JP7737343B2 - ventilation equipment - Google Patents

Description

An embodiment of the present invention relates to a ventilation device.

Conventionally, so-called pipe fans are ventilation devices that have a through-hole that penetrates a wall, ceiling, etc., and a pipe, for example, is inserted into the through-hole, with the main body attached inside the pipe. In this type of ventilation device, the electrical wires that supply power to the ventilation device are routed inside the pipe or out the wall or ceiling, etc.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 7-151365

However, if the electrical wires are routed in a bent state, they may be damaged, for example, by coming into contact with the inner surface of the pipe when connecting the ventilation device to the pipe during installation. Furthermore, if multiple electrical wires, some of which are installed inside the ventilation device and others which are pulled out from the ventilation device to the outside, are located in different locations inside the ventilation device, this can interfere with the installation work of the ventilation device, reducing workability and potentially taking up space inside the ventilation device.

Therefore, we provide a ventilation device that avoids damage to electrical wires during installation while also saving space inside the device.

The ventilation device according to the embodiment is a ventilation device for ventilating outdoor air and indoor air, and comprises a main body frame having a cylindrical duct portion, an impeller provided within the duct portion, a motor for rotating the impeller, and an electrical box for housing electrical components to which a plurality of electric wires are connected, the plurality of electric wires including an internal electric wire connected to the motor and an external electric wire extending to the outside of the ventilation device, and the internal electric wire and the external electric wire are arranged side by side along the outer circumferential surface of the duct portion.

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view conceptually illustrating an example of an installation state of a ventilation device according to an embodiment. 1 is a rear view of a ventilation device according to an embodiment; FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing an example of a positional relationship between a plurality of wall portions and a partition portion provided on an outer peripheral surface of a duct portion according to an embodiment; FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration around a plurality of housing spaces that house a plurality of electric wires according to an embodiment. FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of the portion indicated by the arrow X5 in FIG. 3 in an example of a ventilation device according to an embodiment.

One embodiment of the ventilation device 1 will be described below with reference to the drawings. The ventilation device 1 is installed, for example, on a wall or ceiling, to ventilate outdoor air and indoor air, primarily for exhaust. In this embodiment, the ventilation device 1 is installed in a position corresponding to a pipe 91 that connects the indoors and outdoors and is installed on a wall 90, as shown in Figure 1. If the distance from the installation location of the ventilation device 1 to the outdoors is long, a flexible duct may be connected to the end of the pipe 91 to extend the air passage to the outdoors. The ventilation device 1 comprises a main frame 10, a blower mechanism 20, a decorative frame 30, and an electrical box 40. In the following description, the side on which the decorative frame 30 is installed in Figure 1 will be referred to as the front side of the ventilation device 1, and the opposite side will be referred to as the back side of the ventilation device 1.

The main body frame 10 is a one-piece molded product made of, for example, synthetic resin, and is formed in a generally rectangular shape overall. The main body frame 10 forms the main body of the ventilation device 1. The outer periphery of the main body frame 10 contacts the surface of the wall 90 and is screwed to the wall. The main body frame 10 has a duct section 11, a bell mouth 12, and an attachment spring 13.

The duct section 11 is provided at approximately the center of the main body frame 10, extending to the rear surface. The duct section 11 is formed in a tubular shape, such as a cylindrical or rectangular tube shape. In this embodiment, the duct section 11 is formed in a cylindrical shape. The duct section 11 is inserted inside the pipe 91. The outer peripheral surface 111 of the duct section 11 is positioned at a distance from the inner peripheral surface of the pipe 91. The duct section 11 is configured to be detachably connected to a shutter device (not shown) that opens and closes the air outlet of the duct section 11. The shutter device is added as needed for the installation location.

The bell mouth 12, which is smoothly connected to the inner peripheral surface of the duct portion 11 and has an expanded diameter, is formed in a generally circular ring shape overall and is located on the front side of the main body frame 10. The bell mouth 12 is used to regulate the flow of air. As shown in Figure 1, the bell mouth 12 forms an opening 121. As shown in Figure 2, multiple mounting springs 13 (two in this case) are provided at intervals on the outer peripheral surface 111 of the duct portion 11. The mounting springs 13 are formed, for example, from leaf springs and are configured to contact the inner peripheral surface of the pipe 91. The mounting springs 13 hold the main body frame 10 within the pipe 91 by their radial elastic force.

The blower mechanism 20 has an impeller 21, which is a propeller fan, and a motor 22. As shown in FIG. 1, the impeller 21 and motor 22 are provided inside the duct unit 11. The impeller 21 extends radially outward from the center of the blower mechanism 20. The motor 22 functions to rotate the impeller 21 in forward and reverse directions. The motor 22 has a rotating shaft 221. The central axis of the rotating shaft 221 coincides with the central axis of the duct unit 11. The impeller 21 is detachably attached to the rotating shaft 221 by a method such as screw fastening. The motor 22 is driven to rotate the rotating shaft 221, causing the impeller 21 to rotate within the duct unit 11. Operation of the impeller 21 either exhausts indoor air to the outdoors through the inside of the duct unit 11, or supplies outside air indoors through the inside of the duct unit 11.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the main body frame 10 also has a motor cover 14. The motor cover 14 is provided on the rear side of the main body frame 10. The motor cover 14 is used to support the air blower mechanism 20. The motor cover 14 can be configured to have a motor cover main body 141 and a fixing portion 142. The motor cover main body 141 has, for example, a cylindrical recess on the inside, into which the motor 22, a single-phase induction motor, is inserted and fixed.

A plurality of rod-shaped fixing portions 142 (three in this case) are provided at intervals around the circumference of the motor cover main body 141. The fixing portions 142 are spaced equally apart. The spacing between the fixing portions 142 does not have to be equal, and may be uneven. One end of each fixing portion 142 is connected to the motor cover main body 141, and the other end is connected to the duct portion 11. The fixing portions 142, motor cover main body 141, and duct portion 11 are integrally molded from synthetic resin. The fixing portions 142 function as a support for the motor 22.

The decorative frame 30 forms the front surface of the ventilation device 1. As shown in Figure 1, the decorative frame 30 covers the periphery of the main body frame 10. The decorative frame 30 is detachably attached to the main body frame 10, for example, by snap fitting or screws. The decorative frame 30 has multiple ventilation holes 301. The ventilation holes 301 communicate between the outside and inside of the ventilation device 1. Note that in Figure 1, to make the drawing easier to understand, only one ventilation hole 301 is designated by a reference numeral, and the reference numerals for the other ventilation holes 301 are omitted.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the electrical box 40 is housed inside the main body frame 10. The electrical box 40 is provided, for example, in one corner of the lower part of the main body frame 10. The electrical box 40 is, for example, a case made of flame-retardant synthetic resin, and houses electrical components 41 including a running capacitor for driving the motor 22, protective elements such as fuses, and connection terminals. As shown in Figure 1, etc., multiple electrical wires 51, 52 are connected to these electrical components 41. The multiple electrical wires 51, 52 are used, for example, to supply power to the ventilator 1 and its components.

In this case, the multiple electric wires 51, 52 are composed of an internal electric wire 51 that connects to the motor 22 and supplies power to the motor 22, and an external electric wire 52 that connects to the outside of the ventilator 1. In other words, the internal electric wire 51 connects the electrical component 41 to the motor 22. The external electric wire 52 connects the electrical component 41 to external components. Examples of external components include components required to connect the power supply to the ventilator 1, such as a power switch, a motor speed change switch, and a power plug. In addition, although not shown in detail, a ground wire 53 is connected to the motor 22. The ground wire 53 is electrically connected to the metal outer casing of the motor 22 using fastening members such as bolts and nuts.

If the electrical wires 51, 52 are not routed properly inside the ventilation device 1, they can interfere with installation work, reducing workability, and there is a risk that the electrical wires 51, 52 may come into contact with other components and be damaged. Furthermore, if separate components are provided to accommodate the multiple electrical wires 51, 52, the number of components increases, leading to higher manufacturing costs. Furthermore, the increased number of components may have the effect of reducing the space inside the ventilation device 1.

In this embodiment, the main body frame 10 has multiple wall portions 611, 612, multiple upright portions 621, 622, a partition portion 71, and an extension portion 72, as shown in Figures 2 to 4. The multiple wall portions 611, 612 are positioned at intervals on the outer peripheral surface 111 of the duct portion 11, and extend parallel to each other along the axial direction of the duct portion 11, that is, from the front side to the back side. In the following description, when distinguishing between the multiple wall portions 611, 612, the wall portion 611 located farther from the electrical box 40 may be referred to as the first wall portion 611, and the wall portion 612 located closer to the electrical box 40 may be referred to as the second wall portion 612.

The length of the multiple wall portions 611, 612 can be set to be approximately the same as the length of the duct portion 11 that extends inside the pipe 91. The height of the first wall portion 611 is set to be slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the inner electric wire 51. The height of the second wall portion 612 is set to be slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the outer electric wire 52. The multiple wall portions 611, 612 may have the same shape and dimensions, or may have different shapes and dimensions.

The multiple upright portions 621, 622 are formed integrally with the wall portions 611, 612, respectively. Each upright portion 621, 622 is formed by rising radially outward from the respective wall portions 611, 612. Each upright portion 621, 622 is located, for example, near the base end of each wall portion 611, 612, i.e., near the end on the front side of the main body frame 10. Note that the multiple upright portions 621, 622 may also be formed separately from the wall portions 611, 612, respectively.

The distance from the outer peripheral surface 111 of the duct portion 11 to the tip of each of the upright portions 621, 622 is set to a dimension at least greater than the outer diameter of each of the electric wires 51, 52. The upright portions 621, 622 may have the same shape and dimensions, or may have different shapes and dimensions. In this embodiment, the upright portion 621 provided on the first wall portion 611 may be referred to as the first upright portion 621, and the upright portion 622 provided on the second wall portion 612 may be referred to as the second upright portion 622.

The partition 71 is located between the multiple wall portions 611, 612. The partition portion 71 protrudes outward from the duct portion 11 and extends along the axial direction of the duct portion 11, and is arranged parallel to the multiple wall portions 611, 612. The length of the partition portion 71, like the multiple wall portions 611, 612, is approximately the same as the length of the portion of the duct portion 11 that extends inside the pipe 91. The length of the partition portion 71 may be different from the length of the multiple wall portions 611, 612. The height of the partition portion 71 is set to be slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the internal electric wire 51. The partition portion 71 and the multiple wall portions 611, 612 are all molded integrally with the duct portion 11, i.e., the motor cover main body 141.

The extension portion 72 is formed integrally with the partition portion 71. The extension portion 72 is formed by rising radially outward from the partition portion 71. The extension portion 72 is located, for example, near the base end of the partition portion 71, i.e., near the end of the front side of the main body frame 10. The distance from the outer surface 111 of the duct portion 11 to the tip of the extension portion 72 is set to a dimension that is at least greater than the outer diameter of each of the electric wires 51, 52. The extension portion 72 may also be formed separately from the partition portion 71.

As shown in FIG. 4, storage spaces S1 and S2 are formed between the partition 71 and the opposing walls 611 and 612, respectively. Storage spaces S1 and S2 are capable of accommodating electric wires 51 and 52, respectively. In this embodiment, storage space S1 formed between the first wall 611 and partition 71 may be referred to as the first storage space S1, and storage space S2 formed between the second wall 612 and partition 71 may be referred to as the second storage space S2.

In this case, the first storage space S1 is formed by the outer peripheral surface 111 of the duct portion 11, the first wall portion 611, and the partition portion 71. The second storage space S2 is formed by the outer peripheral surface 111 of the duct portion 11, the second wall portion 612, and the partition portion 71. The first storage space S1 can accommodate the internal electric wire 51. Meanwhile, the second storage space S2 can accommodate the external electric wire 52. The first storage space S1 and the second storage space S2 are formed side by side along the outer peripheral surface 111 of the duct portion 11. That is, the internal electric wire 51 and the external electric wire 52 are arranged side by side along the outer peripheral surface 111 of the duct portion 11. The width dimension of each storage space S1, S2, i.e., the mutual distance between the respective wall portions 611, 612 and the partition portion 71, is set to be slightly larger than the outer diameter of the respective electric wires 51, 52 accommodated in each storage space S1, S2.

In this way, by forming the storage spaces S1, S2 that house the multiple electric wires 51, 52 near the outer circumferential surface 111 of the duct portion 11, it is possible to prevent the multiple electric wires 51, 52 from coming into contact with other components and being damaged. Furthermore, by using the partition portion 71 as a common member to form each of the storage spaces S1, S2, an increase in the number of parts is suppressed, thereby reducing costs and saving space inside the ventilation device 1. Furthermore, the distance from the electrical box 40 to the walls 611, 612 and the partition portion 71, i.e., the distance to each of the storage spaces S1, S2, is set to be shorter than the distance from the electrical box 40 to the motor 22. In this way, the electric wires 51, 52 exposed to the outside from the electrical box 40 can be guided into each of the storage spaces S1, S2 as close as possible to the electrical box 40.

The main body frame 10 also has a wall-side protrusion 63 and a partition-side protrusion 73. The wall-side protrusion 63 is provided on one or both of the multiple upright portions 621, 622 and protrudes toward the partition portion 71. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4 , the wall-side protrusion 63 is provided only on the first wall portion 611 side of the multiple wall portions 611, 612. In other words, the wall-side protrusion 63 is provided only on the first upright portion 621 of the multiple upright portions 621, 622. The wall-side protrusion 63 is formed integrally with the first upright portion 621. The wall-side protrusion 63 protrudes in a direction that partially reduces the distance between the first wall portion 611 and the partition portion 71. The wall-side protrusion 63 protrudes from the first upright portion 621 toward the first storage space S1. The wall-side protrusion 63 may be provided only on the second upright portion 622, i.e., the second wall portion 612 side. While the wall-side protrusion 63 is, for example, a trapezoidal protrusion, it is not limited to this and may also be a hook-shaped or circular protrusion. The wall-side protrusion 63 may also be formed separately from the first upright portion 621.

The partition-side protrusions 73 are formed, for example, to protrude from the extension 72 toward the opposing wall portions 611, 612. In other words, the partition-side protrusions 73 protrude in an arrow shape in a direction that partially reduces the separation distance between the partition 71 and each wall portion 611, 612. The partition-side protrusions 73 are formed integrally with the extension 72. The partition-side protrusions 73 protrude from the extension 72 toward the storage spaces S1, S2, respectively. Note that the partition-side protrusions 73 may also be configured to be formed on either one of the opposing wall portions 611, 612. The partition-side protrusions 73 may also be hook-shaped or circular protrusions. The partition-side protrusions 73 may also be formed separately from the extension 72.

The standing portions 621, 622 and the extending portion 72 function to guide the electric wires 51, 52 toward the respective storage spaces S1, S2 when storing the electric wires 51, 52 in the respective storage spaces S1, S2. In this case, the standing portions 621, 622 and the extending portion 72 are integrally molded from synthetic resin with the outer peripheral surface 111 of the duct portion 11, and therefore can elastically deform around the boundary portions with the wall portions 611, 612 and the partition portion 71, respectively, as fulcrums. Therefore, by deforming the standing portions 621, 622 and the extending portion 72, it is easier to store the electric wires 51, 52 in the respective storage spaces S1, S2.

When each electric wire 51, 52 is accommodated within each storage space S1, S2, the upright portions 621, 622 and extending portions 72 return to their original shapes, and the wall-side protrusions 63 and partition-side protrusions 73 act as retainers. This prevents each electric wire 51, 52 accommodated in each storage space S1, S2 from moving outside the storage space S1, S2. In this case, the wall-side protrusions 63 and partition-side protrusions 73 form the entrances to the storage spaces S1, S2.

As shown in FIG. 5, the rear end of the duct portion 11 is provided with multiple grooves 112. Each groove 112 is provided at a position corresponding to each storage space S1, S2. That is, the multiple grooves 112 are arranged side by side on the outer peripheral surface 111 of the duct portion 11, sandwiching the partition portion 71 therebetween. The grooves 112 are formed by recessing the rear end of the duct portion 11 toward the front. The grooves 112 are formed, for example, in a roughly U-shape. The multiple grooves 112 can be fitted with the electric wires 51, 52, respectively. That is, the electric wires 51, 52 are held in the duct portion 11 while being pressed into the grooves 112 corresponding to the respective electric wires 51, 52. In this case, each groove 112 forms the outlet portion of the storage space S1, S2.

In this way, the internal electric wire 51 is maintained within the first storage space S1 by the wall-side protrusion 63, the partition-side protrusion 73, and the groove 112. Meanwhile, the external electric wire 52 is maintained within the second storage space S2 by the partition-side protrusion 73 and the groove 112. Furthermore, the portions of each electric wire 51, 51 extending beyond the groove 112 can be bundled together with, for example, the ground wire 53 using a cable tie 74.

In the embodiment described above, the ventilation device 1 comprises a main body frame 10, an impeller 21, a motor 22, and an electrical box 40. The main body frame 10 has a cylindrical duct portion 11. The impeller 21 is provided within the duct portion 11. The motor 22 rotates the impeller 21. The electrical box 40 houses an electrical component 41 to which multiple electrical wires 51, 52 are connected. The multiple electrical wires 51, 52 include an internal electrical wire 51 connected to the motor 22 and an external electrical wire 52 connected to components external to the ventilation device 1. The internal electrical wire 51 and the external electrical wire 52 are arranged side by side along the outer circumferential surface 111 of the duct portion 11.

By arranging the multiple electric wires 51, 52 side by side along the outer circumferential surface 111 of the duct portion 11, it is possible to minimize the number of electric wires 51, 52 routed together, while preventing the electric wires 51, 52 from coming into contact with and being damaged by other components such as pipes 91 installed inside the building wall 90. As a result, damage to the electric wires 51, 52 during installation of the ventilation device 1 can be avoided, while space inside the ventilation device 1 can be saved.

The main body frame 10 has multiple walls 611, 612 that protrude at intervals from the outer peripheral surface 111 of the duct portion 11 and extend along the axial direction of the duct portion 11. Furthermore, the main body frame 10 has partitions 71 that protrude from the outer peripheral surface 111 of the duct portion 11 at positions between the multiple walls 611, 612, extend along the axial direction of the duct portion 11, and form storage spaces S1, S2 between the opposing walls 611, 612 that can accommodate each electric wire 51, 52, respectively.

This allows the electric wires 51, 52 to be housed in the storage spaces S1, S2 formed between the multiple wall portions 611, 612 and the partition portion 71, respectively. This effectively prevents the multiple electric wires 51, 52 from interfering with other components. Furthermore, since there is no need to provide separate components to house the multiple electric wires 51, 52, manufacturing costs can be reduced by reducing the number of components. As a result, the multiple electric wires 51, 52 can be housed in a simple configuration while further reducing space inside the ventilation device 1.

The main body frame 10 also has protrusions 63, 73. The protrusions 63, 73 are provided on either or both of the wall portions 611, 612 and the partition portion 71, and protrude toward the storage spaces S1, S2. This prevents the electric wires 51, 52 from falling out of the storage spaces S1, S2. This allows the electric wires 51, 52 to be held stably.

The duct portion 11, walls 611, 612, partition portion 71, and protrusions 63, 73 are integrally molded from synthetic resin. By integrally molding the components that form the storage spaces S1, S2 that house the electrical wires 51, 52 from synthetic resin, the number of parts can be reduced, lowering manufacturing costs, and improving assembly workability of the ventilation device 1.

In addition, by forming the height dimensions of the walls 611, 612 and the partition 71 to be larger than the outer diameter of the wires 51, 52, the upright portions 621, 622 and the extending portion 72 can be omitted.
Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, this embodiment is presented by way of example and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. This novel embodiment can be embodied in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. This embodiment and its modifications are included within the scope and spirit of the invention, and are also included in the invention and its equivalents as defined in the claims.

In the drawings, 1 indicates the ventilation device, 10 indicates the main body frame, 11 indicates the duct section, 111 indicates the outer surface, 21 indicates the impeller, 22 indicates the motor, 40 indicates the electrical box, 41 indicates electrical components, 51 indicates the internal electrical wires, 52 indicates the external electrical wires, 611 and 612 indicate the wall sections, 63 and 73 indicate the protrusions, 71 indicates the partition section, and S1 and S2 indicate the storage space.

Claims (4)

A ventilation device for ventilating outdoor air and indoor air,
a main body frame having a cylindrical duct portion;
an impeller provided in the duct portion;
a motor that rotates the impeller;
an electrical box that houses electrical components to which a plurality of electric wires are connected;
The plurality of electric wires include an internal electric wire connected to the motor and an external electric wire extending to the outside of the ventilation device,
The inner electric wire and the outer electric wire are arranged side by side along the outer circumferential surface of the duct portion.
Ventilation equipment. The main body frame has a plurality of wall portions located at intervals on the outer peripheral surface of the duct portion and extending along the axial direction of the duct portion, and partition portions located between the plurality of wall portions and opposing wall portions to form storage spaces capable of storing each of the electric wires.
10. The ventilation device of claim 1. The wall portion and/or the partition portion further have a protrusion that protrudes toward the storage space.
3. The ventilation device of claim 2. The duct portion, the wall portion, the partition portion, and the protrusion portion are integrally molded from a synthetic resin.
4. The ventilation device of claim 3.