Patent Application
20110103982
This invention in general relates to electric fans. More particularly this invention relates to a pollution decreasing electric fans with no extra power saving on pollution diseases and energy.
Existing electric fans are ceiling fans hung from roof or table/wall/pedestal/exhaust fans—all having a motor to turn blades for air throw. Ceiling fans have the largest sweep and largest air flow for lowest power. The ceiling fans have a rotating motor with 3-5 blades and suspended on a fan rod hung from the roof. The blades sweep & circulate air with dust all over room. With increasing pollution of industrialization there is a large dust build up with a lot of pollutants, pathogens causing asthma, TB, cancer of lung, pneumonias & fetal death too. Existing fans are decades old and not meant for polluted air of our cities. Eliminating dust and pathogens saves health and money. There are no simple fans to decrease pollution till date.
Ideal modern fans should be: 1. give more breeze for same energy. 2. Trap and decrease dust and pollutants for healthy air. 3. Long life with minimal wear and tear of use. 4. Easy to fix, run and use. 5. Safe and reliable. 6. Save on energy. There is no effective pollution decreasing fans as of now. The following description gives critical examination of the ceiling fans known in the art. It also discusses the shortcomings of the conventional methods. Further in order to overcome the problem associated with fans, the invention offers the solution to overcome the impediments in the construction and the process of using the same.
Constraints in all existing ceiling fans are as follows:
Accordingly the object of the invention is to identify the problem associated with the conventional ceiling fans. An extensive search has been carried out using the Internet and related patent specifications were studied for fans with air filtering. The present invention is radically different, with better air flow, dust decrease and cooling too
U.S. Pat. No. 4,840,650 of Matherene Elmer has a box with filter attached to top of blades by a clamp. Rotating this blade attached box stresses the blades & is inefficient U.S. Pat. No. 3,126,263 of L. Schwab titled “Gas Deflecting and Filtering” discloses a fan having filter material which is rotated and through which air passes. As shown in figures, the filter material not only covers the rotating vanes, but also the space between them thereby presenting the appearance of a rotating disc. It would be impractical to cover the multiple blades of a ceiling fan with one large circular disc as described.
U.S. Patent No. 3,347,025 of M. Wiley titled “Air Circulation System” and U.S. Pat. No. 3,577,710 of E. I Feldman titled “Air-Treatment Apparatus” both disclose fans having their air passages covered by stationary filter elements. Again, for the reasons cited above, to place a stationary filter material either above or below the rotating blades would not only be cumbersome, but would also significantly reduce the circulating effect. U.S. Pat. No. 4,422,824 issued to C. A. Eisenhardt, Jr. titled “Germicidal Ceiling Fan Blade” discloses a ceiling fan blade having a hollow chamber into which a germicidal light is placed. Filtering pads 28 thereof are installed along the leading and trailing edges of each blade enabling air and air-borne micro-organisms to pass into the chamber. Once in the chamber, the germicidal light destroys any micro-organisms contained in the passing air. This adds weight to the blades for a higher weight motor. U.S. Pat. No. 4,596,585 of D. W. Moeller, et al. titled “Method and Apparatus for Reduction of Radon Decay Product Exposure” is an ion-generator suspended just below the rotating blades to create special distribution of air-borne charged ions. These ions are used to reduce the amount of the radon decay products suspended in the air.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,676,721 of S. D. Hardee titled “Room Air Cleaner” and EP 196-337-A both disclose a fan whose blade surface is covered by an enveloping filter material. As the covered vanes rotate, the filter material traps air-borne particles. The foam blocks of the patent need to be accurately cut so as to maintain the critical balance of the rotating blades while the vane sock of Hardee '721 must be tailored for each blade.
It is thus an object of this invention to provide a practical ceiling fan filter that does not have the shortcomings mentioned hereinabove. It is a further object of this invention to provide a ceiling fan with a filter that is lightweight, compact, unobtrusive, and functional.
The invention is directed to a novel type of electric ceiling fans with a larger number of blades sweeping the effective sweep area, with fixed filters above the motor, a water evaporative cooling in tropics, an ionizer. For same energy, more air flow with healthy air is a new invention.
Accordingly it is the primary object of the invention to invent a novel pollution decreasing efficient ceiling fan, which is unique in design and construction, working and use. Further objects of the invention will be clear from the ensuing description.
The device comprises of fan rod with a rotating motor. The motor has radial arms with a ring (circular) frame. The ring has larger number of smaller blades in the effective sweep area with low resistance but easy air cutting margins for a larger air flow. There is a washable, detachable filter spread over the motor and blades and fixed on the fan rod, not on the blades. The filter of woven or nonwoven mesh traps the dust pollens, pathogens for healthy air. Added ioniser may be placed on the fan rods for health ions with needed electrical connections. The motor may be modified with a lower weight but same rotor and stator by using a plastic enclosure instead of metal. The fan has more air cutting blades with a lighter motor body with same rotor stator weight for same power. A water bottle with a wick connected to a spongy fabric placed above the filter fabric cools in summer.
These and other objects and features of the invention will become more apparent upon perusal of following description taken in conjunction with accompanying drawings wherein:
The following specification describes salient features of invention, the method of construction, the method of use and the advantages of the novel invention.
Existing ceiling fans in
The new device has a fan rod with an upper clamp for the roof hook. At the lower end is the motor. The motor has a ring with a larger number of blades with a higher air cutting area. A filtering fabric is attached to the fan rod as a canopy above the blades. An added ionizer may be clamped to the rod. As the blades rotate the air is sucked through the filter, the dust particles are trapped in the fabric for cleaner air. The fabric is removed to clean and destroy the dust for reuse. There is no extra power as the filter is stationery and not fitted to blades.
The device comprises of a fan rod (1) with a top clamp for the roof hook. The lower end has a motor (2). The motor has a ring (3) with radial arms (4) fixed to the motor. The ring carries a number of plastic/aluminum blades (5) of smaller size with easy air cutting edges. The air delivered is more as the blades are more in number. A filter fabric (6) is spread on supporting radial rods (7) which are fixed at the central end on the fan rod by a clamp (8). The filter assembly forms a canopy over the blades. The fabric may be woven or nonwoven plastic meshed fabric for reuse. The large pores may be used for non asthmatics, smaller for severe asthmatics to trap all the dust, pollens or pathogens. The filter may decrease air flow but the added blades give more air for same power & efficiency.
The motor may be modified. The motor has an upper (9) and lower (10) plastic not metal casing with a central stator (11) and a peripheral rotor (12). The stator has a central hollow rod (13) fixed to lower end of fan rod (1). The stator and rotor of same weight of existing technology may be used. Plastic casing instead of heavy metal casing helps for energy saving. A few holes (18) in the casing dissipate motor heat.
Added ionizer (14) may be fixed to the fan rod or at the center of fan motor rod (13). This is connected to the fan main circuit for releasing ions when in use.
Added cooling can be made with a plastic water bottle (15) fitted to the lower end of stator hollow rod (13). A wick (16) lifts water to a spongy fabric (17) spread over the top of filter and evaporates producing the cooling. Alternately a mini pump (extra electric power) may be used to pump water on the spongy fabric for fast evaporation. The bottle may be screwed to lower end of stator rod (13).
To use, the fan rod is hung on the roof hook. The filter fabric clamp (8) is fixed to the fan rod (1). The clamp has a bolt and nut or a tensioning mechanism for attaching to the fan rod firmly. The radial rods of fabric, fabric are fitted to form an air filtering canopy. The motor is fixed to lower end of fan rod. The blade radial arms (4), ring (3), blades (5) are fixed. The electrical fittings are connected to switches. Ionizer (14) may be fixed to fan rod. When switched on, the motor rotates, the ring with the blades suck air trapping dust and pollutants in air filter fabric and circulates air with no dust. The ionizer adds healthy ions. The clean air saves us from diseases. The filter is unclamped washed and refitted for years of use.
The device may be modified. Two layers of filters may also be used supported on two radial arms on the same clamp. The fabric can carry decorative colored figures. Lights may be fixed for decoration too on the fan rod (1) or stator rod (13). In the cooling model, the water is filled in the plastic bottle (15) and fixed to the stator rod (13). The wick (16) or mini pump lifts water to the spongy evaporative fabric (17) for cooling in summer. The filter fabric may be in two halves for easy removal or reattaching by Velcro, zips or fasteners. The blades, ring may be made of plastics for lower weight. Ionizers, cooling bottle may be optional attachments. The radial rods with ring and blades are screwed to the motor casing firmly. The blades are attached to ring by snapping on or by screws or moulding. Two blade rings may be used for stronger blade support too. The blades (made of plastics) are made of needed length and air cutting margins. Plastic parts may be injection moulded, metals cast as needed. Since fans come in different size, the ring size, blades shape and number, the filter size may vary for size.
It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that modifications to the invention described herein can readily be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. Protection is sought for all the subject matter described herein including any such modifications.
