Range hood

Abstract

To provide a range hood that can decrease the frequency of cleaning an oil tray and an exhaust fan.SOLUTION: A range hood 100 includes an exhaust fan 21, an oil tray 30, and a filter set 60 including a filter 62. The filter 62 is disposed upstream of an air flow that is generated due to the rotation of the exhaust fan 21, compared to the oil tray 30.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a range hood.

Background Art

[0002] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2021-188807 (Patent Document 1) describes a range hood. The range hood described in Patent Document 1 has an exhaust fan, a fan case, and an oil tray. The exhaust fan is disposed inside the fan case. A suction port is formed in the lower wall of the fan case. The oil tray has an annular oil reservoir portion and a through hole defined by the oil reservoir portion. The oil inside the fan case discharged from the suction port is stored in the oil reservoir portion. The air generated by the rotation of the exhaust fan is sucked into the inside of the fan case through the through hole (suction port).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the range hood described in Patent Document 1, it is necessary to regularly clean the oil stored in the oil reservoir portion. Also, in the range hood described in Patent Document 1, it is necessary to regularly clean the exhaust fan.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the problems of the prior art as described above. More specifically, the present invention provides a range hood capable of reducing the frequency of cleaning the oil tray and the exhaust fan.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The range hood of the present invention comprises an exhaust fan, an oil tray, and a filter set having a filter. The filter is positioned upstream of the oil tray in the airflow generated by the rotation of the exhaust fan.

[0007] In the range hood described above, the filter set may be located below the oil tray. The filter set may also be detachably attached to the oil tray.

[0008] In the range hood described above, the oil tray may have an annular oil reservoir and a through-hole demarcated by the oil reservoir. The filter set may be arranged such that the filter covers the through-hole when viewed from below along a first direction which is the direction in which the through-hole extends.

[0009] The range hood described above may also be equipped with a mounting device. The oil tray may be detachably attached to the mounting device.

[0010] In the range hood described above, the oil tray may further have a first flange portion and a second flange portion connected to the oil reservoir. The first flange portion and the second flange portion may extend along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. The second flange portion may be symmetrical to the first flange portion with respect to the through hole when viewed along the first direction. The first flange portion and the second flange portion may each include a first grip portion and a second grip portion projecting downward along the first direction. The filter set may be secured to the first grip portion and the second grip portion.

[0011] In the range hood described above, the filter set may further include a frame to which the filter is attached and an elastic member attached to the frame. The filter set may be detachably attached to the oil tray by an elastic force acting from the elastic member on the first gripping portion and the second gripping portion.

[0012] In the range hood described above, the oil tray may be magnetically or mechanically attached to the fixture so as to be detachable by rotating it in a plane perpendicular to the first direction. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] According to the range hood of the present invention, it is possible to reduce the frequency of cleaning the oil tray and exhaust fan. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0014] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view of the Range Hood 100. [Figure 2] This is a perspective view of the range hood 100 with the rectifier plate 70 omitted from the illustration. [Figure 3] This is a perspective view of the range hood 100, with the rectifier plate 70 and filter set 60 omitted from the illustration. [Figure 4] This is a perspective view of the range hood 100, with the rectifier plate 70, filter set 60, and oil tray 30 omitted from the illustration. [Figure 5] This is a cross-sectional view of range hood 100. [Figure 6] This is a plan view of the oil tray 30 and filter set 60. [Figure 7] This is a bottom view of the oil tray 30 and filter set 60. [Figure 8] This is a first perspective view of the oil tray 30 and filter set 60. [Figure 9] This is a second perspective view of the oil tray 30 and filter set 60. [Figure 10] This is a perspective view of filter set 60. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0015] The details of embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following drawings, the same or corresponding parts will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions will not be repeated. The range hood according to the embodiment will be referred to as range hood 100.

[0016] (Configuration of Range Hood 100) The configuration of the range hood 100 will be described below.

[0017] Figure 1 is a perspective view of the range hood 100. Figure 2 is a perspective view of the range hood 100 with the illustration of the rectifying plate 70 omitted. Figure 3 is a perspective view of the range hood 100 with the illustrations of the rectifying plate 70 and the filter set 60 omitted. Figure 4 is a perspective view of the range hood 100 with the illustrations of the rectifying plate 70, the filter set 60, and the oil tray 30 omitted. Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of the range hood 100. Figure 6 is a plan view of the oil tray 30 and the filter set 60. Figure 7 is a bottom view of the oil tray 30 and the filter set 60. Figure 8 is a first perspective view of the oil tray 30 and the filter set 60. Figure 9 is a second perspective view of the oil tray 30 and the filter set 60. Figure 10 is a perspective view of the filter set 60. As shown in Figures 1 to 10, the range hood 100 has a main body case 10, an outer hood 11, a fan case 12, a motor 20, an exhaust fan 21, an oil tray 30, a fixture 40, an inner hood 50, a filter set 60, and a rectifying plate 70.

[0018] The main body case 10 has side walls 10a and an upper wall 10b. The side walls 10a extend along the vertical direction. The upper wall 10b is connected to the upper ends of the side walls 10a. The main body case 10 is open at the lower ends of the side walls 10a.

[0019] The outer hood 11 has side walls 11a and an upper wall 11b. The side walls 11a extend along the vertical direction. The upper wall 11b is connected to the upper ends of the side walls 11a. A through hole 11ba is formed in the upper wall 11b. The outer hood 11 is attached to the lower ends of the side walls 10a such that the opening of the main body case 10 and the through hole 11ba overlap. The outer hood 11 projects from the side walls 10a in a plane perpendicular to the vertical direction.

[0020] The fan case 12 is located inside the main case 10. The fan case 12 has a side wall 12a, an upper wall 12b, and a bottom wall 12c. The side wall 12a extends in the vertical direction. The upper wall 12b is connected to the upper end of the side wall 12a. The upper wall 12b is opposite to the upper wall 10b. A recess 12ba is formed in the upper wall 12b. The upper wall 12b is recessed toward the bottom wall 12c in the recess 12ba. A through hole 12bb is formed at the bottom of the recess 12ba. The through hole 12bb penetrates the upper wall 12b along the thickness direction. The bottom wall 12c is connected to the lower end of the side wall 12a. An intake port 12ca is formed in the bottom wall 12c. The intake port 12ca penetrates the bottom wall 12c along the thickness direction.

[0021] Motor 20 is, for example, an AC (Alternating Current) motor. Motor 20 has a motor body 20a and a shaft 20b. The motor body 20a is inserted into a through hole 12bb such that the shaft 20b is located inside the fan case 12 and the shaft 20b is aligned in the vertical direction. The shaft 20b is rotated by the motor body 20a around its central axis. The exhaust fan 21 is, for example, a sirocco fan. The exhaust fan 21 is attached to the shaft 20b using, for example, a mounting adapter 22. As a result, the exhaust fan 21 rotates together with the shaft 20b, and therefore, when driven by the motor 20, the exhaust fan 21 also rotates around the central axis of the shaft 20b.

[0022] The oil tray 30 has an oil reservoir 31, a flange portion 33, and a flange portion 34. The oil reservoir 31 is annular. Preferably, the oil reservoir 31 is circular. The oil reservoir 31 defines a through hole 32. Preferably, the through hole 32 is circular. The direction in which the through hole 32 extends is defined as the first direction DR1. The first direction DR1 coincides with the vertical direction when the oil tray 30 is attached to the fixing device 40.

[0023] The oil reservoir 31 has an inner wall 31a, an outer wall 31b, and a bottom wall 31c. The inner wall 31a and the outer wall 31b are annular (circular) when viewed along the first direction DR1. The inner wall 31a is located inside (towards the through hole 32) of the outer wall 31b. The bottom wall 31c is connected to the lower end of the inner wall 31a and the lower end of the outer wall 31b. The distance between the upper end of the inner wall 31a and the bottom wall 31c in the first direction DR1 is greater than the distance between the upper end of the outer wall 31b and the bottom wall 31c in the first direction DR1. In other words, the upper end of the inner wall 31a is located in a position that protrudes more than the upper end of the outer wall 31b in the first direction DR1.

[0024] The flange portions 33 and 34 extend along a second direction DR2, which is perpendicular to the first direction DR1, when viewed from a direction along the first direction DR1. At one end in the second direction DR2, the flange portions 33 and 34 are connected to the oil reservoir portion 31. When viewed from a direction along the first direction DR1, the flange portion 34 is positioned symmetrically to the flange portion 33 with respect to the through hole 32. The flange portion 33 has a gripping portion 33a at its other end in the second direction DR2. The flange portion 34 has a gripping portion 34a at its other end in the second direction DR2. The gripping portion 33a protrudes downward from the flange portion 33 along the first direction DR1, and the gripping portion 34a protrudes downward from the flange portion 34 along the first direction DR1. The flange portions 33 and 34 are preferably formed of a material that is attracted to magnets (for example, steel).

[0025] The fastener 40 is plate-shaped. The fastener 40 has a through hole 40a formed in it. The through hole 40a penetrates the fastener 40 along the thickness direction. The fastener 40 is attached to the upper wall 11b such that when viewed from below along the vertical direction, the through hole 40a aligns with the intake port 12ca.

[0026] The oil tray 30 is attached to the fixing device 40. Preferably, the oil tray 30 is attached to the fixing device 40 in a detachable manner. With the oil tray 30 attached to the fixing device 40, the opening edge of the intake port 12ca is on the bottom wall portion 31c. That is, with the oil tray 30 attached to the fixing device 40, the opening edge of the intake port 12ca is outside the inner wall portion 31a and inside the outer wall portion 31b. With the oil tray 30 attached to the fixing device 40, the oil tray 30 is located below the exhaust fan 21.

[0027] Multiple magnets 41 are attached to the fixing device 40 around the through hole 40a. The oil tray 30 is attached to the fixing device 40 by an attractive force acting between the flange portions 33 and 34 and the magnets 41 with the fixing device 40 interposed therebetween. By gripping the gripping portions 33a and 34a and rotating the oil tray 30 in a plane perpendicular to the first direction DR1, the flange portions 33 and 34 and the magnets 41 no longer face each other, and the attractive force described above ceases to act. This makes it possible to remove the oil tray 30 from the fixing device 40.

[0028] In this example, a magnet 41 is shown attached to the fixing device 40, but the magnet 41 may be attached to the flange portion 33 and the flange portion 34, respectively, instead of the fixing device 40. In this case as well, the oil tray 30 can be removed from the fixing device 40 by rotating the oil tray 30 in a plane perpendicular to the first direction DR1. In this case, the fixing device 40 is made of a material that is attracted to magnets.

[0029] In this example, the oil tray 30 is shown to be detachably attached to the fixing device 40 by rotating the oil tray 30 in a plane perpendicular to the first direction DR1 using magnetic force. However, the oil tray 30 may also be mechanically detachably attached to the fixing device 40 by rotating it in a plane perpendicular to the first direction DR1.

[0030] The inner hood 50 has a side wall 50a and an upper wall 50b. The side wall 50a extends along the vertical direction. The upper wall 50b is connected to the upper end of the side wall 50a. A through hole 50ba is formed in the upper wall 50b. The through hole 50ba penetrates the upper wall 50b along the thickness direction. The inner hood 50 is attached to the outer hood 11 (lower end of side wall 11a) at the lower end of the side wall 50a such that the fastener 40 is exposed through the through hole 50ba.

[0031] The filter set 60 comprises a frame 61, a filter 62, and an elastic member 63. The frame 61 is, for example, rectangular and annular. The frame 61 defines a through hole 61a. The frame 61 has a first part 61b and a second part 61c. The first part 61b and the second part 61c are two parts that face each other with the through hole 61a in between.

[0032] A through hole 61ba is formed in the first part 61b. The through hole 61ba penetrates the first part 61b from its inner wall surface toward its outer wall surface. A through hole 61ca is formed in the second part 61c. The through hole 61ca penetrates the second part 61c from its inner wall surface toward its outer wall surface.

[0033] The filter 62 is, for example, a nonwoven fabric made of non-combustible fibers. The filter 62 is attached to the frame 61 so as to cover the through hole 61a. Preferably, the filter 62 is removable from the frame 61. If the filter 62 is removable from the frame 61, the frame 61 and the elastic member 63 can be reused by removing the used filter 62 from the frame 61 and attaching a new filter 62 to the frame 61.

[0034] The elastic member 63 is an annular member formed of an elastic material. The elastic member 63 has a projection 63a and a projection 63b. The projection 63a is inserted into the through hole 61ba from the inner wall side of the first portion 61b and protrudes from the outer wall surface of the first portion 61b. The projection 63b is inserted into the through hole 61ca from the inner wall side of the second portion 61c and protrudes from the outer wall surface of the second portion 61c. In this way, the elastic member 63 is attached to the frame 61. The portion of the elastic member 63 other than projections 63a and 63b extends along the inner wall surface of the frame 61.

[0035] The filter 62 may be attached to the frame 61, for example, by sandwiching the edge of the filter 62 between the inner wall surface of the frame 61 and the elastic member 63. In this case, the used filter 62 can be removed from the frame 61 and replaced with a new filter 62 by removing the elastic member 63 from the frame 61.

[0036] The filter set 60 is detachably attached to the oil tray 30 by being locked to the gripping portions 33a and 34a. More specifically, the elastic member 63 is positioned between the gripping portions 33a and 34a with the protrusions 63a and 63b pressed in. As a result, an elastic force acts on the gripping portions 33a and 34a as the elastic member 63 tries to return to its original shape, allowing the filter set 60 to be detachably attached to the oil tray 30.

[0037] The filter set 60 is located below the oil tray 30 when it is attached to the oil tray 30. When the filter set 60 is viewed from below along the first direction DR1 with the filter set 60 attached to the oil tray 30, the filter 62 covers the through hole 32.

[0038] The rectifier plate 70 is attached to the inner hood 50. The rectifier plate 70 is positioned opposite the fixing device 40 or the upper wall 50b in the vertical direction, with a gap between them. The rectifier plate 70 is spaced apart from the side wall 50a in a plane perpendicular to the vertical direction. When the motor 20 rotates the exhaust fan 21, air is drawn in through the passage between the rectifier plate 70 and the fixing device 40 or the upper wall 50b. The air passing through this passage then passes through the filter 62.

[0039] The air that passes through the filter 62 is drawn into the fan case 12 through the through-hole 32 (intake port 12ca). The air drawn into the fan case 12 is then discharged to the outside through a duct (not shown). In other words, the filter 62 is located upstream of the oil tray 30 (through-hole 32) in the airflow generated by the rotation of the exhaust fan 21.

[0040] (Effects of Range Hood 100) The following explains the effects of Range Hood 100.

[0041] The motor 20 rotates the exhaust fan 21, drawing in oil-laden air through the flow path between the rectifier plate 70 and the fixture 40 or the upper wall 50b. As described above, in the range hood 100, the filter 62 is located upstream of the oil tray 30 in the airflow generated by the rotation of the exhaust fan 21.

[0042] Therefore, some of the oil in the air drawn in through the flow path between the rectifier plate 70 and the fixing device 40 or the upper wall 50b is captured by the filter 62 before it enters the fan case 12. As a result, the amount of oil in the air drawn into the fan case 12 is reduced compared to when the filter set 60 is not present, and the amount of oil stored in the oil reservoir 31 and the amount of oil adhering to the exhaust fan 21 is reduced. In this way, the range hood 100 makes it possible to reduce the frequency of cleaning the oil tray 30 and the exhaust fan 21.

[0043] In the range hood 100, the filter set 60 is located below the oil tray 30 and is detachable from the oil tray 30, allowing the filter 62 to be replaced without removing the oil tray 30. In the range hood 100, the oil tray 30 is detachably attached to the fixing device 40, allowing the oil tray 30 to be removed together with the filter set 60, making maintenance of the oil tray 30 and the filter set 60 easier.

[0044] In the range hood 100, the filter set 60 is detachably attached to the oil tray 30 using the gripping parts 33a and 34a, thus reducing component costs compared to the case where the filter set 60 is attached to the oil tray 30 using a separate component. In the range hood 100, the filter set 60 is attached to the oil tray 30 using an elastic member 63, making it easy to attach the filter set 60 to and remove it from the oil tray 30.

[0045] In the range hood 100, the oil tray 30 can be removed from the fixing device 40 by rotating the oil tray 30 in a plane perpendicular to the first direction DR1. This prevents the oil stored in the oil reservoir 31 from spilling out when the oil tray 30 is removed from the fixing device 40, thus preventing secondary contamination (dirt in the surrounding area).

[0046] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above, it is possible to modify these embodiments in various ways. Furthermore, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0047] 100 Range hood, 10 Main case, 10a Side wall, 10b Top wall, 11 Outer hood, 11a Side wall, 11b Top wall, 11ba Through hole, 12 Fan case, 12a Side wall, 12b Top wall, 12ba Recess, 12bb Through hole, 12c Bottom wall, 12ca Intake, 20 Motor, 20a Motor body, 20b Shaft, 21 Exhaust fan, 22 Mounting adapter, 30 Oil tray, 31 Oil reservoir, 31a Inner wall, 31b Outer wall, 31c Bottom wall, 32 Through hole, 33 Flange, 33a Grip, 34 Flange, 34a Grip, 40 Fixing device, 40a Through hole, 41 Magnet, 50 Inner hood, 50a Side wall, 50b Through hole, 50ba Through hole, 60 Filter set, 61 Frame, 61a Through hole, 61b First part, 61ba Through hole, 61c Second part, 61ca Through hole, 62 Filter, 63 Elastic member, 63a, 63b Protrusions, 70 Rectifier plate, DR1 First direction, DR2 Second direction.

Claims

1. Exhaust fan and Oil tray and A filter set having a filter, The filter is positioned upstream of the oil tray in the airflow generated by the rotation of the exhaust fan. The filter set is located below the oil tray. The filter set is detachably attached to the oil tray in the range hood.

2. The oil tray has an annularly extending oil reservoir and a through hole defined by the oil reservoir. The range hood according to claim 1, wherein the filter set is arranged such that the filter covers the through hole when viewed from below along a first direction which is the direction in which the through hole extends.

3. Further equipped with fasteners, The range hood according to claim 2, wherein the oil tray is detachably attached to the fixing device.

4. The oil tray further has a first flange portion and a second flange portion connected to the oil reservoir portion, The first flange portion and the second flange portion extend along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, The second flange portion is located symmetrically to the first flange portion with respect to the through hole when viewed along the first direction. The first flange portion and the second flange portion each include a first gripping portion and a second gripping portion that protrude downward along the first direction, The range hood according to claim 2, wherein the filter set is locked to the first gripping portion and the second gripping portion.

5. The filter set further comprises a frame to which the filter is attached, and an elastic member attached to the frame, The range hood according to claim 4, wherein the filter set is detachably attached to the oil tray by an elastic force acting from the elastic member on the first gripping portion and the second gripping portion.

6. The range hood according to claim 3, wherein the oil tray is magnetically or mechanically detachably attached to the fastener by rotating in a plane perpendicular to the first direction.

Images