Bathroom heating and drying equipment

Abstract

To provide a bathroom heating / drying device which can properly prevent or suppress a fire spread caused by the heat generation and firing of a wiring takeout part of a fan motor.SOLUTION: A bathroom heating / drying device A comprises a motor M for driving a fan 2, and a lower-part opened housing case 1 for accommodating the motor M and the fan 2. The motor M comprises a wiring takeout part 61 at a peripheral wall part 60 of a motor case 6, and a center axis CL of the motor case 6 is set in a lateral-placement form extending in a direction intersecting with a vertical height direction. The motor M takes a posture at which the wiring takeout part 61 is oriented obliquely downward. The bathroom heating / drying device also comprises a fire spread prevention cover 4 having a fire-retardancy front-side wall part 4a and a lower-side wall part 4b which are located in front of, and behind the wiring takeout part 61, and oppose the wiring takeout part 61.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a bathroom heating and drying device. [Background technology]

[0002] A specific example of a bathroom heating and drying device is described in Patent Document 1. The bathroom heater / dryer described in the document is installed in the ceiling of a bathroom and includes a fan, a motor for driving the fan, and a heat exchanger for heating, all housed in a housing case with an open bottom. Bathroom air is drawn into the housing case by the fan and sent to the heat exchanger, where it is heated and then returned to the bathroom.

[0003] These bathroom heater / dryer systems often use a cross-flow fan (impeller), with the fan positioned so that its central axis extends horizontally, a motor placed next to it, and the motor's output shaft connected to the impeller. The motor tends to become a high-temperature heat source during operation, a tendency that is exacerbated in bathroom heater / dryer systems that are installed in high-humidity environments and used for long periods of time. For this reason, Patent Document 1 proposes forming a metal vapor deposition film on the inner surface of the resin case housing the motor to prevent the spread of fire in the event of a fire starting from the motor.

[0004] However, the above-mentioned prior art still has room for improvement, as will be described below.

[0005] In other words, fan motors are not uniformly prone to heat generation and fire throughout, and the motor's wiring outlets are the parts of the motor that are particularly prone to heat generation and fire. However, until now, no special measures have been taken for such wiring outlets. This has led to concerns about the spread of fire due to heat generation and fire at the wiring outlets, and it is desirable to appropriately resolve this issue. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-122586 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] The present invention was conceived in light of the above-mentioned circumstances, and its objective is to provide a bathroom heating and drying device that can appropriately prevent or suppress the spread of fire caused by heat generation and ignition at the wiring outlet of the fan motor. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides the following technical solutions.

[0009] The bathroom heating / drying device provided by this invention is a bathroom heating / drying device that includes a fan, a motor for driving the fan, and a housing case that is open at the bottom and contains the motor and fan. The motor has a wiring outlet on the peripheral wall of the motor case, and is placed horizontally with the central axis of the motor case extending in a direction that intersects the vertical height direction. The motor is oriented so that the wiring outlet faces diagonally downward, and the wiring outlets are located in front of and below the wiring outlet. The fire prevention cover further includes a flame-retardant front wall and a lower wall facing the outlet. Here, "flame retardant" means that the material has resistance to flames, delays the time until ignition, or has the ability to suppress the amount or rate of combustion. Therefore, it does not necessarily mean that the material complies with a specific standard. Furthermore, "flame retardant" as used in this invention also includes non-flammability.

[0010] This configuration provides the following effects. First, the motor for driving the fan is placed horizontally, with the wiring outlet provided on the peripheral wall of the motor case facing diagonally downward. Meanwhile, the fire prevention cover is flame-retardant and has front and lower walls located in front and below the motor's wiring outlet, respectively, that face the wiring outlet. Therefore, even if the wiring outlet were to catch fire, the fire prevention cover can contain the flames and prevent them from spreading forward or downward. As a result, the spread of fire due to heat generation or ignition at the motor's wiring outlet can be appropriately prevented or suppressed. Second, it is possible to prevent the fire spread prevention cover from becoming large and bulky. That is, when the wiring outlets are oriented horizontally or directly downward, as shown in Comparative Examples 1 and 2 of Figures 9(a) and 9(b), which will be described later, the fire spread prevention cover protrudes relatively significantly to the side or below the motor, which is undesirable in terms of reducing the overall size of the device. However, the present invention appropriately solves this problem. Third, it is possible to simplify and optimize the installation and maintenance of the fire prevention cover. Specifically, if the wiring outlet is provided in the upper area of ​​the motor case, as in Comparative Example 3 of Figure 9(c), described below, the size of the fire prevention cover must be increased to suppress fires. Furthermore, it becomes difficult to install and remove the fire prevention cover from the bottom of a housing case that is open at the bottom, resulting in poor assembly and maintenance workability. In contrast, according to the present invention, the fire prevention cover is located in the lower area of ​​the motor, thereby avoiding the above-mentioned problems.

[0011] In the present invention, preferably, a support portion is provided within the housing case, at least a portion of which is located between the motor and the fan and which supports at least one of the motor and the fan, and the fire prevention cover further has a flame-retardant rear wall portion which separates the support portion from the wiring outlet portion of the motor.

[0012] With this configuration, if a fire breaks out at the wiring outlet of the motor, the flames will not come into contact with the support portion from the wiring outlet, and the fire spread prevention effect can be further improved.

[0013] In the present invention, preferably, the support portion is provided with a first mark for aligning the wiring outlet portion, and by aligning the wiring outlet portion with the first mark, the motor can be set in a position in which the wiring outlet portion faces diagonally downward.

[0014] With this configuration, when assembling the bathroom heater / dryer unit, the first mark can be used to quickly and appropriately set the motor in the desired position, improving productivity and further facilitating maintenance work.

[0015] In the present invention, the fire spread prevention cover is preferably provided with a second mark for aligning the fire spread prevention cover with the wiring outlet portion.

[0016] With this configuration, the fire prevention cover can be easily installed during the assembly of the bathroom heating and drying device. By using the second mark provided on the bar, it is possible to quickly and appropriately set the motor to a specified position or to check whether the motor is set to the specified position.

[0017] In the present invention, preferably, the lower wall portion of the fire spread prevention cover is configured to interfere with the wiring outlet portion when the wiring outlet portion faces downward at an angle equal to or greater than a predetermined angle.

[0018] With this configuration, if the motor's wiring outlet is set to point directly downward or in a similar position, the wiring outlet and the lower wall of the fire prevention cover will interfere with each other, making it easy to detect this setting and helping to set the motor in the desired position.

[0019] Other features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiments of the invention, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0020] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of a bathroom heating and drying device according to the present invention. [Figure 2] 2 is an exploded perspective view of the main parts of the bathroom heating and drying device shown in FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of the main parts of the bathroom heating and drying device shown in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view of the essential parts of FIG. 3, showing a state in which the fire spread prevention cover is not attached. [Figure 5] FIG. 4 is a plan cross-sectional view of a main part of FIG. 3. [Figure 6] 6 is a front view of the main part corresponding to the arrow VI in FIG. 5. [Figure 7] 2 to 6, and (b) is a perspective view of the fire spread prevention cover from a different direction from that shown in (a). [Figure 8] 8(a) is a cross-sectional view of the essential part taken along line VIII-VIII in FIG. 4, and FIG. 8(b) is a cross-sectional view of the essential part showing an example of the case where the laminate tape shown in FIG. 8(a) is attached to a motor. [Figure 9] 1(a) to 1(c) are explanatory diagrams showing Comparative Examples 1 to 3, respectively. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0021] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0022] The bathroom heating and drying device A shown in Figure 1 is configured so that a fan 2 (impeller), a motor M (fan motor) for rotating the fan 2, a heat exchanger 3 as an air heating means, and a fire prevention cover 4 (omitted in Figure 1) are incorporated into a housing case 1 having a lower opening 12.

[0023] As will be described later, bathroom heating and drying apparatus A of this embodiment is characterized by the configuration of motor M and fire-prevention cover 4. The basic overall configuration of bathroom heating and drying apparatus A is similar to that of known apparatuses, so this will be explained briefly. That is, bathroom heating and drying device A is attached to bathroom ceiling panel 90 when in use, and parts of lower opening 12 of housing case 1 serve as air inlet 91 and air outlet 92. When fan 2 is rotated by motor M, air from the bathroom is drawn into housing case 1 through inlet 91, passes through heat exchanger 3, and is heated. This heated air passes through fan 2 and is returned to the bathroom through outlet 92. Heat exchanger 3 is capable of heating the air using hot water supplied from a water heater (not shown), for example. An opening 11 is formed in the side wall 10 of the housing case 1, and a ventilation fan 95 is separately attached to a location corresponding to this opening 11. By operating it, the air in the bathroom can be exhausted to the outside, allowing for bathroom ventilation.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 2, the fan 2 is, for example, a cross-flow type, and is set in a horizontally extending position with both ends in the axial direction supported by a pair of left and right supports 5. An output shaft 66 of a motor M (see FIG. 5) is connected to one side of the fan 2. In FIG. 2, the support 5 is shown as a substantially plate-shaped member made of synthetic resin and having semicircular recesses 50 into which the shafts at both ends of the fan 2 are fitted. An auxiliary member 59 (see FIG. 5) is attached to this support 5 to hold the shafts of the fan 2 fitted into the recesses 50. The support 5 is attached to the housing case 1 using, for example, screw fastening means.

[0025] The motor M is itself a conventionally known motor, and includes a motor case 6 that is generally disk-shaped and houses a rotor, stator, bearings, etc. (not shown), and a wiring outlet 61 is provided on a generally cylindrical peripheral wall 60 of the motor case 6, through which wiring C serving as lead wires is pulled from the inside to the outside of the motor case 6.

[0026] Of the peripheral wall 60 of the motor case 6, the area around the wiring outlet 61 is a part of the motor M that is prone to heat generation and fire. In contrast, in this embodiment, laminate tape 7 (shown with a dotted pattern as appropriate in the drawings) is attached to the above-mentioned area.

[0027] As shown in Fig. 8(a), the laminate tape 7 is a tape in which aluminum glass cloth 71 is laminated and bonded onto aluminum tape 70, which serves as a metal foil tape. In this laminate tape 7, the aluminum tape 70 and the aluminum glass cloth 71 are laminated and bonded together before being attached to the motor case 6, and the aluminum tape 70 has an adhesive layer 72 covered with release paper (not shown). Therefore, as shown in Fig. 8(b), when attaching the laminate tape 7 to the motor case 6, the aluminum tape 70 and the aluminum glass cloth 71 can be attached simultaneously. In this embodiment, the laminate tape 7 is attached to the periphery of the wiring outlet portion 61, but instead of or in addition to this, the laminate tape 7 may be attached to other portions of the motor M.

[0028] 2 to 6, the motor M is in a horizontally placed configuration. Here, "horizontally placed configuration" refers to a configuration in which the central axis CL of the motor case 6 extends in a direction intersecting the up-down height direction (vertical direction). In this embodiment, the central axis CL of the motor case 6 is set to extend in the horizontal direction. The motor M is also oriented such that the wiring outlet 61 is located on the underside of the motor case 6 and faces diagonally downward (hereinafter referred to as "specific orientation" where appropriate). Preferably, the inclination angle α of the wiring outlet 61 with respect to the horizontal direction is approximately 45°. The motor M is fixed to the support 5 or other appropriate part using appropriate fixing means (not shown) so as not to rotate around the central axis CL.

[0029] The fire spread prevention cover 4 is made of a flame-retardant resin. Its flame-retardant grade is, for example, 5VA according to the UL94 standard. The fire spread prevention cover 4 has a front wall portion 4a, a lower wall portion 4b, a rear wall portion 4c, an engagement portion 41, and a screw-fastening portion 42 (see also FIG. 7). The front wall portion 4a is a generally rectangular plate that stands upright in the vertical direction, and the lower wall portion 4b is a generally horizontal rectangular plate that is connected to form a generally L-shape when viewed from the front.

[0030] The engaging portion 41 and the screw fastening portion 42 of the fire spread prevention cover 4 are portions for attaching the fire spread prevention cover 4 to the support portion 5, and the engaging portion 41 is, for example, a hook-shaped protrusion. As shown in FIGS. 2 to 6, the support portion 5 is provided with a U-shaped engaged portion 51. 6, the screw fastening portion 42 has a hole 42a through which a screw member 9 such as a screw is inserted, and can be screwed into a screwed portion 52 that is separately provided on the support portion 5. This screw fastening maintains the engagement state between the engaging portion 41 and the engaged portion 42 appropriately, and the fire spread prevention cover 4 is attached to the support portion 5.

[0031] The fire spread prevention cover 4 is attached so that the front wall portion 4a and the lower wall portion 4b are located in front of (the left side in FIG. 6) and below the wiring outlet portion 61 of the motor M. The wiring C is drawn out to the outside of the fire spread prevention cover 4, for example. In the above-described attached state of the fire spread prevention cover 4, as shown in FIG. 5, the rear wall portion 4c of the fire spread prevention cover 4 is positioned to separate the wiring outlet portion 61 of the motor M from the support portion 5.

[0032] As can be clearly seen in FIGS. 3 and 4, the support portion 5 and the fire spread prevention cover 4 are provided with first and second marks 8A and 8B, respectively. The first mark 8A has an appropriate convex shape (in this embodiment, a roughly V-shaped convex shape when viewed from the front), and is a portion for aligning the wiring outlet 61 of the motor M when installing the motor M. When installing the motor M, if a specific portion of the wiring outlet 61 (for example, the portion indicated by reference numeral 61a) is aligned so as to be flush with a specific portion of the first mark 8A, such as the upward surface 80, the motor M will be set in the specific posture described above.

[0033] The second mark 8B is used to align the fire prevention cover 4 with the wiring outlet 61, and is, for example, a concave or convex horizontal line formed on the fire prevention cover 4 itself when the fire prevention cover 4 is resin-molded. When assembling bathroom heating / drying device A, after motor M is installed, fire prevention cover 4 is attached to support 5. At this time, it is confirmed that second mark 8B is positioned in the same place as a specific location (which may or may not be the same as specific location 61a) on motor M's wiring outlet 61. If this confirmation reveals that they do not match, it means that the angle of motor M's wiring outlet 61 or the installation position of fire prevention cover 4 is not appropriate, and corrections can be made.

[0034] The lower wall 4b of the fire prevention cover 4 is located quite close to the motor M, and as can be clearly seen in Figure 6, the gap La between the lower part of the motor case 6 and the lower wall 4b is small. As a result, if the wiring outlet 61 of the motor M is set at an angle that faces downward at a predetermined angle or more, such as pointing directly downward, the lower wall 4b will interfere with the fire prevention cover 4, making it difficult to install the fire prevention cover 4. This will reveal that the installation of the motor M is not appropriate, and the installation of the motor M can be corrected.

[0035] Next, the operation of the bathroom heating and drying device A will be described.

[0036] First, the front wall 4a and lower wall 4b of the flame-retardant fire spread prevention cover 4 are disposed in close proximity to and facing each other in front of and below the wiring outlet 61 of the motor M. Therefore, even if the wiring outlet 61 were to catch fire, the flames would be appropriately prevented from spreading forward and downward. Furthermore, the rear wall 4c of the fire spread prevention cover 4 is located between the wiring outlet 61 and the support part 5, so that even if the wiring outlet 61 were to catch fire, the flames would not reach the support part 5. As a result, the effect of appropriately preventing or suppressing the spread of fire due to heat generation or ignition at the wiring outlet 61 of the motor M is obtained.

[0037] FIGS. 9(a) to 9(c) show comparative examples 1 to 3 of this embodiment, and bathroom heating and drying apparatus A of this embodiment offers the following advantages over these examples.

[0038] That is, in Comparative Example 1 of Figure 9(a), wiring outlet 61 is located at the horizontal end of motor case 6 and faces horizontally. With this configuration, wiring outlet 61 is located on the side of motor M, and therefore fire spread prevention cover 4' is positioned to protrude relatively far to the side from the side of motor M (dimension Lb in Figure 9(a) is large). In contrast, with this embodiment, as shown in Figure 6, it is possible to reduce protrusion dimension Lc of fire spread prevention cover 4 from the side of motor M. This is preferable for reducing the overall size of bathroom heating / drying apparatus A.

[0039] In Comparative Example 2 of Figure 9(b), wiring outlet 61 is located at the bottom of motor case 6 and faces directly downward. With this configuration, wiring outlet 61 is located below motor M, and fire spread prevention cover 4' is positioned at a relatively large distance below the bottom of motor M (dimension Ld in Figure 9(b) is large). In contrast, with this embodiment, as shown in Figure 6, it is possible to reduce the protrusion dimension Le from the bottom of motor M to fire spread prevention cover 4, which is preferable for downsizing bathroom heating / dryer apparatus A. In Comparative Example 2, if the wiring outlet portion 61 catches fire, the flame will spread widely to the left and right, so it becomes necessary to increase the left and right width Lf of the fire spread prevention cover 4'. In contrast, according to this embodiment, it is possible to make the overall left and right width of the fire spread prevention cover 4 relatively small.

[0040] In Comparative Example 3 of Figure 9(c), the wiring outlet 61 is provided in the upper surface area of ​​the motor case 6. Therefore, in Comparative Example 3, not only does it become necessary to increase the size of the fire spread prevention cover 4' to suppress the flames, but the motor M gets in the way when attaching or removing the fire spread prevention cover 4 through the lower opening 12 of the housing case 1, making the work difficult. In contrast, according to the present invention, the fire spread prevention cover 4 is located below the motor M, that is, closer to the lower opening 12 of the housing case 1 than the motor M, so the above-mentioned drawbacks do not occur.

[0041] In addition, according to this embodiment, the effects already described by providing the first and second marks 8A and 8B can also be obtained, which is preferable. As mentioned above, the laminate tape 7 is attached to the periphery of the wiring outlet 61 of the motor M, and this laminate tape 7 is configured by laminating and adhering aluminum glass cloth 71 onto aluminum tape 70, so it has the excellent flame retardancy (non-combustibility) of the aluminum tape 70 as well as the flexibility and ease of handling of the aluminum glass cloth 71. When used alone, the aluminum tape 70 has the disadvantage of being easily torn during handling, but laminating and adhering the aluminum glass cloth 71 eliminates this risk.

[0042] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and the specific configuration of each part of the bathroom heating and drying device according to the present invention can be modified in various ways within the intended scope of the present invention.

[0043] The fan is not limited to a cross-flow type, and can be of other types and shapes, such as a sirocco fan. The fan may be either a circulation fan or a ventilation fan. The motor is a motor that drives the fan, and as long as it is horizontally installed as intended by the present invention, its specific type (drive and control method, etc.) is not important. The motor may be oriented with its wiring outlet facing diagonally downward, and the specific means for mounting and fixing the motor are not limited.

[0044] The fire prevention cover may have a different shape, size, and material from the fire prevention cover of the above embodiment. The fire prevention cover may also be made of metal. As already mentioned in the section "Means for Solving the Problems," flame retardancy means that a material exhibits resistance to flames, delays the time until ignition, or suppresses the amount or rate of combustion, and does not necessarily mean compliance with a specific standard, and also includes the concept of non-combustibility.

[0045] The first and second marks in the present invention can be provided as parts having various three-dimensional shapes, but alternatively or in addition, they can also be flat marks made using paint, tape, etc.

[0046] A bathroom heating and drying device is a device that has the function of heating and drying a bathroom, and as a means for heating the air in the bathroom, heating means other than, for example, a hot water heat exchanger can be used. [Explanation of symbols]

[0047] A Bathroom heating and drying device C Wiring (motor) CL center axis Medium motor 1 Housing Case 12 Lower opening (of the housing case) 2 fans 4. Fire prevention cover 4a Front wall (fire prevention cover) 4b Lower wall (fire prevention cover) 4c Rear wall (fire prevention cover) 5 Support part 6 Motor case 60 Peripheral wall section 61 Wiring outlet 8A, 8B First and second landmarks

Claims

1. The device includes a fan, a motor for driving the fan, and a housing case with an opening at the bottom that houses the motor and the fan, The motor has a wiring outlet on a peripheral wall of the motor case, and is horizontally placed so that the central axis of the motor case extends in a direction intersecting the vertical height direction. the motor is oriented such that the wiring outlet faces obliquely downward, A bathroom heating and drying device further characterized by being equipped with a fire prevention cover having flame-retardant front and lower wall portions located in front of and below the wiring outlet, respectively, and facing the wiring outlet.

2. The bathroom heating and drying device according to claim 1, a support portion is provided within the housing case, at least a portion of which is located between the motor and the fan and which supports at least one of the motor and the fan; The fire prevention cover further has a flame-retardant back wall portion that separates the support portion from the motor wiring outlet portion.

3. The bathroom heating and drying device according to claim 2, A bathroom heating and drying device in which the support part is provided with a first mark for aligning the wiring outlet part, and by aligning the wiring outlet part with the first mark, the motor can be set to a position in which the wiring outlet part faces diagonally downward.

4. The bathroom heating and drying device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, In the bathroom heating and drying device, the fire prevention cover is provided with a second mark for aligning the fire prevention cover with the wiring outlet portion.

5. The bathroom heating and drying device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, A bathroom heating and drying device in which the lower wall portion of the fire prevention cover is configured to interfere with the wiring outlet portion when the wiring outlet portion is pointing downward at a predetermined angle or more.

Images