Vent material

Abstract

To provide a ventilation port member which can simplify mounting work while improving transport efficiency.SOLUTION: A ventilation port member 10 includes: a fixing frame 12 fixed with respect to a ventilation hole 102 so as to surround the peripheral edge on the outdoor side of the ventilation hole 102 penetrating an outside wall 100; a pair of side walls 14 connected to left and right both ends of the fixing frame 12, and extending frontward, which is the outdoor side in the horizontal direction from the fixing frame 12, and capable of being folded along one or more folds 33 extending in the substantially vertical direction; and a front wall 16 whose left and right ends are connected to front ends of the pair of side walls 14, respectively. The side walls 14 can oscillate with respect to the fixing frame 12 and the front wall 16. The ventilation port member 10 can be changed between: a complete posture where the side walls 14 are not folded along the folds 33 but stretching frontward from the fixing frame 12; and a storage posture where the side walls 14 are folded along the folds 33 and substantially in parallel with the front wall 16 and the fixing frame 12.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present specification discloses a vent member that is provided outside a room to form a flow path that communicates with a ventilation hole that penetrates an exterior wall. [Background technology]

[0002] It has been known to provide an air vent member outside a room to form a flow path leading to a ventilation hole penetrating an exterior wall. The air vent member is usually cylindrical or box-shaped, the interior of which serves as an exhaust flow path. Such air vent members are relatively bulky, which has led to a problem of poor transportation efficiency. Therefore, in order to improve the transportation efficiency of air vent members, air vent members that can be folded flat during transportation have been proposed.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an air vent member having a frame-shaped fixed frame surrounding the periphery of a ventilation hole, a pair of side walls, a top wall, and a front wall (referred to as the "mounting plate," "hood plate," "upper hood plate," and "front hood plate," respectively, in Patent Document 1). In Patent Document 1, the pair of side walls are hingedly connected to the left and right edges of the fixed frame, the top wall is hingedly connected to the upper edge of the fixed frame, and the front wall is hingedly connected to the front end of the top wall. In Patent Document 1, when installing the air vent member, the pair of side walls are widened so that the distance between them is approximately the same as the left-right dimensions of the top wall and front wall, and then the top wall and front wall are joined to the upper ends of the pair of side walls.

[0004] Patent Document 2 also discloses an air vent member in which a pair of side walls, a top wall, and a front wall (referred to as "side panels," "top panel," and "front panel," respectively, in Patent Document 2) are connected via folds. In Patent Document 2, when installing the air vent member, the pair of side walls are expanded so that the distance between them becomes a desired distance, and then the expanded side walls are connected to the top wall. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 09-210416 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 06-58584 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] Such a foldable vent member can be folded into a flat shape during transportation, improving the transportation efficiency of the vent member. However, with conventional vent members, the installation work of the vent member is complicated. For example, in Patent Document 2, the vent member is made of a shape memory alloy, and it is necessary to heat the folded vent member to return it to its final shape.

[0007] Furthermore, in Patent Document 1, the front ends of the side walls 14 were free and unconstrained. Therefore, when attaching the front wall 16 and the top wall 18 to the side walls 14, the worker had to maintain an appropriate distance between the front ends of the two side walls 14 while attaching the front wall 16, etc. However, in order to maintain an appropriate distance between the front ends of the two side walls 14, the worker had to hold the two side walls 14 with both hands, and the help of another worker was required to attach the front wall 16. As a result, the ventilation member of Patent Document 1 was difficult to install by one person, resulting in poor work efficiency. In other words, there has not been a ventilation member in the past that could simplify installation while improving transportation efficiency.

[0008] Therefore, this specification discloses a vent member that can improve transportation efficiency and simplify installation work. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The vent member disclosed in this specification is characterized in that it comprises a fixed frame fixed to a ventilation hole penetrating an exterior wall so as to surround the outdoor-side periphery of the ventilation hole; a pair of side walls connected to both left and right ends of the fixed frame and extending horizontally from the fixed frame forward, toward the outdoor side, the pair of side walls being foldable along one or more folds extending in a substantially vertical direction; and a front wall, both left and right ends of which are connected to the front ends of the pair of side walls, the side walls being swingably connected to the fixed frame and the front wall, and the vent member is changeable between a completed position in which the side walls extend forward from the fixed frame without being folded along the folds, and a stowed position in which the side walls are folded along the folds and are substantially parallel to the front wall and the fixed frame.

[0010] In this case, the cover may further include a top wall that covers the upper end opening of the cover space surrounded by the fixed frame, the pair of side walls, and the front wall, and whose front end is connected to the upper end of the front wall so as to be swingable relative to the front wall.

[0011] Furthermore, the device may further include a support frame arranged within a cover space surrounded by the fixed frame, the pair of side walls, and the front wall, the support frame having a front horizontal member extending in the left-right direction and a pair of vertical members extending from both left and right ends of the front horizontal member, the front end of the support frame being connected to the front wall so as to be swingable around an axis extending in the left-right direction, and the vertical members extending in a direction angled with respect to the front wall in the completed position and extending in a direction approximately parallel to the front wall in the stored position.

[0012] In this case, the upper edges of the side walls may be inclined relative to the horizontal direction so as to move downward as they move forward in the completed position, the long axis dimension of the vertical members may be greater than a first distance which is the distance from the connection point between the support frame and the front wall to the upper end of the front wall, and the vertical members may have a base having a wall surface parallel to the front wall in the stored position, and a standing leg portion which stands from the outer edge of the base in the thickness direction of the base in a range distal to the first distance from the connection point.

[0013] The vent member disclosed in this specification as a reference example includes a fixed frame fixed to a ventilation hole penetrating an exterior wall so as to surround the outer peripheral edge of the ventilation hole on the outdoor side, a pair of side walls hingedly connected to both left and right ends of the fixed frame, the pair of side walls being changeable between a completed position extending rearward, i.e., horizontally outward from the fixed frame, and a stored position parallel to the fixed frame, and a front wall connecting the rear end edges of the pair of side walls in the completed position, the front wall being detachable from the pair of side walls. and a top wall that covers an upper end opening of a cover space surrounded by the fixed frame, the pair of side walls, and the front wall, and that is separable from the side walls, the front wall, and the fixed frame, wherein the top wall has, at its front end, a top protrusion that extends upward or a top locking groove that opens downward, and the fixed frame has a top locking groove that opens downward or a top protrusion that extends upward, and by inserting the top protrusion into the top locking groove, the top wall may be prevented from detaching from the fixed frame.

[0014] In this case, the cover may further include a mesh member having a mesh covering the lower end opening of the cover space and a mesh frame surrounding the periphery of the mesh, wherein the mesh frame has, at its front end, a bottom-side locking groove that opens downward or a bottom-side protrusion that extends downward, and the fixed frame has a bottom-side protrusion that extends upward or a bottom-side locking groove that opens upward, and by inserting the bottom-side protrusion into the bottom-side locking groove, the mesh member may be prevented from detaching from the fixed frame. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] The vent member disclosed in this specification can be folded into a flat plate, thereby improving the transportation efficiency of the vent member. Furthermore, the rear and front ends of the side walls are connected to the fixed frame and the front wall, and the distance between the front ends and the distance between the rear ends of the two side walls are always kept constant. Therefore, simply by unfolding the side walls, the relative positions of the side walls, the fixed frame, and the front wall are restored to their completed positions, eliminating the need for the worker to continue holding the two side walls by hand, thereby improving the work efficiency of installing the vent member. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] FIG. [Figure 2] FIG. [Figure 3] 10 is a cross-sectional view of the vent member in a storage position folded into a flat plate. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the vent member in the middle of being folded. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of a vent member according to a reference example. [Figure 6] 10 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which a bottom protrusion is inserted into a bottom locking groove. FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the top protrusion inserted into the top locking groove. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] The configuration of the vent member 10 will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of the vent member 10, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the vent member 10. Note that in the following drawings, the dimensions of each member are different from the actual dimensions to facilitate understanding. In particular, the plate thickness of each member is illustrated as being significantly larger than the actual plate thickness. Also, in FIG. 2, the mesh member 22 is not shown, and one side wall 14 is illustrated detached from the fixing frame 12 and the front wall 16. Furthermore, in the following description, the direction facing the outside of the room as viewed from the exterior wall 100 is referred to as the "front," and the direction facing the inside of the room is referred to as the "rear."

[0018] The vent member 10 is attached to the outdoor wall surface of the exterior wall 100 to form a flow path leading to the ventilation hole 102, and guides the exhaust air flowing out from the ventilation hole 102 to the outside of the room. The vent member 10 also has the function of preventing raindrops from entering the ventilation hole 102, and is also called a "weather cover." The vent member 10 includes a fixing frame 12, a pair of side walls 14, a front wall 16, and a top wall 18.

[0019] The fixed frame 12 is a roughly square-shaped member with a rectangular passage opening 29 formed in the center. The fixed frame 12 is attached to the exterior side of the exterior wall 100 so as to surround the outer peripheral edge of the ventilation hole 102 on the outdoor side.

[0020] The side walls 14 are wall members that extend forward, i.e., toward the outside of the room, from both the left and right ends of the fixed frame 12. The lower edges of the side walls 14 are nearly horizontal, while the upper edges of the side walls 14 are inclined relative to the horizontal so that they slope downward as they extend forward. Here, the side walls 14 in this example are foldable, and furthermore, the side walls 14 are connected to the fixed frame 12 and the front wall 16 by hinges 24a, 24b, which will be described later.

[0021] The front wall 16 is connected to the front ends of the pair of side walls 14 via hinges 24b. Hereinafter, the space surrounded by this front wall 16, the pair of side walls 14, and the fixed frame 12 will be referred to as the "cover space 28." The top wall 18 is a wall surface that covers the upper opening of the cover space 28. The front end of the top wall 18 is connected to the front wall 16 via hinges 24d.

[0022] The mesh member 22 is disposed at the lower end of the cover space 28. The mesh member 22 has a substantially square-shaped mesh frame 52 and a mesh 50 stretched over the mesh frame 52. The periphery of the mesh frame 52 is fastened to the side wall 14 and the front wall 16 with screws. To achieve this screw fastening, fastening holes 26c to 26e are formed in the mesh frame 52, the side wall 14, the front wall 16, etc.

[0023] A support frame 20 is also disposed within the cover space 28. As will be described in detail later, the support frame 20 is provided to maintain the vent member 10 in an assembled position. The support frame 20 has a substantially square-shaped base 46 and upright legs 48 that stand from the outer periphery of the base 46 in the thickness direction of the base 46. Hereinafter, of the substantially square-shaped support frame 20, the portion that forms the side near the front end will be referred to as the "front cross member 40," the portion that extends in the left-right direction behind the front cross member 40 will be referred to as the "rear cross member 44," and the portion that connects the left and right ends of the front cross member 40 and the rear cross member 44 will be referred to as the "vertical member 42."

[0024] The front horizontal member 40 is connected to the front wall 16 at an intermediate height via a hinge 24e having a swing axis extending in the left-right direction. If the distance from the connection point P1 between the front horizontal member 40 and the front wall 16 to the upper end of the front wall 16 is defined as a first distance L1, the longitudinal dimension of the vertical member 42 is greater than the first distance L1. The upright legs 48 are provided only in a range distal to the first distance L1 when viewed from the front end of the support frame 20. The left-right dimension of the support frame 20 is approximately the same as the left-right inner dimensions of the cover space 28, and the outer edge of the vertical member 42 is close to the side wall 14. With this configuration, the support frame 20 can maintain the vent member 10 in an assembled position, which will be described later.

[0025] However, the completed vent member 10 is hollow inside as shown in Fig. 1, and therefore is very bulky and has poor transport efficiency. Therefore, vent members 10 that can be folded into a substantially flat plate shape have been proposed. For example, Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2 disclose foldable vent members.

[0026] Such a foldable vent member can significantly improve its transportation efficiency. However, conventional vent members require complicated work when attached to an exterior wall. In Patent Document 2, the vent member is made of a shape-memory alloy, and in order to return the folded vent member to its final shape, the vent member needs to be heated, which reduces work efficiency.

[0027] Furthermore, in Patent Document 1, the rear ends of the side walls 14 are hinged to a fixed frame, but the front ends of the side walls 14 are free ends that can swing freely. Therefore, in order to complete the folded vent member, it is necessary to connect the top wall and the front wall to the pair of side walls 14 while maintaining a desired distance between the front ends of the side walls 14. To maintain the desired distance between the front ends of the two side walls 14, the worker needs to hold one side wall 14 with his / her right hand and the other side wall 14 with his / her left hand. However, if the worker holds the side walls 14 with both hands in this manner, it becomes difficult to connect the front wall 16 to the side walls 14, and assistance from another worker is required. Of course, when connecting the front wall 16 to the side walls 14, it is possible to temporarily remove one hand from the side walls 14. However, in this case, the distance between the front ends of the side walls 14 may shift during the time the hand is removed, often requiring the worker to adjust the distance between the side walls 14 again. In other words, although the ventilation member 10 of Patent Document 1 can improve transportation efficiency, the installation work efficiency is poor.

[0028] Therefore, in this example, in order to improve transportation efficiency and simplify installation work, the side walls 14 are made foldable and their front and rear ends are hingedly connected to the front wall 16 and the fixed frame 12. This will be described in detail below.

[0029] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , in this example, one side wall 14 is composed of a first side wall piece 30 and a second side wall piece 32. The first side wall piece 30 constitutes the rear half of the side wall 14, and the second side wall piece 32 constitutes the front half of the side wall 14. The front end of the first side wall piece 30 and the rear end of the second side wall piece 32 are connected via a hinge 24c having a vertical pivot axis. Both the first side wall piece 30 and the second side wall piece 32 are pivotable about the vertical axis around the hinge 24c. From another perspective, a fold 33 extending vertically is formed in the approximate center of the front-to-rear direction of the side wall 14. The rear end of the side wall 14 is connected to the fixed frame 12, and the front end of the side wall 14 is connected to the front wall 16 via hinges 24a and 24b, each having a vertical pivot axis. With this configuration, the side wall 14 can be folded along the fold 33 so as to be convex toward the inside of the cover space 28.

[0030] The upper end of the front wall 16 and the rear end of the top wall 18 are connected via a hinge 24d having a swing shaft extending in the left-right direction. This allows the top wall 18 to swing around a horizontal axis, making it possible to freely change the angle of the top wall 18 relative to the front wall 16. Furthermore, in this example, a support frame 20 is disposed within the cover space 28, and the rear end of this support frame 20 is also connected via a hinge 24e having a swing shaft extending in the left-right direction. This allows the support frame 20 to also swing around a horizontal axis, making it possible to freely change the angle of the support frame 20 relative to the front wall 16.

[0031] Next, we will explain the effects of the vent member 10. As described above, the fixed frame 12, side walls 14, front wall 16, top wall 18, and support frame 20 that constitute the vent member 10 are connected via hinges 24. Therefore, in situations where volume reduction is required, such as during transportation, the vent member 10 can be folded into a flat plate.

[0032] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the vent member 10 in a storage position where it has been folded into a flat plate. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the vent member 10 in the process of being folded. Note that one side wall 14 and the mesh member 22 are not shown in FIG. 4. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, when folding the vent member 10, the top wall 18 is swung around a horizontal axis about its rear end until the outer surface of the top wall 18 (i.e., the surface outside the covered space 28) comes into contact with the outer surface of the front wall 16 and the top wall 18 becomes approximately parallel to the front wall 16. The support frame 20 is also swung around a horizontal axis about its rear end until the support frame 20 comes into contact with the inner surface of the front wall 16 (i.e., the surface facing the covered space 28) and the support frame 20 and the front wall 16 become approximately parallel. This causes the support frame 20, the front wall 16, and the top wall 18 to be stacked in the thickness direction.

[0033] After the support frame 20, front wall 16, and top wall 18 are stacked in the thickness direction, the side wall 14 is then folded along the vertical crease 33 so as to convex inward in the left-right direction. As a result, the first side wall piece 30 and the second side wall piece 32 are stacked in the thickness direction, the fixing frame 12 is positioned close to the front wall 16, and the entire vent member 10 becomes substantially flat. In this way, in this example, the multiple components constituting the vent member 10 are connected by hinges 24a to 24e, and the side wall 14 is made foldable, so that the vent member 10 can be changed to a flat, stored position. The mesh member 22 is a separate component completely separate from the side wall 14, etc. Therefore, during transportation, the mesh member 22, which is a separate component, can simply be placed on the flat vent member 10, as shown in FIG. 3 .

[0034] When attaching the vent member 10 to the exterior wall 100, the vent member 10 is changed from the stored position shown in FIG. 3 to the completed position shown in FIG. 1 . Specifically, the worker first fixes the fixing frame 12 to the exterior wall 100 and seals the gap between the fixing frame 12 and the exterior wall 100. Next, the fixing frame 12 is pulled in a direction away from the front wall 16 to unfold the folded side walls 14. Here, the front ends of the side walls 14 are connected to the front wall 16, and the rear ends are connected to the fixing frame 12. In other words, in this example, the distance between the front ends of the two side walls 14 and the distance between the rear ends are always kept constant. Therefore, simply by unfolding the side walls 14, the worker can maintain the relative positional relationship between the pair of side walls 14, the fixing frame 12, and the front wall 16 at the completed positional relationship.

[0035] Once the side wall 14 is unfolded, the worker swings the support frame 20 into a forward-leaning position within the cover space 28. This causes the vertical members 42 of the support frame 20 to cross the fold 33 of the side wall 14. As the support frame 20 crosses the fold 33, bending of the side wall 14 along the fold is inhibited, and the unfolded state of the side wall 14 is maintained. The support frame 20 in its forward-leaning position is fastened to the first side wall piece 30 with screws. Fastening holes 26a, 26b for this screw fastening are formed in the first side wall piece 30 and the upright leg 48. By fastening the support frame 20 to the first side wall piece 30 with screws, the forward-leaning position of the support frame 20, and therefore the unfolded state of the side wall 14, are reliably maintained.

[0036] Once this state is achieved, the worker then swings the top wall 18 around the horizontal axis to cover the upper opening of the covered space 28 with the top wall 18. In this example, a pair of ribs 34 that stand downward are provided on both the left and right ends of the top wall 18. The pair of ribs 34 form an insertion groove 36 that opens downward. When covering the upper opening of the covered space 28 with the top wall 18, the upper ends of the side walls 14 are inserted into the insertion grooves 36. This fills the gap at the boundary between the upper ends of the side walls 14 and the top wall 18, effectively preventing raindrops from entering the covered space 28. Furthermore, by inserting the upper ends of the side walls 14 into the insertion grooves 36, the side walls 14 and the top wall 18 are mutually restrained, thereby effectively preventing rattling of the vent member 10.

[0037] Once the top wall 18 can be placed over the cover space 28, the worker fixes the top wall 18 to the side wall 14. This fixation may be achieved by fastening using screws or the like, or by engaging using a snap lock 19 as shown in FIG. 2. Finally, the worker places the mesh member 22 in the lower end opening of the cover space 28 and fixes the mesh member 22 to the side wall 14 and front wall 16 using screws. Fastening holes 26c, 26d, and 26e for this fastening are formed in the mesh member 22, side wall 14, and front wall 16.

[0038] As is clear from the above explanation, in this example, the relative positions of the front wall 16, the fixed frame 12, and the side walls 14 can be set to the completed positions simply by pulling the front wall 16 in a direction away from the fixed frame 12 and unfolding the folded side walls 14. Furthermore, since the worker does not need to hold three or more parts at the same time, even a single worker can easily install the vent member 10.

[0039] The configuration described above is merely an example, and other configurations may be modified as appropriate, as long as at least a pair of side walls 14 that can be folded along one or more fold lines 33 extending substantially vertically are hingedly connected to the fixed frame 12 and the front wall 16. For example, in the above description, a typical hinge that is separate from the swingable object (e.g., the side wall 14 or the front wall 16) is used as the hinge 24, but the hinge 24 may also be integral with the swingable object. For example, a linear thin portion may be formed in the swingable object, as in an integral hinge, and this thin portion may be used as the hinge 24. Furthermore, in the above description, each portion is hingedly connected, but as long as one of the two connected members can swing relative to the other, a connecting means that does not use a hinge may be used.

[0040] In addition, in the above example, the number of folds 33 provided on the side wall 14 is one, but the number of folds 33 is not limited as long as it is an odd number. Therefore, three or more folds extending vertically may be provided on the side wall 14, and the side wall 14 may be accordion-woven along the plurality of folds 33 when in the storage position. In addition, in the above example, the support frame 20 is provided, but the support frame 20 may be omitted. Furthermore, the shape of each part may be changed as appropriate.

[0041] Next, the configuration of another vent member 10 will be described as a reference example. Fig. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the vent member 10 of the reference example. Note that one side wall 14 and the mesh 50 are not shown in Fig. 5.

[0042] In this vent member 10, the fixed frame 12 and the pair of side walls 14 are hingedly connected, but the front wall 16, top wall 18, and mesh member 22 are completely separate from the fixed frame 12 and the side walls 14.

[0043] That is, the fixed frame 12 is a roughly square-shaped member with a roughly rectangular passage opening 29 formed therein, and a pair of side walls 14 are swingably connected to the left and right ends of the fixed frame 12 via hinges 24a. Unlike the example in Fig. 1, the side walls 14 are made of a single plate material. Therefore, although the side walls 14 can swing relative to the fixed frame 12, the side walls 14 themselves cannot be bent midway.

[0044] The front wall 16 is a member that connects the rear edges of the pair of side walls 14 together in the completed position. The top wall 18 is a member that covers the upper opening of the cover space 28 that is surrounded by the fixed frame 12, the pair of side walls 14, and the front wall 16. As described above, the top wall 18 and the front wall 16 are both separate members from the side walls 14 and the fixed frame 12, and are fixed to the side walls 14 and the fixed frame 12, respectively, using screws or the like. The mesh member 22 is disposed at the lower opening of the cover space 28, and includes a substantially square-shaped mesh frame 52 and a mesh 50 stretched over the mesh frame 52.

[0045] In the stowed position, the vent member 10 has each side wall 14 that swings about a horizontal axis, centered on the hinge 24a, until the side wall 14 is approximately parallel to the fixed frame 12. This causes the side walls 14 and the fixed frame 12 to be stacked in the thickness direction, forming a substantially flat plate. In order to prevent interference between the two side walls 14, the distance L2 between the pair of side walls 14 is made larger than the front-to-rear dimension of the side walls 14. During transportation, the top wall 18, front wall 16, and mesh member 22 are stacked in the thickness direction on the substantially flat side walls 14 and fixed frame 12.

[0046] When attaching the vent member 10 to the exterior wall 100, first the fixing frame 12 is fixed to the exterior wall 100 and the gap between the fixing frame 12 and the exterior wall 100 is sealed. Next, the worker swings the side wall 14 about the hinge 24a to an angle that is approximately perpendicular to the fixing frame 12. However, at this point, it is not necessary to precisely adjust the swing angle of the side wall 14; it is sufficient if the distance between the front ends of the side walls 14 is greater than the left-right dimension of the mesh member 22.

[0047] After opening the pair of side walls 14, the worker then attaches the net member 22 to the fixed frame 12. To facilitate the attachment of the net member 22, a bottom locking groove 60 that opens downward is formed at the front end of the net frame 52. The bottom locking groove 60 is a groove into which a bottom protrusion 62, which is the lower edge of the passage opening 29, is inserted. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing the state in which the bottom protrusion 62 is inserted into the bottom locking groove 60. As is clear from FIGS. 5 and 6 , the bottom locking groove 60 is formed by extending the rear end wall of the net frame 52 upward and then folding it back and downward in a U-shape. By inserting the bottom protrusion 62 into the bottom locking groove 60, the net member 22 engages with the fixed frame 12, preventing the net member 22 from being removed from the fixed frame 12.

[0048] Once in this state, the worker screws the net member 22 to the side wall 14. At this time, since the net member 22 is engaged with the fixed frame 12, the net member 22 will not fall even if the worker releases his / her hands from the net member 22. Therefore, the worker can easily screw the net member 22 to the side wall 14.

[0049] Once the mesh member 22 has been fixed to the side walls 14, the worker then positions the front wall 16 so that it straddles the front ends of the two side walls 14, and screws the front wall 16 to the side walls 14 and the mesh member 22. At this time, the distance between the front ends of the side walls 14 is kept constant by the mesh member 22 fixed to the side walls 14. Therefore, the worker only needs to adjust the position of the front wall 16, and there is no need to re-adjust the swing angle of the side walls 14 at this point.

[0050] Once the front wall 16 has been secured to the side walls 14 and the mesh member 22, the worker then places and secures the top wall 18 over the side walls 14 and front wall 16. At this time, to prevent the top wall 18 from falling along the upper edge of the side walls 14, which are inclined downward toward the front, a top protrusion 58 is provided at the front end of the top wall 18, and a top locking groove 54 is provided at the upper end of the fixing frame 12.

[0051] 7 is a cross-sectional view of the top protrusion 58 inserted into the top locking groove 54. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 7, the front end of the top wall 18 is bent upward, forming the top protrusion 58. Meanwhile, the upper end of the fixed frame 12 is folded forward and downward, forming a hanging wall 53 that hangs downward. The gap between this hanging wall 53 and the fixed frame 12 forms the top locking groove 54. The upper edge of the passage opening 29 of the fixed frame 12 is bent forward, forming a mounting portion 56 that extends substantially horizontally. The distance L4 from the top surface of this mounting portion 56 to the lower end of the hanging wall 53 is smaller than the height L5 of the top protrusion 58.

[0052] When attaching the top wall 18, the worker first inserts the top protrusion 58 into the top locking groove 54. Specifically, as shown by the two-dot chain line in Figure 7, the worker places the front end of the top wall 18 on the mounting portion 56, tilts the top wall 18 significantly so that the top protrusion 58 slopes downward toward the front, and ultimately so that the top wall 18 slopes upward toward the front, and pushes the top protrusion 58 into a position where it abuts the front end wall of the fixed frame 12. In this state, the worker gradually swings the top wall 18 so that the top protrusion 58 is approximately parallel to the vertical direction, and the top protrusion 58 is inserted into the top locking groove 54.

[0053] Once the top protrusions 58 are inserted into the top locking grooves 54, the worker screws the top wall 18 to the side walls 14 and front wall 16. Here, when the top protrusions 58 are inserted into the top locking grooves 54, the upper end of the top protrusions 58 is higher than the lower end of the top locking grooves 54. Therefore, even if the top wall 18 tries to fall diagonally downward, the top protrusions 58 come into contact with the top locking grooves 54, preventing the fall. This eliminates the need for the worker to continue holding the top wall 18 with their hands, allowing the worker to easily screw the top wall 18.

[0054] As is clear from the above description, in the reference example illustrated in FIGS. 5 to 7, the mesh member 22 and the top wall 18 can be locked to the fixed frame 12. This eliminates the need for the worker to continuously hold the mesh member 22 and the top wall 18 with their hands, simplifying the installation of the mesh member 22 and the top wall 18, and ultimately the installation of the vent member 10. In the above description, the bottom locking groove 60 is provided in the mesh member 22, and the bottom protrusion 62 is provided in the fixed frame 12, but this may be reversed. That is, the bottom locking groove 60 opening upward may be provided at the lower end of the fixed frame 12, and the bottom protrusion 62 extending downward may be provided at the front end of the mesh member 22. Similarly, the top locking groove 54 opening downward may be formed at the front end of the top wall 18, and the top protrusion 58 extending upward may be provided at the upper end of the fixed frame 12. In the above description, the mesh member 22, front wall 16, and top wall 18 are attached to the side wall 14 in this order, but the order of the other components may be changed as appropriate as long as either the mesh member 22 or the top wall 18 is attached first. For example, after opening the pair of side walls 14, the components may be attached in the order of the top wall 18, front wall 16, and mesh member 22, or the top wall 18, mesh member 22, and front wall 16, or the net member 22, top wall 18, and front wall 16. Naturally, the shape of each component and the position of the fastening holes 26 may be changed as appropriate depending on the order of attachment. [Explanation of symbols]

[0055] 10 ventilation member, 12 fixing frame, 14 side wall, 16 front wall, 18 top wall, 19 snap lock, 20 support frame, 22 mesh member, 24, 24a to 24e hinges, 26, 26a to 26e fastening holes, 28 cover space, 29 passage opening, 30 first side wall piece, 32 second side wall piece, 33 fold, 34 rib, 36 insertion groove, 40 front horizontal member, 42 vertical member, 44 rear horizontal member, 46 base, 48 standing leg, 50 mesh, 52 mesh frame, 53 hanging wall, 54 top locking groove, 56 mounting portion, 58 top protrusion, 60 bottom locking groove, 62 bottom protrusion, 100 outer wall, 102 ventilation hole.

Claims

1. A vent member, comprising: A fixing frame is fixed to the ventilation hole so as to surround the outdoor side periphery of the ventilation hole penetrating the exterior wall; A pair of side walls connected to both left and right ends of the fixed frame and extending forward from the fixed frame in a horizontal direction toward the outside of the room, the pair of side walls being foldable along one or more folds extending in a substantially vertical direction; a front wall, the left and right ends of which are connected to the front ends of the pair of side walls; the side wall is pivotally connected to the fixed frame and the front wall, the vent member is movable between a completed position in which the side wall extends forward from the fixed frame without being folded along the crease, and a stored position in which the side wall is folded along the crease to be substantially parallel to the front wall and the fixed frame; In the storage position, the connection between the pair of side walls and the front wall is maintained, moreover, a top wall that covers an upper end opening of a cover space surrounded by the fixed frame, the pair of side walls, and the front wall, the top wall having a front end that is swingably connected to an upper end of the front wall; In the storage position, a rear end of the top wall is separated from the fixed frame. A vent member characterized by:

2. A vent member, comprising: A fixing frame is fixed to the ventilation hole so as to surround the outdoor side periphery of the ventilation hole penetrating the exterior wall; A pair of side walls connected to both left and right ends of the fixed frame and extending forward from the fixed frame in a horizontal direction toward the outside of the room, the pair of side walls being foldable along one or more folds extending in a substantially vertical direction; a front wall, the left and right ends of which are connected to the front ends of the pair of side walls; the side wall is pivotally connected to the fixed frame and the front wall, the vent member is movable between a completed position in which the side wall extends forward from the fixed frame without being folded along the crease, and a stored position in which the side wall is folded along the crease to be substantially parallel to the front wall and the fixed frame; moreover, A support frame is disposed in a cover space surrounded by the fixed frame, the pair of side walls, and the front wall, the support frame having a front horizontal member extending in the left-right direction and a pair of vertical members extending from both left and right ends of the front horizontal member, The front end of the support frame is connected to the front wall so as to be swingable about an axis extending in the left-right direction, The vertical members extend in a direction that is angled with respect to the front wall in the completed position and extend in a direction that is generally parallel to the front wall in the stowed position. A vent member characterized by:

3. 3. The vent member according to claim 2, an upper edge of the side wall is inclined with respect to a horizontal direction so as to move downward as it moves forward in the completed position; a long axis dimension of the vertical member is greater than a first distance that is a distance from a connection point between the support frame and the front wall to an upper end of the front wall; The vertical member has a base having a wall surface parallel to the front wall in the storage position, and a leg portion standing from an outer edge of the base in a thickness direction of the base in a range distal to the first distance from the connection point. A vent member characterized by:

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