 has a recess 41 recessed in the first direction, and when the latch mechanism 90 is in the locked state, the second rib 50 fits into the recess 41. The first overlapping region 40R is a region formed on the inner surface of the recess 41. The panel 80 has a second rib 50 protruding in the first direction, and the second overlapping region 50R is a region formed in the second rib 50.

[0038] The latch mechanism 90 may use a magnetic latch instead of a push latch. [Explanation of symbols]

[0039] 1. Blower 10 Fixtures 12 Bottom 12c through hole 13 Rear 13c, 13d through hole 20 Main Unit 20a Front of the main unit 21 Fan 21a axis 21b impeller 22 Ion generator 24 Air intake 25 Air outlet 26 Control section 28 First member 29 Locking hole 40 First Rib 40R First overlapping area 41 Recess 50 Second Rib 50R Second overlap area 51 Recess 80 panels 81 Panel body 82 External air intake 83 Outside air outlet 85 Second member 86 Locking claw 88 Louver 89 Filters 90 Latch mechanism

Claims

1. a main body that houses a fan and has an air intake port and an air outlet through which an airflow generated by the fan passes; a panel having a filter attached to the main body so that the filter faces the air intake port in a first direction; a latch mechanism that enables the panel to be attached to and detached from the main body, The latch mechanism includes: a first member provided on the main body; a second member provided on the panel, a state change occurs between a locked state in which the first member and the second member are coupled to each other and an unlocked state in which the coupling between the first member and the second member is released, depending on a change in the relative position of the first member and the second member in the first direction; the body has a first overlap region; the panel has a second overlap region; the first overlapping region and the second overlapping region overlap each other in a direction intersecting the first direction when the latch mechanism is in the locked state; Blower.

2. The first overlapping region is a region formed so as to surround at least a portion of the air intake port. The blower device according to claim 1 .

3. the first overlapping region is a region formed along an edge of the main body, The second overlapping region is a region formed along the edge of the panel. The blower device according to claim 1 .

4. the main body has a first rib protruding in the first direction, The first overlapping region is a region formed in the first rib. The blower device according to claim 1 .

5. the panel has a recess into which the first rib fits when the latch mechanism is in the locked state; The second overlapping region is a region formed on the inner surface of the recess. The blower device according to claim 4.

6. the panel has a second rib protruding in the first direction, The second overlapping region is a region formed in the second rib. The blower device according to claim 1 .

7. the main body has a recess into which the second rib fits when the latch mechanism is in the locked state, the first overlapping region is a region formed on the inner surface of the recess; The blower device according to claim 6.

8. the main body has a shape in which a second direction intersecting the first direction is a short side direction and a third direction intersecting the first direction and the second direction is a long side direction, the main body has a locking hole formed to be aligned with the first member in the second direction, The panel is formed to be aligned with the second member in the second direction and has a locking claw that is locked in the locking hole. The blower device according to claim 1 .

9. The panel comprises: a plate-shaped panel body having an outer air intake port in which the filter is provided and an outer air outlet facing the air outlet in the first direction; a louver that protrudes from the panel body to a side opposite to the body in the first direction and is formed so as to straddle the outer air intake port and the outer air outlet, The dimension of the louver in the first direction is larger than the dimension of the panel body. The blower device according to claim 1 .

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