JP7462311B2 - Range hood and method for manufacturing range hood - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a range hood and a method for manufacturing a range hood.

Conventionally, a range hood has a hood section with an intake opening facing downward and an exhaust port on the upper side that is connected to a duct, and a fan and fan motor that forcibly transport air within this hood section, and is fixed to a wall surface in a kitchen or the like so that it is positioned above cooking utensils.
In particular, the range hood described in Patent Document 1 has a hood portion that is roughly trapezoidal in side view and has a relatively large internal space due to its curved and flat portions, creating an elegant and luxurious design.

JP 2018-35997 A

However, with the above-mentioned conventional technology, the peripheral wall of the hood portion may bulge outward or bend inward, making it impossible to maintain the designed shape.

In view of the above problems, the present invention has the following configuration.
A range hood comprising a hood section in which the space extending from the intake opening at the lower end toward the exhaust port is covered by a peripheral wall section, and a blower that forcibly transports gas sucked in from the intake opening inside the hood section to the exhaust port, wherein reinforcing bars are fixed to at least two points on the inner surface of the peripheral wall section on the lower end side of the hood section, and the reinforcing bars are positioned to divide the space inside the peripheral wall section.

The present invention is configured as described above, so the dimensions between the inner surfaces of the hood can be stabilized.

1 is a view showing an example of a range hood according to the present invention as viewed obliquely from above. 1A is a view of the range hood as viewed obliquely from below, and FIG. 1B is a view of the range hood as viewed directly below. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the range hood taken along line (III)-(III) in FIG. FIG. 2 is a view of the range hood from diagonally above with the hood portion and duct cover removed. FIG. 2 is a view of the range hood from diagonally below with the air straightening plate, the air intake guide, the frame-shaped resilient member, and the edge reinforcing member removed. 1 is a plan view showing a frame-shaped resilient member, where (a) shows a substantially flat initial state, (b) shows a state in which the frame is constricted inward by an external force, (a') shows a cross-sectional view taken along line (I)-(I) in (a) of the same drawing, and (b') shows a cross-sectional view taken along line (II)-(II) in (b) of the same drawing. In the cross section taken along line (VII)-(VII) in FIG. 4, (a) shows a state in which a reinforcing bar is attached to the hood portion, and (b) shows a state in which an edge reinforcing member is attached to the edge of the hood portion. In the cross section taken along the line (VII)-(VII) in FIG. 4, (c) shows a state in which the frame-shaped resilient member is being attached to the reinforcing bar, and (d) shows a state in which the frame-shaped resilient member is attached. 8A is an enlarged view of a portion IXa in FIG. 3, and FIG. 8B is an enlarged view of a portion IXb in FIG. 8D. FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing another example of a range hood according to the present invention with a frame-shaped resilient member removed downward. 11 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line (XI)-(XI) in FIG. 10. FIG. 13 is a plan view showing an example of a frame-shaped resilient member in a flat state before being elastically deformed.

This embodiment discloses the following features.
The first feature is that in a range hood comprising a hood section in which the space extending from the intake opening at the lower end toward the exhaust port is covered by a peripheral wall section, and a blower that forcibly transports gas sucked in from the intake opening inside the hood section to the exhaust port, reinforcing bars are fixed to at least two points on the inner surface of the peripheral wall section on the lower end side of the hood section, and the reinforcing bars are positioned to divide the space inside the peripheral wall section (see Figures 1 to 9).
Here, the phrase "the reinforcing bar is fixed to at least two points on the inner surface of the peripheral wall portion" includes situations in which the reinforcing bar is fixed to two points on the inner surface of the peripheral wall portion, and situations in which the reinforcing bar is fixed to three or more points on the inner surface of the peripheral wall portion.
According to this configuration, the reinforcing bars can keep the dimension between the inner surfaces of the peripheral wall constant, and can also suppress vibration of the peripheral wall.

As a second feature, the air intake opening is an opening large enough to allow the blower to pass through, and all or a part of the reinforcing bar is detachably provided on the hood portion (see Figures 2 to 3).
According to this configuration, the reinforcing bar can be attached and detached, so that tasks such as mounting the blower inside the hood during manufacture and replacing the blower during maintenance can be easily performed.

A third feature is that the inner surface of the peripheral wall portion to which the reinforcing bars are fixed is a flat surface (see FIGS. 7 and 8).
According to this configuration, the work of providing the reinforcing bars between the inner faces can be easily performed.

As a fourth feature, the hood portion is configured in a generally cylindrical shape narrowing upward from a convex surface portion that is curved outwardly convexly in the circumferential direction, flat plate portions connected to one and the other circumferential ends of the convex surface portion, and a side portion connecting these two flat plate portions on the opposite side to the convex surface portion (see FIG. 4).
According to this configuration, a shape that provides a high reinforcing effect can be obtained by the reinforcing bars.

As a fifth feature, the reinforcing bars are provided parallel to the flat side surface portions (see FIGS. 1 to 5).
According to this configuration, the substantially symmetrical shapes of one end and the other end of the reinforcing bar can be stably maintained, resulting in a good design.

A sixth feature is that the reinforcing bar and the side surface portion have substantially the same length on a horizontal plane including the reinforcing bar (see FIG. 2 and FIGS. 4 to 5).
According to this configuration, the substantially symmetrical shapes of one end and the other end of the reinforcing bar can be more stably maintained, resulting in a more satisfactory design.

As a seventh feature, the hood portion comprises a single-plate-shaped hood body integrally having the convex curved portion, the lower edge of which extends in a convex curved shape, and the flat portion, the lower edge of which extends linearly in one direction, and the lower edge of the flat portion has a dimension in the one direction longer than the overall length dimension in the same direction of the upper end of the hood body, the hood body is provided with an edge reinforcing member along the convex curved portion and the lower edge of the flat portion, and the reinforcing bar is bridged between the flat portions on both sides, and the dimension between the reinforcing bar and the end of the linear lower edge of the flat portion on the convex curved portion side is set shorter than the overall length dimension of the hood body (see FIGS. 1 to 4).
According to this configuration, the reinforcing bars provide a high reinforcing effect, and a hood shape that is excellent in terms of design can be obtained.

As an eighth feature, an internal member located below the reinforcing bar within the hood portion is fixed to the reinforcing bar (see FIG. 8).
According to this configuration, there is no need to provide a separate member for fastening the internal member located inside the hood portion, and the number of parts can be reduced, making it possible to simplify the part configuration.

A ninth feature is that a frame-shaped resilient member is fitted along the inner edge of the air intake opening so as to urge the air intake opening in a direction that enlarges its opening area by elastic restoring force, and the frame-shaped resilient member is fixed to the reinforcing bar (see FIG. 8).
According to this configuration, the shape of the intake opening can be stably maintained by the frame-shaped elastic member, and this frame-shaped elastic member can be easily fixed by the reinforcing bar.

As a tenth feature, the blower comprises a fan case having a fan inlet and a fan outlet, and rotating blades that rotate within the fan case and forcibly transport gas drawn into the fan inlet to the fan outlet, the fan inlet communicates with the intake opening of the hood section, and the reinforcing bar is positioned outside the fan inlet and toward the center of the space within the hood section in a cross section parallel to the intake opening (see Figures 1 to 5).
According to this configuration, the hood portion can be effectively reinforced by the reinforcing bar.

As an eleventh feature, an intake guide section having an opening for allowing gas to pass to the blower side is provided near the intake opening in the hood section as a member or part of a partitioning member between the space on the intake opening side of the hood section and the space on the opposite side, and the reinforcing bar is provided in the space on the opposite side (see Figures 3 to 4).
According to this configuration, the flow of gas within the hood portion can be prevented from being obstructed by the reinforcing bar.

A twelfth feature is that the reinforcing bar is fixed directly or indirectly to the blower at a location other than the location where the reinforcing bar is fixed to the peripheral wall portion (see Figs. 3 and 4).
With this configuration, the distance from the center of the blower to the inner surface of the hood portion to which the reinforcing bars are fixed can be made constant, and for example, the hood portion can be maintained in a symmetrical shape on both sides of the blower. Also, deflection of the reinforcing bars can be suppressed.

As a thirteenth feature, the inner surfaces of the peripheral wall portion are fixed to one end and the other end of the reinforcing bar while maintaining an elastic restoring force in a direction to enlarge the opening dimension of the intake opening (see FIG. 7).
According to this configuration, since the reinforcing bar is attached so as to resist the elastic restoring force of the hood portion, the shape of the hood portion can be maintained more stably.

A fourteenth feature includes the steps of: elastically deforming the peripheral wall portion so that the opening dimension is narrowed; and fixing the reinforcing bar to an inner surface of the peripheral wall portion (see FIG. 7).
According to this configuration, the shape of the hood portion can be stably maintained by the elastic restoring force of the hood portion, and manufacturability is also good.

Next, specific embodiments having the above-mentioned features will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
In the following description, expressions such as "right", "left", "upper", "lower", "rear", and "front" refer to the directions of the arrows shown in FIG. 1 or FIG.
The hood circumferential direction refers to the direction along the edge of the intake opening 1 at the lower end of the hood portion 10 .
Further, the inward direction means a direction from the outside of the frame of the frame-shaped resilient member 50 toward the inside of the frame, and the outward direction means a direction opposite to the inward direction of the frame.
In addition, the direction inside and outside the frame is a substantially horizontal direction in the illustrated example.

<First embodiment>
FIG. 1 shows an example of a range hood A according to the present invention.
The range hood A is disposed, for example, above a cooking appliance such as a stove with the air intake opening 1 facing downward, and its right side surface is attached and fixed to a stationary portion such as an indoor wall surface.

This range hood A comprises a hood section 10 which surrounds the space from the intake opening 1 at the lower end to the exhaust opening 2 (see Figure 3) at the upper end with a peripheral wall section 10a in an approximately cylindrical manner, a blower 20 which forcibly transports gas sucked in from the intake opening 1 inside the hood section 10 to the exhaust opening 2 (see Figure 3), a long reinforcing bar 30 which spans between the inner surfaces on both sides of the peripheral wall section 10a, an edge reinforcing member 40 which continues in the circumferential direction along the lower edge of the intake opening 1, a frame-shaped resilient member 50 which is fitted into the inner surface of the hood section 10 along the inner edge of the intake opening 1, a flat intake guide section 60 which guides the sucked gas in a planar direction along the intake opening surface and then to the suction side of the blower 20, and a straightening plate 70 which is provided approximately parallel to the lower side of the intake guide section 60.
The peripheral wall portion 10a includes a convex curved surface portion 11a, flat plate portions 11b, 11b, and a side surface portion 12a, which will be described later (see FIGS. 1 to 5).

The hood section 10 is configured in a generally cylindrical shape with a narrowed upper side from the hood body 11 located on the left side in FIG. 1, the side section 12a located on the right end side, and the top wall section 12b (see FIG. 3 and FIG. 4), and in the illustrated example, it has a generally trapezoidal shape when viewed from the front.

The hood body 11 is integrally formed by pressing and bending a single metal plate, and has a convex curved surface portion 11a having an outwardly convex curved surface, and flat plate portions 11b, 11b connected to one end side and the other end side in the circumferential direction of the convex curved surface portion 11a. The hood body 11 is formed in a horizontal U-shape in cross section, and has an elastic restoring force in a direction that expands the opening dimension of the intake opening 1 (in the direction of expansion toward the rear and toward the front according to FIG. 1).
That is, the inner surfaces of the peripheral wall portion 10a are fastened to one end side and the other end side of the reinforcing bar 30 while maintaining the elastic restoring force.

The convex curved portion 11a extends by curving its lower edge in a convex curve. The curved inner wall surface of this convex curved portion 11a is formed in an inclination that gradually approaches the inside of the hood as it goes upward. A frame-shaped resilient member 50, which will be described later, is hooked near the bottom end of this inclined inner surface.

The lower edge of the flat plate portion 11b extends linearly in one direction (approximately horizontal in the illustrated example). This flat plate portion 11b has a flat inner wall surface that is gradually inclined toward the inside of the hood as it goes upward (toward the exhaust port 2). A frame-shaped resilient member 50 (described later) is hooked to the lower end (near the intake opening 1) of the inclined inner surface of this flat plate portion 11b.

The lower edge of the flat plate portion 11b is set so that the dimension a in the one direction (the left-right direction in the drawing) is longer than the overall length b in the same direction of the upper end portion of the hood body 11 (see Figs. 1 and 4).
A dimension c (see FIG. 1) between the reinforcing bar 30 and the end portion on the convex curved surface portion 11 a side of the lower edge of each flat portion 11 b is set to be shorter than the overall length b of the hood body 11 .

The side surface portion 12a is a flat plate-like member that stands upright in contact with the ends of the two flat plate portions 11b, 11b of the hood body 11 on the side of the inverted convex curved surface portion 11a (see FIG. 4).
The top wall portion 12 b is a member that covers the upper end opening of the hood body 11 .

The side surface portion 12a is formed into a trapezoidal plate shape when viewed from above.
The top wall portion 12b is formed in a plate shape that covers the upper edges of the hood body 11 and the side portion 12a. The exhaust port 2 is attached to the upper surface of the top wall portion 12b so as to communicate with the fan case 21 and the internal space therebetween.
In the illustrated example, the side wall portion 12a and the top wall portion 12b are separate metal plates that are connected together, but as another example, they may be an integrated metal plate having an inverted L-shaped vertical cross section.

A duct cover 13 is connected to the upper surface of the top wall portion 12b. The duct cover 13 is made of one or more members so as to cover and conceal the exhaust port 2 and a duct (not shown) connected to the exhaust port 2.
In the illustrated example, the duct cover 13 has a U-shaped cross section that continues in the vertical direction. The right side surface of the duct cover 13 is attached to the wall surface of the frame on which the range hood A is to be installed by fasteners such as screws and bolts.

The convex curved surface portion 11a, flat plate portions 11b, 11b, and side surface portion 12a of the hood body 11 form a substantially cylindrical peripheral wall portion 10a whose cross-sectional area gradually decreases from the intake opening 1 toward the exhaust opening 2.

Further, the lower edge of the hood body 11 is provided with a plurality of protruding pieces 11c and hooking pieces 11d spaced apart in the circumferential direction to fit into an edge reinforcing member 40, which will be described later (see FIG. 5).
The protruding piece portion 11c protrudes obliquely downward and leftward from the convex curved surface portion 11a in a convex shape, and fits into a fitting hole 41 of an edge reinforcing member 40, which will be described later.
The hook portion 11 d is formed in a generally L-shape (or hook shape) that protrudes downward from the flat portion 11 b and bends forward, and is engaged with a fitting hole 41 of the edge reinforcing member 40 .

The blower 20 also includes a fan case 21 having a fan inlet 21a and a fan outlet 21b, a rotating blade 22 that rotates within the fan case 21 to forcibly transport the gas sucked into the fan inlet 21a to the fan outlet 21b, and a motor 23 that drives the rotating blade 22 (see FIG. 3).

The fan case 21 is fixed to the right half of the hood section 10, with the fan intake port 21a communicating with the intake opening 1 below and the fan exhaust port 21b communicating with the exhaust port 2 above.

In the illustrated example, the rotor blades 22 are a multi-blade fan that discharges gas drawn toward the center of rotation in a centrifugal direction. The motor 23 is an electric motor controlled by a control circuit (not shown), and the rotor blades 22 are fixed to the rotating shaft.
The rotor 22 and the motor 23 are supported in the fan case 21 with their rotation shafts inclined.
As another example, the blower 20 can be replaced with another type of blower, such as a propeller fan.

The reinforcing bar 30 comprises a bar body 30a and brackets 30b, 30b connected to both sides of the bar body 30a.

The rail body 30a is formed by processing a metal plate into a long, generally channel-shaped steel shape. The rail body 30a has upwardly facing engagement pieces 31 (see FIG. 9(b)) at one and the other longitudinal ends.
One end side and the other end side of this rail body 30a are detachably fastened to the flat plate portion 11b of the hood body 11 via a bracket 30b.

The bracket 30b is a member having a fastening piece 30b1 that is approximately parallel to the rail body 30a, and is fixed to the inner surfaces of the flat plate portions 11b, 11b on both sides by a fixing means such as welding. As another example, the bracket 30b can be detachably connected to the inner surfaces of the flat plate portions 11b, 11b.
The rail body 30a is positioned by inserting the engagement pieces 31 on both ends into the locking holes of the fastening pieces 30b1, and is fixed by threaded members (screws, bolts, etc.) not shown (see FIG. 9).

The reinforcing bar 30 of the above configuration is located outside the fan intake port 21a and toward the center in the left-right direction of the space inside the hood section 10 on a cross section (a horizontal plane in the illustrated example) parallel to the intake opening 1 (see FIG. 3). The reinforcing bar 30 is fixed across and spans at least two points (flat plate sections 11b, 11b on both sides in the illustrated example) on the inner surface of the peripheral wall section 10a of the hood section 10. As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 5, the reinforcing bar 30 is located in a position that divides the space on the lower end side inside the hood section 10 into multiple sections (in the illustrated example, it divides the space into two horizontal sections).

Here, the phrase "located at a dividing position" refers to the position of the reinforcing bar, and does not necessarily mean that the reinforcing bar divides the space inside the peripheral wall into multiple rooms. In other words, the reinforcing bar may divide the space inside the peripheral wall, or may be part of a virtual surface that divides the space inside the peripheral wall.

With the above configuration, the reinforcing bars 30 are fixed to two or more points (two in the illustrated example) on the inner surface of the peripheral wall portion 10a at the lower end side within the hood portion 10, and two or more spaces are formed by the reinforcing bars 30 and a linear portion where a plane including at least two of the two or more points intersects with the inner surface of the peripheral wall portion 10a.

In other words, the reinforcing bar 30 extends across the inner surfaces of the peripheral wall portion 10a, and is spaced apart from the inner surfaces of the peripheral wall portion 10a in a direction intersecting the direction in which the reinforcing bar 30 extends.
The reinforcing bar 30 is parallel to the right side surface 12a on a horizontal plane including the reinforcing bar 30 (in other words, on a cross section parallel to the intake opening 1), and has a length substantially equal to the length d in the depth direction of the side surface 12a (see FIG. 5). In the illustrated example, the length of the reinforcing bar 30 including the brackets 30b, 30b on both sides is set to the same length d.

As an example other than the illustrated example, the reinforcing bar may not include the bracket 30b and may consist of only the bar body 30a, with the end of the bar body 30a being directly fixed to the hood body 11. In this case, the means for fixing the reinforcing bar 30 to the hood body 11 may be, other than the illustrated example, riveting, welding, adhesion using an adhesive (including adhesive and double-sided tape), fitting, hooking, or the like.
Furthermore, as another example, the reinforcing bar 30 consisting of only the bar body 30a may be directly connected to the hood body 11 in a detachable manner.

Further, the reinforcing bar 30 has a generally central portion indirectly fastened to the outer surface of the blower 20 (specifically, the fan case 21 ) via a bracket 32 .
The bracket 32 is an integral member having a fastening piece 32a which is attached to the longitudinal center of the reinforcing bar 30 by a fastening device such as a screw, and a fastening piece 32b which is attached to the upright surface of the fan case 21 by a fastening device such as a screw, and according to the illustrated example, is formed into an approximately crank-shaped longitudinal section.
The reinforcing bar 30 prevents the lower ends of the flat plate portions 11b, 11b on both sides from being biased toward the rear or front side as shown in the figure, and maintains a symmetrical shape in the rear-front direction of the hood body 11. In addition, the reinforcing bar 30 can be prevented from being deflected by the weight of the internal members described below.
As an example other than the illustrated example, the bracket 32 may be omitted and the reinforcing bar 30 may be directly attached to the fan case 21 .

An internal member located below the reinforcing bar 30 within the hood body 11 is secured to the reinforcing bar 30 having the above-described configuration. In the illustrated example, the internal member is a frame-shaped resilient member 50. This makes it possible to eliminate the need for other members, brackets, etc. for securing the frame-shaped resilient member 50.
As another example, the internal member secured to the reinforcing bar 30 may be the intake guide portion 60, a member in which the frame-shaped resilient member 50 and the intake guide portion 60 are integrated, or another member.

The edge reinforcing member 40 is formed in a generally U-shape in plan view along the lower edges of the convex curved surface portion 11a and the flat plate portions 11b, 11b of the hood body 11. In the illustrated example, this edge reinforcing member 40 is formed by bending a metallic cylindrical member having an outer diameter larger than the thickness of the hood body 11 into the U-shape.
This edge reinforcing member 40 is provided with a plurality of fitting holes 41 to correspond to a plurality of protrusions 11c and hooking pieces 11d at the lower end of the hood body 11, and protrusions 51a, 52a of a frame-shaped resilient member 50 described later.

The edge reinforcing member 40 is fixed along the lower edge of the hood body 11 by fitting the fitting hole 41 onto the protruding piece 11c on the hood side and the protruding pieces 51a, 52a of the frame-shaped resilient member 50, and by hooking the fitting hole 41 onto the hook piece 11d. In this way, the edge reinforcing member 40 forms the intake opening 1 with a stable opening shape at the lower end of the hood part 10.
Some of the fitting holes 41 are fitted with both the protruding piece 11c of the hood body 11 and the protruding piece 51a (protruding piece 52a) of the frame-shaped resilient member 50 (see FIG. 9A).

The intake opening 1 is an opening large enough to allow the blower 20 to pass through, and is formed by fastening an edge reinforcing member 40 to the lower ends of the hood body 11 and the side portion 12a.
The intake opening 1 has a lower edge on the left side as viewed in the drawing that forms a hood curved portion 1a (see FIG. 2) that curves inwardly toward the inside of the hood along the circumferential direction.

Furthermore, when the frame-shaped resilient member 50 is not fitted into the intake opening 1, it has a flat portion f that is a concave frame in plan view (see Figures 6(a) and (a')), and when it is fitted into the intake opening 1, the flat portion f narrows the opening width W1 to width W2 and displaces the inner edge side of the flat portion f so as to rise upward (see Figures 6(b) and (b')).
When the frame-shaped resilient member 50 is fitted into the intake opening 1, the surface including the lower end of the frame-shaped resilient member 50 (in other words, the lower edge) and the surface including the upper end of the frame-shaped resilient member 50 (in other words, the upper edge) are parallel to each other (see Figures 6(b) and 8(c)).

The flat portion f is continuous in a U-shape in a plan view from the frame-shaped resilient member curved portion 51 of the frame-shaped resilient member 50 to both frame-shaped resilient member straight portion 52, 52. This flat portion f is a flat plate-like shape that overlaps with a flat surface such as a floor surface with substantially the entire surface in contact therewith.
The frame-shaped resilient member 50 is fitted to the inner edge of the intake opening 1 and extends in the circumferential direction along the inner edge, and its cross-sectional shape perpendicular to the extending direction is a straight line extending obliquely upward toward the inside of the hood (see FIG. 9). As another example of the frame-shaped resilient member 50, it is possible to use a concave curved surface that gradually falls toward the inside of the hood as it goes upward, or a convex curved surface that gradually becomes upright as it goes upward, etc.
The frame-shaped resilient member 50 urges the intake opening 1 in a direction that increases the opening area thereof (in the illustrated example, in a direction that increases the opening area toward the rear and toward the front) by its elastic restoring force.

More specifically, the frame-shaped resilient member 50 is integrally provided with a frame-shaped resilient member curved portion 51 having an approximately arc-shaped shape in a plan view, which fits into the hood portion curved portion 1a from the inside, and frame-shaped resilient member straight portions 52, 52 connected to both ends of the frame-shaped resilient member curved portion 51, and is configured in an approximately U-shape in a plan view as shown in Figures 5 and 6.
According to the illustrated example, the curved portion 51 of the frame-shaped resilient member and the straight portions 52, 52 of the frame-shaped resilient member are connected as separate members, but they may be configured as an integral member.

The frame-shaped elastic member curved portion 51 has a shape obtained by cutting out a part of a circumferential direction of a truncated cone.
The frame-shaped resilient member curved portion 51 is formed in a curved shape with a smaller curvature (more gentle curvature) than the hood portion curved portion 1a in a flat state before being fitted to the hood portion curved portion 1a from the inside (see FIG. 6(a)). The frame-shaped resilient member curved portion 51 has a larger curvature (more gentle curvature) when fitted to the hood portion curved portion 1a.

The frame-shaped resilient member curved portion 51 has a circumferentially central portion which fits into a circumferentially central portion of the hood curved portion 1a.
More specifically, a protruding piece 51a is provided near the center in the circumferential direction of the frame-shaped resilient member curved portion 51. This protruding piece 51a is fitted into the fitting hole 41 on the leftmost end side of the edge reinforcing member 40.
The frame-shaped resilient member curved portion 51 is positioned by fitting the protruding portion 51a into the fitting hole 41 and by engaging the lower edge of the portion other than the protruding portion 51a so as to abut against the edge reinforcing member 40 (see Figure 9).

The straight portion 52 of the frame-shaped resilient member is a band-shaped member extending straight in the left-right direction in the figure. The straight portion 52 of the frame-shaped resilient member is inclined toward the inside of the frame as it goes upward, and has a fastening piece 52b at its upper end that is approximately parallel to the reinforcing bar 30 (see FIG. 5). The fastening piece 52b is fastened to the reinforcing bar 30 (specifically, the bar body 30a) by a screw member (such as a screw or bolt not shown) that is inserted from below.
A plurality of projections 52a are provided at intervals on the lower edge of the straight portion 52 of the frame-shaped resilient member. These projections 52a fit into the fitting holes 41 of the edge reinforcing member 40.

At the upper edge side of the frame-shaped resilient member 50 configured as described above, only the central portion, which is a part of the hood circumferential direction, contacts the inclined inner surface of the hood body 11, and the other portion in the same circumferential direction is separated from the inclined inner surface of the hood body 11.
In more detail, in the central portion of the convex curved surface portion 11a in the hood circumferential direction, the frame-shaped resilient member 50 (more specifically, the frame-shaped resilient member curved portion 51) is approximately parallel to the inclined inner surface of the hood body 11, as shown in FIG. 9(a), and is in continuous contact with the inclined inner surface of the hood body 11 from the lower end side to the upper end side in the inclination direction.
Furthermore, at the rear and front sides of the hood body 11, the frame-shaped resilient member 50 (more specifically, the straight portion 52 of the frame-shaped resilient member) is inclined toward the inside of the hood more than the inclined inner surface of the hood body 11, as shown in Figure 9 (b) , and moves away from the inclined inner surface of the hood body 11 as it moves upward.

In the figure, the reference symbol 12c denotes an inclined plate that spans between both ends (both right ends in the illustrated example) of the U-shaped frame-shaped resilient member 50. This inclined plate 12c is integrally formed with the hood body 11, and in the illustrated example, is attached to the lower end side of the fan case 21.

The intake guide portion 60 is a flat plate-like member located near the intake opening 1 within the hood portion 10 and approximately parallel to the surface of the intake opening 1, and cooperates with the frame-shaped resilient member 50 to separate the space on the intake opening 1 side within the hood portion 10 from the space on the opposite side (see FIG. 3). The reinforcing bar 30 is located in the space on the opposite side.
The intake guide portion 60 has an opening 61 that communicates with the inside of the fan intake port 21a at a position corresponding to the fan intake port 21a.

The straightening plate 70 is a plate-like member whose left-right dimensions and depth-to-front dimensions are smaller than those of the intake guide portion 60. The straightening plate 70 is disposed below the intake guide portion 60 at a fixed distance, and is detachably hooked onto the underside of the intake guide portion 60 via a hook-like member or the like (not shown).
The space between the outer edge (outer periphery) of the straightening plate 70 and the inner edge (inner periphery) of the intake opening 1 functions as an intake port for drawing in outside air.
That is, as shown in Figure 3, gas below the range hood A is sucked between the outer edge of the straightening plate 70 and the inner edge of the intake opening 1, and passes through the space between the straightening plate 70 and the intake guide portion 60, and is sucked into the fan intake port 21a.

Next, features of the manufacturing method of the range hood A having the above-mentioned configuration will be described.
The manufacturing method of range hood A includes the steps of elastically deforming the hood body 11 constituting the peripheral wall portion 10a of the hood section 10 by an external force so as to narrow the opening dimension X1 in one direction of the air intake opening 1 to dimension X2, attaching and fixing a reinforcing bar 30 (more specifically, bar body 30a) to the inner surface of the hood body 11, and fitting and fastening an edge reinforcing member 40 to the lower end of the hood body 11 (see Figures 7(a) and (b)).

More specifically, in the above process, the hood body 11 has an opening dimension X1 in the front-rear direction in the drawing in the initial state, and this opening dimension is elastically narrowed by an external force to become X2.
The crossbar body 30a is screwed to the brackets 30b, which are fixed in advance to both inner surfaces of the hood body 11 narrowed as described above, by inserting the engagement pieces 31. That is, the crossbar body 30a is fixed to the hood body 11 via the brackets 30b.
The edge reinforcement member 40 has its fitting holes 41 fitted into the protruding piece 11c and the hooking piece 11d, and is moved to the right as shown in the figure, so that a portion of the fitting holes 41 is engaged with the approximately hook-shaped hooking piece 11d.

The manufacturing method of range hood A further includes a step of elastically deforming a frame-shaped resilient member 50, whose dimension W1 in the frame-outer direction is larger than the opening dimension of the intake opening 1, toward the inside of the frame so that the dimension W2 is smaller than the opening dimension, and fitting the frame-shaped resilient member 50 inside the intake opening 1 (see Figures 6 and 8).

More specifically, the frame-shaped resilient member 50 has an opening dimension W1 in the front-rear direction in the drawing in the initial state (see FIG. 6(a)), and is a substantially flat band-like plate (see FIG. 6(a')).
When the frame-shaped resilient member 50 is elastically narrowed by being pressed from both sides by a manufacturing worker and fitted to the inner edge of the intake opening 1, the opening dimension becomes W2 (see FIG. 6(b)), and the inner edge of the frame-shaped resilient member 50 is displaced so as to be pushed upward (see FIG. 6(b')). In this deformed state, the frame-shaped resilient member 50 has the lower end edges of the frame-shaped resilient member curved portion 51 and both frame-shaped resilient member straight portions 52, 52 arranged on the same plane.

Next, the characteristic functions and effects of the range hood A having the above-mentioned configuration and the manufacturing method thereof will be described in detail.
After assembly, an elastic restoring force acts on the hood portion 10, which tends to expand the opening dimension of the hood body 11 from X2 to X1 as shown in the figure, and the reinforcing bars 30 support the inner surfaces of the hood body 11 against this force (see FIG. 7). This makes it possible to stabilize the dimension between the inner surfaces of the hood portion 10. Furthermore, it is also possible to suppress the peripheral wall portion 10a from vibrating in the thickness direction during operation, etc.

Furthermore, an elastic restoring force that expands the opening dimension from W2 to W1 acts on the intake opening 1 side of the hood portion 10 by the frame-shaped resilient member 50 (see FIG. 8). This prevents the shape of the intake opening 1 from collapsing due to manufacturing variations and the like, and allows the shape of the intake opening 1 to be stably maintained.
In particular, in the hood section 10 in which the dimension a (see FIG. 1) of the straight portion of the intake opening 1 is relatively long, the flat plate portion 11b above the straight portion tends to bulge outward toward the hood near the convex curved portion 11a, causing the designed shape to collapse, but this collapse of the shape can be prevented by the reinforcing bar 30. Furthermore, the intake opening 1 can be prevented from vibrating during operation, etc.

The shape has a beautiful and solid appearance and is highly aesthetically pleasing, and can be stably maintained by the support structure, including the reinforcing bars 30 and the frame-shaped resilient member 50.

Because the frame-shaped resilient member 50 is flat before manufacture (see FIG. 6(a')), multiple pieces can be stacked together for compact storage.

In addition, during use, oil stains and the like may adhere to the underside of the frame-shaped resilient member 50, but the underside of the range hood A has a curved frame-shaped resilient member curved portion 51 with no corners on the left side, and this curved frame-shaped resilient member curved portion 51 is inclined toward the inside of the hood, so this left side portion is particularly easy to clean.

In the above embodiment, the reinforcing bar 30 is disposed near the center in the left-right direction as shown in the figure as a particularly preferred example, but other examples of the reinforcing bar 30 include a position to the left of the center or a position to the right of the center.

In addition, according to the above embodiment, only the central portion of the frame-shaped resilient member 50, which is a part of the hood circumferential direction, contacts the inclined inner surface of the hood body 11 at its upper edge, and the other portions in the same circumferential direction are separated from the inclined inner surface of the hood body 11. However, other examples of the frame-shaped resilient member 50 include a configuration in which a portion other than the central portion in the hood circumferential direction contacts the inclined inner surface of the hood body 11 at its upper end, a configuration in which multiple portions in the hood circumferential direction contact the inclined inner surface of the hood body 11 at its upper end, and a configuration in which the entire hood circumferential direction at its upper end is separated from the inner surface of the hood body 11.

In the above embodiment, as a preferred example, an edge reinforcing member 40 is provided at the lower end of the hood body 11, but as another example, this edge reinforcing member 40 can be omitted. When the edge reinforcing member 40 is omitted, the frame-shaped resilient member 50 can be structured so that its lower end side is directly hooked to the lower end side of the inner surface of the hood body 11 by holes, projections, or the like.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the frame-shaped resilient member 50 is fitted to the inner surface of the hood portion 10, but as another example, it is also possible to fit the frame-shaped resilient member 50 to the lower edge of the hood portion 10 (the inner edge of the intake opening 1).

In addition, in the illustrated example, the lower edge of the intake opening 1 is formed to be approximately horizontal, but as another example, it is also possible to form the lower edge of the intake opening 1 to be inclined so that the left side is higher than the right side as illustrated.

<Second embodiment>
Next, other embodiments of the present invention will be described. Note that the embodiments described below are partial modifications of the range hood A having the above-mentioned configuration, so that the modifications will be mainly described in detail and overlapping detailed descriptions will be omitted.

The range hood B shown in FIG. 10 comprises a hood section 110 that encloses the space from the intake opening 3 at the lower end to the exhaust opening 4 at the upper end with a peripheral wall section 112 in a generally cylindrical shape, a blower 120 that forcibly transports the gas sucked in from the intake opening 3 inside the hood section 110 to the exhaust opening 4, and a frame-shaped resilient member 150 that is fitted to the inner surface of the hood section 110 (specifically, the rising piece section 114) along the inner edge of the intake opening 3.

The hood portion 110 is in the shape of a generally rectangular box that is relatively thin in the vertical direction, and the lower surface of the hood portion 110 is open to form the intake opening 3 .
In more detail, as shown in Figure 11, the hood portion 110 is integrally formed from a rectangular, flat air intake guide portion 111, a peripheral wall portion 112 that protrudes downward in a square tube shape from the four sides of the air intake guide portion 111, a hood underside portion 113 that extends in a flat plate shape from the lower end of the peripheral wall portion 112 toward the inside of the hood, and a rising piece portion 114 that extends upward from the inner edge of the hood underside portion 113.

The intake guide portion 111 is formed in a substantially horizontal flat plate shape (see FIG. 11), and has an opening (not shown) near the center thereof that communicates with the intake port of the blower 120 .
The rising pieces 114 are disposed on each of the four sides of the hood portion 110 at intervals from the inner surface of the peripheral wall portion 112 .
According to the illustrated example, the rising piece portion 114 is provided with an engagement hole 114a for engaging the lower end side of the frame-shaped resilient member 150. A plurality of the engagement holes 114a are provided at intervals in the circumferential direction of the hood portion 110.

The blower 120 comprises a fan case 121 having an intake port (not shown) and an exhaust port 4, a rotating blade (not shown) that rotates within the fan case 121 to forcibly transport gas sucked into the fan intake port 21a to the exhaust port 4, and a motor (not shown) that drives and rotates the rotating blade.
In the illustrated example, the fan case 121 is arranged with the exhaust port 4 facing to the side, but in other examples, it is possible to have the exhaust port 4 facing upward, facing to the side opposite to that shown in the figure, facing towards the front, or facing towards the rear.

10, the frame-shaped resilient member 150 includes one piece 150a extending in a linear band-like shape, and two other pieces 150c extending in a perpendicular direction from both ends of the one piece 150a via curved surface parts 150b, 150b, and is configured in a concave frame shape in a plan view. The frame-shaped resilient member 150 is fitted into the intake opening 3, and urges the intake opening 3 in a direction that expands its opening area (in the illustrated example, in the left-right direction) by the elastic restoring force held by the curved surface parts 150b, 150b.
More specifically, the frame-shaped resilient member 150 has a flat portion f that is in the shape of a concave frame when viewed from above when not fitted into the intake opening 3 (see FIG. 12).
When an external force is applied to the frame-shaped resilient member 150, the curved surfaces 150b, 150b are elastically deformed so as to narrow the opening width, and the inner edge side of the flat portion f is displaced so as to press upward, resulting in the shape shown in FIG.
The frame-shaped resilient member 150 is then fitted onto the inner edge of the exhaust port 4 (more specifically, onto the inner hood surface of the rising piece 114) while maintaining the resilient deformation.

The frame-shaped resilient member 150 fitted into the hood portion 110 is inclined towards the inside of the hood as it goes upward (see FIG. 11).
The frame-shaped resilient member 150 has a lower edge on which a plurality of engagement pieces 151 protrude at intervals in the circumferential direction.
Further, a flange portion 152 is provided on the upper edge of the frame-shaped resilient member 150 so as to be in contact with the intake guide portion 111 in a parallel plane so as to be fastened to the intake guide portion 111 .

The frame-shaped resilient member 150 has an engagement piece portion 151 on the lower end side engaged with a raised piece portion 114 on the inner surface of the hood portion 110, and a flange portion 152 on the upper end side secured to the underside of the intake guide portion 111 by welding, screwing, etc., thereby resilienting between them.
In other words, the dimension S (see Figure 11) of the inclined portion of the frame-shaped resilient member 150 is set to be larger than the dimension of the same portion in the hood portion 110, and when fixed to the hood portion 110, it resiliently repels the hood portion 110 as described above, thereby stably maintaining the external shape of the hood portion 110.
The fixing method of the frame-shaped resilient member 150 can be other than the illustrated example, such as fitting, welding, or screwing.

In addition, in the preferred embodiment shown in the figures, a reinforcing member 180 is provided between the inner surface of the hood portion 110 and the inner surface of the frame-shaped resilient member 150 facing the inner surface, with one end side abutting against the inner surface of the hood portion 110 and the other end side abutting against the surface of the frame-shaped resilient member 150 (the surface on the hood body side).
The reinforcing member 180 may be a plurality of shaft-shaped members provided at intervals in the circumferential direction of the hood portion 10 , or may be a continuous member in the circumferential direction of the hood portion 10 .
According to the illustrated example, one end of the reinforcing member 180 is fixed to the intake guide portion 111, and the other end is fixed toward the center in the inclination direction of the frame-shaped resilient member 150. The fixing means may be welding, screwing, fitting, or the like.

Therefore, according to the range hood B having the above configuration, similarly to the range hood A, the shape of the intake opening 3 can be stably maintained by the resilience of the frame-shaped resilient member 150, and vibration of the hood part 110, the frame-shaped resilient member 150, etc. can be suppressed during operation. In particular, according to the illustrated example, the reinforcing member 180 can suppress vibration by bending the inclined surface of the frame-shaped resilient member 150.
Furthermore, since the frame-shaped resilient member 150 before manufacture is flat, a plurality of frames can be stacked and stored compactly.

In addition, after long-term use, oil stains and the like may adhere to the underside of the frame-shaped resilient member 150, but because the frame-shaped resilient member 150 is inclined toward the inside of the hood and exposed downward, the inclined surface is easy to clean.

As with range hood A, range hood B can also be provided with components similar to the reinforcing bars 30 and the straightening plate 70 within the hood section 110.

In addition, according to the above embodiment, as a particularly preferred embodiment, the frame-shaped resilient member 50, 150 is configured to be flat before manufacturing, but as another example, the frame-shaped resilient member may be a frame-shaped member that is not flat. That is, the frame-shaped resilient member of this other example is configured, for example, by bending a shaft-shaped member into a concave or U-shape, and is elastically narrowed to fit into the inner edge of the intake opening 1.
As a further example, the frame-shaped resilient member may be in a shape other than the concave or U-shape, such as an endless ring having an elastic restoring force in a direction that expands the opening area.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and may be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

1, 3: Intake opening 2, 4: Exhaust port 10a, 112: Peripheral wall portion 10, 110: Hood portion 11: Hood body 11a: Convex curved surface portion 11b: Flat plate portion 20, 120: Blower 30: Reinforcing bar 40: Edge reinforcing member 50, 150: Frame-shaped resilient member (internal member)
60, 111: Intake guide section 70: Straightening plate A, B: Range hood

Claims (14)

A range hood is provided with a hood section that covers a space extending from an intake opening at a lower end side toward an exhaust opening with a peripheral wall section, and a blower that forcibly conveys gas sucked from the intake opening inside the hood section to the exhaust opening,
A reinforcing bar is fixed to at least two points on the inner surface of the peripheral wall on the lower end side of the receptacle.
A range hood characterized in that the reinforcing bar is located at a position that divides the space inside the peripheral wall portion. The intake opening is an opening large enough to allow the blower to pass through,
2. The range hood according to claim 1, wherein all or a part of the reinforcing bars are detachably attached to the hood portion. The range hood according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the inner surface to which the reinforcing bars of the peripheral wall are fixed is a flat surface. A range hood as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the hood portion is configured in an approximately cylindrical shape with a narrowed upward side, comprising a convex curved surface portion that is curved outwardly convexly in the circumferential direction, flat plate portions connected to one and the other circumferential ends of the convex curved surface portion, and a side portion that connects these two flat plate portions on the opposite side to the convex curved surface portion.
The range hood according to claim 4, characterized in that the reinforcing bars are arranged parallel to the flat side portion. The range hood according to claim 5, characterized in that the reinforcing bars and the side portions are approximately the same length on a horizontal plane including the reinforcing bars. The hood portion includes a single-plate hood body integrally having the convex curved surface portion whose lower end edge extends in a convex curved shape and the flat plate portion whose lower end edge extends in a straight line in one direction,
The lower end edge of the flat plate portion has a dimension in the one direction set to be longer than the overall length dimension in the same direction of the upper end portion of the hood body,
The hood body is provided with an edge reinforcing member along the lower edge of the convex curved surface portion and the flat plate portion,

The reinforcing bar is bridged between the flat plate portions on both sides,
A range hood as described in any one of claims 4 to 6, characterized in that the dimension between the reinforcing bar and the end portion on the convex curved portion side of the straight lower edge of the flat portion is set to be shorter than the overall length dimension of the hood body. The range hood according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that an internal member located below the reinforcing bars in the hood section is fixed to the reinforcing bars. The range hood according to claim 8, characterized in that a frame-shaped elastic member is fitted along the inner edge of the intake opening so as to urge the intake opening in a direction that expands its opening area by elastic restoring force, and the frame-shaped elastic member is fixed to the reinforcing bar. The blower includes a fan case having a fan inlet and a fan outlet, and a rotating blade that rotates within the fan case to forcibly transport gas sucked into the fan inlet to the fan outlet,
The fan inlet communicates with the intake opening of the hood portion,
A range hood as described in any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the reinforcing bar is positioned outside the fan inlet and toward the center of the space within the hood section on a cross section parallel to the intake opening. an intake guide portion having an opening for allowing gas to pass to the blower side is provided near the intake opening in the hood portion as a member or part of a member that separates a space on the intake opening side in the hood portion from a space on the opposite side,
The range hood according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the reinforcing bar is provided in the opposite space. The range hood according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the reinforcing bars are fixed directly or indirectly to the blower at points other than the points fixed to the peripheral wall. The range hood according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that the inner surface of the peripheral wall is fixed to one end side and the other end side of the reinforcing bar while maintaining an elastic restoring force in a direction that expands the opening size of the intake opening. The method for manufacturing a range hood according to claim 13, further comprising the steps of: elastically deforming the peripheral wall so that the opening dimension is narrowed; and fixing the reinforcing bars to the inner surface of the peripheral wall.

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