JP7847553B2 - Blower - Google Patents

Description

This disclosure relates to a fan device used in a suspended manner.

Patent Document 1 discloses a blower device, also known as an air conveying fan, that forms a band-shaped airflow. The blower device comprises a main body enclosure with an intake port formed on its rear wall and an outlet port formed on its front wall, an electric motor installed inside the main body enclosure, and a fan attached to the motor's shaft. An air passage connecting the intake port and the outlet port is formed inside the main body enclosure.

Blower units are sometimes used suspended from the ceiling. When using a blower unit suspended from the ceiling, it is common practice to attach ceiling suspension legs to the side walls of the main unit's enclosure and then fix these legs to ceiling suspension bolts suspended from the ceiling.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 8-28926

However, when the blower disclosed in Patent Document 1 is used in an oil mist environment, oil mist tends to accumulate in the air passages inside the main body. Therefore, when the blower disclosed in Patent Document 1 is used suspended from the ceiling in an oil mist environment, oil adhering to the air passages inside the main body can seep out as oil droplets between the lower wall of the main body and the air passages during or after operation, creating oil puddles. These oil puddles can solidify over time. Furthermore, prolonged use of the blower disclosed in Patent Document 1 can cause the oil puddles to grow larger, leading to oil seeping out and dripping from gaps in the main body, potentially contaminating the floor below the blower or items placed below it.

This disclosure is made in view of the above, and aims to provide a blower that, even when suspended and used in an oil mist environment, prevents oil from accumulating inside the main body and minimizes oil contamination of the area below the blower.

To solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the objective, the blower device according to this disclosure comprises a main body enclosure having openings formed in the front and rear walls; a blower unit installed inside the main body enclosure, which draws in air from the opening in the rear wall of the main body enclosure and blows it out from the opening in the front wall of the main body enclosure to form an airflow; an oil pan positioned vertically below the main body enclosure and away from the main body enclosure ; and ceiling suspension legs installed on the side walls of the main body enclosure and fixed to ceiling suspension bolts . The mounting angle of the main body enclosure can be changed with respect to the ceiling suspension legs. The oil pan is positioned so as to overlap with the main body enclosure in the vertical projection. An oil discharge section is formed in the lower wall of the main body enclosure for discharging oil from the inside to the outside of the main body enclosure. The oil pan receives oil dripping from the main body enclosure, including the oil discharged from the oil discharge section.

According to this disclosure, even when suspended and used in an oil mist environment, oil does not accumulate inside the main body of the air blower, resulting in an air blower that is less likely to be contaminated with oil below.

A view of the blower according to Embodiment 1, seen from the intake side. A view of the blower according to Embodiment 1, seen from the outlet side. A side view of the blower according to Embodiment 1, as seen from the direction of arrow A shown in Figure 2. A side view of the blower according to Embodiment 1, as seen from the direction of arrow B shown in Figure 2. Perspective view showing the blower according to Embodiment 1 This is a cross-sectional view along the line I-I shown in Figure 2, illustrating a blower according to Embodiment 1 when the airflow direction is parallel to the horizontal direction. This diagram corresponds to a cross-sectional view along the line I-I shown in Figure 2, and shows a cross-sectional view of the blower according to Embodiment 1 when the direction of airflow discharge is diagonally downward. This diagram corresponds to a cross-sectional view along the line I-I shown in Figure 2, and shows a cross-sectional view of the blower according to Embodiment 1 when the direction of airflow discharge is diagonally upward. This figure is a side view of the blower according to Embodiment 1, taken from the direction of arrow A shown in Figure 2, and shows the behavior of the oil pan when the oil pan according to Embodiment 1 is hooked onto the oil pan suspension legs. Perspective view showing the blower according to Embodiment 2 Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view along the line XI-XI, showing the lower wall and oil discharge section of the blower according to Embodiment 2.

The blower according to this embodiment will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

Embodiment 1.
Figure 1 is a view of the blower device 100 according to Embodiment 1, seen from the intake port 17 side. Figure 2 is a view of the blower device 100 according to Embodiment 1, seen from the outlet port 18 side. Figure 3 is a side view of the blower device 100 according to Embodiment 1, seen from the direction of arrow A shown in Figure 2. Figure 4 is a side view of the blower device 100 according to Embodiment 1, seen from the direction of arrow B shown in Figure 2. Figure 5 is a perspective view of the blower device 100 according to Embodiment 1. Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view along the line I-I shown in Figure 2, showing the blower device 100 according to Embodiment 1 when the direction of airflow discharge is parallel to the horizontal direction. As shown in Figure 1, the blower device 100 comprises a main body casing 1, a plurality of blower units 2, a plurality of ceiling suspension legs 3, a plurality of oil pan suspension legs 4, and an oil pan 5. The blower device 100 is installed on the ceiling of a factory or the like.

In the following description, the depth direction of the blower 100 is the X-axis direction, the height direction of the blower 100 is the Y-axis direction, and the width direction of the blower 100 is the Z-axis direction. The positive direction in the X-axis direction is forward, and the negative direction in the X-axis direction is backward. The positive direction in the X-axis direction is the direction from the negative side to the positive side of the X-axis, and the negative direction in the X-axis direction is the direction from the positive side to the negative side of the X-axis. The positive direction in the Y-axis direction is upward, and the negative direction in the Y-axis direction is downward. The positive direction in the Y-axis direction is the direction from the negative side to the positive side of the Y-axis, and the negative direction in the Y-axis direction is the direction from the positive side to the negative side of the Y-axis. The positive direction in the Z-axis direction is to the right, and the negative direction in the Z-axis direction is to the left. The positive direction in the Z-axis direction is the direction from the negative side to the positive side of the Z-axis, and the negative direction in the Z-axis direction is the direction from the positive side to the negative side of the Z-axis. Furthermore, in the following explanation, the direction parallel to the X-axis will be referred to as the front-back direction, the direction parallel to the Y-axis as the up-down direction, and the direction parallel to the Z-axis as the left-right direction.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the main body 1 is a box-shaped component. The main body 1 has a front wall 11, a rear wall 12, left and right side walls 13 and 14, an upper wall 15, and a lower wall 16. As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the front wall 11 and the rear wall 12 are spaced apart from each other in the front-to-back direction. The front wall 11 is positioned in front of the rear wall 12, but spaced apart from the rear wall 12. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the side walls 13 and 14 are spaced apart from each other in the left-to-right direction. The upper wall 15 and the lower wall 16 are spaced apart from each other in the up-to-down direction. The side walls 13 and 14, the upper wall 15, and the lower wall 16 connect the outer edges of the front wall 11 and the outer edges of the rear wall 12.

As shown in Figure 1, an opening serving as an intake port 17 is formed in the rear wall 12 of the main body 1. As shown in Figure 2, an opening serving as an outlet port 18 is formed in the front wall 11 of the main body 1. Inside the main body 1, multiple air passages 19 are formed, connecting the intake port 17 and the outlet port 18. These air passages 19 are arranged at equal intervals in the left-right direction. The shape of each air passage 19 is cylindrical, opening in the front-back direction. In this embodiment, there are five air passages 19, but there may be four or fewer, or six or more.

As shown in Figure 6, each air passage 19 includes a first air passage 19a and a second air passage 19b. The first air passage 19a and the second air passage 19b are aligned in the front-to-back direction. Air drawn into the main body 1 from the intake port 17 passes through the first air passage 19a and the second air passage 19b and is blown out from the outlet 18. In the following description, the side from which the airflow is blown out may be referred to as the outlet side, and the side opposite the outlet side may be referred to as the intake side. The first air passage 19a is located closer to the intake side than the second air passage 19b. The second air passage 19b is located closer to the outlet side than the first air passage 19a.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the blower unit 2 is installed inside the main body enclosure 1. It draws in air through the intake port 17 on the rear wall 12 of the main body enclosure 1 and blows it out through the outlet 18 on the front wall 11 of the main body enclosure 1 to form an airflow. One blower unit 2 is installed in each air passage 19. Multiple blower units 2 are arranged side-by-side inside the main body enclosure 1. These multiple blower units 2 are arranged in a left-to-right direction.

As shown in Figure 6, the blower unit 2 includes a fan 21 and an electric motor 22 that drives the fan 21. The fan 21 rotates around a rotation axis 23, generating an airflow within the air passage 19 from the intake port 17 to the outlet port 18. The electric motor 22 rotates the fan 21 around the rotation axis 23. That is, the rotation axis 23 is both the central axis of rotation for the fan 21 and the central axis of rotation for the motor 22's shaft. The blower unit 2 is secured to the inner surface of each air passage 19 by retaining parts (not shown) provided in each air passage 19. In this embodiment, the fan 21 is an axial fan, but other types of fans may also be used.

A guide section 9 is provided within the second air passage 19b. Due to the provision of the guide section 9, the outlet 18 is divided into two parts: the first outlet 18a and the second outlet 18b. The guide section 9 has a guide projection 9a, which is formed in an arc shape and convex toward the intake port 17, and a guide flat section 9b, which is formed on the outlet 18 side and is flat. The guide projection 9a is formed in an arc shape with its apex at the vertical center of the guide section 9.

A protective guard 10 is provided at the intake port 17. The protective guard 10 is constructed, for example, by arranging multiple wires in a grid pattern. The protective guard 10 serves to prevent foreign objects from entering each air passage 19, prevent injuries caused by fingers or other objects coming into contact with the fan 21, and prevent parts from scattering if the fan 21 or other components become detached. Note that the protective guard 10 is not limited to the illustrated example. The protective guard 10 may be made of, for example, a mesh, or perforated metal obtained by forming multiple holes in a metal plate. Even if the protective guard 10 is made of a mesh or perforated metal, air can still pass through it, and the aforementioned effects of preventing foreign object intrusion, injury, and scattering of parts can be obtained.

The outlet 18 is formed on the wall of the main body 1 opposite to the wall forming the intake port 17. That is, the outlet 18 is formed on the wall of the main body 1 opposite to the wall forming the intake port 17, with the blower unit 2 in between. As shown in Figure 2, the outlet 18 is formed in a slit shape that is longer in the left-right direction than in the vertical direction, and spans multiple air passages 19. As a result, the airflow that has passed through each of the multiple air passages 19 converges at the outlet 18, forming a band-shaped airflow that is blown out.

As shown in Figures 3 and 4, each of the side walls 13 and 14 of the main enclosure 1 is provided with a pivot shaft 20 extending in the left-right direction. The pivot shaft 20 is, for example, a bolt. The main enclosure 1 is rotatable about the pivot shaft 20 relative to the ceiling suspension legs 3. That is, by rotating the main enclosure 1 about the pivot shaft 20, the mounting angle of the main enclosure 1 relative to the ceiling suspension legs 3 can be changed. The mounting angle of the main enclosure 1 refers to the angle formed between the direction in which the upper wall 15 of the main enclosure 1 faces and the horizontal direction, within a plane parallel to the side walls 13 and 14 of the main enclosure 1.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the ceiling suspension legs 3 are installed on the side walls 13 and 14 of the main enclosure 1. The ceiling suspension legs 3 are fixed to ceiling suspension bolts (not shown). By fixing the ceiling suspension legs 3 to the ceiling suspension bolts suspended from the ceiling, the blower device 100 is installed on the ceiling. One ceiling suspension leg 3 is installed on each of the left and right side walls 13 and 14 of the main enclosure 1. The ceiling suspension legs 3 are L-shaped plate-like members. The ceiling suspension legs 3 are formed by bending, drilling, and other processes on a single metal plate.

As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the oil pan suspension legs 4 are installed on the side walls 13 and 14 of the main body 1, overlapping the ceiling suspension legs 3. The oil pan suspension legs 4 are installed overlapping the side walls 13 and 14 of the main body 1, with the ceiling suspension legs 3 in between. One oil pan suspension leg 4 is installed on each of the left and right side walls 13 and 14 of the main body 1. The oil pan suspension legs 4 are flat plate-shaped members. The oil pan suspension legs 4 are formed by cutting and drilling a single metal plate. The oil pan suspension legs 4 have mounting holes 41 into which fastening components that connect the oil pan suspension legs 4, the ceiling suspension legs 3, and the main body 1 are inserted. The fastening components are a rotating shaft 20 and a nut 6. The oil pan suspension legs 4 are fixed to the side walls 13 and 14 of the main body 1 together with the ceiling suspension legs 3 by the rotating shaft 20 and the nut 6.

As shown in Figure 5, the oil pan 5 is fixed to the oil pan suspension legs 4 and positioned vertically below the main body casing 1. The oil pan 5 serves to catch oil falling from the main body casing 1. When installing the blower 100, the main body casing 1 is first mounted to the ceiling using the ceiling suspension legs 3. Then, the oil pan suspension legs 4 are attached to the side walls 13 and 14 of the main body casing 1, and the oil pan 5 is attached to the main body casing 1 using the oil pan suspension legs 4. In other words, since the oil pan suspension legs 4 and the oil pan 5 are independent components of the main body casing 1, the blower 100 can also be formed by retrofitting the oil pan suspension legs 4 and the oil pan 5 to an existing blower.

Next, the oil pan suspension legs 4 and the oil pan 5 will be described in more detail with reference to Figures 3 to 5.

As shown in Figures 3 and 4, multiple screw holes 42 are provided in the lower edge of each of the left and right oil pan suspension legs 4. There are two screw holes 42 on each of the left and right oil pan suspension legs 4. The two screw holes 42 are spaced apart in the front-to-back direction. The screw holes 42 penetrate the oil pan suspension leg 4 in the left-to-right direction. In the following description, when distinguishing between the two screw holes 42 on each oil pan suspension leg 4, the screw hole 42 on the suction side will be referred to as the first screw hole 42a, and the screw hole 42 on the discharge side will be referred to as the second screw hole 42b.

As shown in Figure 5, the oil pan 5 is a concave-shaped member that opens upwards. The oil pan 5 has a bottom wall 51 and rising walls 52 and 53 that rise from the left and right ends of the bottom wall 51. The bottom wall 51 of the oil pan 5 is inclined downwards from the discharge side to the suction side. The depth of the oil pan 5 increases from the discharge side to the suction side. A discharge port 55 is provided in the suction side portion of the bottom wall 51 of the oil pan 5. An oil discharge pipe (not shown) is connected to the discharge port 55. The oil received in the oil pan 5 is discharged through the discharge port 55 and the pipe. Because the oil pan 5 is deeper on the suction side than on the discharge side and has a discharge port 55 on the suction side, the center of gravity of the oil pan 5 is on the suction side.

As shown in Figures 3 and 4, each of the left and right vertical walls 52 and 53 is provided with multiple screw fixing points 54 that are fixed to the oil pan suspension legs 4 by screws 8. Two screw fixing points 54 are provided on each of the left and right vertical walls 52 and 53. The two screw fixing points 54 are spaced apart from each other in the front-to-back direction. The screw fixing points 54 are holes that penetrate the oil pan 5 in the left-to-right direction. Screws 8 are inserted into the screw holes 42 of the oil pan suspension legs 4 and the screw fixing points 54 of the oil pan 5 to fasten the oil pan suspension legs 4 and the oil pan 5 together. In this embodiment, the oil pan 5 is fixed to the oil pan suspension legs 4 at four points using four screws 8. In the following description, when distinguishing between the two screw fixing points 54 on each vertical wall 52 and 53, the screw fixing point 54 on the suction side will be referred to as the first screw fixing point 54a, and the screw fixing point 54 on the discharge side will be referred to as the second screw fixing point 54b.

The shape of the first screw fixing portion 54a on each of the left and right rising walls 52 and 53 is circular. The shape of the second screw fixing portion 54b on each of the left and right rising walls 52 and 53 is generally hook-shaped. More specifically, the shape of the second screw fixing portion 54b extends downward from the upper edge of the rising walls 52 and 53, and then extends towards the discharge side. In other words, the second screw fixing portion 54b, which is the furthest from the center of gravity of the oil pan 5 among the multiple screw fixing portions 54, is shaped to hook onto the screw 8 inserted into the oil pan suspension leg 4. That is, the second screw fixing portion 54b located on the part of the oil pan 5 opposite to the part with the center of gravity is shaped to hook onto the screw 8.

The first screw fixing portion 54a of the rising wall 52 shown in Figure 3 and the first screw fixing portion 54a of the rising wall 53 shown in Figure 4 are misaligned in the front-rear direction. That is, the first screw fixing portion 54a of the rising wall 52 and the first screw fixing portion 54a of the rising wall 53 are in asymmetrical positions.

Next, the configuration of the lower wall 16 of the main body casing 1 and the oil pan 5 will be described in more detail with reference to Figures 5 and 6.

As shown in Figure 6, the lower wall 16 of the main body 1 has an oil discharge section 7 for discharging oil from the inside to the outside of the main body 1. The oil discharge section 7 is a through-hole that penetrates from the inner surface 16a to the outer surface 16b of the lower wall 16 of the main body 1. As shown in Figure 5, the shape of the oil discharge section 7 is circular in this embodiment, but it may be changed as appropriate. The number of oil discharge sections 7 is four in this embodiment, but it may be three or fewer, or five or more. The oil discharge sections 7 are arranged one at each of the four corners of the rectangular lower wall 16. The arrangement of the oil discharge sections 7 is not limited to the illustrated example and may be changed as appropriate. In the following description, when distinguishing between the four oil discharge sections 7, they will be referred to as oil discharge section 7a, oil discharge section 7b, oil discharge section 7c, and oil discharge section 7d.

The oil discharge sections 7a and 7b are located at the same position in the front-to-back direction. The oil discharge sections 7a and 7b are positioned apart from each other in the left-to-right direction. The oil discharge sections 7c and 7d are located at the same position in the front-to-back direction. The oil discharge sections 7c and 7d are positioned apart from each other in the left-to-right direction. The oil discharge sections 7a and 7c are located at the same position in the left-to-right direction. The oil discharge sections 7a and 7c are positioned apart from each other in the front-to-back direction. The oil discharge sections 7b and 7d are located at the same position in the left-to-right direction. The oil discharge sections 7b and 7d are positioned apart from each other in the front-to-back direction.

The oil pan 5 receives the oil discharged from the oil discharge port 7. The dimensions of the oil pan 5 should be such that it can receive the oil discharged from the oil discharge port 7 at all possible mounting angles of the main body 1.

Next, the main movement path of oil droplets will be described with reference to Figures 6 to 8. Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to the line I-I shown in Figure 2, showing the blower device 100 according to Embodiment 1 when the airflow direction is diagonally downward. Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to the line I-I shown in Figure 2, showing the blower device 100 according to Embodiment 1 when the airflow direction is diagonally upward. Figures 6 to 8 show the blower device 100 suspended from the ceiling of the desired usage location. In Figures 6 to 8, solid arrows indicate the direction of oil droplet flow. In Figures 6 to 8, white arrows indicate the direction of airflow from the intake port 17 to the outlet port 18 of the blower device 100.

First, with reference to Figure 6, the main path of oil droplets when the airflow direction in the blower 100 is parallel to the horizontal direction will be explained. Some of the oil droplets that collect on the upper surface 19c of the inner surface of the air passage 19 either drip onto the lower surface 19d of the inner surface of the air passage 19, or flow downward along the inner surface of the air passage 19 and reach the lower surface 19d of the inner surface of the air passage 19. Some of the oil droplets that reach the lower surface 19d flow along the lower surface 19d towards the intake port 17 and drip from the intake port 17 into the oil pan 5. In addition, some of the oil droplets that reach the lower surface 19d seep out into the space S between the air passage 19 and the lower wall 16 of the main body casing 1 through the groove 19g formed between the lower surface 19e of the inner surface of the first air passage 19a and the lower surface 19f of the inner surface of the second air passage 19b. Oil droplets that seep into the space S drip onto the lower wall 16 of the main body 1, and then travel down the lower wall 16 of the main body 1 to the oil pan 5 from one of the oil discharge ports 7a, 7b, 7c, or 7d. The oil droplets that have dripped into the oil pan 5 are discharged from the blower 100 through the discharge port 55 and piping (not shown).

Next, referring to Figure 7, the main path of oil droplets when the airflow direction in the blower 100 is diagonally downward will be described. When the airflow direction in the blower 100 is diagonally downward, the outlet 18 is located diagonally downward relative to the intake port 17. Some of the oil droplets that collect on the upper surface 19c of the inner surface of the air passage 19 either drip onto the lower surface 19d of the inner surface of the air passage 19, or flow downward along the inner surface of the air passage 19 and reach the lower surface 19d of the inner surface of the air passage 19, or drip onto the oil pan 5. Some of the oil droplets that reach the lower surface 19d flow along the lower surface 19d towards the outlet 18 and drip from the outlet 18 into the oil pan 5. Furthermore, some of the oil droplets that reach the lower surface 19d seep out through the groove 19g formed between the lower surface 19e of the inner surface of the first air passage 19a and the lower surface 19f of the inner surface of the second air passage 19b into the space S between the air passage 19 and the lower wall 16 of the main body 1. The oil droplets that seep into space S drip onto the lower wall 16 of the main body 1, and then travel down the lower wall 16 of the main body 1 to drip into the oil pan 5 from either the oil discharge section 7a or 7b. The oil droplets that drip into the oil pan 5 are discharged from the blower 100 through the discharge port 55 and piping (not shown).

Next, referring to Figure 8, the main path of oil droplets when the airflow direction in the blower 100 is diagonally upward will be described. When the airflow direction in the blower 100 is diagonally upward, the intake port 17 is located diagonally below the outlet port 18. Some of the oil droplets that have accumulated on the upper surface 19c of the inner surface of the air passage 19 either drip onto the lower surface 19d of the inner surface of the air passage 19, or flow downward along the inner surface of the air passage 19 and reach the lower surface 19d of the inner surface of the air passage 19. Some of the oil droplets that reach the lower surface 19d flow along the lower surface 19d towards the intake port 17 and drip from the intake port 17 into the oil pan 5. Furthermore, some of the oil droplets that reach the lower surface 19d seep out through the groove 19g formed between the lower surface 19e of the inner surface of the first air passage 19a and the lower surface 19f of the inner surface of the second air passage 19b into the space S between the air passage 19 and the lower wall 16 of the main body 1. The oil droplets that seep into space S drip onto the lower wall 16 of the main body 1 and travel along the lower wall 16 of the main body 1 to drip into the oil pan 5 from either the oil discharge section 7c or 7d. The oil droplets that drip into the oil pan 5 are discharged from the blower 100 through the discharge port 55 and piping (not shown).

Next, the effects of the blower device 100 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 3, 4, 6, and 9. Figure 9 is a side view of the blower device 100 according to Embodiment 1, viewed from the direction of arrow A shown in Figure 2, and shows the behavior of the oil pan 5 when it is hooked onto the oil pan suspension legs 4.

When the blower 100 shown in Figure 6 is installed in an environment where oil mist is easily generated, such as a metal parts processing plant, the air drawn into the blower 100 tends to collect oil mist in the air passage 19 inside the main body 1. The oil mist adhering to the air passage 19 inside the main body 1 makes it easier for oil droplets to form. In this embodiment, an oil discharge section 7 is formed on the lower wall 16 of the main body 1 to discharge oil from the inside to the outside, and an oil pan 5 is positioned vertically below the main body 1 to receive the oil discharged from the oil discharge section 7. Therefore, oil droplets generated in the air passage 19 drip from the oil discharge section 7 into the oil pan 5. Consequently, in this embodiment, even when the blower 100 is suspended from the ceiling in an oil mist environment, oil does not accumulate inside the main body 1, and the area below the blower 100 is less likely to be contaminated with oil. In other words, in this embodiment, the floor surface below the blower 100 or items placed below the blower 100 are less likely to be contaminated.

In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, the oil pan 5 is provided with a plurality of screw fixing parts 54 that are fixed to the oil pan suspension legs 4 by screws 8. Of the plurality of screw fixing parts 54, the second screw fixing part 54b, which is furthest from the center of gravity of the oil pan 5, is shaped to hook onto the screw 8 inserted into the oil pan suspension leg 4. With this configuration, when attaching the oil pan 5 to the oil pan suspension leg 4, the second screw fixing part 54b, which is located on the discharge side furthest from the center of gravity of the oil pan 5, is first hooked onto the screw 8 inserted into the oil pan suspension leg 4. At this time, since the center of gravity of the oil pan 5 is on the suction side, the oil pan 5 rotates around the screw 8 so that the suction side portion of the oil pan 5, where the discharge port 55 is provided, is located downwards, as shown by the dashed line in Figure 9. With the second screw fixing part 54b hooked onto the screw 8, the oil pan 5 is suspended from the oil pan suspension leg 4. In other words, the oil pan 5 will not fall from the oil pan suspension leg 4. Therefore, when attaching the oil pan 5 to the oil pan support legs 4, it is no longer necessary to constantly support the oil pan 5, allowing one person to easily attach the oil pan 5 to the oil pan support legs 4. Then, the intake side portion of the oil pan 5, where the discharge port 55 is located, is lifted, and the screw 8 is screwed into the first screw fixing portion 54a and the first screw hole 42a, while the screw 8 that was hooked onto the second screw fixing portion 54b is screwed into the second screw hole 42b. By performing this attachment process on both the left and right oil pan support legs 4, the oil pan 5 can be attached to each of the left and right oil pan support legs 4.

In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, the first screw fixing portion 54a on the left-side rising wall 52 and the first screw fixing portion 54a on the right-side rising wall 53 are located asymmetrically. This allows the oil pan 5 to be properly attached to the main body 1 via the oil pan suspension legs 4 without incorrectly mounting the front and rear positions of the oil pan 5. Specifically, the oil pan 5 can be properly attached to the main body 1 via the oil pan suspension legs 4 with the shallower portion facing the discharge side and the deeper portion facing the suction side.

Next, a modified example of Embodiment 1 will be described.

In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, the first screw fixing portion 54a of the left-side rising wall 52 and the first screw fixing portion 54a of the right-side rising wall 53 were in asymmetrical positions, but they may also be in symmetrical positions.

In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, the second screw fixing portion 54b, which is furthest from the center of gravity of the oil pan 5, was shaped to hook onto the screw 8 inserted into the oil pan suspension leg 4. However, it may also be shaped in a way that does not allow it to hook onto the screw 8. For example, the second screw fixing portion 54b may have the same circular hole as the first screw fixing portion 54a.

In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, the center of gravity of the oil pan 5 was on the suction side, but it may also be on the discharge side. That is, the oil pan 5 may be deeper on the discharge side than on the suction side, and may have an outlet 55 on the discharge side. In such a structure, the first screw fixing part 54a among the multiple screw fixing parts 54 will be the screw fixing part 54 furthest from the center of gravity of the oil pan 5, and the shape of the first screw fixing part 54a may be such that it can be hooked onto the screw 8 inserted into the oil pan suspension leg 4. More specifically, the shape of the first screw fixing part 54a may extend downward from the upper edge of the rising walls 52, 53, and then extend towards the suction side.

Embodiment 2.
Next, the blower 100A according to Embodiment 2 will be described with reference to Figures 10 and 11. Figure 10 is a perspective view showing the blower 100A according to Embodiment 2. Figure 11 is a cross-sectional view along the line XI-XI shown in Figure 10, showing the lower wall 16 and the oil discharge section 7 in the blower 100A according to Embodiment 2. In this embodiment, the configuration of the oil discharge section 7 differs from that of Embodiment 1 described above. In Embodiment 2, parts that overlap with those of Embodiment 1 described above are denoted by the same reference numerals and their description is omitted.

As shown in Figure 11, in this embodiment, the oil discharge section 7 includes a through hole 71 and a projection 72. The oil discharge section 7 is formed in a cylindrical shape with a central axis C. The through hole 71 penetrates from the inner surface 16a to the outer surface 16b of the lower wall 16 of the main body casing 1. The inner surface 16a of the lower wall 16 faces the inside of the main body casing 1. The outer surface 16b of the lower wall 16 faces the outside of the main body casing 1.

The projection 72 extends downward from the opening edge of the through-hole 71 on the outer surface 16b of the lower wall 16. The shape of the projection 72 can be cylindrical. In this embodiment, the projection 72 is cylindrical, but it could also be, for example, a square cylinder. The shape of the through-hole 71, when viewed along the through-direction, is circular in this embodiment, but it can be appropriately changed to match the shape of the projection 72.

The inner surface 16a of the lower wall 16 and the inner surface 72a of the projection 72 are perpendicular to each other. The inner surface 71a of the through hole 71 connecting the inner surface 16a of the lower wall 16 and the inner surface 72a of the projection 72 of the main body 1 is formed as an arc-shaped surface that narrows in diameter from the inner surface 16a of the lower wall 16 towards the inner surface 72a of the projection 72.

In this embodiment, the oil discharge section 7 includes a through-hole 71 that penetrates from the inner surface 16a to the outer surface 16b of the lower wall 16 of the main body 1, and a cylindrical projection 72 that extends downward from the opening edge of the through-hole 71 on the outer surface 16b of the lower wall 16 of the main body 1. With this configuration, oil droplets flow downward along the inner surface 71a of the through-hole 71, then along the inner surface 72a of the projection 72, and finally drip into the oil pan 5 from the opening at the lower end of the projection 72. Therefore, oil droplets can be dripped into the oil pan 5 at a position away from the outer surface 16b of the lower wall 16 of the main body 1. In other words, it is possible to prevent oil droplets dripping from the oil discharge section 7 from flowing along the outer surface 16b of the lower wall 16. Thus, it is possible to prevent the outer surface 16b of the lower wall 16 from being contaminated by oil.

In this embodiment, the inner surface 71a of the through hole 71 connecting the inner surface 16a of the lower wall 16 of the main body 1 and the inner surface 72a of the projection 72 is formed as an arc-shaped surface that narrows in diameter from the inner surface 16a of the lower wall 16 of the main body 1 towards the inner surface 72a of the projection 72, thereby allowing oil droplets to flow smoothly.

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

1. Main body casing, 2. Blower unit, 3. Ceiling suspension legs, 4. Oil pan suspension legs, 5. Oil pan, 6. Nuts, 7, 7a, 7b, 7c, 7d. Oil discharge section, 8. Screw, 9. Guide section, 9a. Guide protrusion, 9b. Guide flat section, 10. Protective guard, 11. Front wall, 12. Rear wall, 13, 14. Side walls, 15. Top wall, 16. Bottom wall, 16a, 71a, 72a. Inner surface, 16b. Outer surface, 17. Intake port, 18. Outlet, 18a. First outlet, 18b. Second outlet, 19. Air passage, 19a. First air passage, 19b. Second air passage, 19c. Upper surface, 19d, 19e, 19f. Lower surface, 19g. Groove, 20, 23. Rotating shaft, 21. Fan, 22. Electric motor, 41. Mounting hole, 42; Screw hole, 42a; First screw hole, 42b; Second screw hole, 51; Bottom wall, 52, 53; Rising wall, 54; Screw fixing part, 54a; First screw fixing part, 54b; Second screw fixing part, 55; Discharge port, 71; Through hole, 72; Projection, 100, 100A; Blower, C; Central axis, S; Space.

Claims (4)

The main body is a box-shaped structure with openings formed in the front and rear walls,
A blower unit is installed inside the main body enclosure and blows air drawn in through an opening in the rear wall of the main body enclosure and blows it out through an opening in the front wall of the main body enclosure to form an airflow.
An oil pan is positioned vertically below the main body of the box , and is separated from the main body of the box .
The ceiling suspension legs are installed on the side wall of the main body enclosure and fixed to ceiling suspension bolts,
Equipped with,
The main body enclosure can have its mounting angle changed relative to the ceiling suspension legs.
The oil pan is positioned so as to overlap with the main body in the vertical projection.
An oil discharge section is formed in the lower wall of the main body of the casing for discharging oil from the inside to the outside of the main body of the casing.
The blower is characterized in that the oil pan receives the oil dripping from the main body, including the oil discharged from the oil discharge section. The blower device according to claim 1, characterized in that the oil discharge portion includes a through-hole that penetrates from the inner surface to the outer surface of the lower wall of the main body, and a cylindrical projection that extends downward from the opening edge of the through-hole on the outer surface of the lower wall of the main body. The blower device according to claim 2, characterized in that the inner surface of the through-hole connecting the inner surface of the lower wall of the main body and the inner surface of the projection is formed as an arc-shaped surface that decreases in diameter from the inner surface of the lower wall of the main body toward the inner surface of the projection. The ceiling suspension legs are installed one on each of the left and right side walls of the main body enclosure,
The main body box is equipped with oil pan suspension legs, one on each side wall, which are superimposed on the ceiling suspension legs,
The oil pan has left and right rising side walls,
Each of the rising side walls of the oil pan is provided with a plurality of screw fixing parts that are fixed to the oil pan suspension legs by screws.
The center of gravity of the oil pan in the front-to-back direction, where the front wall and the rear wall face each other, is located in front of or behind the center of the oil pan in the front-to-back direction.
The blower according to any one of 1 to 3, characterized in that, of the plurality of screw fixing parts on each of the rising side walls , the screw fixing part furthest from the center of gravity of the oil pan in the front-rear direction is shaped to be hooked onto the screw inserted into the oil pan suspension leg.