Bathroom heating and drying equipment

Abstract

To provide a bathroom heater / dryer capable of preventing a ventilation path and a damper from sticking to each other.SOLUTION: The bathroom heater / dryer comprises an air flow path 13 allowing a stream of air introduced from the bathroom to flow therethrough, and a damper 14 disposed in the air flow path 13. The damper 14 comprises a rotary shaft 17 extending in the lateral direction, and a rotary plate 15 driven by the rotary shaft 17 to abut on the upper and the lower faces of the circumferential wall of the air flow path 13. The air flow path 13 comprises an abutting protrusion 23 formed by protruding upward from the lower inner surface, allowing the rotary plate 15 of the damper 14 to abut thereon.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a bathroom heating and drying device that heats, ventilates, dries, and so on in a bathroom. [Background technology]

[0002] A known bathroom heating and drying device includes an air passage through which air taken in from the bathroom passes and a damper installed in the air passage (see, for example, Patent Document 1 below). The air passage includes a circulation air passage and a ventilation air passage, through which the air forcibly taken in from the bathroom by a fan passes.

[0003] The circulation air duct takes in air from the bathroom and discharges it back into the bathroom. The ventilation air duct takes in air from the bathroom and discharges it outside. A heating means is provided in the circulation air duct. The ventilation air duct branches off upstream of the heating means midway along the circulation air duct.

[0004] A damper is provided at the branch point of the circulation air duct and the ventilation air duct, and the damper is configured with a rotary shaft extending in the horizontal direction and a rotary plate that rotates about the rotary shaft.

[0005] When the rotating plate closes the ventilation air duct, the airflow is heated by the heating means in the circulation air duct and is guided into the bathroom. When the rotating plate is held in an intermediate position between the branches so that both the circulation air duct and the ventilation air duct are open, the warm air is supplied into the bathroom while ventilating it, thereby drying the bathroom.

[0006] When the rotating plate opens the ventilation air duct and blocks the downstream side of the branching point of the circulation air duct, the air flows through the ventilation air duct and is guided outside the bathroom. Even when the bathroom heating and drying device is not operating, the rotating plate remains in the position that blocks the circulation air duct and opens the ventilation air duct. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-36855 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] Air from the bathroom circulates through the ventilation duct. If the air in the bathroom contains moisture, the moisture liquefies and adheres to the inside of the ventilation duct and the rotating plate of the damper. This liquid may contain cleansing ingredients such as body soap or shampoo, solvents, dust, etc.

[0009] If the liquid adheres to the inner surface of the ventilation passage or the rotating plate of the damper, when the rotating plate of the damper abuts against the inner surface of the ventilation passage, the liquid will adhere to both the rotating plate of the damper and the inner surface of the ventilation passage. Because the liquid flows downward due to its own weight, a relatively large amount of liquid will adhere, particularly when the abutting position between the rotating plate of the damper and the inner surface of the ventilation passage is on the lower side of the ventilation passage.

[0010] Furthermore, when the liquid adhering to the contact point between the damper's rotating plate and the inner surface of the ventilation passage dries, the substances contained in the liquid at that time (cleansing ingredients such as body soap or shampoo, solvent ingredients, dust, etc.) solidify, causing the rotating plate of the opening / closing member to become stuck in contact with the inner surface of the ventilation passage, which is an inconvenience.

[0011] In view of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide a bathroom heating / dryer apparatus that can prevent adhesion between the air passage and the damper. [Means for solving the problem]

[0012] To achieve this object, the present invention provides a bathroom heating and drying device that includes an air passage through which air taken in from inside the bathroom passes, and a damper provided in the air passage. The damper has a rotating shaft extending laterally, and a rotating plate that rotates about the rotating shaft and abuts against the upper and lower surfaces of the peripheral wall of the air passage. The air passage also has a contact protrusion that protrudes upward from the lower surface inside the air passage and against which the rotating plate of the damper abuts. The ventilation passage has a groove portion adjacent to the contact protrusion, the bottom surface of which is an inclined surface, and the contact protrusion has a polygonal shape in a plan view, and is provided so that one corner thereof is at the highest position on the bottom surface of the groove portion.It is characterized by the following.

[0013] According to the present invention, by providing the contact protrusion on the lower surface of the interior of the ventilation passage, the contact portion between the upper end of the contact protrusion and the rotating plate is located higher than the lower surface of the interior of the ventilation passage, which makes it easier for liquid to flow downward from the upper end of the contact protrusion and reduces the amount of liquid remaining in the contact portion between the upper end of the contact protrusion and the rotating plate, thereby preventing the rotating plate from sticking to the contact protrusion.

[0014] The contact protrusions may be provided in multiple locations at intervals along the contact portion of the rotating plate so as to contact the rotating plate in a point-like manner, or may be shaped so as to contact the rotating plate in a continuous line along the contact portion of the rotating plate.

[0016] Also, The groove allows liquid adhering to the contact area between the contact protrusion and the rotating plate to flow smoothly down toward the groove, further reducing the amount of liquid remaining in the contact area between the contact protrusion and the rotating plate.

[0017] In addition, in the present invention, the ventilation passage may include an opening that opens a part of the groove.

[0018] The opening portion opens a portion of the groove, allowing liquid that has flowed down the contact protrusion into the groove to be discharged to the outside of the groove through the opening portion. This prevents liquid from accumulating in the groove. The opening portion may be a notch formed in a portion of the peripheral wall of the groove, or a through-hole that penetrates a portion of the bottom of the groove downward.

[0019] In the present invention, the ventilation passage is characterized in that the bottom surface of the groove portion is an inclined surface that gradually descends toward the open portion.

[0020] With this, the liquid that flows down the contact protrusion into the groove flows by its own weight along the slope of the bottom surface (inclined surface) of the groove toward the open portion, allowing the liquid in the groove to be smoothly discharged from the open portion. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0021] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram of a bathroom heating and drying device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] 2A and 2B are explanatory diagrams showing the operation of a damper in a heating mode, in a drying mode, and in a ventilation mode and when the operation is stopped. [Figure 3] FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0022] An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in Figure 1, bathroom heating and drying apparatus 1 of this embodiment comprises body 2 and panel 3 covering the underside of body 2. Body 2 is attached so as to be embedded in bathroom ceiling 4, and panel 3 is exposed inside the bathroom.

[0023] An inlet 5 and an outlet 6 are both formed facing downward on the panel 3. The outlet 6 is formed in a horizontally long rectangular shape, and is provided with a louver 7 for changing the direction of the airflow.

[0024] A circulation air duct 8 and a ventilation air duct 9 are provided inside the machine body 2. The circulation air duct 8 has an intake port 5 at its upstream end and an outlet port 6 at its downstream end. The ventilation air duct 9 has an intake port 5 at its upstream end and an outlet port 10 at its downstream end. The outlet port 10 is connected to a duct (not shown) that opens outdoors. The circulation air duct 8 and the ventilation air duct 9 correspond to the air ducts in this invention.

[0025] Heating means 11 is provided near the upstream side of the outlet 6 of the circulation air duct 8. The heating means 11 is composed of a radiator that circulates hot water supplied from a heat source device not shown. The ventilation air duct 9 shares the intake port 5 with the circulation air duct 8 and branches off from the circulation air duct 8 upstream of the heating means 11.

[0026] A fan 12 is provided near the downstream side of the air inlet 5. The fan 12 forcibly draws air from within the bathroom through the air inlet 5, and generates an air current that flows toward the circulation air duct 8 and the ventilation air duct 9.

[0027] A branch chamber 13 is provided at the branch position of the circulation air duct 8 and the ventilation air duct 9. The branch chamber 13 communicates with the circulation air duct 8 and the ventilation air duct 9, and thus constitutes the ventilation air duct of the present invention together with the circulation air duct 8 and the ventilation air duct 9.

[0028] A damper 14 is provided in the branch chamber 13. The damper 14 includes a rotating plate 15, a pair of legs 16 extending from both ends of the rotating plate 15, and a rotating shaft 17 formed integrally with the leg 16 and protruding outward. In the following description, the end of the rotating plate 15 farthest from the rotating shaft 17 is referred to as a tip 15a of the rotating plate 15.

[0029] As shown in Figure 1, the branch chamber 13 has a heating side opening 19 located on the circulation air duct 8 side, a ventilation side opening 20 located on the ventilation air duct 9 side, and a partition wall 21, and contains a damper 14.

[0030] A rotation shaft 17 of the damper 14 is rotatably supported on both side walls 18 of the branch chamber 13. A motor 22 for rotating the damper 14 via the rotation shaft 17 is attached to the outside of one of the side walls 18 of the branch chamber 13.

[0031] The heating-side opening 19 is formed in a shape that allows the circulating air passage 8 to be blocked by the rotating plate 15 of the damper 14. Similarly, the ventilation-side opening 20 is formed in a shape that allows the ventilating air passage 9 to be blocked by the rotating plate 15 of the damper 14.

[0032] In heating operation, as shown in Fig. 2A, damper 14 abuts tip 15a of pivot plate 15 against upper portion 20a of ventilation-side opening 20 to close ventilation air duct 9, and sends airflow from fan 12 (not shown) to circulation air duct 8. As a result, the airflow is heated by heating means 11 and directed into the bathroom, heating the bathroom.

[0033] During drying operation, as shown in Figure 2B, damper 14 stops in a position where rotating plate 15 guides airflow to both ventilation air duct 9 and circulation air duct 8. That is, damper 14 stops in a position between upper portion 20a of ventilation-side opening 20 and lower portion 19a of heating-side opening 19. As a result, air heated from circulation air duct 8 via heating means 11 is guided into the bathroom to dry it, and moist air from the bathroom flows through ventilation air duct 9 and is expelled outside the bathroom.

[0034] In ventilation mode, as shown in Figure 2C, damper 14 abuts tip 15a of pivot plate 15 against lower portion 19a of heater-side opening 19 to close circulation air duct 8 and directs airflow from fan 12 (not shown) to ventilation air duct 9. This causes the airflow to be expelled outside the bathroom without returning to it, thereby ventilating the bathroom. The state of damper 14 shown in Figure 2C is maintained even when bathroom heating / drying device 1 is stopped (when fan 12 is not generating airflow).

[0035] As described above, during heating operation, the tip 15a of the rotating plate 15 is positioned upward as shown in FIG. 2A, and during ventilation operation or when operation is stopped, the tip 15a of the rotating plate 15 is positioned downward as shown in FIG. 2C.

[0036] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, a contact protrusion 23 according to the gist of the present invention is provided on a lower portion 19a of the heating-side opening 19 (corresponding to the lower surface inside the ventilation passage). A groove 24 is formed around the periphery of the contact protrusion 23. An open portion 25 is formed on one side of the groove 24. A bottom surface 26 of the groove 24 is an inclined surface that slopes downward toward the open portion 25.

[0037] Abutment protrusions 23 are formed in a cone shape that gradually converges toward their apex 23a, and multiple abutment protrusions 23 are provided at predetermined intervals along the abutment position of tip 15a of rotating plate 15. Tip 15a of rotating plate 15 of damper 14 abuts against apex 23a of abutment protrusions 23 during ventilation operation and when bathroom heating / drying apparatus 1 is stopped.

[0038] When tip 15a of rotating plate 15 of damper 14 abuts against top 23a of contact protrusion 23, tip 15a of rotating plate 15 is positioned downward. Moisture contained in the air from the bathroom adheres to rotating plate 15 and turns into liquid, and when tip 15a of rotating plate 15 is positioned downward, the liquid adhering to rotating plate 15 flows down.

[0039] The liquid that flows down from the rotating plate 15 adheres to the contact portion between the tip 15a of the rotating plate 15 and the top 23a of the contact protrusion 23. This liquid may dry while adhering to the contact portion between the tip 15a of the rotating plate 15 and the top 23a of the contact protrusion 23. If this liquid contains any adhesive components (cleansing components from body soap or shampoo, solvent components, dust, etc.), the tip 15a of the rotating plate 15 may adhere to the top 23a of the contact protrusion 23.

[0040] However, since the contact area between the tip 15a of the rotating plate 15 and the top 23a of the abutment protrusion 23 is extremely small, the adhesion state can be weakened, and the smooth rotation of the rotating plate 15 can be prevented from being hindered by the adhesion.

[0041] Furthermore, a groove 24 is formed around the contact protrusion 23, and liquid adhering to the contact portion between the tip 15a of the rotating plate 15 and the top 23a of the contact protrusion 23 flows down into the groove 24, and is therefore less likely to remain in the contact portion between the tip 15a of the rotating plate 15 and the top 23a of the contact protrusion 23. This also prevents liquid containing solid components from drying out in the contact portion between the tip 15a of the rotating plate 15 and the top 23a of the contact protrusion 23.

[0042] 4, contact protrusion 23 has a polygonal shape (a quadrangle in this embodiment) in a plan view, and is provided so that one corner (first corner 23b) is at the highest position on bottom surface 26 of groove portion 24. This makes it possible to prevent liquid from accumulating between contact protrusion 23 and the side wall of groove portion 24 that corresponds to the highest position of the slope of bottom surface 26 of groove portion 24, and allows liquid in groove portion 24 to flow smoothly toward open portion 25.

[0043] 3 and 4, the present embodiment has been described with reference to the open portion 25 having a shape in which one side of the groove portion 24 is open, but the open portion in the present invention is not limited to this. Although not shown, the open portion may be formed by forming a through hole that opens a part of the bottom surface of the groove downward. In this case, it is preferable that the bottom surface of the groove has a gradual downward slope toward the through hole formed as the open portion.

[0044] Furthermore, in this embodiment, an example has been shown in which a plurality of abutment protrusions are provided at predetermined intervals along the abutment position of the tip end 15a of the rotating plate 15, but this is not limiting. For example, although not shown, a contact protrusion that extends continuously along the abutment position of the tip end 15a of the rotating plate 15 may be provided. In this case, the upper end edge of the contact protrusion is shaped to abut linearly against the tip end 15a of the rotating plate 15.

[0045] Furthermore, when the upper edge of the contact protrusion makes linear contact with tip 15a of rotating plate 15, even if the height of the contact member is relatively large, it is possible to reduce the amount of air passing through the contact portion between tip 15a of rotating plate 15 and lower portion 19a of heating-side opening 19. In this case, the height of the contact member allows the liquid to flow smoothly, so there is no need to provide a groove.

[0046] Furthermore, the contact protrusion does not have to be polygonal in plan view as shown in FIG. 4, but may be circular in plan view (for example, conical).

[0047] Furthermore, in this embodiment, damper 14 is provided at the branching point where one air duct branches into circulation air duct 8 and ventilation air duct 9, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, although not shown, the present invention can be achieved in a bathroom heating / drying device that has two independent air ducts, a circulation air duct and a ventilation air duct, and in which a damper is provided in each of the circulation air duct and the ventilation air duct, providing the same effects as this embodiment. [Explanation of symbols]

[0048] 1...bathroom heating and drying device, 8...circulation air duct (air duct), 9...ventilation air duct (air duct), 13...branch chamber (air duct), 14...damper, 15...rotating plate, 17...rotating shaft, 23, 27...contact protrusion, 24...groove portion, 25...open portion, 26...bottom surface (inclined surface) of groove portion.

Claims

1. The bathroom has a ventilation passage through which air flows, and a damper provided in the ventilation passage. In a bathroom heating and drying device, the damper has a rotating shaft extending laterally and a rotating plate that rotates about the rotating shaft to abut against the upper and lower surfaces of the peripheral wall of the air passage, the ventilation passage has a contact protrusion formed to protrude upward from a lower surface inside the ventilation passage and against which the rotating plate of the damper comes into contact; The ventilation passage includes a groove portion adjacent to the contact protrusion, and the bottom surface of the groove portion is an inclined surface, A bathroom heating and drying device characterized in that the abutment protrusion has a polygonal shape when viewed from above, and one of its corners is positioned at the highest point on the bottom surface of the groove.

2. 2. The bathroom heating and drying device according to claim 1, wherein the ventilation passage has an opening that opens a part of the groove.

3. 3. The bathroom heating / drying device according to claim 2, wherein the bottom surface of the groove of the ventilation passage is an inclined surface that gradually descends toward the open portion.

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