JP7709900B2 - Filter Mounting Tool - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a filter attachment tool used to attach filters to ventilation fans and air intakes and exhaust vents.

In order to prevent ventilation fans and intake and exhaust vents installed in a room from getting dirty, it is common to attach filters to their surfaces or use other suitable means, but when such ventilation fans and intake and exhaust vents are located in high places such as the ceiling of a room, the installation process is difficult.

In other words, it was not easy for short people to reach such high places, and it was dangerous to work on them using a chair or other object as a stepping stone.
It was particularly difficult for elderly people to press the filter against a ventilation fan with a constant force and attach it properly when they were on unstable footing.

For this reason, as in Patent Document 1, a mounting tool for a framed filter has been proposed in which a hook is provided at the end of a long handle that can engage with the frame, and the handle is gripped and operated to bring the framed filter engaged with the filter hook closer to the ventilation fan for installation.

JP 2003-343905 A

However, such filter attachment tools can only be used to attach filters that come with a frame, making them less versatile and unable to be used with filters that do not come with a frame. In particular, in recent years, filters that do not come with a frame and can be attached by pressing them against a ventilation fan or an intake/exhaust port have become more widely used.
In addition, the filter frame needed to be fitted into the frame of a ventilation fan installed in a high place such as the ceiling, and this had to be done remotely by operating a handle from the floor, which was quite difficult work.

The present invention aims to provide a filter attachment tool that can be used to attach any type of filter that can be attached by pressing it against a ventilation fan or an intake/exhaust port, and that makes the installation process easy.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the filter mounting device of the present invention is designed to at least have a head which has a holding surface on its upper surface onto which a filter can be placed by pressing it against a ventilation fan or an intake/exhaust port, and a connecting portion on its underside onto which a handle can be connected.
The filter is placed on the holding surface of the head and the handle is connected to the connecting part. The handle is then grasped to operate the head, and the holding surface with the filter placed on it is pressed against the ventilation fan or the intake and exhaust vent, thereby making it possible to attach the filter to the ventilation fan or the intake and exhaust vent.

With this configuration, since the filter is placed on and held on the holding surface of the head, it is possible to attach a frameless type filter to a ventilation fan or an intake/exhaust port at a high location.
Furthermore, when operating the handle from the floor, the filter can be attached simply by pressing the head's holding surface against a ventilation fan or intake/exhaust vent installed on the ceiling, etc., making the work easier than fitting the filter frame into a ventilation fan, etc.

The filter attachment of the present invention may further include a handle connected to the connecting portion of the head.

Here, the phrase "the handle is connected to the connecting portion of the head" includes not only a mode in which the handle and head are connected as separate parts, but also a mode in which the handle and head are connected in advance.
In addition, this includes not only a configuration in which the handle and the head are separable, but also a configuration in which the handle and the head are inseparable due to being integrally molded.
The head of the filter attachment tool can be distributed separately and connected to an existing handle in each household, etc., or it can be distributed as a set with the handle.

In the filter attachment device of the present invention, it is preferable to adopt a configuration in which the head and the handle are detachable.

This configuration allows the head and handle to be separated to reduce bulk when storing at home or displaying in stores. Also, if the head becomes damaged, it is possible to replace only the head and reuse the handle as is.

In the filter attachment device of the present invention, it is preferable that the head holding surface is configured to have a flat peripheral portion that supports the filter, and a central recess into which the protruding portion fits when the head is pressed against a ventilation fan or intake/exhaust port protruding from a wall surface.

With this configuration, the head can be fitted tightly to ventilation fans or intake and exhaust vents that protrude from a wall surface, and the filter can be attached without floating up from the ventilation fan or the like.
Because the filter is supported by the flat portion of the holding surface, the filter can be attached to ventilation fans and intake and exhaust vents that do not protrude from the wall surface (types that are flush with the wall surface).

In the filter attachment device of the present invention, it is preferable that the head is configured to stand up from the outer edge of the holding surface and to have a stopper that prevents the filter placed on the holding surface from shifting sideways.

Because the filter is simply placed on the holding surface, it is prone to shifting sideways during installation on the ventilation fan or air intake/exhaust port, and there is a risk of it falling off the head.
By providing such a configuration with a stopper, when the filter begins to shift sideways it hits the stopper and is stopped in place, preventing the filter from falling off the head, thus making the filter attachment process even more reliable.

In the filter attachment device of the present invention, it is preferable that the head is bent outward and connected to the tip of the stopper, and has a claw that can be hooked onto a filter attached to a ventilation fan or an intake/exhaust port.

If the ventilation fan or intake/exhaust vent is located high up, such as on the ceiling, not only is it difficult to install but also to remove the filter.
By configuring the filter with the claw, the handle can be operated from above the floor to hook the claw onto the filter and remove it, making the filter removal process easy.

In the filter attachment device of the invention, it is preferable that the claws have a hook-and-loop fastener portion on their outer surface that can be entangled with the fibers of the filter.

With this configuration, the hook-and-loop fastener makes it easier for the fingernail to hook onto the filter, making it easier to remove the filter from the ventilation fan or intake/exhaust vent, making the filter removal process even easier.

In the filter attachment device of the present invention, it is preferable that the head has a triangular rib between the stopper and the claw.

With this configuration, the rib reinforces the claw, thereby preventing the claw from breaking off from the stopper and becoming damaged when the claw is hooked onto the filter.
Furthermore, when the head is molded as a single piece, there is a risk that the claws may bend or collapse after molding (the bending angle relative to the stopper may change to an angle different from the intended one) due to shrinkage of the material, but the shape retention effect of the ribs prevents the claws from bending or collapsing in this way, and therefore the claws can be maintained at the appropriate bending angle for the filter removal operation.
Furthermore, when hooking a fingernail onto the filter to peel it off, the hypotenuse of the triangular rib acts as a guide, directing the peeled part of the filter downward, allowing the filter to be removed smoothly.

The present invention has been configured as described above, providing a filter attachment tool that can be used to attach any type of filter that can be attached by pressing it against a ventilation fan or an intake/exhaust port, and that makes this attachment easy.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the filter attachment device according to the embodiment; (a) is a plan view of the head, (b) is a side view, and (c) is a front view. 1A is an enlarged perspective view of a main portion of a filter attachment tool according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 1B is an overall side view of the filter attachment tool; FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a filter removal operation of the filter attachment tool according to the embodiment; FIG. 1 is an enlarged side view of a main part showing a filter removal operation of the filter attachment tool according to an embodiment;

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
The filter attachment tool 1 of the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 and 2 is used when attaching a filter F to a ventilation fan V, which is of a type that can be attached by pressing it against the ventilation fan, as shown in Fig. 3 .
By using the filter attachment tool 1 of the embodiment, when the ventilation fan V is installed at a high place such as a ceiling, the attachment work can be easily performed.
Furthermore, the filter attachment tool 1 of the embodiment is also used when removing the filter F from the ventilation fan V, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, which makes the removal work easier.

As shown in FIG. 1, the filter attachment device 1 of the embodiment comprises a head 10 and a handle 20, and the head 10 and the handle 20 are connected via a joint 30.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the head 10 has a substantially square shape as a whole in a plan view, and is generally flat and plate-like.
The head 10 has an upper surface which entirely serves as a holding surface 11 on which a filter F can be placed, and a connecting portion 12 which can be connected to a handle 20 via a joint 30 is provided on its lower surface.

The dimensions of the holding surface 11 are not particularly limited, but are preferably dimensions corresponding to the general dimensions of a filter F of the type to be attached to a ventilation fan V, and may be, for example, 150 to 250 mm square.
If the holding surface 11 exceeds 250 mm, the head 10 becomes too large and difficult to handle, whereas if it is below 150 mm, it becomes difficult to mount a filter F of normal dimensions.
Here, the filter F is mainly assumed to be made of a nonwoven fabric made of synthetic resin fibers such as polyethylene terephthalate, has an adhesive coating on one side, and is capable of being attached to the surface of the ventilation fan V.

The holding surface 11 is composed of a peripheral flat portion 11a and a central recess 11b.
The flat portion 11a is formed to be approximately flat, and the filter F placed on the holding surface 11 is supported thereon.
The dimensions of the flat portion 11a are not particularly limited as long as it can support the filter F, but the width can be, for example, 5 to 10 cm.
The recess 11b is recessed in a square shape toward the lower surface of the head 10. The boundary with the flat portion 11a is inclined, and the bottom of the recess is flat.

When the head 10 is brought close to the ventilation fan V and its holding surface 11 is pressed against it, the portion protruding from the wall surface of the ventilation fan V fits into the recess 11b, so that the holding surface 11 comes into almost intimate contact with the ventilation fan V.
Therefore, the filter F placed on the holding surface 11 is attached almost completely to the surface of the ventilation fan V, and a situation in which a part of the filter F floats up from the ventilation fan V is prevented.
Here, the depth of the recess 11b is not particularly limited, but an example of a depth corresponding to the amount by which a typical ventilation fan V installed at a high place such as a ceiling protrudes from the wall surface is 3 to 10 mm, and 4 to 7 mm is preferable.
If the depth of the recess 11b exceeds 10 mm, the thickness of the head 10 increases accordingly, making it larger and harder to handle, whereas if the depth falls below 3 mm, the protruding portion of the ventilation fan V cannot be absorbed, making it difficult to bring the holding surface 11 into close contact with the ventilation fan V.

1 and 2, rectangular stoppers 13 stand upright from the left and right edges of the holding surface 11. In the drawings, the stoppers 13 are arranged in three rows along each of the left and right edges, and the stoppers 13 in each row face each other in the left-right direction.
If the filter F placed on the holding surface 11 is about to shift sideways during the installation work, it hits the stopper 13, so that it is maintained in the original position, and the filter F is prevented from falling off the head 10.

The height of the stopper 13 is not particularly limited, but is preferably the same as or smaller than the amount of protrusion from the wall surface of a typical ventilation fan V, and is preferably 2 to 5 mm.
If the height exceeds 5 mm, the stopper 13 will be too high and may interfere with the wall surface surrounding the ventilation fan V when installing the filter F, making it difficult to press the holding surface 11 sufficiently against the ventilation fan V. If the height is below 2 mm, the stopper 13 will be too low and may go over the filter F when it shifts sideways, preventing it from functioning to maintain the position of the filter F.

1 and 2, of the stoppers 13 on the left and right edges, each stopper 13 on one edge is connected to a claw 14. The claw 14 is bent almost perpendicularly from the tip of the stopper 13 and extends outward from above the holding surface 11.
As shown in the figure, a triangular rib 15 is provided between the stopper 13 and the claw 14 for reinforcement.
Here, the upper surface of the claw 14 is a small flat surface, to which a male hook-and-loop fastener is attached to form a hook-and-loop fastener portion 14a.
When removing the filter F attached to the ventilation fan V, this claw 14 is used, and as described below, the claw 14 is hooked onto a portion (hook portion) about 5 mm wide from the edge of the filter F that is not adhesively applied, and the filter is then pulled off.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, a connecting part 12 is provided in the center of the underside of the head 10. The inside of the connecting part 12 is a circular through hole 12a that penetrates to the top surface of the head 10, and a cylindrical flange 12b is provided on the edge of the hole.

The material of the head 10 is not particularly limited, and examples include synthetic resin and metal, but an example of a hard synthetic resin such as ABS (acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer) is one that is lightweight, resistant to deformation, and resistant to breakage.
The manufacturing method of the head 10 is also not particularly limited; the main body, the stopper 13, the claws 14, etc. can be manufactured separately and then joined together, but it is preferable to mold the entire head as a single unit because this makes manufacturing easier.
In the case of integral molding, even if the material shrinks, the presence of the triangular rib 15 maintains the bending angle of the claw 14 relative to the stopper 13, preventing the claw 14 from warping or falling in an unintended direction after molding.
The surface properties of the head 10 are not particularly limited, but may be textured to have minute irregularities, etc. The textured surface makes it more difficult for the filter to slip off the holding surface 11 of the head.

As shown in FIG. 1 , the handle 20 is a long rod-like object, and is connected to the connecting portion 12 of the head 10 via a joint 30 .
The handle 20 may be hollow or solid, and its length is not particularly limited, but it is preferably long enough that the head 10 can reach a ventilation fan installed on the ceiling of a room when gripped and operated, and an example of this length is 60 to 120 cm.
The material of the handle 20 is not particularly limited, and examples of the material include synthetic resin, metal, and wood, but examples of the material include hard synthetic resin such as ABS, which is lightweight and resistant to deformation and breakage. An existing rod-shaped object can be repurposed as the handle 20.

As shown in FIG. 1, the joint 30 has a cylindrical shape with a closed upper end, and vertical ribs 31 are provided in parallel in the circumferential direction on the outer periphery near the upper end.
The upper end of the joint 30 is inserted into the connecting portion 12 of the head 10 , and the upper end of the handle 20 is inserted into the open lower end of the joint 30 , thereby connecting the head 10 and the handle 20 via the joint 30 .
Here, the strength of the fit between the head 10 and the joint 30 is adjusted by the vertical rib 31 .
The material of the joint 30 is not particularly limited, and may be made of synthetic resin, for example. However, it is preferable that the joint 30 be made of a soft synthetic resin such as an elastomer, which is elastically deformable so as to be able to accommodate handles 20 of a plurality of diameters.

The configuration of the filter attachment device 1 in this embodiment is as described above, and the method of use will now be explained.

First, when attaching the filter F to the ventilation fan V, as shown in FIG. 3(a), the holding surface 11 of the head 10 is faced upward, and the filter F is placed on the holding surface 11 with its adhesive surface facing upward.
Then, as shown in FIG. 3(b), the handle 20 is grasped and operated, and while maintaining the orientation of the head 10, it is raised high and brought close to the ventilation fan V installed on the ceiling, and the holding surface 11 on which the filter F is placed is pressed against the ventilation fan V.

In the figure, the ventilation fan V protrudes slightly from the wall surface of the ceiling, but a recess 11b is provided in the center of the holding surface 11, so that the protruding portion fits into or fits along this recess 11b, allowing the holding surface 11 to come into close contact with the surface of the ventilation fan V. If the protruding portion is larger than the recess 11b, the flat portion 11a can bring the protruding portion into close contact with the surface of the ventilation fan V even if it does not fit into this recess 11b.
When the holding surface 11 is pressed against the ventilation fan V, the filter F adheres to the surface of the ventilation fan V due to the action of its adhesive surface.
If the filter F is not sufficiently adhered, the head 10 is tilted slightly and pressed against the portion of the filter F that has lifted off the ventilation fan V, thereby assisting in the pressing of the filter F by the head 10.
When the remote attachment work of the filter F is completed, the handle 20 is operated to lower the head 10. When a new filter F is placed on the holding surface 11, the attachment work of the filter F can be performed again.

When removing the filter F from the ventilation fan V, the handle 20 is grasped and operated, and the head 10 is raised high and brought close to the ventilation fan V installed on the ceiling to which the filter F is attached.
Then, as shown in FIG. 4, the claws 14 of the head 10 are inserted between a portion of the filter F that is not adhesively applied and the surface of the ventilation fan V, the portion being about 5 mm from the periphery of the filter F.

Then, as shown in FIG. 5( a ), the peripheral portion of the filter F is turned up and guided downward by the action of the triangular rib 15, and the fibers of this peripheral portion become entangled with the hook-and-loop fastener portion 14 a of the claw 14, so that the filter F is captured by the claw 14 .
By continuing to move the head 10 as shown in FIG. 5(b) to (c), the filter F is peeled off from the ventilation fan V, completing the remote removal operation.
By operating the handle 20 to lower the head 10 and peeling the filter F from the claws 14, the filter F can be removed again.

When the work is completed, the joint 30 is removed from the connecting part 12 of the head 10, and the joint 30 is removed from the end of the handle 20, and the filter attachment device 1 is disassembled and stored in a compact state.

The embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative and not restrictive in all respects.
The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims, and includes all modifications and alterations within the scope and equivalent meanings.

For example, in the embodiment, the use of the filter attachment device 1 is described as attaching a filter F to a ventilation fan V, but the use is not limited to this, and the filter F can also be attached to all intake and exhaust ports, including intake ports, exhaust ports, and vents.

In addition, in the embodiment, the filter F is exemplified as a filter F having an adhesive treatment on one side, but the type of filter is not limited to this as long as it can be attached by pressing it against a ventilation fan, etc. For example, a filter that is attached using the engaging force of a hook-and-loop fastener or the attractive force of a magnet may be used.
In the embodiment, the non-adhesive portion (hook portion) is provided with a width of about 5 mm from the peripheral edge of the filter F, but this width is not limited to 5 mm and may be set in the range of 1 mm to 10 mm, and more preferably in the range of 3 mm to 7 mm. The non-adhesive portion may be provided on the entire peripheral edge of the filter F or a part of the peripheral edge.
Also, there may be no areas that are not subjected to adhesive processing. In this case, if hook 14 of filter attachment tool 1 is provided with hook-and-loop fastener 14a, when removing filter F from ventilation fan V, hook-and-loop fastener 14a of hook 14 of filter attachment tool 1 is pressed against filter F from below, so that the fibers of filter F and the hook of hook-and-loop fastener 14a become entangled, and filter attachment tool 1 can be pulled downward to remove filter F with the fibers of filter F still entangled with the hook of hook-and-loop fastener 14a. A similar removal method can also be adopted when filter F has a hook.

In the embodiment, the overall shape of the head 10 is a square in a plan view, but the shape is not limited to this as long as the filter F can be placed on the holding surface 11 and attached to a ventilation fan or the like. For example, the shape may be a circle or a rectangle in a plan view.
In the embodiment, the entire upper surface of the head 10 is the holding surface 11, but this is not limited to this, and a part of the upper surface of the head 10 may be the holding surface 11, such as when the overall shape of the head 10 is circular in a plan view and the shape of the holding surface 11 is square.
Furthermore, the shape of the holding surface 11 is not limited to the square shape of the embodiment. For example, if the ventilation fan V is circular and a circular filter F is attached to it, the holding surface can be made circular to match this.
The shape of the recess 11b of the holding surface 11 is not limited to the square shape of the embodiment, and in cases where the ventilation fan V is circular as described above and a circular filter F is attached to it, the recess 11b can also be circular in plan view to match this.
In the case of a type in which the ventilation fan or the like does not protrude from the wall surface, the recess 11b of the holding surface 11 can be omitted, and the entire surface can be made flat 11a.

In the embodiment, the stoppers 13 of the head 10 are provided in three rows on the left and right, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the number can be reduced to two rows or a single row, or the number can be increased to four or more rows. Also, wide stoppers 13 can be provided on the entire side surface of the holding surface 11.
In the embodiment, the stoppers 13 are provided on both the left and right edges of the head 10, but they may be provided on only one side.
The shape of the stopper 13 is not limited to that of the embodiment, and may be long and continuous along the left and right edges of the head 10. Also, the stopper 13 may protrude in a semicircular or triangular shape.
If the holding surface 11 has a high coefficient of friction or the like and has sufficient holding power for the filter F, the stopper 13 can be omitted.

In the embodiment, the claws 14 are connected to only the stoppers 13 on one side of the left or right edge of the head 10, but the claws 14 may be connected to the stoppers 13 on both sides. Also, the claws 14 may be connected to only some of the stoppers 13 among the three rows of stoppers 13.
In the embodiment, the claws 14 are connected to the stoppers 13, but the claws 14 can also be provided at locations different from the stoppers 13, for example, by arranging the claws 14 and the stoppers 13 alternately in parallel along the left and right edges of the head 10.
In the embodiment, the bending angle of the claw 14 with respect to the stopper 13 is set to about 90 degrees, but the bending angle is not limited to this.
Furthermore, if the filter F is likely to peel off from the ventilation fan V due to the properties of the filter itself or the surface properties of the ventilation fan, etc., the claws 14 can be omitted, and if there is no need to reinforce the claws 14 due to the material, etc., the triangular ribs 15 can be omitted.

In the embodiment, the hook-and-loop fastener portion 14a is attached to the claw 14, but if the force of the claw 14 itself to pull off or capture the filter F is sufficient, the hook-and-loop fastener portion 14a can be omitted.
In the embodiment, a commercially available male hook-and-loop fastener is used as the hook-and-loop fastener portion 14a, but this is not limited to this, and any fastener that has a similar function of entangling itself around the filter is also included in the hook-and-loop fastener portion referred to here.
In the embodiment, the hook-and-loop fastener portion 14a is provided on the upper surface of the claw 14, but the position and range of the hook-and-loop fastener portion 14a are not limited to this, and it can also be provided around the entire circumference of the claw 14 or at the tip of the claw 14.

In the embodiment, the head 10 and the handle 20 are connected via a joint 30, but they may also be connected directly.
Furthermore, the manner of connection between the head 10 and the handle 20 and the configuration of the connecting portion 12 are not limited to those described in the embodiment, and they may be connected by a hinge, or fixed by any suitable means such as screws, adhesive, etc. The head 10 and the handle 20 may also be molded as a single unit.
The shape of the handle 20 is not limited to that in the embodiment, and may be a handle-like shape.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1: filter attachment tool of embodiment 10; head 11; holding surface 11a; flat portion 11b; recess 12; connecting portion 12a; through hole 12b; flange 13; stopper 14; claw 14a; hook-and-loop fastener portion 15; triangular rib 20; handle 30; joint 31; vertical rib F; filter V; ventilation fan

Claims (6)

The head has an upper surface on which a filter can be placed by pressing the filter against a ventilation fan or an intake/exhaust port, and a lower surface on which a connecting portion can be connected to a handle.
The filter can be attached to a ventilation fan or an air intake/exhaust port by placing the filter on the holding surface, and with the handle connected to the connecting portion, gripping the handle to operate the head and pressing the holding surface with the filter on it against a ventilation fan or an air intake/exhaust port,
The head is
a stopper that stands from an outer edge of the holding surface and prevents the filter placed on the holding surface from shifting sideways;
The filter attachment tool has a claw that is bent outward and connected to the tip of the stopper and can be hooked onto the filter attached to the ventilation fan or the intake/exhaust port . The filter attachment of claim 1, further comprising a handle connected to the head connection portion. The filter attachment device according to claim 2, wherein the head and the handle are detachable. The holding surface of the head is
a peripheral flat portion for supporting the filter;
4. The filter attachment device according to claim 1, further comprising a central recess into which the protruding portion of the head fits when the head is pressed against the ventilation fan or the intake/exhaust port protruding from a wall surface. 5. A filter attachment device according to claim 1, wherein the claw has a hook-and-loop fastener portion on an outer surface thereof capable of entangling with fibers of the filter. 6. The filter attachment device according to claim 1 , wherein the head has a triangular rib extending between the stopper and the claw.