JP7630470B2 - Blower - Google Patents

Description

This disclosure relates to a blower device that is used in a suspended state.

Patent Document 1 discloses a blower that forms a belt-shaped air current, also known as an air transport fan. The blower that forms a belt-shaped air current includes a main body box having an intake port on the rear side and an outlet port on the front side, an electric motor installed inside the main body box, and a fan attached to the shaft of the electric motor. The blower that forms a belt-shaped air current is sometimes used by being fixed to a ceiling suspension bolt using a ceiling leg attached to the side of the main body box, and suspended from the ceiling.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 8-28926

However, when the blower of the above configuration is used in an oil mist environment, oil mist tends to collect around the main body box. For this reason, when the blower of the above configuration is used suspended from the ceiling in an oil mist environment, the oil adhering to the top surface and air passage of the main body box turns into oil droplets and drips during operation or after operation is stopped, which may soil the floor below the blower or objects placed below the blower. Furthermore, the blower may not only be used with the airflow blowing direction horizontally, but may also be used with the airflow blowing direction diagonally upward or downward. In this case, the dirt on the floor below the blower or objects placed below the blower caused by the oil as described above will worsen.

This disclosure was made in consideration of the above, and aims to provide a blower device that is less likely to contaminate the lower part of the housing with oil, even when used suspended in an oil mist environment.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the object, the blower device according to the present disclosure includes a box-shaped housing in which an air passage is formed connecting an inlet and an outlet, a plurality of blower units each having an impeller that forms an airflow from the inlet to the outlet in the air passage, and an electric motor that rotates the impeller, and each of the blower units is arranged side by side in the housing, an oil pan that receives oil dripping from the housing, mounting legs that hold the oil pan horizontally directly below the housing and support the side of the housing so that the blowing direction of the airflow can be changed in the vertical direction, and a first guide plate that is arranged at the bottom of the upper end of the outlet side on the upper surface of the air passage and guides oil adhering to the air passage to the oil pan . The mounting legs are capable of changing the angle between the blowing direction of the airflow and the horizontal direction. The first guide plate has an L-shape formed by a vertical plate portion extending in the height direction of the housing and a horizontal plate portion extending in the width direction of the housing, the vertical plate portion being arranged between the plurality of blower units, and the horizontal plate portion being arranged at the bottom of the upper end of the outlet side.

The present disclosure has the effect of providing a blower device that is less likely to contaminate the lower part of the housing with oil, even when used suspended in an oil mist environment.

FIG. 1 is a view of a blower device according to a first embodiment, seen from the suction port side. FIG. 1 is a view of a blower device according to a first embodiment, seen from the air outlet side. FIG. 1 is a side view of a blower device according to a first embodiment; 1 is a cross-sectional view parallel to a direction from an inlet to an outlet of a blower device according to a first embodiment; FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a mounting leg of a blower according to a first embodiment; FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an oil pan of a blower according to a first embodiment; FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a first guide plate in the blower device according to the first embodiment; FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an arrangement of a plurality of first guide plates in a blower according to a first embodiment; FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a second guide plate in the blower device according to the first embodiment; FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an arrangement of a plurality of second guide plates in the blower device according to the first embodiment; FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a blower device according to a first embodiment, in which the blowing direction of an air current is obliquely downward; FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a blower device according to a first embodiment, in which the blowing direction of the airflow is obliquely upward; 1 is a cross-sectional view parallel to a direction from an inlet to an outlet of the blower device according to a first embodiment when the blowing direction of the airflow in the blower device is parallel to the horizontal direction; FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view parallel to a direction from an intake port to an outlet port of the blower device according to a first embodiment when the blowing direction of the airflow in the blower device is obliquely downward; FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view parallel to a direction from an intake port to an outlet port of the blower device according to a first embodiment when the blowing direction of the airflow in the blower device is obliquely upward; FIG. FIG. 1 is a front view of a main part of a blower device according to a first embodiment; FIG. 13 is a perspective view of another first guide plate in the blower device according to the first embodiment; FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing an arrangement state of a plurality of other first guide plates in the blower device according to the first embodiment; 11 is a side view of another first guide plate in the blower device according to the first embodiment; FIG. 20 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XX-XX in FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of another first guide plate in the blower device according to the first embodiment, illustrating a state in which oil droplets flow through the another first guide plate; FIG. FIG. 11 is a side view of another first guide plate in the blower device according to the first embodiment, illustrating a state in which oil droplets flow through the another first guide plate; FIG. 13 is a perspective view of another first guide plate in the blower device according to the first embodiment; 10 is a cross-sectional view of another first guide plate in the blower device according to the first embodiment, illustrating a state in which oil droplets flow through the another first guide plate; FIG. FIG. 4 is a side view of a fixing plate for attaching the first guide plate to the housing according to the first embodiment; FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a blower device according to a first embodiment, seen from the air outlet side; FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a blower device according to a first embodiment, seen from the inlet side; FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a main part showing an attachment portion of a second guide plate according to the first embodiment;

The blower device according to the embodiment is described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

Embodiment 1.
FIG. 1 is a view of the blower according to the first embodiment as viewed from the suction port side. In FIG. 1, in order to facilitate understanding of the overall configuration of the blower 100, the second guide plate 106 is omitted. FIG. 2 is a view of the blower according to the first embodiment as viewed from the outlet side. FIG. 3 is a side view of the blower according to the first embodiment as viewed from the side. FIG. 3 shows a state as viewed from the direction of the arrow A in FIG. 2. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view parallel to the direction from the suction port to the outlet of the blower according to the first embodiment. Note that in FIG. 4, the first guide plate 105, the second guide plate 106, and the oil pan 101 are omitted.

In the following description, the depth direction of the housing 1, which is the direction connecting the intake port 2 and the exhaust port 3, is defined as the first direction. The width direction of the housing 1, which is the arrangement direction of the multiple air blowing units 80 described below, is defined as the second direction. The first direction is perpendicular to the second direction. The direction corresponding to the height direction of the housing 1 and perpendicular to both the first and second directions is defined as the third direction. In each figure, the arrow X indicates the first direction, the arrow Y indicates the second direction, and the arrow Z indicates the third direction.

The blower device 100 includes a box-shaped housing 1 that forms an outer shell, and a plurality of blower units 80 provided inside the housing 1. The housing 1 has a rectangular box shape with the second direction as the longitudinal direction. The housing 1 has an opening that becomes the intake port 2 on the back side. The housing 1 has an opening that becomes the exhaust port 3 on the front side. A plurality of air passages 4 that connect the intake port 2 and the exhaust port 3 are formed inside the housing 1. The air passages 4 extend along the first direction. The plurality of air passages 4 are formed in a line at equal intervals in the second direction. The shape of the air passages 4 is cylindrical. In the first embodiment, a structure in which five air passages 4 are formed is exemplified, but the number of air passages 4 may be four or less or six or more. The air taken into the housing 1 from the intake port 2 passes through each air passage 4 and is blown out from the exhaust port 3.

A blower unit 80 is installed in each air duct 4. The blower unit 80 includes an impeller 5 and an electric motor 6 to which the impeller 5 is attached. The impeller 5 rotates about a rotation axis 51 parallel to the first direction, generating an airflow in the air duct 4 from the intake port 2 to the exhaust port 3. The electric motor 6 rotates the impeller 5 about the rotation axis 51. In other words, the rotation axis 51 is the central axis of rotation of the impeller 5 and also the central axis of rotation of the shaft of the electric motor 6. The blower unit 80 is secured to the air duct 4 by a retaining portion 15 provided in each air duct 4.

The impeller 5 is an axial flow impeller that generates an airflow in the axial direction of rotation. The impeller 5 has a boss portion 52 that is connected to the shaft of the electric motor 6, and a number of blade portions 53 that extend radially from the boss portion 52.

The suction port 2 extends in the second direction and spans multiple air ducts 4. In a certain section of the wall surface of the air duct 4 from the end on the suction port 2 side toward the downstream, a tapered section 21A is formed, the diameter of which decreases from the upstream side toward the downstream side. The tapered section 21A functions as a bell mouth. Note that "upstream" and "downstream" refer to upstream and downstream with respect to the flow of air in the air duct 4.

A protective guard 8 configured in a lattice shape is provided at the air inlet 2. The protective guard 8 is provided to prevent foreign objects from entering each air passage 4, to prevent injuries caused by fingers coming into contact with the blades, and to prevent parts such as the impeller 5 from scattering in the unlikely event that they become detached. In the first embodiment, the protective guard 8 is described as being configured by arranging wires in a lattice shape, but this is not limited to this. The protective guard 8 may be configured of a net or a punched metal obtained by forming multiple holes in a metal plate. Even if the protective guard 8 is configured using a net or punched metal, it is possible to pass air through it, and the above-mentioned effects of preventing foreign objects from entering, preventing injuries, and preventing parts from scattering can be obtained.

The air outlet 3 is formed on the side of the housing 1 opposite to the surface on which the air inlet 2 is formed. That is, the air outlet 3 is formed on the surface of the housing 1 opposite to the surface on which the air inlet 2 is formed in the first direction across the blower unit 80. The air outlet 3 is formed in a slit shape extending along the second direction and spans multiple air ducts 4. That is, each air flow that has passed through the multiple air ducts 4 is gathered at the air outlet 3 and blown out as a band-shaped air flow. Multiple air outlets 3 are formed in the housing 1, and the air outlets 3 are formed in a line along the third direction with a gap between them. That is, multiple air outlets 3 are formed in parallel with a gap in the third direction. In the first embodiment, two air outlets 3, air outlet 3A and air outlet 3B, are formed in the housing 1. The air outlet 3A and air outlet 3B are formed symmetrically across a plane parallel to the first direction and the second direction including the multiple rotation axes 51, that is, symmetrically across the XY plane including the multiple rotation axes 51. That is, air outlet 3A and air outlet 3B are arranged on opposite sides of the XY plane that includes multiple rotation axes 51.

In the air passage 4, a nozzle section 9 is formed downstream of the motor 6, in which the flow area gradually decreases from the suction port 2 side toward the air outlet 3 side. The nozzle section 9 has a nozzle inclined section 9A and a nozzle flat section 9B. The nozzle inclined section 9A is formed in an inclined shape so as to evenly narrow the air passage 4 around the rotation axis 51 in the third direction and gradually decrease the flow area of the air passage 4. On the other hand, the nozzle flat section 9B is formed parallel to the rotation axis 51 and is connected to the air outlet 3 of the housing 1. In other words, the nozzle flat section 9B is a parallel section of the wall surface of the air passage 4, which is a certain section from the end on the air outlet 3 side toward the impeller 5, parallel to the rotation axis 51.

Between the air outlets 3 arranged in the third direction, a guide portion 7 extending in the second direction is provided. By providing the guide portion 7, the air outlet 3 is divided into two parts, air outlet 3A and air outlet 3B. Air outlet 3A and air outlet 3B extend in the second direction. In a cross section parallel to the first direction and the third direction, i.e., in a cross section parallel to the XZ plane, the guide portion 7 has a guide protrusion 7A formed in an arc shape with its apex at the center position of the guide portion 7 in the third direction, and a guide flat portion 7B formed downstream of the guide protrusion 7A.

In a cross section parallel to the first direction and the third direction and including the rotation axis 51, i.e., in a cross section parallel to the XZ plane and including the rotation axis 51, the dimension of the guide protrusion 7A in the third direction decreases the further it is from the air outlet 3 toward the motor 6. The guide flat portion 7B that faces the nozzle flat portion 9B of the air passage 4 is parallel to the nozzle flat portion 9B. The guide portion 7 as a whole is formed in a symmetrical shape with respect to the XY plane that includes the multiple rotation axes 51.

The blower 100 has mounting legs 10 attached to the sides of the housing 1, i.e., both ends of the housing 1 in the second direction. The blower 100 is attached to a mounting surface by fixing the mounting legs 10 to a suspension bolt (not shown) installed on a mounting surface such as a wall or ceiling.

As shown in FIG. 1, the position of the housing 1 relative to the mounting leg 10 can be adjusted around a rotation axis 16 provided on the side of the housing 1. That is, the mounting angle of the mounting leg 10 relative to the housing 1 can be adjusted, and the angle between the direction in which the top surface 1a of the housing 1 faces and the vertical direction can be changed within a plane parallel to the side surface 1b of the housing 1. The plane parallel to the side surface 1b of the housing 1 is a plane parallel to the XZ plane. By changing the mounting angle of the housing 1 relative to the mounting leg 10, the blowing direction of the airflow can be changed. That is, the mounting leg 10 can change the angle between the blowing direction of the airflow and the horizontal direction.

In addition, "changing the angle between the direction in which the top surface 1a of the housing 1 faces and the vertical direction in a plane parallel to the side surface 1b of the housing 1" can be rephrased as "changing the angle between the blowing direction of the airflow in the blower device 100 and the horizontal direction in a plane parallel to the side surface 1b of the housing 1."

Figure 5 is a perspective view showing the mounting leg of the blower device according to the first embodiment. As shown in Figures 3 and 5, the mounting leg 10 has an insertion hole 17 through which the rotating shaft 16 is inserted, and a number of blowing angle adjustment holes 18 arranged in a fan shape at equal intervals centered on the insertion hole 17. The insertion hole 17 and the number of blowing angle adjustment holes 18 are formed within the plane of the mounting leg 10, penetrating the mounting leg 10.

The rotating shaft 16 provided on the side 1b of the housing 1 is male threaded. The mounting leg 10 is screwed to the side 1b of the housing 1 using a nut 19 with the rotating shaft 16 inserted through the insertion hole 17. In addition, a blowing angle adjustment protrusion (not shown) is provided on the side 1b of the housing 1. The mounting leg 10 can adjust the mounting angle relative to the housing 1 by selecting the blowing angle adjustment hole 18 through which the blowing angle adjustment protrusion is inserted. The blowing angle adjustment protrusion is male threaded. The mounting leg 10 is screwed to the side 1b of the housing 1 using a nut 20 with the blowing angle adjustment protrusion inserted through any selected blowing angle adjustment hole 18. This allows the mounting angle of the mounting leg 10 relative to the housing 1 to be adjusted to a desired angle. Note that in FIG. 1, the nut 19 is omitted from the illustration in order to make it easier to understand the rotating shaft 16.

As shown in FIG. 5, the lower end 10a of the mounting leg 10 has an L-shaped cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the lower end 10a, and multiple insertion holes 10c for fixing the oil pan 101 are formed in the short side 10b of the L shape. The longitudinal direction of the lower end 10a is parallel to the first direction, i.e., parallel to the X direction.

An oil pan 101 that receives oil droplets dripping from the blower 100 is fixed to the lower end 10a of the mounting leg 10. That is, the lower end 10a of the mounting leg 10 functions as an oil pan hanging leg. The oil pan 101 is disposed vertically below the housing 1. The dimension of the oil pan 101 in the first direction may be a dimension that can receive oil droplets dripping from the blower 100 in all possible positions of the blower 100. Similarly, the dimension of the oil pan 101 in the second direction may be a dimension that can receive oil droplets dripping from the blower 100 in all possible positions of the blower 100.

When the blower 100 is installed in an environment where oil mist is likely to occur, such as a metal parts factory or a kitchen, the airflow sucked into the housing 1 causes oil mist to gather around the housing 1, and the oil mist adheres to the housing 1, making it easy for oil droplets to occur. Since the blower 100 has an oil pan 101 disposed vertically below the housing 1, oil droplets dripping from the housing 1 are received by the oil pan 101. Therefore, even when the blower 100 is used by hanging it from the ceiling in an oil mist environment, it is unlikely to soil the floor below the blower 100 or objects placed below the blower 100.

The mounting leg 10 has the function of attaching the housing 1 to a suspension bolt (not shown) installed on a mounting surface such as a wall or ceiling to attach the blower device 100 to the mounting surface, and the function of holding the oil pan 101 horizontally regardless of the direction of the airflow from the blower device 100. In other words, the mounting leg 10 combines the functions of a suspension leg for fixing the housing 1 to the suspension bolt and an oil pan suspension leg for holding the oil pan 101 horizontally. By having the mounting leg 10 function as both a suspension leg and an oil pan suspension leg, the labor hours and number of parts required for installing the blower device 100 can be reduced.

Figure 6 is a perspective view showing the oil pan of the blower according to the first embodiment. As shown in Figure 6, the oil pan 101 has a thin rectangular box shape with the second direction as the longitudinal direction and the top open. The bottom surface of the oil pan 101 slopes downward in the first direction from the outlet 3 side to the inlet 2 side. In addition, an oil drain 103 is provided on the rear side of the bottom surface of the oil pan 101 to drain oil accumulated in the oil pan 101 to the outside from the oil pan 101. Because the bottom surface of the oil pan 101 is sloped, oil droplets that drip onto the oil pan 101 flow along the slope along the bottom surface and accumulate around the oil drain 103.

The oil pan 101 has a fixed flange 101b that is screwed to the mounting leg 10 and is screwed to the side surface 101a of the oil pan 101. The cross section of the fixed flange 101b perpendicular to the longitudinal direction is L-shaped. The short side portion 101c of the L-shape of the fixed flange 101b is bent perpendicular to the side surface 101a of the fixed flange 101b, and multiple insertion holes (not shown) are formed for fixing the fixed flange 101b to the mounting leg 10.

The oil pan 101 is fixed to the mounting leg 10 by screwing the L-shaped short side portion 101c of the fixing flange 101b to the short side portion 10b of the lower end portion 10a of the mounting leg 10, and is held by the mounting leg 10. As shown in Fig. 2, the oil pan 101 is screwed to the mounting leg 10 by a screw 102 that passes through an insertion hole of the fixing flange 101b and the insertion hole 10c of the mounting leg 10, with the L-shaped short side portion 101c of the fixing flange 101b overlapping the L-shaped short side portion 10b of the lower end portion 10a of the mounting leg 10.

When the blower 100 is attached to the mounting surface, the longitudinal direction of the side 101a of the oil pan 101 and the longitudinal direction of the fixed flange 101b are parallel to the horizontal direction, regardless of the installation position of the blower 100. In other words, when the blower 100 is attached to the mounting surface, the longitudinal direction of the side 101a of the oil pan 101 and the longitudinal direction of the fixed flange 101b are held parallel to the horizontal direction, regardless of the installation position of the blower 100. When the blower 100 is attached to the mounting surface, the longitudinal direction of the side 101a of the oil pan 101 and the longitudinal direction of the fixed flange 101b are held parallel to the horizontal direction in this manner, which can be said to be a state in which the oil pan 101 is held parallel to the horizontal direction.

As described above, the oil pan 101 is fixed to the mounting legs 10 and held in a horizontal direction. This allows the blower device 100 to maintain the orientation of the oil pan in a horizontal direction even if the orientation of the housing 1 is changed so that the direction of the airflow blown out from the housing 1 becomes diagonally upward or downward.

When the impeller 5 rotates, air flows into the blower 100 through the gaps in the protective guard 8, as shown by the arrow F in FIG. 4. The airflow entering the blower 100 flows from each intake port 2 into each air duct 4. Static pressure and dynamic pressure are added to the airflow that has entered each air duct 4 by the impeller 5. The airflow that has passed through the impeller 5 is divided into two by the action of the guide portion 7 and the nozzle portion 9. The divided airflow becomes a zonal airflow extending in a second direction and is discharged from the air outlet 3 into the space to be air-conditioned. The discharged zonal airflow is used for purposes such as air curtains and circulation.

The housing 1 is equipped with a first guide plate 105 and a second guide plate 106, which are guide plates for guiding oil droplets that have collected on the air passage 4 or the top surface 1a of the housing 1 to the oil pan 101. The first guide plate 105 is a blow-out side guide plate arranged on the blow-out port 3 side of the housing 1. The second guide plate 106 is a suction side guide plate arranged on the suction port 2 side of the housing 1.

The multiple first guide plates 105 are arranged in a vertical lattice pattern on the air outlet 3, protruding away from the air outlet 3 in the first direction, and form a path for oil droplets that have gathered on the air passage 4 or the top surface 1a of the housing 1 to move to the oil pan 101. The multiple first guide plates 105 are also installed in locations that are unlikely to obstruct the airflow blown out from the air outlet 3, and play a role in rectifying the swirling air blown out from the blower unit 80, which is an axial fan, to blow it out efficiently from the air passage 4.

The multiple second guide plates 106 are arranged in a vertical lattice pattern at the suction port 2, protruding away from the suction port 2 in the first direction, and form a path for oil droplets that have gathered on the air passage 4 or the top surface 1a of the housing 1 to move to the oil pan 101. The multiple second guide plates 106 are also installed in locations that are unlikely to obstruct the airflow sucked into the suction port 2, and play a role in straightening the airflow sucked into the air passage 4 and efficiently guiding it to the air passage 4.

Figure 7 is a perspective view of a first guide plate in the blower device according to the first embodiment. Figure 8 is a perspective view showing the arrangement of multiple first guide plates in the blower device according to the first embodiment. In Figure 8, only the multiple first guide plates 105 are shown, focusing on the positional relationship of the multiple first guide plates 105 in the blower device 100. The multiple first guide plates 105 are not in contact with each other when fixed to the housing 1.

The first guide plate 105 is a metal folded product formed by folding a metal plate, which is a metal plate-shaped part, into an L shape. As shown in FIG. 2, the first guide plate 105 is disposed between two adjacent blower units 80 in the second direction and at a position corresponding to the center of each air passage 4 and each blower unit 80. The first guide plate 105 has an L shape composed of a vertical plate portion 105a and a horizontal plate portion 105b. Here, "vertical" corresponds to the height direction of the housing 1, and corresponds to the third direction and the arrow Z. Also, "horizontal" corresponds to the width direction of the housing 1 and the arrangement direction of the multiple blower units 80, and corresponds to the second direction and the arrow Y.

The vertical plate portion 105a has a plate shape, and its longitudinal direction is parallel to the vertical direction when the blower device 100 is attached to the mounting surface. When attached to the housing 1, the vertical plate portions 105a of the multiple first guide plates 105 are arranged in a vertical lattice shape, as shown in Figures 2 and 8.

The horizontal plate portion 105b has a plate shape and is bent from the upper end of the vertical plate portion 105a and extends along the second direction. In the second direction, the horizontal plate portion 105b is inclined downward from the free end portion 105c away from the upper end of the vertical plate portion 105a toward the connecting end portion 105d that connects to the upper end of the vertical plate portion 105a. In other words, the horizontal plate portion 105b is an inclined surface that is inclined downward from the free end portion 105c toward the connecting end portion 105d. In other words, the horizontal plate portion 105b is an inclined surface that is inclined downward toward the connecting end portion 105d, which is the connecting portion with the vertical plate portion 105a.

The first guide plate 105 is arranged in the housing 1 with the vertical plate portion 105a protruding in the second direction away from the air outlet 3 at a position between two adjacent air blowing units 80 and corresponding to the center of each air passage 4 and each air blowing unit 80. The first guide plate 105 is arranged with the horizontal plate portion 105b protruding in the first direction away from the air outlet 3 at the bottom of the upper end portion on the air outlet 3 side of the top surface of the air passage 4.

The upper surface of the air passage 4 is the upper surface of the wall surface that constitutes the air passage 4, and is the upper surface of the inner surface of the cylindrical air passage 4. That is, the first guide plate 105 is arranged so that the horizontal plate portion 105b is located under the end portion on the air outlet 3 side of the upper surface of the wall surface that constitutes the air passage 4. The first guide plate 105 is arranged so that a part of the rear side of the horizontal plate portion 105b enters the air passage 4 and protrudes from the air outlet 3 in a direction away from the air outlet 3 in the first direction.

In the first guide plate 105 configured in this manner, oil droplets that have fallen onto the horizontal plate portion 105b flow due to gravity along the inclination of the horizontal plate portion 105b to the upper end of the vertical plate portion 105a, then flow downward along the vertical plate portion 105a, and finally drip from the vertical plate portion 105a into the oil pan 101. The arrows in Figure 8 indicate the direction in which the oil droplets that have fallen onto the horizontal plate portion 105b flow in the first guide plate 105.

Figure 9 is a perspective view of a second guide plate in the blower device according to the first embodiment. Figure 10 is a perspective view showing the arrangement of multiple second guide plates in the blower device according to the first embodiment. In Figure 10, only the multiple second guide plates 106 are shown, focusing on the positional relationship of the multiple second guide plates 106 in the blower device 100.

The second guide plate 106 is a metal folded product formed by bending a metal plate, which is a metal plate-shaped component, into a U-shape. The second guide plate 106 has a U-shape composed of two vertical plate portions 106a and a horizontal plate portion 106b.

The vertical plate portion 106a has a longitudinal direction parallel to the vertical direction when the blower device 100 is attached to the mounting surface. When attached to the housing 1, the vertical plate portions 106a of the second guide plates 106 are arranged in a vertical lattice pattern as shown in FIG. 10.

The horizontal plate portion 106b is bent from the upper ends of the two vertical plate portions 106a and extends along the second direction. The horizontal plate portion 106b is connected to the upper ends of the two vertical plate portions 106a and extends in the second direction. The horizontal plate portion 106b is higher at the center in the second direction and slopes downward toward the ends in the second direction. In other words, the horizontal plate portion 106b is an inclined surface that slopes downward from the center in the second direction toward the ends in the second direction.

The second guide plate 106 is arranged in the housing 1 with the vertical plate portion 106a protruding in the second direction between two adjacent blower units 80 in a state where it protrudes in a direction away from the suction port 2 in the first direction. The second guide plate 106 is arranged with the horizontal plate portion 106b protruding in a direction away from the suction port 2 in the first direction, below the upper end portion of the upper surface of the air passage 4 on the suction port 2 side.

In the second guide plate 106 configured in this manner, oil droplets that have fallen onto the horizontal plate portion 106b flow due to gravity along the inclination of the horizontal plate portion 106b to the upper end of the vertical plate portion 106a, then flow downward along the vertical plate portion 106a, and finally drip from the vertical plate portion 106a into the oil pan 101. The arrows in Figure 10 indicate the direction in which the oil droplets that have fallen onto the horizontal plate portion 106b flow in the second guide plate 106.

Figure 11 is a perspective view of the blower device according to the first embodiment, in which the airflow direction is diagonally downward. Figure 12 is a perspective view of the blower device according to the first embodiment, in which the airflow direction is diagonally upward. Figures 11 and 12 show the blower device 100 suspended from the ceiling of the desired location of use. For ease of understanding, Figures 11 and 12 show the number of blower units 80 as one.

As shown by arrow B in FIG. 11, when the airflow direction of the blower 100 is diagonally downward, oil droplets that have collected on the upper surface of the wall that constitutes the air passage 4 and on the upper surface 1a of the housing 1 flow by gravity to the horizontal plate portion 105b of the first guide plate 105, as shown by arrow C in FIG. 11, and then flow downward from the horizontal plate portion 105b along the vertical plate portion 105a, and finally drip from the vertical plate portion 105a into the oil pan 101. In addition, oil droplets that have collected on the upper surface of the wall that constitutes the air passage 4 may flow directly by gravity to the vertical plate portion 105a of the first guide plate 105, and then flow downward along the vertical plate portion 105a, and finally drip from the vertical plate portion 105a into the oil pan 101.

In this way, the blower 100 uses the multiple first guide plates 105 to consolidate the drip path of the oil droplets from the housing 1 to the first guide plates 105, thereby limiting and narrowing the drip path of the oil droplets, and finally drips the oil droplets from the first guide plates 105 into the oil pan 101. In this way, the blower 100 can prevent oil droplets adhering to the upper surfaces of the walls that form the air passage 4 and the top surface 1a of the housing 1 from dripping onto the floor surface by the multiple first guide plates 105.

The first guide plates 105 are arranged such that the in-plane direction of the plate shape is parallel to the blowing direction of the airflow of the blower 100. That is, the in-plane direction of the vertical plate portion 105a and the in-plane direction of the horizontal plate portion 105b of the first guide plates 105 are parallel to the blowing direction of the airflow of the blower 100. As a result, the first guide plates 105 rectify the swirling air blown out from the blower unit 80, which is an axial fan, to blow it out of the air passage 4 efficiently, while preventing the blown airflow from being impeded.

As shown by arrow D in FIG. 12, when the airflow direction of the blower 100 is diagonally upward, oil droplets that have collected on the upper surface of the wall that constitutes the air passage 4 and on the upper surface 1a of the housing 1 flow by gravity to the horizontal plate portion 106b of the second guide plate 106, as shown by arrow E in FIG. 12, and then flow downward from the horizontal plate portion 106b along the vertical plate portion 106a, and finally drip from the vertical plate portion 106a into the oil pan 101. In addition, oil droplets that have collected on the upper surface of the wall that constitutes the air passage 4 may flow directly to the vertical plate portion 106a of the second guide plate 106 by gravity, and then flow downward along the vertical plate portion 106a, and finally drip from the vertical plate portion 106a into the oil pan 101.

In this way, the blower 100 uses the multiple second guide plates 106 to consolidate the drip path of the oil droplets from the housing 1 to the second guide plates 106, thereby limiting and narrowing the drip path of the oil droplets, and finally drips the oil droplets from the second guide plates 106 into the oil pan 101. In this way, the multiple second guide plates 106 in the blower 100 can prevent oil droplets adhering to the upper surfaces of the walls that form the air passage 4 and the top surface 1a of the housing 1 from dripping onto the floor surface.

The second guide plates 106 are arranged such that the in-plane direction of the vertical plate portion 106a of the plate-like shape is parallel to the air intake direction and the air outlet direction of the blower device 100. That is, the in-plane direction of the vertical plate portion 106a and the in-plane direction of the horizontal plate portion 106b of the second guide plates 106 are parallel to the air intake direction and the air outlet direction of the blower device 100. As a result, the second guide plates 106 straighten the airflow sucked into the air passage 4 and efficiently guide it to the air passage 4, while preventing the sucked airflow from being impeded.

Figure 13 is a cross-sectional view parallel to the direction from the inlet to the outlet of the blower in the case where the blowing direction of the airflow in the blower in the first embodiment is parallel to the horizontal direction. Figure 14 is a cross-sectional view parallel to the direction from the inlet to the outlet of the blower in the case where the blowing direction of the airflow in the blower in the first embodiment is diagonally downward. Figure 15 is a cross-sectional view parallel to the direction from the inlet to the outlet of the blower in the case where the blowing direction of the airflow in the blower in the first embodiment is diagonally upward. Figure 16 is a front view of the main part of the blower in the first embodiment as seen from the front side. Figures 13 to 16 show the state in which the blower 100 is hung from the ceiling of the desired place of use. In Figures 13 to 16, the solid arrows indicate the direction in which the oil droplets flow. In Figures 13 to 15, the hollow arrows indicate the direction from the inlet 2 to the outlet 3 of the blower 100.

With reference to FIG. 13, the main movement path of oil droplets when the blowing direction of the airflow in the blower device 100 is parallel to the horizontal direction will be described. Some of the oil droplets that have gathered on the upper surface of the wall surface that constitutes the air passage 4 drip onto the lower surface of the wall surface that constitutes the air passage 4, or flow down along the wall surface that constitutes the air passage 4, and drip from the intake port 2 to the oil pan 101 along the lower surface. Also, some of the oil droplets that have gathered on the upper surface of the wall surface that constitutes the air passage 4 flow to the first guide plate 105, flow downward along the first guide plate 105, and finally drip from the first guide plate 105 to the oil pan 101. Also, when multiple oil droplets that have gathered on the lower surface of the wall surface that constitutes the air passage 4 join together to form an oil pool, they drip along the lower surface of the wall surface from the outlet port 3 to the oil pan 101.

Also, some of the oil droplets that have collected on the upper surface 1a of the housing 1 flow onto the first guide plate 105, flow downward along the first guide plate 105, and finally drip from the first guide plate 105 into the oil pan 101. Also, some of the oil droplets that have collected on the first guide plate 105 flow downward along the first guide plate 105, and finally drip from the first guide plate 105 into the oil pan 101. Also, some of the oil droplets that have collected on the second guide plate 106 flow downward along the second guide plate 106, and finally drip from the second guide plate 106 into the oil pan 101.

Referring to FIG. 14, the main movement path of oil droplets when the airflow direction in the blower device 100 is diagonally downward will be described. Some of the oil droplets that have collected on the upper surface of the wall surface that constitutes the air passage 4 drip onto the lower surface of the wall surface that constitutes the air passage 4, or flow along the wall surface that constitutes the air passage 4 to the lower surface, and then drip along the lower surface from the outlet 3 to the oil pan 101. Some of the oil droplets that have collected on the upper surface of the wall surface that constitutes the air passage 4 flow onto the first guide plate 105, flow downward along the first guide plate 105, and finally drip from the first guide plate 105 to the oil pan 101. Some of the oil droplets that have collected on the lower surface of the wall surface that constitutes the air passage 4 drip along the lower surface from the outlet 3 to the oil pan 101.

In addition, some of the oil droplets that have collected on the upper surface 1a of the housing 1 flow onto the first guide plate 105, flow downward along the first guide plate 105, and finally drip from the first guide plate 105 into the oil pan 101. In addition, some of the oil droplets that have collected on the first guide plate 105 flow downward along the first guide plate 105, and finally drip from the first guide plate 105 into the oil pan 101. In addition, some of the oil droplets that have collected on the second guide plate 106 flow downward along the second guide plate 106, and then flow downward along the outer surface of the housing 1, and finally drip from the lower end of the housing 1 into the oil pan 101.

With reference to FIG. 15, the main movement path of oil droplets when the blowing direction of the airflow in the blower device 100 is obliquely upward will be described. Some of the oil droplets that have gathered on the upper surface of the wall surface that constitutes the air passage 4 drip onto the lower surface of the wall surface that constitutes the air passage 4, or flow along the wall surface that constitutes the air passage 4 to the lower surface, and drip along the lower surface from the suction port 2 to the oil pan 101. Some of the oil droplets that have gathered on the upper surface of the wall surface that constitutes the air passage 4 flow onto the second guide plate 106, flow downward along the second guide plate 106, and further flow downward along the outer surface of the housing 1, and finally drip from the lower end of the housing 1 to the oil pan 101. Some of the oil droplets that have gathered on the lower surface of the wall surface that constitutes the air passage 4 drip along the lower surface from the suction port 2 to the oil pan 101.

Also, some of the oil droplets that have gathered on the upper surface 1a of the housing 1 flow to the second guide plate 106, flow downward along the second guide plate 106, flow further downward along the outer surface of the housing 1, and finally drip from the lower end of the housing 1 into the oil pan 101. Also, the oil droplets that have gathered on the first guide plate 105 flow downward along the first guide plate 105. After that, the oil droplets finally drip from the first guide plate 105 into the oil pan 101, or further flow downward along the outer surface of the housing 1, and finally drip from the lower end of the housing 1 into the oil pan 101. Also, the oil droplets that have gathered on the second guide plate 106 flow downward along the second guide plate 106, flow further downward along the outer surface of the housing 1, and finally drip from the lower end of the housing 1 into the oil pan 101.

The main movement path of oil droplets on the first guide plate 105 will be described with reference to FIG. 16. Oil droplets that collect on the horizontal plate portion 105b of the first guide plate 105 from the upper surface of the wall that constitutes the air passage 4 and the top surface 1a of the housing 1 flow downward from the horizontal plate portion 105b along the vertical plate portion 105a, and finally drip from the vertical plate portion 105a into the oil pan 101.

Which of the two surfaces of the first guide plate 105 the oil droplets travel down depends on the position at which the oil droplets reach the first guide plate 105. The same is true for the second guide plate 106.

The dimension of the oil pan 101 in the X direction, i.e., the first direction, should be the minimum dimension necessary to receive oil droplets dripping from the blower device 100 in any of the following cases: when the airflow direction in the blower device 100 is parallel to the horizontal direction, when the airflow direction in the blower device 100 is diagonally downward, and when the airflow direction in the blower device 100 is diagonally upward.

Next, modified examples of the shape of the first guide plate 105 described above will be described. Fig. 17 is a perspective view of another first guide plate in the blower device according to the first embodiment. Fig. 18 is a perspective view showing the arrangement of multiple other first guide plates in the blower device according to the first embodiment. Fig. 18 shows only the multiple other first guide plates 201, focusing on the positional relationship of the multiple other first guide plates 201 in the blower device 100. The multiple other first guide plates 201 are not in contact with each other when fixed to the housing 1.

The other first guide plate 201, like the first guide plate 105 described above, is a metal folded product formed by folding a metal plate, which is a metal plate-shaped part, into an L shape. Like the first guide plate 105 described above, the other first guide plate 201 is disposed in the second direction between two adjacent blower units 80 and at a position corresponding to the center of each air passage 4 and each blower unit 80. The other first guide plate 201 has an L shape composed of a vertical plate portion 201a and a horizontal plate portion 201b.

The horizontal plate portion 201b is bent from the upper end of the vertical plate portion 201a and extends along the second direction. In the second direction, the horizontal plate portion 201b is inclined downward from the free end portion 201c away from the upper end portion of the vertical plate portion 201a toward the connecting end portion 201d that connects to the upper end portion of the vertical plate portion 201a. In other words, the horizontal plate portion 201b is an inclined surface that is inclined downward from the free end portion 201c toward the connecting end portion 201d.

The vertical plate portion 201a corresponds to the vertical plate portion 105a of the first guide plate 105 described above. The longitudinal direction of the vertical plate portion 201a is parallel to the vertical direction when the blower device 100 is attached to the mounting surface. The vertical plate portions 201a of the multiple other first guide plates 201 are arranged in a vertical lattice shape when attached to the housing 1.

The vertical plate portion 201a has an upper end portion 201e connected to a connection end portion 201d of the horizontal plate portion 201b. When the blower device 100 is attached to the mounting surface, the vertical plate portion 201a has a housing side surface 202 that is located on the suction port 2 side in the first direction and has a longitudinal direction parallel to the vertical direction.

The vertical plate portion 201a has a first outer slope 203, which is an outer side surface located on the outside in the first direction when the blower device 100 is attached to the mounting surface, and is located from the upper end 201e of the vertical plate portion 201a to the intermediate portion 201g, which is a position halfway between the lower end 201f and the upper end 201e of the vertical plate portion 201a. The vertical plate portion 201a has a second outer slope 204, which is an outer side surface located on the outside in the first direction when the blower device 100 is attached to the mounting surface, and is located from the intermediate portion 201g of the vertical plate portion 201a to the lower end 201f of the vertical plate portion 201a. The outside is the side away from the housing 1 in the direction from the intake port 2 toward the exhaust port 3.

The first outer slope 203 is an inclined surface that slopes from the outside toward the suction port 2 in the upper region ranging from the upper side on the horizontal plate portion 201b side to the lower side on the lower end portion 201f side of the vertical plate portion 201a. In other words, the first outer slope 203 is an inclined surface that slopes toward the suction port 2 from the upper end portion 201e of the vertical plate portion 201a toward the mid-portion 201g of the vertical plate portion 201a.

The second outer slope 204 is an inclined surface that slopes from the outside toward the suction port 2 in the lower region ranging from the upper side, which is the side of the horizontal plate portion 201b, to the lower side, which is the side of the lower end portion 201f of the vertical plate portion 201a. In other words, the second outer slope 204 is an inclined surface that slopes toward the suction port 2 from the middle portion 201g of the vertical plate portion 201a toward the lower end portion 201f of the vertical plate portion 201a. The inclination angle of the second outer slope 204 is larger than that of the first outer slope 203.

The other first guide plate 201 has an outer side surface of the vertical plate portion 201a formed of a first outer inclined surface 203 and a second outer inclined surface 204, so that the oil droplets that have fallen onto the other first guide plate 201 can be collected in the oil pan 101 while ensuring the function of straightening the swirling flow blown out from the blower unit 80, which is an axial fan. In other words, the other first guide plate 201 has a second outer inclined surface 204 as a path connecting the lower end of the housing 1, which is the lowest point of the housing 1, and the first outer inclined surface 203, so that the oil droplets that have flowed downward along the other first guide plate 201 can be made to flow further downward along the outer surface of the housing 1 from the second outer inclined surface 204, and finally drip from the lower end of the housing 1 into the oil pan 101.

A case where the blower device 100 shown in FIG. 11 described above has another first guide plate 201 instead of the first guide plate 105 will be described with reference to FIG. 11. Here, the first guide plate 105 in FIG. 11 is replaced with the other first guide plate 201. The oil droplets that have gathered on the upper surface of the wall surface that constitutes the air passage 4 and the upper surface 1a of the housing 1 flow by gravity to the horizontal plate portion 201b of the other first guide plate 201, as shown by arrow C in FIG. 11 described above, and then flow downward from the horizontal plate portion 201b along the vertical plate portion 201a, and finally drip from the vertical plate portion 201a into the oil pan 101. Here, the other first guide plate 201 guides the oil droplets that have run from the horizontal plate portion 201b to the first outer slope 203 of the vertical plate portion 201a from the first outer slope 203 to the second outer slope 204, and then from the second outer slope 204 along the outer surface of the housing 1, causing them to flow downward, and finally drip from the lower end of the housing 1 into the oil pan 101, where they can be collected.

Furthermore, the above-mentioned first guide plate 105, which has an outer shape similar to that of the other first guide plates 201, can achieve the same effects as the other first guide plates 201.

Figure 19 is a side view of another first guide plate in the blower device according to embodiment 1. Figure 19 shows a state seen from the direction of arrow G in Figure 17. Figure 20 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XX-XX in Figure 19. Figure 21 is a cross-sectional view of another first guide plate in the blower device according to embodiment 1, showing a state in which oil droplets flow through the other first guide plate. Figure 21 corresponds to Figure 20. Figure 22 is a side view of another first guide plate in the blower device according to embodiment 1, showing a state in which oil droplets flow through the other first guide plate. Figure 22 corresponds to Figure 19.

As shown in Figures 19 and 20, the other first guide plate 201 has an end bent portion 207 in which the outer end of the vertical plate portion 201a in the first direction is bent back toward the first surface 205 of the vertical plate portion 201a.

As shown in Figs. 17 and 20, the other first guide plate 201 has a recess 208 on the second surface 206 that extends parallel to the outer side surface of the other first guide plate 201. That is, the other first guide plate 201 has a recess 208 that extends parallel to the outer side surface of the other first guide plate 201 on the surface opposite to the surface where the end bent portion 207 in the vertical plate portion 201a is folded back. The recess 208 extends parallel to the first outer inclined surface 203 and the second outer inclined surface 204, which are the outer side surfaces of the vertical plate portion 201a, and also extends parallel to the outer side surface of the horizontal plate portion 201b. The second surface 206 is the surface of the vertical plate portion 201a that faces the side opposite to the side to which the first surface 205 faces. If the first surface 205 is one surface of the other first guide plate 201, the second surface 206 can be said to be the other surface of the other first guide plate 201. In addition, the surface of the horizontal plate portion 201b continuing from the first surface 205 can also be said to be one surface of the other first guide plate 201. In addition, the surface of the horizontal plate portion 201b continuing from the second surface 206 can also be said to be the other surface of the other first guide plate 201.

In the other first guide plate 201 configured in this manner, similar to the first guide plate 105 described above, oil droplets that drip onto the horizontal plate portion 201b flow due to gravity along the inclination of the horizontal plate portion 201b to the upper end portion 201e of the vertical plate portion 201a, then flow downward along the vertical plate portion 201a, and finally drip from the vertical plate portion 201a into the oil pan 101.

As shown in FIG. 21, the oil droplet 221 adhering to the first surface 205 side of the other first guide plate 201 sticks to the step between the first surface 205 and the end bend 207 due to surface tension, and as shown in FIG. 22, it descends along the end bend 207 and is guided to the lower end 201f of the vertical plate portion 201a, from which it drips into the oil pan 101.

As shown in FIG. 21, the oil droplets 222 adhering to the second surface 206 side of the other first guide plate 201 stick to the recesses 208 of the second surface 206 due to surface tension, move down along the recesses 208, and are guided to the lower end 201f of the vertical plate portion 201a, from which they drip into the oil pan 101.

Next, a modified example of the shape of the end bend 207 in the other first guide plate described above will be described. FIG. 23 is a perspective view of the other first guide plate in the blower according to the first embodiment. The other first guide plate 211 shown in FIG. 23 differs from the other first guide plate 201 described above in the shape of the end bend 207. In FIG. 23, components similar to those of the other first guide plate 201 described above are given the same reference numerals as those of the other first guide plate 201. FIG. 24 is a cross-sectional view of the other first guide plate showing the state in which oil droplets flow through the other first guide plate in the blower according to the first embodiment. FIG. 24 is a view corresponding to FIG. 20.

The other first guide plate 211 has an end bent portion 212 in which the outer end of the vertical plate portion 201a in the second direction is bent toward the second surface 206 and then folded back toward the first surface 205. On the second surface 206 side, a concave curved surface portion 213, which is a bent portion, is formed at the location where the outer end of the vertical plate portion 201a is bent toward the second surface 206.

In the other first guide plate 211 configured in this manner, as in the other first guide plate 201 described above, oil droplets that drip onto the horizontal plate portion 201b flow due to gravity along the inclination of the horizontal plate portion 201b to the upper end portion 201e of the vertical plate portion 201a, then flow downward along the vertical plate portion 201a, and finally drip from the vertical plate portion 201a into the oil pan 101.

As shown in FIG. 24, the oil droplets 223 adhering to the first surface 205 side of the other first guide plate 211 stick to the step between the first surface 205 and the end bend 212 due to surface tension, and move downward along the end bend 212, and are guided to the lower end 201f of the vertical plate portion 201a, from which they drip into the oil pan 101.

As shown in FIG. 24, the oil droplets 224 adhering to the second surface 206 side of the other first guide plate 201 stick to the concave curved surface portion 213 of the second surface 206 due to surface tension, move down along the concave curved surface portion 213, and are guided to the lower end portion 201f of the vertical plate portion 201a, from which they drip into the oil pan 101.

Next, a method of attaching the first guide plate 105 to the housing 1 will be described. FIG. 25 is a side view of a fixing plate for attaching the first guide plate to the housing according to the first embodiment. FIG. 26 is an oblique view of the blower according to the first embodiment as viewed from the air outlet side. The first guide plate 105 is fixed to the housing 1 by being fixed to a fixing plate 110 provided on the housing 1.

The fixing plate 110 is a plate-shaped fixed part for fixing the first guide plate 105 to the housing 1, and is a metal cut product cut into a desired shape from sheet metal. The blower device 100 is provided with an upper fixing plate 111 and a lower fixing plate 112 as the fixing plates 110. The upper fixing plate 111 is the first fixing plate 110 in the blower device 100. The lower fixing plate 112 is the second fixing plate 110 in the blower device 100.

The upper fixed plate 111 is a fixed plate 110 that is disposed relatively on the upper side of the housing 1 in the third direction and fixed to the housing 1 as shown in Figs. 2 and 26. The upper fixed plate 111 is disposed with the in-plane direction of the upper fixed plate 111 parallel to the first direction and the third direction, i.e., with the in-plane direction of the upper fixed plate 111 parallel to the XZ plane.

The upper fixing plate 111 is fixed to the housing 1 in a position above the center position of the guide portion 7 in the third direction. The upper fixing plate 111 is fixed to the housing 1 in a position between the air outlet 3A and the guide portion 7 in the first direction. The upper fixing plate 111 is fixed to the housing 1 in a position between two adjacent blower units 80 in the second direction and at a position corresponding to the center of each air passage 4 and each blower unit 80. When the upper fixing plate 111 is disposed at a position corresponding to the center of each air passage 4 and each blower unit 80, a part of the back side is inserted into the air passage 4. The upper fixing plate 111 can be fixed to the housing 1 by, for example, welding. The method of fixing the upper fixing plate 111 to the housing 1 is not particularly limited.

As shown in FIG. 25, the upper fixing plate 111 has through holes 111a for fixing the first guide plate 105 to the upper fixing plate 111 with screws. In addition, the upper fixing plate 111 has a curved shape portion 111b on the rear side in the in-plane direction that conforms to the outer shape of the guide portion 7 so as not to interfere with the guide portion 7 when the upper fixing plate 111 is placed at a position corresponding to the center of each air passage 4 and each blower unit 80, as shown in FIG. 25.

On the other hand, as shown in Fig. 7, a through hole 105e is formed on the upper side of the vertical plate portion 105a of the first guide plate 105 for fixing the first guide plate 105 to the upper fixed plate 111 with a screw. Also, as shown in Fig. 7, a recess 105g is formed on the side surface of the vertical plate portion 105a of the first guide plate 105 facing the housing 1 , the side surface being recessed outward in the first direction. The outer side is the side away from the housing 1 in the direction from the suction port 2 toward the blowing port 3.

The lower fixed plate 112 is a fixed plate 110 that is disposed relatively lower in the housing 1 in the third direction as shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 26 and is fixed to the housing 1. The lower fixed plate 112 is disposed with the in-plane direction of the lower fixed plate 112 parallel to the first direction and the third direction, that is, with the in-plane direction of the lower fixed plate 112 parallel to the XZ plane.

The lower fixing plate 112 is fixed to the housing 1 in a position lower than the center position of the guide portion 7 in the third direction. The lower fixing plate 112 is fixed to the housing 1 in a position between the air outlet 3B and the guide portion 7 in the first direction. The lower fixing plate 112 is fixed to the housing 1 in a position between two adjacent blower units 80 in the second direction and at a position corresponding to the center of each air passage 4 and each blower unit 80. When the lower fixing plate 112 is disposed at a position corresponding to the center of each air passage 4 and each blower unit 80, a part of the back side is inserted into the air passage 4. The lower fixing plate 112 can be fixed to the housing 1 by, for example, welding. The method of fixing the lower fixing plate 112 to the housing 1 is not particularly limited.

25, the lower fixing plate 112 is formed with through holes 112a for fixing the first guide plate 105 to the lower fixing plate 112 with screws. Also, the lower fixing plate 112 has a curved surface 112b on the rear side in the in-plane direction that conforms to the outer shape of the guide portion 7 so as not to interfere with the guide portion 7 when the lower fixing plate 112 is disposed at a position corresponding to the center of each air passage 4 and each blower unit 80, as shown in FIG.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 7, a through hole 105f is formed on the lower side of the vertical plate portion 105a of the first guide plate 105 for fixing the first guide plate 105 to the lower fixing plate 112 using a screw.

The first guide plate 105 is attached to the housing 1 from the outside by fitting the guide portion 7 into the recess 105g, aligning the through hole 105e of the first guide plate 105 with the through hole 111a of the upper fixed plate 111, and aligning the through hole 105f of the first guide plate 105 with the through hole 112a of the lower fixed plate 112. The first guide plate 105 is then screwed to the upper fixed plate 111 by passing a screw 121 through the through hole 105e of the first guide plate 105 and the through hole 111a of the upper fixed plate 111, and using a nut (not shown). The first guide plate 105 is also screwed to the lower fixed plate 112 by passing a screw 122 through the through hole 105f of the first guide plate 105 and the through hole 112a of the lower fixed plate 112, and using a nut (not shown).

This allows the first guide plate 105 to be fixed to the housing 1. The first guide plate 105 may also be fixed to the upper fixing plate 111 and the lower fixing plate 112 by welding.

Next, a method of attaching the second guide plate 106 to the housing 1 will be described. Fig. 27 is a perspective view of the blower according to the first embodiment, seen from the inlet side. Fig. 28 is a cross-sectional view of a main part showing an attachment portion of the second guide plate according to the first embodiment. Fig. 28 shows a cross-sectional view of a main part of a region H in Fig. 27. The second guide plate 106 is fixed to the housing 1 by being fixed to a rear portion 1c, which is a portion on the rear side of the housing 1.

As shown in Figures 9 and 28, the horizontal plate portion 106b of the second guide plate 106 is provided with two mounting flanges 106c on the rear side of the end side in the second direction. That is, the second guide plate 106 is provided with two mounting flanges 106c on the rear side of both ends in the Y direction of the horizontal plate portion 106b.

The mounting flange 106c protrudes from the rear end of the horizontal plate portion 106b toward the rear side, and then bends upward at a right angle to extend along the third direction. That is, the mounting flange 106c has an L-shape in a cross section parallel to the in-plane direction of the vertical plate portion 106a of the second guide plate 106. In addition, the mounting flange 106c has a through hole 106d formed therein as shown in FIG. 9 in order to fix the mounting flange 106c to the rear portion 1c of the housing 1 using a screw 123.

Meanwhile, a female-threaded screw hole (not shown) is formed in the rear surface portion 1c of the housing 1 so that the mounting flange 106c can be fixed to the rear surface portion 1c with a screw 123.

The second guide plate 106 is attached to the rear portion 1c from the outside by aligning the through hole 106d of the second guide plate 106 with the screw hole of the rear portion 1c. The second guide plate 106 is then fixed to the rear portion 1c by screwing the screw 123 from the outside into the through hole 106d of the second guide plate 106 and the screw hole of the rear portion 1c. This allows the second guide plate 106 to be fixed to the housing 1.

28, since the mounting flange 106c has the above-mentioned L-shape, a clearance 130 is formed in the first direction between the side surface 106e of the vertical plate portion 106a facing the housing 1 and the protective guard 8. As a result, the vertical plate portion 106a is fixed to the housing 1 without interfering with the protective guard 8.

The above-mentioned blower device 100 realizes a blower device that includes a box-shaped housing in which an air passage is formed connecting the intake port and the exhaust port, an impeller that forms an airflow from the intake port to the exhaust port in the air passage, and a plurality of blower units arranged side by side in the housing, each having an impeller and an electric motor that rotates the impeller, an oil pan that receives oil dripping from the housing, and mounting legs that hold the oil pan horizontally directly below the housing and support the sides of the housing so that the airflow blowing direction can be changed in the vertical direction, and the mounting legs are capable of changing the angle between the airflow blowing direction and the horizontal direction.

As described above, the blower 100 used by being suspended from a ceiling surface or the like is provided with the first guide plate 105 at the outlet 3 , the second guide plate 106 at the inlet 2 , and the oil pan 101 is held parallel to the horizontal direction regardless of the installation position of the blower 100. Therefore, in the blower 100, the oil pan 101 can receive oil droplets that have gathered in the blower 100 regardless of the installation position of the blower 100, i.e., regardless of the blowing direction of the airflow from the blower 100. As a result, the blower 100 can prevent the lower part of the blower 100 from being soiled with oil due to the oil that has gathered in the blower 100.

In addition, in the blower 100, the mounting legs 10 are installed with their longitudinal direction parallel to the vertical direction. The oil pan 101 is fixed to the mounting legs 10 and held horizontally. In the blower 100, when the blowing direction of the airflow from the blower 100 is diagonally upward or downward, the blowing direction of the airflow is changed by changing the attitude of the housing 1 relative to the mounting legs 10. As a result, in the blower 100, even if the blowing direction of the airflow blown out from the housing 1 is diagonally upward or diagonally downward, the attitude of the oil pan 101 can be maintained horizontally. Therefore, in the blower 100, even if the blowing direction of the airflow blown out from the housing 1 is diagonally upward or diagonally downward, the oil pan 101 does not tilt from the horizontal direction, so that the oil pan 101 can reliably perform the function of receiving and storing oil droplets dripping from the blower 100.

The in-plane direction of the first guide plate 105 attached to the housing 1 is parallel to the direction from the intake port 2 to the exhaust port 3 of the blower device 100. This prevents the first guide plate 105 from interfering with the airflow blown out from the air passage 4, and rectifies the swirling airflow blown out from the air passage 4, allowing it to be blown out from the air passage 4 efficiently.

The in-plane direction of the second guide plate 106 attached to the housing 1 is parallel to the direction from the intake port 2 to the exhaust port 3 of the blower device 100. This prevents the second guide plate 106 from interfering with the intake airflow sucked into the air passage 4, and rectifies the intake airflow sucked into the air passage 4 to efficiently guide it into the air passage 4.

In addition, in the case of a typical configuration in which the oil pan 101 is tilted at the same time as the airflow from the blower is directed diagonally upward or downward, the dimensions of the oil pan 101 must be significantly larger than the dimensions of the housing in order to receive the oil droplets.

In contrast, the blower device 100 according to the first embodiment can hold the oil pan 101 horizontally regardless of the direction of the airflow of the blower device 100. For this reason, in the blower device 100, the dimension of the oil pan 101 in the X direction, i.e., the first direction, may be the minimum dimension necessary to receive oil droplets dripping from the blower device 100 in any of the cases where the airflow direction of the blower device 100 is parallel to the horizontal direction, the airflow direction of the blower device 100 is diagonally downward, and the airflow direction of the blower device 100 is diagonally upward. As a result, in the blower device 100, the oil pan 101 can be made smaller and lighter than in the case of the general configuration described above, and the blower device 100 can be made smaller and lighter, making installation easier.

Generally, blowers are used to transport hot or dirty air in a factory in a ductless manner to a ventilation fan or opening on the wall, but in environments where oil mist is generated, there is a concern that oil adhering to the inside of the blower's air duct may drip from the intake or exhaust port and onto the floor, so their use is avoided.

In contrast, the blower device 100 according to the first embodiment can prevent the lower part of the blower device 100 from becoming dirty with oil due to the oil that has collected in the blower device 100 as described above, and therefore can be actively used even in environments where oil mist is generated. Furthermore, the blower device 100 can prevent the lower part of the blower device 100 from becoming dirty with oil regardless of the installation position of the blower device 100, i.e., regardless of the direction in which the airflow from the blower device 100 is blown out, and therefore has a high degree of freedom in terms of usage.

As described above, the blower device 100 according to the first embodiment has the following advantages: even when hung from a ceiling or the like in an oil mist environment, the lower part of the housing 1 is less likely to be soiled with oil; the oil pan 101 can be made smaller and lighter, and the blower device 100 can be made smaller and lighter, resulting in a blower device 100 that is easy to install.

The configurations shown in the above embodiments are merely examples, and may be combined with other known technologies. Parts of the configurations may be omitted or modified without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Various aspects of this disclosure are summarized below as appendices.

(Appendix 1)
A box-shaped housing having an air passage connecting an intake port and an exhaust port;
a plurality of blower units each including an impeller that forms an airflow in the air passage from the air inlet to the air outlet, and an electric motor that rotates the impeller, the blower units being arranged side by side within the housing;
an oil pan for receiving oil dripping from the housing;
a mounting leg that holds the oil pan horizontally directly below the housing and supports a side surface of the housing so that the blowing direction of the airflow can be changed in the vertical direction;
Equipped with
The mounting legs are capable of changing an angle between the blowing direction of the airflow and a horizontal direction;
A blower device characterized by the above.
(Appendix 2)
a first guide plate disposed under an upper end portion of an upper surface of the air passage on the air outlet side for guiding oil adhering to the air passage to the oil pan;
2. The blower device according to claim 1,
(Appendix 3)
The first guide plate is
The housing has an L-shape including a vertical plate portion extending in a height direction and a horizontal plate portion extending in a width direction of the housing,
The vertical plate portion is disposed between the plurality of blower units,
The horizontal plate portion is disposed below the upper end portion on the air outlet side.
3. The blower device according to claim 2,
(Appendix 4)
The horizontal plate portion has an inclined surface that is inclined downward toward a connection portion with the vertical plate portion.
4. The blower device according to claim 3,
(Appendix 5)
the first guide plate has an end bent portion in which an end of the vertical plate portion in a direction from the suction port toward the air outlet and away from the housing is bent toward one surface of the vertical plate portion;
5. The blower device according to claim 3 or 4,
(Appendix 6)
the first guide plate has a recess on the other surface of the first guide plate, the recess extending parallel to an outer side surface of the first guide plate;
6. The blower device according to claim 3,
(Appendix 7)
a second guide plate disposed under an upper end portion of an upper surface of the air passage on the side of the suction port, for guiding oil adhering to the air passage to the oil pan;
7. The blower device according to claim 1,

1 Housing, 1a Top surface, 1b, 101a, 106e Side surface, 1c Back surface, 2 Intake port, 3, 3A, 3B Outlet port, 4 Air passage, 5 Impeller, 6 Motor, 7 Guide portion, 7A Guide protrusion portion, 7B Guide flat portion, 8 Protective guard, 9 Nozzle portion, 9A Nozzle inclined portion, 9B Nozzle flat portion, 10 Mounting leg, 10a, 201f Lower end portion, 10b, 101c Short side portion, 10c, 17 Insertion hole, 15 Holding portion, 16, 51 Rotating shaft, 18 Blowing angle adjustment hole, 19, 20 Nut, 21A Reduced diameter portion, 52 Boss portion, 53 Blade portion, 80 Blower unit, 100 Blower device, 101 Oil pan, 101b Fixing flange, 102, 121, 122, 123 Screw, 103 Oil drain, 105 First guide plate, 105a, 106a, 201a Vertical plate portion, 105b, 106b, 201b Horizontal plate portion, 105c, 201c Free end portion, 105d, 201d Connection end portion, 105e, 105f, 106d, 111a, 112a Through hole, 105g, 208 Recess, 106 Second guide plate, 106c Mounting flange, 110 Fixing plate, 111 Upper fixing plate, 111b, 112b Curved surface portion, 112 Lower fixing plate, 130 Clearance, 201, 211 Other first guide plate, 201e Upper end portion, 201g Midway portion, 202 Housing side surface, 203 First outer slope, 204 Second outer slope, 205 First surface, 206 Second surface, 207, 212 End bent portion, 213 Concave curved surface portion, 221, 222, 223, 224 Oil drop.

Claims (6)

A box-shaped housing having an air passage connecting an intake port and an exhaust port;
a plurality of blower units each including an impeller that forms an airflow in the air passage from the air inlet to the air outlet, and an electric motor that rotates the impeller, the blower units being arranged side by side within the housing;
an oil pan for receiving oil dripping from the housing;
a mounting leg that holds the oil pan horizontally directly below the housing and supports a side surface of the housing so that the blowing direction of the airflow can be changed in the vertical direction;
a first guide plate disposed under an upper end portion of an upper surface of the air passage on the outlet side, the first guide plate configured to guide oil adhering to the air passage to the oil pan;
Equipped with
The mounting legs are capable of changing an angle between the blowing direction of the airflow and a horizontal direction,
The first guide plate is
The housing has an L-shape including a vertical plate portion extending in a height direction and a horizontal plate portion extending in a width direction of the housing,
The vertical plate portion is disposed between the plurality of blower units,
The horizontal plate portion is disposed below the upper end portion on the air outlet side.
A blower device characterized by the above. The horizontal plate portion has an inclined surface that is inclined downward toward a connection portion with the vertical plate portion.
The blower device according to claim 1 . the first guide plate has an end bent portion in which an end of the vertical plate portion in a direction from the suction port toward the air outlet and away from the housing is bent toward one surface of the vertical plate portion;
The blower device according to claim 2 . the first guide plate has a recess on the other surface of the first guide plate, the recess extending parallel to an outer side surface located on the outer side in a direction connecting the suction port and the air outlet of the first guide plate;
The blower device according to claim 3 . a second guide plate is provided, which is disposed under an upper end portion of the upper surface of the air passage on the side of the suction port, and which constitutes a path for oil adhering to the air passage or oil collected on the upper surface of the housing to move to the oil pan, and which guides the oil adhering to the air passage or oil collected on the upper surface of the housing to the oil pan;
The blower device according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , A box-shaped housing having an air passage connecting an intake port and an exhaust port;
a plurality of blower units each including an impeller that forms an airflow in the air passage from the air inlet to the air outlet, and an electric motor that rotates the impeller, the blower units being arranged side by side within the housing;
an oil pan for receiving oil dripping from the housing;
a mounting leg that holds the oil pan horizontally directly below the housing and supports a side surface of the housing so that the blowing direction of the airflow can be changed in the vertical direction;
a first guide plate that is disposed under an upper end portion of the upper surface of the air passage on the side of the air outlet, and that constitutes a path for oil adhering to the air passage or oil collected on the upper surface of the housing to move to the oil pan, and that guides the oil adhering to the air passage or the oil collected on the upper surface of the housing to the oil pan;
Equipped with
The mounting legs are capable of changing an angle between the blowing direction of the airflow and a horizontal direction;
A blower device characterized by the above.

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