Patent Application
20090016883
This invention is in the field of fans and in particular the wings of fans that detach, fold or turn on their longitudinal axis.
Fans are usually used to cool people by moving air towards the people which quickens evaporation of moisture on the skin surface, causing a cooling effect. Fans are also used for heating by blowing air over heated elements. The construction of fans usually is in the form of a motor to create a rotary motion with wings attached to the motor causing the wings to rotate around the motor. Such fans are used in the domestic and industrial markets and either stand on the floor, on a surface like a table, attached with an attachment means to a fixture or inverted and attached to a ceiling.
The wings of the fan accumulate dirt that attaches itself to the wings as the wings turn. This phenomenon is particularly acute in industrial fans in dusty or greasy environments but also in the domestic market fan wings accumulate dirt and require cleaning. Dirty fan wings can impair the efficiency of the fan apart from the unaesthetic aspect. The cleaning process is often impaired by the frame work around the fan wings. Fans that are in reach of people usually are surrounded by a frame to protect objects from hitting the fast revolving wings. One side of this frame is usually removable revealing one side of the wings for cleaning purposes. Often the other side of the wing is difficult to reach. Similarly with ceiling fans, the side of the wings facing the floor can be cleaned but the side facing the ceiling is very hard to clean without dismantling the fan from the ceiling.
In addition to the cleaning aspects of fans there are transportation and storage problems associated with fans because of the wide diameter with the wings.
This invention reveals novel ways to move or remove the wings of a fan to assist the cleaning process as well as transportation and storage.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description present embodiments of the invention and are intended to provide an overview or framework for understanding the nature and character of the invention as it is claimed. The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated into and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate various embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles and operations of the invention but the not to limit the invention to these descriptions only.
This invention reveals at least three possibilities for removing or folding fan wings.
The first is a method of a clip on and off wing from the revolving body of the motor. This could be by having a sleeve attached to the revolving motor for the wing to be firmly held therein. There would be a clip device to hold the wing in the sleeve that could have a press action to release the wing for cleaning or other reason.
The second method is for the wing to fold which would give easier access to both sides of the wing. This would be especially beneficial in the case of ceiling fans. The folded wing would reveal the upper side of the wing that normally faces the ceiling. The folding could be with the release of a locking mechanism and when the wing is straightened the lock would click locked. Another folding system could be with the aid of a removable pin.
The third method of adjusting the fan wing is for the wing to remain attached to the rotating motor and to remain outstretched but with the ability to turn on its longitudinal axis at the point of connection with the rotating motor. Unlike the above two methods that also ease and reduce costs of transportation and storage, this method could be used to adjust the air direction when there is a locking device to hold the angle of the wing at different angles.
The above described embodiments of folding or twisting fan blades could be operated electronically with or without a remote control.
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and together with the description, serve to explain by way of example only, the principles of the invention:
As will be appreciated the present invention is capable of other and different embodiments than those discussed above and described in more detail below, and its several details are capable of modifications in various aspects, all without departing from the spirit of the invention. Accordingly, the drawings and description of the embodiments set forth below are to be regarded as illustrative in nature and not restrictive.
The connecting piece 136 is slid all the way into housing 138 where there is a locking mechanism 146 to hold the blade 132 firmly while rotating during use. When desiring to clean the blade 132 the locking mechanism 146 is released and the blade 132 can be twisted while the piece 136 remains in the housing 138. To lock the blade 132 in place the blade 132 is twisted until the protrusion 140 fits into the rut 142 and slid towards the locking mechanism 146.
The present invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiments described above, but to encompass any and all embodiments within the scope of the following claims.
