blower

Abstract

To provide a blower that has a detachable air intake port and can be cleaned readily.SOLUTION: A blower includes a blower part that includes: a fan; a motor for driving the fan; a motor cover for holding the motor; and a case part for accommodating the motor cover. The case part includes: a first member firmly fixed to the motor cover; and a second member including an air intake port, through which air taken by the fan circulates, and detachably connected to the first member.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] One aspect of the present invention relates to a blower such as a circulator. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there have been circulators used to agitate and circulate air in a space. Patent Document 1 discloses a circulator that has an air flow path 3 that connects an air intake 4 on the back side to an air outlet 5 on the front side, and that creates an air flow using a blower fan 6 placed inside the air flow path 3, and that circulates the indoor air using the air flow. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2011-208910 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Conventional air circulators take in air through an air intake located in the rear cover, but the air intake is configured with multiple ribs to prevent foreign objects from coming into contact with the fan. However, as the circulator is used, dust can accumulate on the ribs, causing poor airflow and making the circulator unhygienic. However, because the rear cover is fixed to the motor cover that supports the fan and the motor that rotates the fan, and the support legs are inserted into the cover, it is difficult to remove the entire rear cover, which makes it difficult to remove dust that has accumulated on the ribs. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides the following blower.

[0006] One aspect of the present invention is a blower equipped with a blower unit including a fan, a motor that drives the fan, a motor cover that holds the motor, and a case that houses the motor cover. The case has a first member fixed to the motor cover and a second member that has an air intake port through which air taken in by the fan flows and is detachably connected to the first member.

[0007] According to the blower having the above configuration, the second member can be removed from the blower body including the first member, making it easy to remove dust accumulated at the air intake of the second member and to clean the second member.

[0008] Preferably, the above-described blower further comprises a support portion including a support leg inserted into the slit in the case portion and pivotally attached to the motor cover.

[0009] With the blower configured as described above, the direction of the fan can be easily rotated by rotating the motor cover relative to the support leg, making it possible to configure the blower to easily and effectively circulate air in the space in which it is placed.

[0010] In the above blower, the slit is preferably formed in the first member.

[0011] With a blower of the above configuration, there is no need to provide a slit between the first and second members, and the configuration makes it easier to prevent interference between the support legs and other members caused by dimensional errors between the first and second members, etc.

[0012] In the above-mentioned blower, preferably, the first member and the second member are joined to each other such that, in the cross section of the joint, one side of each member protrudes relative to the other side, and the convex portion of the first member faces the concave portion of the second member, and the concave portion of the first member faces the convex portion of the second member.

[0013] According to the blower having the above configuration, the first member and the second member are joined using a spigot-joint structure, which makes the gap between the first member and the second member less noticeable. Even if there is a small gap between the first member and the second member, it is possible to prevent rattle from occurring. This is particularly effective when the first member and the second member are made of resin, as manufacturing variations such as slight distortion are likely to occur. Furthermore, it is possible to increase the strength of each end where the first member and the second member are joined, making them less susceptible to breakage.

[0014] In the above blower, preferably, the second member has a shape with an open bottom, and the first member has a shape extending into the open portion of the second member.

[0015] According to the blower having the above configuration, the first member covers the open portion below the second member, and the first member can be stably supported.

[0016] In the above blower, the first member and the second member preferably have a convex portion and a concave portion that fit together on surfaces that face each other in the attachment / detachment direction.

[0017] According to the blower having the above configuration, the first member and the second member can be easily positioned by fitting the convex portion and the concave portion together. In particular, with the blower of the present invention, the user will detach the second member and attach the second member to the first member each time, so such an easy-to-position configuration is effective.

[0018] In the above-described blower, preferably, the joint between the first member and the second member has a pair of vertical sides extending in the up-down direction and a horizontal side connecting the upper ends of the vertical sides. The first member and the second member have a first convex portion and a first concave portion, and a second convex portion and a second concave portion, which fit together, on surfaces facing each other in the attachment / detachment direction. The first convex portion and the first concave portion are provided on the vertical sides, and the second convex portion and the second concave portion are provided on the horizontal side.

[0019] With the blower having the above configuration, even if a vertical or horizontal external force acts on either the first member or the second member, rattling can be suppressed by the action of the convex and concave portions provided on the vertical and horizontal sides and fitted together.

[0020] In the above blower, preferably, the recess is a slot, and the protrusion is a ridge provided at a position corresponding to the slot so as to extend along the slot. The protrusion may be a plurality of ridges provided at positions corresponding to the slot along the slot.

[0021] With the blower having the above configuration, even if misalignment occurs between the first and second members, they can be easily fitted together by fitting the convex portion with the concave portion. This is particularly effective when the first and second members are made of resin, as manufacturing variations such as slight distortion are likely to occur.

[0022] In the above-described blower, preferably, at least one of the convex portion and the concave portion has a tapered surface at a position facing the concave portion or the convex portion provided on the opposing surface.

[0023] According to the blower having the above configuration, the recessed portion and the protruding portion can be easily fitted together. Also, the protruding portion can be press-fitted into the recessed portion, which can prevent rattle from occurring between the first member and the second member.

[0024] In the above blower, preferably, the first member has embedded therein a nut having a threaded hole into which a bolt for connecting to the second member is screwed, and the second member has a through-hole through which the bolt is inserted.

[0025] According to the blower having the above configuration, the first member and the second member can be stably connected. Furthermore, even if the second member is repeatedly detached from the first member, the screw holes can be prevented from being crushed. Furthermore, the fastening of the bolts and nuts can prevent the second member from falling off the first member even if vibrations occur during operation of the blower.

[0026] In the above blower, the nut is preferably embedded in the first member so that at least a part of the surface on the side where the screw hole is formed is covered with resin.

[0027] According to the blower having the above configuration, it is possible to prevent the connecting nut from being lost. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0028] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the exterior of the blower as seen from the front. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the exterior of the blower as seen from the rear. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a front view of the blower. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a rear view of the blower. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a top view of the blower. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the fan from which the second member has been removed, as seen from the rear. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of the blower as seen from the rear. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of the blower as seen from the front. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a plan view of the first member as seen from the outside (rear). [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a plan view of the second member as seen from the inside (front). [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the joint between the first member and the second member taken along the line AA in FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of the joint between the first member and the second member at the position BB in FIG. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the blower of the first modified example with the second member removed, as seen from the rear. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a perspective view of the exterior of the fan of the second modification, as viewed from the front. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a perspective view of the exterior of the blower of the second modification, as viewed from the rear. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a perspective view of the fan of the second modification example with the second member removed, as seen from the rear. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0029] Hereinafter, an embodiment of a blower of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the embodiment described below is merely an example of the present invention and is not intended to limit the technical scope of the present invention. In each drawing, the same components are designated by the same reference numerals, and their description may be omitted.

[0030] [Embodiment 1] [exterior] Figures 1 to 5 are external views of blower 1. Figure 1 is a perspective view seen from the front, Figure 2 is a perspective view seen from the rear, Figure 3 is a front view, Figure 4 is a rear view, and Figure 5 is a top view. Blower 1 is designed to increase airflow speed with a spherical grill structure, and its evolved spherical design gives it a compact appearance.

[0031] As shown in the figure, the blower 1 has a blowing section 2 and a support section 3. The blowing section 2 is supported by the support section 3.

[0032] In the blower 1, the blower section 2 is supported by the support section 3 so as to be rotatable in the circumferential direction relative to the axial direction extending up and down. In other words, the blower section 2 can be rotated laterally relative to the support section 3. In this specification, this is sometimes referred to as the blower section 2 having a left-right swing function. The blower section 2 can also be rotated up and down relative to the support section 3.

[0033] The blower unit 2 has a case unit 20 with a spherical outer shell, including a front case 21 and a rear case 22 that can be separated at a midpoint between the front and rear. The case unit 20 can be separated into the front case 21 and the rear case 22. This not only makes it easier to manufacture the front case 21 and the rear case 22, but also makes it easier to arrange components inside the case unit 20 during manufacturing.

[0034] [Specific configuration of each part] [Ventilation section] Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the fan 1 seen from the rear, with the second member 222 removed from the first member 221 of the rear case 22. Figs. 7 and 8 are exploded perspective views of the fan 1, with Fig. 7 being a view seen from the rear, and Fig. 8 being a view seen from the front.

[0035] As described above, the blower 2 includes the case 20 including the front case 21 and the rear case 22. The blower 2 accommodates the fan 27, the motor 28, and the motor cover 29 inside the case 20.

[0036] As shown in Figures 7 and 8, the front case 21 is formed in a shape similar to that of a spherical shell with the front half of the shell cut off, and has a circular opening 21a that opens forward. The front case 21 can be made of a synthetic resin material such as polypropylene. A spherical grill 23 is fitted into the circular opening 21a from the rear. In other words, the front case 21 has the grill 23 with the air outlet 2a formed on the front side.

[0037] The front case 21 is detachably connected to the first member 221 of the rear case 22. The front case 21 may be connected in a fixed state to the first member 221, but making it detachable is useful in that it makes it easier to clean the fan 27. The front case 21 may be detachably connected to the second member 222. However, because the second member 222 is detached from the first member 221 during cleaning, etc., the front case 21 may be configured not to be connected to the second member 222 to facilitate detachment. The front case 21 is connected to the motor cover 29 via the first member 221, and the motor cover 29 is connected to the support legs 33. Therefore, it can be said that the front case 21 is supported by the support legs 33 via the first member 221 and the motor cover 29.

[0038] The grill 23 is a front panel made of, for example, a synthetic resin material with high impact resistance. In this embodiment, the grill 23 has a plurality of spiral fins 24, which are formed in a convex curve so as to gradually protrude toward the center O of the spiral. By configuring the grill 23 in this manner, when air is blown from behind the grill 23 and passes through the grill 23, a spiral airflow is generated, which moves straight while swirling. In this embodiment, the grill 23 is formed so that its front surface forms a part of a sphere. The fins 24 are used to guide the airflow and are sometimes called "airflow guide plates."

[0039] In this manner, in blower 1, front case 21 including grill 23 forms the front hemisphere of blower section 2.

[0040] The rear case 22 is formed in a shape like a spherical shell with the rear portion of the front half cut away, and becomes the case part 20 by being connected to the front case 21. The rear case 22 includes a first member 221 and a second member 222. The rear case 22 is formed in a hemispherical shape by a plurality of bars 22a provided on the first member 221 and the second member 222, and air intakes 22b for taking in outside air are formed over almost the entire surface of the rear case 22. Like the front case 21, the rear case 22 can be formed from a synthetic resin material such as polypropylene.

[0041] 9 is a view of the first member 221 as seen from the outside (rear). As shown in FIGS. 4 and 9, the first member 221 has a shape that extends in the vertical direction along a spherical surface. The edge of the first member 221, which is to be joined to the second member 222, is formed in an inverted U shape, with the upper ends of parallel vertical sides 221a and 221b connected by a curved horizontal side 221c. The edge 221d of the first member 221, which is to be joined to the front case 21, extends in an arc shape facing the front case 21.

[0042] The first member 221 is supported by the motor cover 29 in a fixed state. That is, the first member 221 is fixed by the support legs 33 via the motor cover 29. The lower end of the first member 221, where the edge 221d is located, is not in contact with the support unit 3 and is raised. The first member 221 has two slits 2211 extending in the vertical direction, through which the support legs 33 are inserted. The two slits 2211 each follow the curved shape of the first member 221 and extend linearly parallel to each other when viewed from the rear. The blower 1 has a vertical swing structure in which the blower unit 2 rotates vertically relative to the support unit 3. The provision of the slits 2211 prevents the support legs 33 from interfering with the first member 221 during vertical swing. The provision of the slits 2211 in the first member 221 facilitates positioning accuracy during assembly. The slit 2211 may be shaped to extend to the edge 221d that is the joint with the front case 21, or may be formed from a position away from this edge 221d.

[0043] FIG. 10 is a view of the second member 222 as seen from the inside (front). As shown in FIGS. 4 and 10, the second member 222 has a shape that becomes hemispherical when connected to the first member 221. The second member 222 is detachably connected to the first member 221. The second member 222 has a circular outer edge that is the joint portion with the front case 21, and an inverted U-shape with an open bottom edge that is the joint portion with the first member 221. Because the second member 222 is supported by the first member 221, an arrangement such as in this embodiment in which the first member 221 is located below the second member 222 is preferable because it increases stability.

[0044] The inner edge of the second member 222 has a shape in which the upper ends of parallel vertical sides 222a and 222b are connected by curved horizontal side 222c, similar to the first member 221. In other words, it can be said that the first member 221 has a shape that extends to the open portion of the second member. The second member 222 can be removed from the first member 221 and removed from the blower 1, and can be cleaned separately and washed with water as needed.

[0045] (Joining of the first member 221 and the second member 222) As described above, the first member 221 and the second member 222 are joined together in an inverted U-shape with the bottom side open.

[0046] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view including the joint portion between the first member 221 and the second member 222, taken along the line AA in FIG. 4. At the joint portion, the first member 221 has a convex portion 2212 on its inner surface and a concave portion 2213 on its outer surface. The second member 222 has a concave portion 2223 on its inner surface and a convex portion 2222 on its outer surface. On the inner surface side, the convex portion 2212 of the first member 221 faces the concave portion 2223 of the second member 222. On the outer surface side, the convex portion 2222 of the second member faces the concave portion 2213 of the first member 221. At this joint portion, the inner and outer surfaces of the first member 221 and the second member 222 are both continuous. That is, the joint portion between the first member 221 and the second member 222 has a stepped spigot-joint structure in cross section. In other words, the first member 221 and the second member 222 are arranged so as to overlap in the thickness direction at the joint portion, and the thickness of the first member 221 and the second member 222 at the joint portion is thin so that the thickness of the overlapping portion is approximately the same as that of other portions of the first member 221 and the second member 222.

[0047] In the rear case 22 of the blower 1, the first member 221 and the second member 222 are joined using a spigot-joint structure as described above, which makes it possible to make gaps at the joint less noticeable. Furthermore, this spigot-joint structure can prevent rattle from occurring even if there is a small gap between the first member 221 and the second member 222. This is particularly effective when the first member 221 and the second member 222 are made of resin, as manufacturing variations such as slight distortion are likely to occur. Furthermore, this spigot-joint structure can increase the strength of each end where the first member 221 and the second member 222 are joined, making them less susceptible to breakage.

[0048] As shown in Fig. 9, the edge of the first member 221 that joins with the second member 222 consists of vertical sides 221a and 221b and horizontal side 221c. On the other hand, as shown in Fig. 10, the edge of the second member 222 that joins with the first member 221 consists of vertical sides 222a and 222b and horizontal side 222c. Vertical sides 221a and 222a, vertical sides 221b and 222b, and horizontal sides 221c and 222c face each other. A recess 2214 is formed in vertical side 221a of the first member 221, a recess 2215 is formed in vertical side 221b, and recesses 2216 and 2217 are formed in horizontal side 221c. A convex portion 2224 is formed on the vertical side 222a of the second member 222, a convex portion 2225 is formed on the vertical side 222b, and convex portions 2226 and 2227 are formed on the horizontal side 222c. In other words, the recesses 2214 to 2217 are elongated holes, and the convex portions 2224 to 2227 are ridges extending along the elongated holes. The recesses 2214 to 2217 may be through holes or grooves with bottoms. The recesses 2214 and the convex portion 2224, the recesses 2215 and the convex portion 2225, the recesses 2216 and the convex portion 2226, and the recesses 2217 and the convex portion 2227 are formed at positions facing each other and fit together when the first member 221 and the second member 222 are connected.

[0049] In this way, the first member 221 and the second member 222 are configured to have the recessed portions 2214-2217 and the protruding portions 2224-2227, respectively, so that the two can be easily positioned. In particular, in the case of the fan 1, the user will detach the second member 222 from the first member 221 and attach the second member 222 to the first member 221 each time, so such a configuration that allows for easy positioning is effective. Furthermore, even if there is some misalignment between the first member 221 and the second member 222, they can be easily connected by fitting the protruding portions and the recessed portions together. This is particularly effective when the first member 221 and the second member 222 are made of resin, as manufacturing variations such as slight distortion are likely to occur. Note that the first member 221 may have the protruding portions, and the second member 222 may have the recessed portions.

[0050] In the above example, the convex portions 2224 to 2227 are ridges that are provided to extend along the elongated holes of the concave portions 2214 to 2217, but they may also be a plurality of ridges that are provided along the elongated holes.

[0051] 12 is a cross-sectional view of the joint between the first member 221 and the second member 222 at the position BB in FIG. 4. As shown in FIG. 12, the convex portions 2224 and 2225 of the second member 222 are fitted into the concave portions 2214 and 2215 of the first member 221, respectively. The convex portions 2224 and 2225 have rounded corners and a tapered shape, and have tapered surfaces. The concave portions 2216 and 2217 of the first member 221 are also fitted into the convex portions 2226 and 2227 of the second member 222 in a similar manner, and the convex portions 2226 and 2227 have a tapered shape with a tapered surface.

[0052] By configuring the convex portions 2224 to 2227 of the second member 222 to have tapered surfaces in this way, the first member 221 and the second member 222 can be easily fitted together due to the guiding action of the tapered surfaces when fitting them together.

[0053] In addition, in the fitting structure of the recessed and protruding portions of the first member 221 and the second member 222, the protruding portions may be configured to be press-fitted into the recessed portions. With this configuration, the position of the second member 222 relative to the first member 221 becomes more stable.

[0054] As shown in FIGS. 6 and 9, the first member 221 has screw holes 2218 and 2219 in which metal nuts are embedded. The nuts are embedded by insert molding when the resin first member 221 is molded. As a result, the nuts are embedded in the first member 221 with at least a portion of the surface of the nut on the side where the screw hole 2218 is formed, excluding the screw hole 2218, covered by the resin that forms the first member 221. Meanwhile, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 10, the second member 222 has through holes 2228 and 2229 at positions facing the screw holes 2218 and 2219 of the first member 221, respectively. When the first member 221 and the second member 222 are connected to each other, bolts are inserted through the through holes 2228 and 2229 of the second member 222 and screwed into the screw holes 2218 and 2219, thereby fastening them together.

[0055] In this way, connecting the first member 221 and the second member 222 by screwing together the bolts and nuts can ensure a stable connection. Furthermore, even if the first member 221 and the second member 222 are repeatedly attached and detached, the screw holes can be prevented from being crushed. Furthermore, screwing together the bolts and nuts can prevent the second member 222 from falling off the first member 221 even if vibrations occur during operation of the blower 1. Furthermore, embedding a nut in the first member 221 by insert molding can prevent the connecting nut from being lost. Furthermore, if a metal nut is embedded in the first member 221 instead of the detachable second member 222, the second member 222 can be formed solely from resin. This configuration is preferable because there is no risk of rust on the metal member even if the second member 222 is washed with water.

[0056] Although the mechanism for joining the first member 221 and the second member 222 has been described above, the present invention is not necessarily limited to this configuration.

[0057] For example, the configurations for joining or fitting the first member 221 and the second member 222 may be reversed or may be partially reversed. Specifically, a configuration may be adopted in which the recesses 2214-2217 of the first member 221 and the protrusions 2224-2227 of the second member 222 are reversed, or a configuration in which two of the four protrusions are reversed.

[0058] The case unit 20 has a spherical shape when the front case 21, into which the grill 23 is fitted, and the rear case 22 are fitted together. By giving the exterior of the blower unit 2 a spherical shape in this way, it is possible to give it a sophisticated appearance, and by eliminating the corners, it is possible to make it look more compact. It also makes it look more cute and stylish.

[0059] The grill 23 may be configured to support the multiple fins 24 with circular rings that intersect with each fin 24, in order to prevent fingers from getting in between the gaps between the multiple fins 24 and also to reinforce the grill 23.

[0060] A cylindrical air tunnel 26 is provided on the outer peripheral edge of the grille 23. The air tunnel 26 is a cylindrical member provided circumferentially outside the fan 27, and the inner diameter of the air tunnel 26 is set to be approximately equal to the inner diameter of the air outlet 2a. That is, in the blower 1, the air outlet 2a of the blower unit 2 is located inside the portion of the grille 23 where the air tunnel 26 is provided. In the blower 1, by providing the cylindrical air tunnel 26 inside the blower unit 2, the directionality and linearity of the air, which are functions unique to a circulator, are ensured.

[0061] The motor 28 drives the fan 27. The motor 28 includes a motor body 28a and an output shaft 28b that protrudes forward from the motor body 28a. The fan 27 is attached to the tip of the output shaft 28b. When the motor 28 is driven, the output shaft 28b rotates, causing the fan 27 to rotate around the output shaft 28b.

[0062] The motor cover 29 holds the motor 28. Specifically, the motor body 28a is covered and held by the motor cover 29 with the output shaft 28b inserted into an insertion hole 291 of the motor cover 29. The first member 221 of the rear case 22 is fixedly attached to the motor cover 29, and the support legs 33 of the support unit 3 are rotatably connected to the motor cover 29.

[0063] In this way, with the motor 28 and fan 27 attached to the rear case 22 via the motor cover 29, the rear case 22 is fitted into the front case 21 in which the grill 23 is fitted, thereby forming a blower section 2 with a blower mechanism built in.

[0064] [Support part] The support unit 3 is placed on an installation surface such as a floor, and has a power cord 80 attached to it. As shown in Fig. 8, the support unit 3 also includes a main body portion above which the blower unit 2 is disposed, and a pair of support legs 33 fixed to the main body portion and supporting the blower unit 2 inside the case unit 20.

[0065] It is preferable that the size of the main body portion of the support unit 3 in a plan view is approximately the same as or smaller than the size of the blower unit 2 in a plan view. In this way, the size of the support unit 3 in a plan view of the blower 1 can be made approximately the same as the size of the blower unit 2 in a plan view, as shown in FIG. 5, and the overall size of the blower 1 can be prevented from becoming too large. Note that if the size of the main body portion of the support unit 3 in a plan view is made approximately the same as the size of the blower unit 2 in a plan view, the size of the blower 1 can be reduced while preventing the blower 1 from tipping over. In other words, the size of the blower 1 can be reduced and the blower 1 can be placed more stably.

[0066] 7 and 8, the main body portion of the support part 3 has a lower base 31 formed in a circular shape in a plan view, and an upper base 32 that can be fitted onto the lower base 31. The covers that form the outer surfaces of both the lower base 31 and the upper base 32 can be made of a synthetic resin material such as polypropylene.

[0067] The main body of the support part 3 is hollow inside, and houses a circuit board, a left-right swing mechanism, and the like.

[0068] Additionally, a single-legged support column 321 is erected vertically behind the center of the cover of the upper base 32. An operation panel 323 is disposed in front of the support column 321 on the cover of the upper base 32. Above an upper surface 322 of the support column 321, a blower 2 is disposed with a gap between it and the upper surface 322.

[0069] The operation panel 323 is provided with, for example, a power button for switching the power on / off, an air volume button for adjusting the air volume of the blower 2, and an oscillation button for switching left and right oscillation on / off.

[0070] 8, the support legs 33 are inserted into the slits 2211 of the rear case 22 and pivotally attached to the motor cover 29 so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction. The lower ends of the support legs 33 are fixed to the upper base portion 32 of the main body portion of the support part 3.

[0071] Specifically, the upper sides of the support legs 33 are connected to both widthwise sides of the motor cover 29 via cylindrical shafts. As a result, the motor cover 29 is supported by the pair of support legs 33 so as to be rotatable up and down relative to the support unit 3 while being sandwiched between them. The motor cover 29 holds a motor 28, to which a fan 27 is connected. The motor cover 29 is also fixed to a first member 221. The first member 221 is fixed to the front case 21 and detachably connected to a second member 222. In other words, when the motor cover 29 rotates up and down relative to the support legs 33, the blower unit 2, which includes the motor cover 29, the motor 28, the fan 27, and the case unit 20 including the front case 21 and the rear case 22, rotates up and down relative to the support legs 33 fixed to the support unit 3.

[0072] The shaft connecting support leg 33 and motor cover 29 is preferably provided near the center of case 20, which is circular in plan view when viewed from the side of blower 1. This allows the blower to rotate up and down around the central portion of spherical case 20 as an axis.

[0073] That is, in blower 1, motor cover 29 pivotally attached to a pair of support legs 33 is rotated relative to support part 3, so that the entire blower part 2 rotates up and down relative to support part 3. At this time, support legs 33 rotate in the area where slits 2211 are formed, so the range of movement of blower part 2 in the up and down direction is determined by the length of slits 2211.

[0074] The motor cover 29 may be configured to rotate vertically relative to the support leg 33 by a motor (not shown), or may be configured to rotate vertically manually. In a configuration in which the motor cover 29 rotates vertically by a motor, in addition to the motor 28 that rotates the fan 27, a motor that rotates a shaft connected to the support leg 33 is provided.

[0075] The blower 1 is equipped with a left-right swing mechanism that swings the blower 1 left and right to change the blowing direction. The left-right swing mechanism includes a motor (not shown) provided inside the upper base 32. The motor of the left-right swing mechanism rotates a rotation shaft that extends in the vertical direction. The lower base 31 and the upper base 32 are connected via this rotation shaft. Therefore, when the motor of the left-right swing mechanism rotates, the upper base 32 rotates left and right relative to the lower base 31. Support legs 33 are fixed to the upper base 32, and a motor cover 29 is connected to the support legs 33. In other words, when the motor of the left-right swing mechanism rotates, the blower unit 2 rotates left and right relative to the support unit 3, swinging.

[0076] [Variations] Furthermore, the blower is not limited to the configuration of the blower 1 of the above-described embodiment. For example, as shown in FIG. 13 , the first member 221 and the second member 222 of the rear case 22 may be integrally and non-detachably formed, and the rear case 22 may be detachable from the main body of the blower 1. In this case, the front case 21 is supported by the support legs 33 via the rear case 22, and therefore the front case 21 is also detachable from the main body of the blower 2. In this configuration, a slit 2211 is formed so that the rear case 22 does not interfere with the support legs 33 when being removed. For example, the lower end of the slit 2211 may be left open. With this configuration, the entire case 20 can be removed from the support 3 for cleaning, etc.

[0077] The fan may also have a configuration similar to that of fan 1A shown in Figures 14 to 16. Figures 14 and 15 are perspective views of a modified fan 1A, with Figure 14 being a view from the front and Figure 15 being a view from the rear. Figure 16 is a perspective view of fan 1A from the rear with second member 222A removed from first member 221A of rear case 22A.

[0078] In fan 1A, the outer shell of case 20A is not spherical, but cylindrical with a diameter that gradually increases toward the front. Case 20A includes front case 21A and rear case 22A that can be separated at a midpoint between the front and rear. Rear case 22A includes first member 221A and second member 222A. Second member 222A is detachably attached to first member 221A. First member 221A and second member 222A are the same in configuration as first member 221 of fan 1, and second member 222A and second member 222A of fan 1, except for their external shapes.

[0079] Furthermore, in the blower 1 of the embodiment, the slit 2211 is formed in the first member 221, but this is not limited to this. The slit 2211 may be formed in the second member 222, or may be formed between the first member 221 and the second member 222. However, if the slit 2211 is formed in the second member 222, the slit 2211 needs to have an open shape so that the slit 2211 does not interfere with the support leg 33 when the second member 222 is removed from the first member 221. Specifically, the lower end of the slit 2211 extends to the edge of the second member 222, and this edge is configured to be open.

[0080] [Blower Features] Since the fan 1 described in this specification has a configuration in which the second member 222 of the rear case 22 is detachably connected to the first member 221, the second member 222 can be removed from the fan 1. This configuration makes it easy to remove the second member 222 to remove dust accumulated in the air intake 22b or to clean the second member 222.

[0081] The above provides a specific description of the embodiments and modifications of the present invention. These embodiments and modifications are merely specific examples of the configuration and operation of the present invention, and the scope of the present invention is not limited to these embodiments but should be broadly interpreted to the extent that a person skilled in the art can grasp the scope based on the same technical concept. [Explanation of symbols]

[0082] 1, 1A...blower 2...Blower section 2a...Air vent 20, 20A...Case section 21, 21A...Front case 21a...Opening 22, 22A...Rear case 221...First member 2211...Slit 2212...Convex part 2213...recess 2214~2217...recess 2218...Screw hole 222...Second member 2222...Convex part 2223...recess 2224~2227...Convex part 2228...Through hole 22a...pier 22b...Air intake 23...Grill 24...Finn 26...Wind tunnel section 27...Fan 28...Motor 28a...Motor body 28b...Output shaft 29...Motor cover 291...Through hole 3...Support part 31...Bottom of the base 32...Top of the base 321...Strut part 322…Top surface 323...Operation panel 33…Support leg 80...Power cord

Claims

1. a blower unit including a fan, a motor that drives the fan, a motor cover that holds the motor, and a case that houses the fan, the motor, and the motor cover; a support portion that supports the blower portion, The support portion is a support leg connected to the motor cover; a body portion fixed to the support leg; the case portion includes a front case and a rear case that can be separated into a front and a rear portion, The rear case includes: a first member supported by the motor cover; a second member having an air intake port through which air taken in by the fan flows, the second member being integral with the first member and non-detachable and having a hemispherical shape; the rear case is detachable from the main body of the blower; The rear case has a slit formed therein, the slit having an open lower end and into which the support leg is inserted. Blower.

2. The second member has an open bottom, the first member is configured to extend into the open portion of the second member; The blower of claim 1 .

3. a nut having a threaded hole into which a bolt for connecting to the second member is screwed is embedded in the first member; The second member has a through hole through which the bolt is inserted. The blower according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The nut is embedded in the first member such that at least a portion of a surface on which the screw hole is formed is covered with resin. The blower according to claim 3.

Images