Patent Application
20110223016
Air circulators such as are often used to direct air movement and disperse particulates and other components of the surrounding air, In kitchen applications. fans and other circulators are often positioned near stoves and ovens. The circulators draw air that may include steam, smoke, or other components. The air may be passed through a duct to a filter and then recirculated into the kitchen. In other kitchen applications, the air may be directed through a duct to an exhaust port or simply dispersed through the kitchen. Normally, an air circulator used in a kitchen is used in only one of these modes (i.e. filtering or exhausting, and dispersing the air).
Fans are also used to circulate air to provide enhanced comfort and circulation in areas other than kitchens. For example, work benches, desks and other work stations are often arranged in ways that many fans are too cumbersome for practical use. For example, floor and desk space in a cubicle and other work area is very limited so circulators and fans that rest on those surfaces are not ideal.
Accordingly, it would be advantageous to provide an air circulation device capable of operating in more than one such mode without cumbersome reconfiguration. It would be a further advantage to provide such a device that can easily transition from one mode to another. It would also be advantageous to provide a fan or air circulator that is configured to be easily stored and used.
Some embodiments relate to an air circulator comprising a mounting portion and a fan portion. The fan portion includes a housing and a fan, and the fan portion is pivotally coupled to the mounting portion. The fan portion may be pivoted between a first position and a second position relative to the mounting portion.
Referring to
Mounting portion 12 is coupled to fan portion 14 along respective edges of fat portion 14 and mounting portion 12 at region 30. Mounting portion 12 may include a lower portion 32 and an upper portion 34. Lower portion 32 is defined by a generally rectangular perimeter.
Lower portion 32 may have a contour that generally corresponds to a contour of back portion 18. Lower portion 32 may also include an arcuate region 36 for coupling mounting portion 12 to fan portion 14.
Upper portion 34 is coupled to lower portion 32 and is shown as a generally cylindrical and defines an opening 38 that extends through mounting portion 12. Upper portion 34 may be configured to couple with a conduit or duct through which the circulator may direct air. Alternatively, upper portion 34 may be configured to be coupled to the underside of a cabinet or other structure without the use of a conduit or duet. In such applications, the first position may be used to deploy the fan portion for circulating air while the second position (shown in
Referring to
Referring to
In addition to kitchen applications, the circulator may be installed under other structures similar to cabinets where it may be advantageous to have a readily accessible air circulation device that may be pivoted up to an out-of-the-way stored position. By way of example, workspaces such as workbenches and cubicles with little desk space may include overhanging shelves. In these environments, the circulator may be mounted to the underside of the shelving.
Although the foregoing has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, workers skilled in the art will recognize that changes may be made in form and detail without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. For example, although different example embodiments may have been described as including one or more features providing one or more benefits, it is contemplated that the described features may be interchanged with one another or alternatively be combined with one another in the described example embodiments or in other alternative embodiments. The present subject matter described with reference to the example embodiments and set forth in the following claims is manifestly intended to be as broad as possible. For example, unless specifically otherwise noted, the claims reciting a single particular element also encompass a plurality of such particular elements. any other changes and modifications may be made to the present invention without departing from the spirit thereof. The scope of these and other changes will become apparent from the appended claims. The steps of the methods described herein may be varied, and carried out in different sequences.
This application is a continuation of and claims the benefit of and priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/095,153, filed Sep. 8, 2008, entitled AIR CIRCULATOR, which document is hereby incorporated by reference to the extent permitted by law.
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/US09/55972 | 9/4/2009 | WO | 00 | 5/23/2011 |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61095153 | Sep 2008 | US |
