Patent Publication Number: US-9416984-B2

Title: Ventilator

Description:
INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE 
     This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 12/919,335 filed on Aug. 25, 2010, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates to a ventilator that is disposed on the rear side of a ceiling of a building, sucks indoor air, and exhausts the indoor air to the outside through a duct. 
     BACKGROUND ART 
     Conventionally, there has been known a ventilator in which, the inside of a body casing being open at a bottom surface and having an exhaust port formed on one side is provided with a fan forming airflow toward the exhaust port from an opening of the bottom surface, a resin fan casing of the fan closes the opening of a lower portion of the body casing other than a suction port, a terminal block for connecting input external power supply electric wire to the fan is provided in an internal corner of the body casing and outside an air passage of the fan casing, a protection frame is formed in the fan casing in such a manner that its outer circumferential portion covering the terminal block adheres closely to an inner surface of the body casing and its upper portion is open, and a terminal block cover that watertightly seals a lower portion of the protection frame and can be opened and closed (for example, refer to Patent Document 1). 
     PRIOR ART DOCUMENTS 
     Patent Documents 
     Patent document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-282895 
     DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION 
     Problem to be Solved by the Invention 
     However, according to the above-mentioned related art, there has been such a problem that if the terminal block is overheated due to short-circuiting of the electric circuit or the like, the resin fan casing and the protection frame are worn. 
     The present invention has been made in view of the above problems and it is an object of the present invention to obtain a ventilator that can prevent a resin fan casing and a protection frame from being worn, even in a case in which a terminal block is overheated. 
     Means for Solving Problem 
     In order to attain the above object, a ventilator according to the present invention is configured in such a manner that it comprises: a body casing that has an opening formed in a lower portion and an exhaust port formed on one side; a fan that is provided in the body casing, sucks indoor air from the opening, and exhausts the indoor air from the exhaust port; a resin fan casing that has a suction port, is provided in the opening, closes the opening other than the suction port, and forms an air passage of the fan; a protection frame that is formed outside the air passage of the fan casing to cover a terminal block provided in an internal corner of the body casing outside the air passage of the fan casing; a resin terminal block cover that watertightly seals a protection frame opening of a lower portion of the protection frame and is opened and closed; a sheet-metal case that is provided in the protection frame and stores the terminal block; and a sheet-metal terminal block cover that opens and closes a lower opening of the sheet-metal case. 
     Effect of the Invention 
     The ventilator according to the present invention is advantageous such that it can prevent the resin fan casing and the protection frame from being worn, even in a case in which the terminal block is overheated. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a bottom view illustrating a state in which a resin terminal block cover of a ventilator according to an embodiment of the present invention is closed. 
         FIG. 2  is a bottom view illustrating a state in which the resin terminal block cover of the ventilator according to the embodiment is removed. 
         FIG. 3  is a longitudinal sectional view of the ventilator according to the embodiment. 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view illustrating a sheet-metal case that covers a terminal block of the ventilator according to the embodiment. 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view illustrating a sheet-metal terminal block cover mounting portion of the sheet-metal case of the ventilator according to the embodiment. 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view illustrating a method of mounting a sheet-metal terminal block cover of the ventilator according to the embodiment. 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view illustrating the sheet-metal terminal block cover of the ventilator according to the embodiment. 
         FIG. 8  is a sectional view illustrating a state in which the sheet-metal terminal block cover of the ventilator according to the embodiment is opened. 
         FIG. 9  is a perspective view illustrating a rear surface of the resin terminal block cover of the ventilator according to the embodiment. 
         FIG. 10  is a sectional view illustrating a state in which the resin terminal block cover and the sheet-metal terminal block cover of the ventilator according to the embodiment interfere with each other. 
     
    
    
     EXPLANATIONS OF LETTERS OR NUMERALS 
       10  Ventilator 
       11  Body casing 
       11   a  Opening 
       12  Fan 
       13  Resin fan casing 
       13   a  Protection frame opening 
       14  Suction port 
       15  Sheet-metal terminal block cover 
       15   a  Slit 
       15   b  Hooking portion 
       16  Resin terminal block cover 
       16   a  Rib 
       16   b  Claw 
       17  Duct connection tube 
       18  Protection frame 
       18   a  Hinge 
       19  Locking projection 
       21  Sheet-metal case 
       22  Cover hooking portion 
       25  Screw 
       31  Ceiling 
       32  Duct 
       33  Decorative panel 
       34  External power supply electric wire 
     BEST MODE(S) FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION 
     Hereinafter, an embodiment of a ventilator according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the invention is not limited by the embodiment. 
     Embodiment 
       FIG. 1  is a bottom view illustrating a state in which a resin terminal block cover of a ventilator according to an embodiment of the present invention is closed.  FIG. 2  is a bottom view illustrating a state in which the resin terminal block cover of the ventilator according to the embodiment is removed.  FIG. 3  is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the ventilator according to the embodiment.  FIG. 4  is a perspective view illustrating a sheet-metal case that covers a terminal block of the ventilator according to the embodiment.  FIG. 5  is a perspective view illustrating a sheet-metal terminal block cover mounting portion of the sheet-metal case of the ventilator according to the embodiment.  FIG. 6  is a perspective view illustrating a method of mounting a sheet-metal terminal block cover of the ventilator according to the embodiment.  FIG. 7  is a perspective view illustrating the sheet-metal terminal block cover of the ventilator according to the embodiment.  FIG. 8  is a cross-sectional view illustrating a state in which the sheet-metal terminal block cover of the ventilator according to the embodiment is opened.  FIG. 9  is a perspective view illustrating a rear surface of the resin terminal block cover of the ventilator according to the embodiment.  FIG. 10  is a cross-sectional view illustrating a state in which the resin terminal block cover and the sheet-metal terminal block cover of the ventilator according to the embodiment interfere with each other. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 1 to 3 , a ventilator  10  according to the embodiment is provided on the rear side of a ceiling  31  of a building, sucks indoor air, and exhausts the indoor air to the outside through a duct  32 . The ventilator  10  includes a sheet-metal box-like body casing  11 , a fan  12  that is assembled in the body casing  11 , a duct connection tube  17  that is mounted in an exhaust port (not shown in the drawings) formed on one side of the body casing  11  in a detachable manner, and a decorative panel  33  that is mounted along the ceiling  31  so as to cover an opening  11   a  formed at a lower portion of the body casing  11 . 
     The fan  12  sucks indoor air through the opening  11   a  of the lower portion of the body casing  11  and exhausts the indoor air to the outside via a resin fan casing  13 , the exhaust port, the duct connection tube  17 , and the duct  32 . The resin fan casing  13  of the fan  12  is provided in the opening  11   a  of the lower portion of the body casing  11  and closes the opening  11   a  of the body casing  11  other than a bell-mouthed suction port  14 . In an internal corner of the body casing  11  and outside an air passage of the fan  12  of the fan casing  13 , a terminal block (not shown in the drawings) that includes a quick connection terminal to connect the fan  12  and external power supply electric wire  34  to each other is disposed. 
     In the internal corner of the body casing  11  and outside the fan casing  13  (outside the air passage), a protection frame  18  is formed in such a manner that it covers (stores) the terminal block, has an outer circumferential portion contacting an inner surface of the body casing  11 , and has an open upper portion. The protection frame  18  includes a resin terminal block cover  16  that can be opened and closed by a hinge  18   a  (refer to  FIGS. 1 and 10 ), which water-tightly seals a protection frame opening  13   a  of the lower portion of the protection frame  18 . 
     An open end of the lower portion of the protection frame  18  and an outer circumferential portion of the resin terminal block cover  16  are sealed by a fitting relationship of recessed/projecting portions. If a claw  16   b  (refer to  FIGS. 9 and 10 ) of the resin terminal block cover  16  is locked to a locking projection  19  (refer to 
       FIGS. 2, 8, and 10 ) provided in the protection frame  18 , the resin terminal block cover  16  is closed and locked. The terminal block is isolated from the opening  11   a  (suction side of the fan  12 ) of the lower portion of the body casing  11  by the protection frame  18  and the resin terminal block cover  16 , and is protected from moisture even under high humidity atmosphere. 
     In order to prevent the resin fan casing  13  and the protection frame  18  from being worn when the terminal block is overheated, as shown in  FIGS. 4 to 10 , a sheet-metal case  21  that stores (encases) the terminal block and a sheet-metal terminal block cover  15  that can open and close a lower opening of the sheet-metal case  21  are provided in the protection frame  18  and the resin terminal block cover  16 . If the sheet-metal terminal block cover  15  that can open and close the lower opening of the sheet-metal case  21  is provided, a connecting operation of the external power supply electric wire  34  (refer to  FIG. 3 ) to the terminal block can be performed from the side of the opening  11   a  of the body casing  11 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 4 to 7 , a semicylindrical cover hooking portion  22  is provided in the sheet-metal case  21  to cause the sheet-metal terminal block cover  15  to be opened and closed. A slit  15   a  of the sheet-metal terminal block cover  15  is hooked on the semicylindrical cover hooking portion  22  of the sheet-metal case  21  so as to be used as a cover of the sheet-metal case  21 . 
     If the opening width A (refer to  FIG. 5 ) of the cover hooking portion  22  of the sheet-metal case  21  is set to be equal to or more than the thickness of the sheet-metal terminal block cover  15  and to be less than the width B (refer to  FIG. 7 ) of a hooking portion  15   b , and an angle of when the sheet-metal terminal block cover  15  is closed is set to 0°, the hooking portion  15   b  is not released from the opening of the cover hooking portion  22 , until the opening angle of the sheet-metal terminal block cover  15  becomes 145°. 
     In order to prevent the sheet-metal terminal block cover  15  from being released from the cover hooking portion  22  or falling down even though the sheet-metal terminal block cover  15  is opened by 180°, it is necessary to bend the cover hooking portion  22  after the slit  15   a  of the sheet-metal terminal block cover  15  is hooked on the cover hooking portion  22 , so that the opening width A of the cover hooking portion  22  becomes equal to or less than the thickness of the sheet-metal terminal block cover  15  in a state in which the sheet-metal terminal block cover  15  shown in  FIG. 4  is closed. 
     After the sheet-metal case  21  is fitted on the body casing  11 , the resin fan casing  13  is fitted in the body casing  11 . As shown in  FIG. 8 , the protection frame opening  13   a  is formed such that the sheet-metal terminal block cover  15  is brought into contact with the protection frame opening  13   a , when the sheet-metal terminal block cover  15  is opened by 90° or more, for example, 145°. 
     In this way, the opening width A of the cover hooking portion  22  of the sheet-metal case  21  does not need to be decreased by post processing, and a structure in which the sheet-metal terminal block cover  15  does not fall down can be formed at a low cost. The fan casing  13  is fitted at the time of assembling in a manufacturing factory of the ventilator  10 , and is not removed at the time of installing, electrical work or of activating the ventilator  10 . Therefore, the sheet-metal terminal block cover  15  does not fall. 
     If a screw  25  (refer to  FIGS. 2 and 4 ) is removed, the sheet-metal terminal block cover  15  is opened by its own weight. After wire connection in the electrical work is completed, if the resin terminal block cover  16  of the fan casing  13  is closed without closing the sheet-metal terminal block cover  15  using the screw  25 , the resin terminal block cover  16  can be closed, even though the sheet-metal terminal block cover  15  has not been closed. 
     For the purpose of preventing misfastening of the screw  25  of the sheet-metal terminal block cover  15 , as shown in  FIGS. 9 and 10 , if such a configuration is formed as that a rib  16   a  is provided on the rear side of the resin terminal block cover  16  and the sheet-metal terminal block cover  15  is brought into contact with the rib  16   a  to inhibit the resin terminal block cover  16  from being closed, when the resin terminal block cover  16  is tried to be closed in a state where the screw  25  of the sheet-metal terminal block cover  15  is misfastened and the sheet-metal terminal block cover  15  is opened, then the misfastening of the screw  25  of the sheet-metal terminal block cover  15  can be prevented. 
     As described above, the ventilator  10  according to the above-mentioned embodiment can prevent the resin fan casing  13  and the protection frame  18  from being worn, even in case in which the terminal block is overheated. 
     INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY 
     As such, the ventilator according to the present invention is effectively used as a ventilator that is provided in a bathroom or a kitchen.