JP5449982B2 - Air conditioner - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a fan guard for preventing fingers from coming into contact with movable parts such as a motor and a fan in the body, and an air conditioner using the fan guard, particularly a medical substance generator such as an ion generator and an air cleaner. Related to the machine.

The fan guard of an air conditioner typified by an air purifier is installed at the intake / exhaust port outside the fan that generates air flow, and it is hot and moving parts such as a fan that rotates during operation This prevents the fingers from touching the parts.
As these realization methods, as disclosed in the following Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2, a lattice-shaped metal or resin structure having a size that does not allow fingers to be inserted is often provided.

  Further, as a method disclosed in Patent Document 3 below, there is a method in which a fan guard is not provided as a structure, and a fan is stopped by controlling a motor when a sensor detects that a foreign object has approached the fan.

A structure and a method of attaching / detaching a conventional removable fan guard will be specifically described with reference to FIGS.
FIG. 9 is a block diagram illustrating a first main configuration example of an air conditioner including a conventional fan guard. The air conditioner main body rear surface portion 21, the fan guard 2 having a plurality of claws 4 and a plurality of fixing portions 5 for fixing to the main body and the lattice portion 3, and the main body 21 side where the fixing portion 5 is inserted and fixed. The fixing hole 8 and the fan 6 inside the fixing hole 8 are shown. The fan 6 is connected to a motor (not shown), and rotates with the rotation of the motor to generate an air flow. Note that other components inside the air-conditioning air are not shown because they are not necessary for this description. The right side of the figure is the outside of the airframe, and the fan guard 2 is attached so as not to contact the fan 6 operating inside. FIG. 11 shows a state where the fan guard 2 is attached to the main body 21.

  FIG. 10: is a block diagram which shows the 2nd principal part structural example of the air conditioner provided with the conventional fan guard. A difference from FIG. 9 is that a claw hole 7 for inserting the claw 4 into the main body back surface portion 31 of the air conditioner is provided. The rest of the configuration is the same, and the state where the fan guard 2 is attached to the main body 31 is also shown in FIG.

A mechanism for removing the fan guard from the state of FIG. 11 in which the fan guard 2 is attached to the main bodies 21 and 31 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. In this structure, when removing, the fan guard 2 is elastically deformed by pulling the A portion of the fan guard 2 outward while pushing it downward with fingers, and the engagement between the claws 4 and the main bodies 21 and 31 is released. It is a mechanism. The part A of the fan guard immediately returns to its original shape due to elastic deformation at the moment of removal.
Also, when attaching to the main body 21, 31, after the fixing portion 5 is set in the fixing hole 8, the portion A is pushed downward by the action of the inclination of the tab 4 by pressing the vicinity of the tab 4 toward the inside. It is a mechanism that can be engaged and attached to the main body.

  Regarding the attachment / detachment of the fan guard, as disclosed in the following Patent Document 1, there is an example characterized by the ease of attachment / detachment of the fan guard due to the ease of maintenance. Manufacturers' liability to users has increased, and structures that can easily remove the fan guard and cause injury by touching the fan with a finger can be problematic. As a countermeasure for that, there is a method of completely integrating with the main body from the beginning or fixing by adhesion or welding later. When leaving detachability, manage the fit between the claw and the hole to reduce play (gap), or increase the thickness so that the elastically deformed part is not easily elastically deformed when the fan guard is removed. There is.

Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 04-095262 JP 2004-251151 A JP 2009-030588 A

However, if the fan guard is integrated with the main unit and completely fixed, or if it is difficult to remove it uniformly, it is inconvenient from the viewpoint of repair and maintenance of the motor and fan. , The possibility of visibly damaging the fan guard and the body will increase.
In other words, safety parts such as fan guards cannot be removed by easy operation with fingers, and if they are used for maintenance or repair, they can be attached and removed without damaging the fan guard or the body. It is desirable to be possible.

  Therefore, the present invention solves the above-described conventional problems, making it difficult to remove with fingers without a tool only by a simple structural change, and using the tool to damage the fan guard and the body in appearance. The purpose is to provide a fan guard that allows smooth repair and maintenance without giving.

In order to solve the above problems, the air conditioner of the present invention is provided with a main body, a fan that is rotated by a motor, and a fan guard that is molded in a lattice shape to prevent the fingers from coming into contact with the fan. the fan guard has a plurality of claw portions are integrated, is engaged with by pushing the claw portion to the body, the pawl by pressing the base end portion of the claw portion from the outside part of is elastically deformed, said the air conditioner can be disengaged from the main body, the engaging portion near the front Symbol claw portion before Symbol body, said projecting outward of the body surface the pawl portion covered, thus suppressing the pushing of the proximal portion that by the fingers, is disposed ribs prevent the deformation of the engagement releasing direction by inserting only slender tool than fingers between the ribs and the proximal end It is characterized by providing a gap to be obtained .

  The fan guard may be engaged and fixed to the main body by fitting a plurality of integrated claws into corresponding claw holes formed in the main body.

  Further, preferably, a notch capable of inserting only a tool thinner than a finger is provided at a location not covered by the rib, and the claw portion is bypassed by the tool inserted into the notch to bypass the rib. It is possible to deform in the disengagement direction.

With the above configuration, the operation of the present invention will be described below.
In the conventional fan guard, the vicinity of the claw is elastically deformed downward by pressing the finger from above, and can be removed from the main body. However, in the fan guard of the present invention, the main body side near the claw where the finger is applied Since the ribs are provided, no force is transmitted to the vicinity of the claw portion of the fan guard, which makes it very difficult to remove the fan guard by pressing a finger.

  If the fan guard is fixed to the main body by fitting a plurality of integrated claws into the claw holes formed in the main body, the fan guard is more firmly fixed.

Furthermore, the fan guard of the air conditioner is provided with a plurality of cutouts at locations not covered by the ribs. When repairing or performing maintenance, the cutout is like a flat-blade screwdriver with a flat tip. By inserting a simple tool and applying force to the outside, it is possible to remove the claw and remove the fan guard without damaging the fan guard or the body.
Furthermore, if the gap between the fan guard and the rib or the shape of the notch is set as a key shape that allows only a dedicated tool to be inserted, only a repair person dispatched from the manufacturer can use this tool to fix the rib 9. By detouring, the fan guard 2 can be removed by deforming the claw 4 in the disengagement direction, and safety can be further improved.

As described above, the fan guard of the present invention is provided with the rib around the engaging portion with the claw portion of the main body and covering the claw portion and preventing deformation in the disengagement direction by the fingers. Becomes more difficult. As a result, the air conditioner using the fan guard of the present invention is difficult to remove without tools even if, for example, an infant tries to remove the fan guard due to mischief, so the fingers touch the motor or fan in operation. The risk can be minimized.
On the other hand, when carrying out repairs and maintenance, the fan guard must be removed by using tools, so the user's clear will can be confirmed, and the instruction manual must be read carefully, This makes it possible to recognize the danger of removing the battery, and to urge safety measures such as unplugging the outlet or waiting for the hot parts to cool down.

It is a block diagram which shows the 1st example of a principal part structure of the air conditioner provided with the fan guard in Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the 2nd principal part structural example of the air conditioner provided with the fan guard in Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the state which fixed the fan guard in FIG.1 and FIG.2 to the main body. It is sectional drawing explaining the state which fixed the fan guard of FIG. 3 to the main body. It is an external view of the fan guard in Embodiment 2 of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows having fixed the fan guard in FIG. 5 to the main body. It is a block diagram which shows one structural example of the air conditioner of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the specific structure inside the filter of the air conditioner of FIG. 7, (a) is the state which attached the filter 17, (b) removed the filter 17, and the state which the fan guard 2 exposed, (c ) Is a diagram showing the arrangement of the fans 6 in the main body. It is a block diagram which shows the 1st example of a principal part structure of the air conditioner provided with the conventional fan guard. It is a block diagram which shows the 2nd principal part structural example of the air conditioner provided with the conventional fan guard. It is a block diagram which shows the state which fixed the conventional fan guard to the main body. It is sectional drawing explaining the state which fixed the fan guard of FIG. 11 to the main body.

  Embodiments 1 and 2 of the fan guard of the present invention and air conditioners using the fan guard, particularly Embodiments 1 to 3 of a medical substance generator such as an ion generator and an air purifier, in particular, are described below. Will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

(Embodiment 1)
1 and 2 are drawings of fan guard mounting according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.
In FIG. 1, the fan guard 2 according to the first embodiment is a molded product having a lattice portion 3, a plurality of claws 4 at the upper portion of the frame, and a plurality of fixing portions 5 at the lower portion of the frame. The same number of fixing holes 8 into which the fixing parts 5 of the fan guard 2 are fitted, and the upper edge of the opening of the main body are engaged when the fan guard 2 is set on the main body 1. The same number of ribs 9 are provided with a small gap from the fan guard 2 so as to cover each of the claws 4 to be formed.
It is effective to provide the rib 9 in a size that covers the entire claw 4, but it is also possible to cover a part of the claw 4 as long as it can prevent easy deformation of the claw 4 by fingers. Similar effects can be obtained.

  The difference between the one shown in FIG. 2 and the one shown in FIG. 1 is that a claw 4 is fitted into the main body 1 so that the fan guard 2 is firmly fixed to the main body 1, and a special claw for engaging with it. Since only the hole 7 is provided, the description of the attachment and detachment of the fan guard 2 will be made in common. Moreover, the external view in a state where the fan guard 2 is attached to the main body (the main body 1 in FIG. 1 and the main body 11 in FIG. 2) is completely the same, and is shown in common in FIG.

  1 and 2, when there is no rib 9, as explained in the background art, when the claw 4 is removed by applying force with fingers from the top one by one near the claw 4, all the claw 4 is detached. Although the fan guard 2 is configured to be detached, as shown in the sectional view in FIG. 4, in this configuration, the fan guard 2 is provided with a slight gap from the fan guard 2 provided in the main body 1 near the claw 4. Because of the rib 9, the force from the upper part is not transmitted to the A part of the claw 4 provided on the fan guard 2, and the A part cannot be deformed until it is elastically deformed necessary for removing the fan guard 2.

  When removing the fan guard 2 for maintenance or repair, insert a tool with a flat tip, such as a flat-blade screwdriver, into the slight gap between the tab 4 and the rib 9, and deform it by twisting. The claw can be removed sequentially, and the fan guard 2 can be removed without damaging the main body 1 and the fan guard 2 in appearance.

The number of the fixing holes 8 corresponding to the fixing portion 5 and the number of the claw holes 7 corresponding to the claw 4 are illustrated as two in this example, but may be one or three or more. In this example, the fixed part is the lower part and the claw is the upper part of the fan guard. However, depending on the structure of the main body, the fixed part may be the upper part and the claw may be the lower part. At this time, a rib for preventing removal is provided on the lower side of the main body corresponding to the tab of the fan guard.
In this example, a cross flow fan is illustrated as the fan 6, but the type of fan is not limited as long as it has a blowing function.

  As described above, even if the user tries to remove the fan guard intentionally or by mistake, it is difficult to remove it without tools. It can be surely prevented.

  In addition, even when the maintenance that allows the user to remove the fan guard is possible, the fan guard cannot be removed without carefully reading the instruction manual. By pulling out the power outlet and alerting the user's manual that there are parts that are hot immediately after operation, it is necessary to take care of the operating fan, or damage to the parts due to sudden operation of the fan or the high temperature parts. Contact can be prevented.

(Embodiment 2)
FIG. 5 is an external view of the fan guard 12 according to the second embodiment of the present invention.
The difference from the fan guard 2 of the first embodiment is that a notch 10 is provided on the claw 4 side. FIG. 6 shows a state in which the fan guard 12 is attached to the main bodies 1 and 11. The notch 10 is provided at a location that is not covered by the rib 9 and is slightly visible on the main body side. When the fan guard 12 is removed, the claw 4 can be removed relatively easily by inserting a tool having a flat tip, such as a flathead screwdriver, into the notch 10 and applying a force from above to the outside. If all the claws 4 are removed, the fan guard 2 can be removed from the main body.

(Embodiment 3)
FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing one configuration example of an air conditioner of the present invention, in particular, an ion generator that is a medical substance generator. (A) is a main body (front part), (b) is a main body (rear view), (c) is a figure which shows the positional relationship of the filter 17 and the fan guard 2. FIG.
FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing an internal structure from the filter 17 of the ion generator of FIG. (A) shows the state where the outermost filter 17 is visible, (b) shows the state where the filter is removed and the fan guard is visible, and (c) shows the state where the fan guard is removed and the fan is visible. Yes.

As shown in FIG. 7 and FIG. 8, the air conditioner 11 of this example includes a filter 17 and a fan guard 2 (or 12) from the outside at the air suction port (intake port), and is connected to the motor at the inside. The fan 6 is installed.
8A shows a state in which the filter 17 is attached, and FIG. 8B shows a state in which the filter 17 is removed and the fan guard 2 is exposed, and the rib 9 arranged so as to cover the upper end thereof. It is shown. FIG. 8C is a diagram showing the arrangement of the fans 6 in the main body.
When the air conditioner 11 is operated, the air taken in from the suction port (intake port) by the rotation of the fan 6 passes through the inside through the filter 17 and is provided in the other part of the airframe ( The air is blown out to the outside together with the generated ions.
Thus, since the main body 1 (or 11) is provided with the rib 9 so as to cover the claw portion of the fan guard 2 (or 12) of the air conditioner 11, the user may accidentally remove it by mistake. Of course, it is difficult to intentionally remove the tool without a tool, and the user will not be burned or injured by contact with a part such as a motor that may become hot inside or a movable part such as the fan 6.

  In each embodiment, if the gap between the claw 4 and the rib 9 or the shape of the notch 10 is a key shape into which only a special tool having a special shape can be inserted, a repair staff dispatched from the manufacturer will be provided. Only the person can use this tool to bypass the rib 9 and deform the claw 4 in the disengagement direction to remove the fan guard 2, thereby further improving safety.

  The present invention relates to a fan guard that prevents fingers from touching movable parts such as a motor and a fan in the machine body, and an air conditioner using the fan guard, particularly a medical substance generator such as an ion generator and an air purifier. In the related fields, it is more difficult to remove the fan guard without a tool, and it is possible to reliably prevent an accident of contact of the fingers with the fan due to an erroneous operation.

1, 11, 21, 31 Main body (rear part)
2, 12 Fan guard 3 Lattice part 4 Claw 5 Fixing part 6 Fan 7 Claw hole 8 Fixing hole 9 Rib 10 Notch 16 Main body (front part)
17 Filter

Claims (3)

A main body, a fan rotated by a motor, in order to hand in the fan can be prevented from contacting, provided with been fan guard molded in a lattice shape, the fan guard has a plurality of claw portions that are integrated The claw portion is engaged by being pushed into the main body, and the claw portion is elastically deformed by pressing the base end portion of the claw portion from the outside to release the engagement with the main body. in an air conditioner that can,
The engagement portion near the front Symbol claw portion before Symbol body, covering the claw portion protruding outwardly of the body surface, thus suppressing the pushing of the proximal portion that by the fingers, the engagement releasing direction An air conditioner characterized in that a rib for preventing deformation is disposed , and a gap into which only a tool thinner than a finger can be inserted is provided between the rib and the base end . The pre-Symbol fan guard claw portion before Symbol plurality of integrated, by pre-Symbol fit into corresponding pawl hole drilled in the body, to claim 1, wherein the engaging fixed prior SL body The air conditioner described. In places that have not been covered before Symbol rib in the previous Symbol fan guard, the notch is provided can be inserted only thin tool than the finger, by the inserted before Symbol tool to notch Ri該切, bypassing the previous Symbol ribs, characterized in that to be able to deform the front Symbol claw portion disengaged direction, the air conditioner according to claim 1 or claim 2.

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