Patent Application
20230279869
This application is directed to ceiling fans and devices for moving an airflow about a space such as a room, and more specifically to a blade for a ceiling fan.
Ceiling fans are machines traditionally suspended from a structure for moving a volume of air about an area. The ceiling fan includes a motor, with a rotor and stator, suspended from and electrically coupled to the structure. A set of blades mount to the rotor such that the blades are rotatably driven by the rotor, and can be provided at an angled orientation to move volume of air about the area. As the cost of energy becomes increasingly important, there is a need to improve the efficiency at which the ceiling fans operate.
In one aspect, the disclosure relates to a blade for a ceiling fan having a motor for rotating the blade, the blade comprising: a body extending between a root and a tip defining span-wise direction, and extending between a first side edge and a second side edge defining a chord-wise direction, an upper surface provided on the body; a performance feature provided between the first side edge and the upper surface; and a transition portion provided between the performance feature and at least one of the first side edge and the upper surface.
In another aspect, the disclosure relates to a blade for a ceiling fan, the blade comprising: a body including an upper surface and a lower surface; a side edge spacing the upper surface from the lower surface; a performance feature formed in one of the upper surface and the lower surface and extending along the side edge; and a transition portion provided along the performance feature transitioning between the performance feature and the side edge.
In another aspect, the disclosure relates to a method of forming a blade for a ceiling fan, the method comprising: forming a transition portion on the blade between a performance feature and a surface of the blade.
In the drawings:
The disclosure is related to a ceiling fan and ceiling fan blade, which can be used, for example, in residential and commercial applications. Such applications can be indoors, outdoors, or both. While this description is primarily directed toward a residential ceiling fan, it is also applicable to any environment utilizing fans or for cooling areas utilizing air movement, such as in an industrial, commercial, residential, or farming environment.
As used herein, the term “set” or a “set” of elements can be any number of elements, including only one. All directional references (e.g., radial, axial, proximal, distal, upper, lower, upward, downward, left, right, lateral, front, back, top, bottom, above, below, vertical, horizontal, clockwise, counterclockwise, upstream, downstream, forward, aft, etc.) are only used for identification purposes to aid the reader's understanding of the present disclosure, and do not create limitations, particularly as to the position, orientation, or use of aspects of the disclosure described herein. Connection references (e.g., attached, coupled, connected, and joined) are to be construed broadly and can include intermediate members between a collection of elements and relative movement between elements unless otherwise indicated. As such, connection references do not necessarily infer that two elements are directly connected and in fixed relation to one another. The exemplary drawings are for purposes of illustration only and the dimensions, positions, order and relative sizes reflected in the drawings attached hereto can vary.
Referring now to
The structure 12 can be a ceiling, for example, from which the ceiling fan 10 is suspended. It should be understood that the structure 12 is schematically shown and is by way of example only, and can include any suitable building, structure, home, business, or other environment wherein moving air with a ceiling fan is suitable or desirable. The structure 12 can also include an electrical supply 36 to electrically couple to the ceiling fan 10 to provide electrical power to the ceiling fan 10 and the motor 24 therein. It is also contemplated that the electrical supply be sourced from somewhere other than the structure 12, such as a battery or generator in non-limiting examples.
A controller 38 can be electrically coupled to the electrical supply 36 to control operation of the ceiling fan 10 via the electrical supply 36. Alternatively, the controller 38 can be wirelessly or communicatively coupled to the ceiling fan 10, configured to control operation of the ceiling fan 10 remotely, without a dedicated connection. Non-limiting examples of controls for the ceiling fan 10 can include fan speed, fan direction, or light operation. Furthermore, a separate wireless controller 40, alone or in addition to the wired controller 38, can be communicatively coupled to a controller or a wireless receiver in the ceiling fan 10 to control operation of the ceiling fan 10. It is further contemplated in one alternative example that the ceiling fan be operated by the wireless controller 40 alone, and is not operably coupled with the wired controller 38.
In
Furthermore, the blade 34 can include a performance feature 68 provided along one or more of the first side edge 60, the second edge 62, and the tip 58, while the performance feature 68 extends along the root 56 only at the first and second edges 60, 62. It should be appreciated that the performance feature is not so limited, and can extend along any combination of the root 56, tip 58, first side edge 60, and second edge 62, or portions thereof.
A performance feature as used herein can include a feature provided adjacent one of the first edges, or another performance feature. In non-limiting examples, the performance feature can include a chamfer, a curved surface defined by an elliptical, parabolic, hyperbolic, or logarithmic geometry, or a curved feature, such that the curvature defined by the performance feature is arranged where one or both of the upper surface and the side edge are aligned tangent to the curvature of the performance feature. Where the performance feature is adjacent to another performance feature, it is contemplated that the performance feature can be arranged as sets of performance features, where at least one performance feature is adjacent to the side edge, and another is adjacent to the upper surface.
The performance feature provides for improved aerodynamic performance for the fan blade, such that operation of the ceiling fan has increased total flow volume as compared with a blade without the performance feature, or that a reduction in energy requirements can be appreciated, while maintaining the aesthetic appearance of a traditional fan blade desirable by consumers.
For example, the performance feature 68 can include a curved surface, such as defining a portion of an airfoil profile, for example. In another example, the profile for the performance feature 68, as shown, can be defined by an elliptical curvature. That is, the curvature can include a portion of an ellipse, such as including a portion extending from one end of a major axis to another end of a minor axis. Furthermore, it is contemplated that the ellipse defined by the performance feature 68 can include a major axis that is parallel to one or both of the top surface 70 and the bottom surface 72.
More specifically, performance feature 68 can be represented by equation (1) written in standard form:
where x represents an x-axis and y represents a y-axis in Cartesian coordinates. An exemplary x-axis and y-axis are provided in
In another example, the performance feature 68 can be parabolic, an equation representing at least a portion of the curvature of the performance feature 68 can be represented in standard form as:
(x−h)2=4p(y−k) (4)
where the focus can be defined as (h, k+p) and the directrix is defined as y=k−p. x can represent the x-axis and y can represent the y-axis.
In another examples, where performance feature 68 is hyperbolic, an equation representing at least a portion of the curvature of the performance feature 68 can be represented in standard form as:
where equation (5) is based upon a horizontal transverse axis and equation (6) is based on a vertical transverse axis, which ultimately depends on the local coordinate system defining performance feature 68. (h, k) can be used to define a center for the hyperbola, while x can represent the x-axis and y can represent the y-axis.
In yet another example, it is contemplated that the performance feature 68 can be formed as a planar chamfer, extending between the first edge 60 and the top surface 70. In yet another example, the performance feature 68 can be formed on both the top and the bottom of the blade, as well as, on both the first and second edges 60, 62. That is, a performance feature can be provided between a side edge and either or both of the top and bottom surfaces of the blade 34. Further still, it is contemplated that the use of multiple performance features can be utilized complementary to one another, or can differ from one another. For example, performance features can be common among the first and second edges 60, 62. In another example, the performance features can differ among the first and second edges 60, 62 depending on the intended direction of rotation of the blade, such that a leading edge can differ from a trailing edge, as well as relative to the top or bottom surfaces 70, 72.
Turning to
As shown, a first transition portion 80 is provided between the top surface 70 and the performance feature 68, and a second transition portion 82 provided between the first edge 60 and the performance feature 68. The first transition portion 80 can provide for a smooth transition from the performance feature 68 to the top surface 70. The first transition portion 80 can be planar, with the plane defined offset from top surface 70 by an offset angle 84, and similarly, can be offset from a plane or line defined by the performance feature 68, by a second angle 86. More specifically, the offset angles 82, 84 can be defined as the angle between a plane defined by the transition portion 80 and a plane defined by the top surface 70, and a plane defined by the transition portion 80 and the performance feature 68. In one example, the angle can be defined along a plane defined as the section through the blade 34, as shown in section in
Similarly, the second transition portion 82 can provide for a smooth transition from the performance feature 68 to the first edge 60 to transition from the offset 78 to the first edge 60. The second transition portion 82 can be planar, with the plane defined by the second transition portion 82 being offset from first edge 60 the performance feature 68. As the performance feature 68 can be curved, the plane defined by the performance feature 68 can be tangential to the curvature of the performance feature 68 where it meets the second transition portion 82. While only shown at the first edge 60 and the top surface 70, it should be understood that additional transition portions can be provided between any performance feature and any of the first or second edges 60, 62 or the top or bottom surfaces 70, 72.
In operation, the transition portions 80, 82 provide for a smooth transition between the performance feature 68 and other portions of the blade body 52. The smoothed transitions reduce turbulence and other inefficiencies that would otherwise occur without the transition portions. Further, during manufacture, distortions while cutting or extruding the blades can provide for an offset between a performance feature and the other portions of the body of the blade. These offsets generate inefficiencies during operation. Utilizing the transition portions as described herein mitigate the inefficiencies generated by the offsets, increasing ceiling fan efficiency.
It should be further understood that the transition portions 80, 82 can leave additional distortions 88 between the transition portions 80, 82 and one or more of the first edge 60, performance feature 68, or the top surface 70, or any other portion of the blade 34 adjacent to a transition portion 80, 82. These distortions 88 can be shaped to further reduce additional inefficiencies. Shaping these distortions 88 can provide a shaped junction 90, such as by sanding or grinding, providing smooth transitions between the transition portions 80, 82 and adjacent portions of the blade 34.
Referring to
Due to printing or other manufacturing distortions, an offset is created between the performance feature and the other portions of the blade. Where the performance features include a curvature, such a curvature can be non-tangent to the rest of the blade body where the performance feature meets the rest of the blade body. Such an offset can be formed as a step, for example, while any geometry at the offset is contemplated.
At 106, at least one transition portion can be formed on or into the blade at the offset, such as the transition portions 80, 82 described herein. Forming the transition portion can include any suitable method for removing portions of the blade, such as grinding or cutting, in non-limiting examples.
At 108, the method 100 can further include smoothing the edges at the transition portion. Forming the transition portion can leave additional distortions, such as hard or sharp edges at the junction between the transition portion and another surface, such as the top or bottom surfaces, or the first or second edges. Smoothing these edges, such as with sanding, can remove these additional distortions, further smoothing the blade.
Forming the transition portion, as well as smoothing thereafter, can increase efficiency by removing distortions created during forming of the performance feature, which would otherwise create unintended turbulence or wake that decreases fan blade efficiency. Utilizing the transition portion with the performance feature realizes the benefits of the performance feature without suffering the deficiencies resultant of manufacturing distortions.
The blades and sections thereof as described herein provide for both increased total flow volume for a ceiling fan, resulting in increased efficiency, while maintaining the aesthetic appearance that consumers desire. More specifically, the transition portions, as well as in addition to the performance features, provide for increased downward force on air which increases the total volume of airflow, while the flat upper and lower surfaces of the blade match traditional fan blade styles, providing a pleasing or appealing user aesthetic.
To the extent not already described, the different features and structures of the various features can be used in combination as desired. That one feature is not illustrated in all of the aspects of the disclosure is not meant to be construed that it cannot be, but is done for brevity of description. Thus, the various features of the different aspects described herein can be mixed and matched as desired to form new features or aspects thereof, whether or not the new aspects or features are expressly described. All combinations or permutations of features described herein are covered by this disclosure.
This written description uses examples to detail the aspects described herein, including the best mode, and to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the aspects described herein, including making and using any devices or systems and performing any incorporated methods. The patentable scope of the aspects described herein are defined by the claims, and can include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they have structural elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from the literal languages of the claims.
