Portable air circulation device

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6821095
  • Patent Number
    6,821,095
  • Date Filed
    Thursday, September 5, 2002
    22 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, November 23, 2004
    20 years ago
Abstract
A portable electrical blower assembly is provided. The portable electrical blower assembly has a pair of wall members; a motor control assembly coupled to a surface of one of the wall members, the motor control assembly including a motor control housing; a motor adjacent the motor control assembly and coupled thereto; and an air director disposed between the pair of wall members, the air director being rotatable with respect to the pair of wall members and the motor.
Description




FIELD OF THE INVENTION




This invention relates to air circulation devices. More specifically, the present invention relates to a portable air circulation device in which the air director is rotatable with respect to a supporting wall structure and motor.




BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION




A variety of air circulation devices are known in the prior art, and typically comprise a motor-driven impeller for drawing air at a relatively high rate through a flow path. A vent or grill provides an inlet to the flow path whereby air is drawn by an impeller into the flow path for redirection and output through a port.




The prior art includes blower assemblies that have complex construction wherein the motor controls and associated wiring are located remotely from the blower motor. Not only does this increase costs of production, but the flexing and associated strain on the wiring between the motor and associated control devices provide a point of failure. Furthermore, in certain of the prior art, motor control and wiring to the motor are located within the carrying handle increasing the risk of shock due to either a failure of the insulation of the exposed wiring or improper handling by the user. Finally, the prior art limits the degree by which the outlet air may be directed.




The present invention overcomes the problems and disadvantages of the prior art can be readily positioned for airflow and the direction maintained or varied as desired, and which provides other positive advantages.




SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION




In view of the shortcomings of the prior art, the present invention provides a portable electrical blower assembly.




According to one aspect of the present invention includes a least a pair of wall members; a motor control assembly coupled to a surface of one of the wall members, the motor control assembly including a motor control housing; a motor adjacent the motor control assembly and coupled thereto; and an air director disposed between the pair of wall members, the air director being rotatable with respect to the pair of wall members and the motor.




According to another aspect of the invention, the air director is rotatable through at least 180 degrees.




According to a further aspect of the invention, the air director is rotatable through about 360 degrees.




According to still another aspect of the present invention, a detent means provides a plurality of positive stops for rotation of the air director.




According to yet another aspect of the present invention, the handle is free of electrical wiring.




According to still another aspect of the present invention, the air director rotates with respect to the handle.




According to a further aspect of the present invention, the motor control assembly includes: a motor controller and a plurality of wires connected to at least of i) the motor controller and ii) the motor.




According to still a further aspect of the present invention, the motor is stationary during a rotation of the air director.




According to yet another aspect of the present invention, the motor is mounted to the motor control assembly or to one of the wall members.




According to a further aspect of the present invention, a fan assembly coupled to the motor includes a first plurality of blades and a second plurality of blades, each blade of the respective plurality of blades spaced apart from one another in a parallel configuration, the second plurality of blades offset from the first plurality of blades by a predetermined distance.




According to yet another aspect of the present invention, a first air intake adjacent a first one of the pair of wall members provides air intake for the first plurality of blades and a second air intake adjacent a second one of the pair of wall members provides air intake for the second plurality of blades.




These and other aspects of the invention are set forth below with reference to the drawings and the description of exemplary embodiments of the invention.











BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS




The invention is best understood from the following detailed description when read in connection with the accompanying drawing. It is emphasized that, according to common practice, the various features of the drawing are not to scale. On the contrary, the dimensions of the various features are arbitrarily expanded or reduced for clarity. Included in the drawing are the following Figures:





FIG. 1

is a left side perspective view of a portable air circulation device illustrating an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;





FIG. 2

is a right side perspective view of the portable air circulation device illustrating a second exemplary embodiment of the present invention;





FIG. 3

is an inside perspective view of a motor control assembly of the exemplary portable air circulation device;





FIG. 4

is an exploded perspective view illustrating details of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;





FIG. 5

is an exploded perspective view illustrating details of a further exemplary embodiment of the present invention;





FIG. 6

is a side view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention illustrating rotational movement of the air director;





FIG. 7

is a right side perspective view of the air director according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;





FIG. 8

is a left side view of a third exemplary embodiment of the present invention; and





FIG. 9

is a left side view of a fourth exemplary embodiment of the present invention.











DETAILED DESCRIPTION




Referring now more particularly to

FIGS. 1 and 2

an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is illustrated. As shown in

FIG. 1

, portable air circulator


100


has a pair of wall members


102


,


104


. Attached to one of the wall members, for example wall member


104


, is motor control assembly


106


. Included in motor control assembly


106


is motor controller


124


, such as a multi-position rotary switch, for example. Optionally, auxiliary power outlets


126


, and a safety device


128


, such as a circuit breaker, coupled to at least auxiliary power outlets


126


, may be included in motor control assembly


106


. At a lower potion of motor control assembly are air inlets


114


for providing a source of intake air


118


to portable air circulator


100


.




Portable air circulator


100


also includes a handle portion


112


coupled to wall members


102


,


104


. In one exemplary embodiment, handle portion


112


may be a separate part coupled to each of wall members


102


,


104


with fasteners, such as screws, adhesives, etc. Alternatively, handle portion


112


may be formed as a part of either wall member


102


,


104


and extend to engage the opposite wall member. In a similar manner, mounting base


122


, positioned at a lower portion of wall members


102


,


104


and at a front and rear portion thereof, may be separate parts extending between and engaging each of wall members


102


,


104


, or formed as a part of either wall member


102


,


104


and extend to engage the opposite wall member. Alternatively, and as shown in

FIGS. 2 and 4

, handle portions


212


A,


212


B and mounting portions


222


A,


222


B, may be formed as part of wall members


202


,


204


, respectively. In either approach, wall members


102


and


104


or


202


and


204


are joined together with a joining means, such as fasteners


416


(best shown in FIG.


4


), adhesives, etc.




Referring again to

FIG. 1

, mounting feet


130


may also be attached to the lower portion of wall members


102


,


104


,


202


,


204


. In an exemplary embodiment, mounting feet


130


may have a non-skid characteristic to inhibit unintentional movement of portable blower assembly


100


during operation, for example. Additionally, positioner


136


, such as wheels, (best shown in

FIG. 6

) for example, may be provided at the lower portion of mounting base


122


/


222


. Positioners


136


may be placed at either or both the front and/or rear of portable air circulator


100


to facilitate moving air circulator


100


along a surface. It is also contemplated that positioner


136


may include a lock (not shown) to prevent unintentional movement of air circulator


100


.




In an alternative embodiment, mounting base


122


/


222


may include a mounting point


138


, such as a through hole or blind hook/hanger, for example to facilitate fixedly mounting air circulator


100


to a surface, such as a wall, inclined floor, or table, for example.




Air director


108


, having a generally rectangular outlet


117


, is positioned between wall members


102


,


104


. Air director


108


is rotatable about axis A to provide outlet air


120


as needed in a direction generally orthogonal to axis A (best shown in FIGS.


2


and


7


). Outlet


117


may include grill work


116


therein, such as louvers, to aide in the control of outlet air


120


and/or to prevent foreign objects, such as body parts, from entering air director


108


and engaging with fan blade assembly


404


(best shown in FIG.


4


). In an exemplary embodiment, louvers


116


are fixed within outlet


117


, but the invention is not so limited. It is contemplated that louvers


116


may be repositionable along either or both the horizontal and/or vertical axes to redirect outlet air as desired.




It is contemplated that wall members


102


and


104


, motor control housing


106


, and air director


108


are constructed from a polymer, although other types of materials may be used as well to form any of the various parts of portable air circulation device


100


.




Referring now to

FIG. 2

, to facilitate the rotation of air director


108


about axis A, hold-downs


132


, such as hooks or clips for example, are provided along the periphery of inlet grill


214


, which is provided at a generally central portion of side portion


140


of air director


108


(best shown in FIG.


7


). In an exemplary embodiment, inlet grill


214


is formed as a unitary part of side portion


140


. Hold-downs


132


engage guide


134


, having a generally circular shape, provided in a portion of sidewall


102


(shown in

FIG. 1

) or sidewall


202


(shown in FIG.


2


). On the opposite side of air director


108


, a seat


113


having a generally circular shape is formed at a central portion of side portion


141


(best shown in

FIG. 4

) of air director


108


(best shown in FIG.


4


). A mating shoulder


224


is formed in sidewall


204


(best shown in

FIG. 5

) to engage with and fit within seat


113


.




In this way, and as shown in

FIG. 6

, air director


108


may be rotated through 360 degrees into any desired position, such as those depicted as position


1


,


2


,


3


,


4


, and


5


, for example in FIG.


6


. Further, air director


108


rotates with respect to the sidewall members


102


/


202


and


104


/


204


, handle portion


112


, and motor control assembly


106


. In an exemplary embodiment, hold-downs


132


may be resilient to allow for ease of assembly during engagement of air director


108


with sidewall member


102


/


202


.




The rotation of air director


108


may be limited to less than 360 degrees if desired by either increasing the length of outlet


117


and/or shortening the length of extension portion


105


of wall members


102


,


104


(or


202


,


204


) such that outlet


117


interferes with base


122


in the front and/or the rear of the assembly. As a result, the rotation of air director


108


may be limited to about 270 degrees. Furthermore, stops (not shown) may be provided at a desired position along side wall member


102


,


104


, for example to restrict the rotation of air director


108


to a desired angular limit and/or direction.




Referring again to

FIGS. 1

,


4


and


7


, in an exemplary embodiment, a plurality of detents


110


may be placed in either or both wall members


102


/


202


,


104


/


204


. A mating element, such as positioner


422


, having a generally rounded end, may be disposed in air director


108


within a space


424


in a side portion


140


thereof, and under the force of spring


420


urged to engage one of the plurality of detents


110


to provide positive stops (as well as tactile and audible feedback if desired) as air director


108


is rotated into a desired portion. In one exemplary embodiment, detents


110


are placed along the periphery of guide


134


at intervals of about 10 degrees, for example. The invention is not so limited, however, as it is contemplated that detents


110


may be spaced at intervals of between 5 and 15 degrees, if desired, or may be provided at predetermined random positions. Furthermore, although the example provides for detents


110


to be placed in a wall member, it is also contemplated that detents


110


may be placed in air director


108


, along one or both side walls, and the mating element


422


and spring


420


may be located within an adjacent wall member.




Referring now to

FIG. 3

, a perspective view of the inside of motor control assembly


106


is illustrated. As shown in

FIG. 3

, motor control assembly


106


has an interior space


109


. Within interior space


109


is spacer


308


, having a generally circular configuration, to provide a surface on which the rear of motor


402


(not shown in this figure) can rest if needed, and motor support


310


, having a generally semicircular configuration, for maintaining motor


402


in position within motor control assembly


106


. In addition, motor control assembly


106


includes motor controller


124


, such as a multi-position rotary switch, for example, and power cord


300


held in place by strain relief


304


, such as those well known in the art. Optionally, motor control assembly


106


may include one or more auxiliary power receptacles


126


and a safety device


128


, such as a circuit breaker, coupled to and in series with at least one side of auxiliary power receptacles


126


.




Wiring


302


between the various electrical components and power cord


300


, and wiring


306


between motor controller


124


and motor


402


(not shown in this figure) is contained within interior space


109


of motor control assembly


106


and are substantially stationary during rotation of air director


108


. As can be appreciated by those of skill in the art, this has the advantage of preventing exposure of wiring between the motor and its controller to the environment, as well as eliminating the flexing of motor control wiring during rotation of the air director or the possibility of snagging the motor control wiring on objects during transportation or use. Furthermore, configuring motor control assembly


106


in this way allows for an absence of electrical wiring in handle


112


, such as that required in certain conventional portable air circulation devices.




Referring again to

FIG. 4

, motor


402


may be fixedly mounted to wall member


204


(or


104


), such as at an inner portion thereof, for example, using fasteners


413


, such as screws, through mounting holes


412


. Alternatively, and as shown in

FIG. 5

, motor


402


may be mounted to motor control assembly


106


at mounting bosses


506


using fasteners


416


, such as screws. In this latter approach it may not be necessary to include motor support


310


(shown in FIG.


3


). In either approach, however, motor


402


is collocated with motor controller


124


and is fixed with respect to air director


108


, such that air director


108


may be rotated into a desired direction without effecting i) the position of motor


402


or ii) the wiring associated with motor


402


and motor controller


124


(best shown in FIG.


3


). Further, motor


402


is at least partially housed within interior space


109


of motor control assembly


106


.




As shown in

FIG. 4

, motor control assembly


106


may be coupled to an exterior portion of wall member


104


/


204


with fasteners


416


, for example, passing into boss


414


and into mounts


312


(best shown in

FIG. 3

) of motor control assembly


106


. In an alternative embodiment, motor control assembly


106


may include resilient members that engage with mating members, such as slots, formed within sidewall


104


/


204


, in snap-fit engagement.




Referring now to

FIG. 5

, motor


402


includes shaft


403


that rotates upon the application of electrical energy to motor


402


. Fan blade assembly


404


is coupled to shaft


403


at fan blade wall


410


using conventional means. Fan blade assembly


404


may have one or more sets of blades


406


,


408


that provide a flow of air therefrom and into the interior portion of outlet


117


upon rotation of motor shaft


403


. Blades


406


(and/or


408


) are substantially parallel to one another and have a predetermined angular pitch based on a desired airflow requirement.




In the exemplary embodiment in which there are two set of fan blades


406


,


408


, fan blade wall


410


forms a separation between the sets of fan blades


406


,


408


, at an inner portion of fan blade assembly


404


. Further, fan blades


406


may be offset from fan blades


408


by a predetermined pitch, such as half the spacing between adjacent blades within one set of fan blades. For example, if adjacent fan blades


406


are spaced apart from one another along the circumference of fan blade assembly


404


by 0.25 inch, the spacing between a fan blade


406


and an adjacent fan blade


408


would be 0.125 inch.




Fan blade assembly


404


and a portion of motor


402


adjacent shaft


403


are positioned within the interior portion


111


of air director


108


. Air director


108


is coupled between wall members


102


,


104


(or


204


,


204


) with the wall members fixed to one another using well-known means, such as screws, adhesives, etc.




In operation, intake air


118


flows though air inlet


114


and into the interior portion of fan blade assembly


404


adjacent fan blades


406


. Similarly, in the case of a dual fan blade assembly, intake air


218


flows though air inlet


214


and into the interior portion of fan blade assembly


404


adjacent fan blades


408


. As fan blade assembly


404


rotates under the control of motor


402


, each of fan blades


406


and


408


(in the case of a dual fan blade assembly) generates a portion of exhaust air


120


which flows out from outlet


117


.




Referring now to

FIG. 8

, a third exemplary embodiment of the present invention is illustrated. In

FIG. 8

, motor


402


is mounted to sidewall member


804


, at either an inside or outside portion thereof. Adjacent motor


402


is motor control assembly


806


, also mounted to sidewall


804


, and coupled to motor


402


via a short length of control cable


807


maintained in place with strain relief members


809


,


810


.




Referring now to

FIG. 9

, a fourth exemplary embodiment of the present invention is illustrated. This embodiment is similar to the third exemplary embodiment except for the use of coupling member


907


between motor control assembly


806


and motor


402


. Coupling member


907


may be a sleeve or conduit formed from a polymer or a metal, for example. The use of coupling


907


protects the wiring (not shown) passing between motor


402


and motor control assembly


806


.




The third and fourth exemplary embodiments are each similar to the first exemplary embodiment, in that motor control assembly includes motor controller


114


with power cord


300


coupled to motor control assembly


806


via strain relief


304


. Optionally, motor control assembly


806


may include auxiliary power outlet(s)


126


and safety device


128


.




Although the invention has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, it is not limited thereto. Rather, the appended claims should be construed to include other variants and embodiments of the invention, which may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the true spirit and scope of the present invention.



Claims
  • 1. A portable electrical blower assembly comprising:a pair of sidewall members spaced apart and substantially parallel to one another; an air director disposed between the pair of sidewall members, the air director being rotatable with respect to the pair of sidewall members about an axis of rotation substantially orthogonal to the pair of sidewall members; a motor control assembly coupled to an outside surface of one of the pair of sidewall members, the motor control assembly comprising: a motor control housing defining an interior space; a motor controller at least partially disposed within the motor control housing; a motor adjacent the motor control housing and coupled to at least one of the sidewall members and the motor control housing; a plurality of wires connected to the at least one of i) the motor controller and/or ii) the motor, at least an extent of the plurality of wires disposed within the interior space of the motor control assembly.
  • 2. The blower assembly according to claim 1, wherein the air director is rotatable through at least 180 degrees.
  • 3. The blower assembly according to claim 1, wherein the air director is rotatable through about 270 degrees.
  • 4. The blower assembly according to claim 1, wherein the air director is rotatable through about 360 degrees.
  • 5. The blower assembly according to claim 1, further comprising detents disposed in at least one of the pair of sidewall members, the detents providing a plurality of positive stops for rotation of the air director.
  • 6. The blower assembly according to claim 5, wherein the detents are configured in a substantially circular configuration at an interval of between about 5 and 15 degrees.
  • 7. The blower assembly according to claim 1, further comprising detents disposed on the air director, the detents providing a plurality of positive stops for rotation of the air director.
  • 8. The blower assembly according to claim 1, further comprising a cross member coupled to one or more of the pair of sidewall members, wherein the air director rotates with respect to the cross member.
  • 9. The blower assembly according to claim 8, wherein the cross member includes at least a portion of a handle, one or more of the pair of sidewall members and the handle formed as a unitary part.
  • 10. The blower assembly according to claim 8, wherein the cross member is free of electrical wiring.
  • 11. The blower assembly according to claim 8, wherein the cross member is coupled between the pair of sidewall members, the sidewall members and the cross member formed as a unitary part.
  • 12. The blower assembly according to claim 8, further comprising an axis of rotation about which the air director rotates, wherein said cross member is located radially outward of an envelope defined between said axis of rotation and an outermost portion of the air director, and wherein the air director is able to rotate about the axis of rotation by about 360 degrees without contacting the cross member.
  • 13. The blower assembly according to claim 1, further comprising a handle coupled between the sidewall members, wherein the air director rotates with respect to handle.
  • 14. The blower assembly according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the sidewall members includes a handle and a mounting means, the sidewall members, the handle and the mounting means formed as a unitary part.
  • 15. The blower assembly according to claim 1, wherein at least one of i) the sidewall members, ii) the motor control housing, and/or iii) the air director are formed from a polymer.
  • 16. The blower assembly according to claim 1, wherein at least one of i) the sidewall members, ii) the motor control housing, anchor iii) the air director are formed from a metal.
  • 17. The blower assembly according to claim 1, wherein the motor control assembly further includes:at least one auxiliary power outlet; and at least one safety device connected to the least one auxiliary power outlet, the plurality of wires connected to the at least one of i) the at least one auxiliary power outlet, ii) the motor controller, and/or iii) the at least one safety device.
  • 18. The blower assembly according to claim 1, wherein the motor and the plurality of wiring are substantially stationary during a rotation of the air director.
  • 19. The blower assembly according to claim 1, further comprising an opening in one of the pair of sidewall members, wherein the motor further comprises an output shaft and at least a portion of one of the motor and the output shaft is positioned at least partially within said opening in one of the pair of sidewall members.
  • 20. The blower assembly according to claim 1, wherein the motor is positioned at least partially within the interior space of the motor control assembly.
  • 21. The blower assembly according to claim 1, further comprising positioning means.
  • 22. The blower assembly according to claim 21, wherein the positioning means includes at least one wheel.
  • 23. The blower assembly according to claim 21, wherein the positioning means includes at least a pair of wheels.
  • 24. The blower assembly according to claim 1, further comprising a fan assembly directly coupled to the motor, the fan assembly disposed within the air director.
  • 25. The blower assembly according to claim 24, wherein the fan assembly includes a plurality of blades spaced apart from one another in a substantially parallel configuration.
  • 26. The blower assembly according to claim 24, wherein the fan assembly includes a first plurality of blades and a second plurality of blades, each blade of the respective plurality of blades spaced apart from one another in a substantially parallel configuration, the second plurality of blades offset from the first plurality of blades by a predetermined distance.
  • 27. The blower assembly according to claim 26, further comprising a partition disposed between the first plurality of blades and the second plurality of blades.
  • 28. The blower assembly according to claim 27, further comprising a first air intake adjacent a first one of the pair of sidewall members and a second air intake adjacent a second one of the pair of sidewall members, the first air intake providing air for the first plurality of blades and the second air intake providing air for the second plurality of blades.
  • 29. The blower assembly according to claim 28, wherein at least one of the first air intake and/or the second air intake is stationary with respect to the rotation of the air director.
  • 30. The blower assembly according to claim 28, wherein one of the air intakes is stationary with respect to the rotation of the air director and the other air intake rotates in conjunction with the air director.
  • 31. The blower assembly according to claim 27, wherein the motor is coupled to the partition.
  • 32. The blower assembly according to claim 27, further comprising a first air intake disposed within a first one of the pair of sidewall members and a second air intake adjacent a second one of the pair of sidewall members, the first air intake providing air for the first plurality of blades and the second air intake providing air for the second plurality of blades.
  • 33. The blower assembly according to claim 1, wherein the motor is stationary with respect to a rotation of the air director.
  • 34. The blower assembly according to claim 1, further comprising mounting means adaptable for mounting the blower assembly on at least one of a substantially horizontal surface and/or a substantially vertical surface.
  • 35. The portable electrical blower assembly according to claim 1, wherein the motor is a non-ventilated electric motor.
  • 36. The portable electrical blower assembly according to claim 1, further comprising a front opening and a rear opening both of which extend vertically upward from proximate a support surface, the front edges of the pair of the sidewall members defining the front opening and the rear edges of the pair of sidewall members defining the rear opening, wherein the air director is capable of discharging a flow of air substantially unimpeded through one of the front opening and the rear opening.
  • 37. The portable electric blower assembly according to claim 1, wherein the motor control housing is formed integral with at least one of the pair of sidewall members.
  • 38. A portable electrical blower assembly comprising:air directing means; at least one support means supporting the air directing means; motor control means attached to one of the support means; and handle means either coupled to or formed integral with the at least one support mean, and the air directing means being rotatably coupled to the at least one support means, the air directing means being rotatable with respect to the at least one support means, the motor control means, and/or the handle means.
  • 39. The portable blower assembly according to claim 38, further comprising means for repositioning the portable blower assembly on a supporting surface.
  • 40. The portable blower assembly according to claim 38, further comprising means for mounting the portable blower assembly on a supporting surface.
  • 41. The portable blower assembly according to claim 38, further comprising means for providing a supply of air to the air directing means.
  • 42. The portable blower assembly according to claim 38, further comprising means for providing auxiliary power from said motor control means.
  • 43. A portable electrical blower assembly comprising:at least a pair of spaced-apart substantially vertically extending sidewall members defining a space therebetween; an air director rotatably disposed within the space between the pair of sidewall members; at least one cross member extending between and coupled to the sidewall members; a motor control assembly coupled to one of the sidewall members on a surface opposite the air director, the motor control assembly comprising: i) a motor control housing defining an interior space, and ii) a motor controller at least partially disposed within the motor control housing; a motor having at least one output shaft; and a fan blade assembly positioned within the air director and coupled to the output shaft of the motor, wherein the air director is rotatable with respect to the pair of sidewall members and the cross member about an axis of rotation oriented substantially orthogonal to the pair of sidewall members; and the cross member is either connected to or formed integral with at least one of the defined by the sidewall members.
  • 44. A portable electrical blower assembly comprising:at least one support means; motor control means attached to one of the support means; handle means either coupled to or formed integral with the at least one support means; and air directing means coupled to the at least one support means, the air directing means being rotatable with respect to the at least one support means, the motor control means, and/or the handle means; wherein the support means further comprises a pair of spaced-apart substantially vertically extending sidewalls defining a space therebetween for receiving the air director means; and wherein the handling means further comprises a cross member connected to or formed integral with at least one of the sidewalls and extending in a direction substantially orthogonal to a plane defined by the sidewalls.
  • 45. A portable air circulator device comprising:a first sidewall; a second sidewall spaced apart from the first sidewall end oriented substantially parallel to the first sidewall; a space defined by a distance between the first sidewall and the second sidewall; an air director disposed within the space and rotatably coupled to the first sidewall and the second sidewall, the air director having an axis of rotation oriented substantially orthogonal to the first and second sidewalls, the air director being capable of rotating about the axis of rotation; at least one opening defined between respective peripheral edges of the first sidewall and the second sidewall, the at least one opening extending about the peripheral edges of the first sidewall and the second sidewall; at least one cross member extending between and connecting the first sidewall to the second side wall, the at least one cross member located at a distance radially outward from the axis of rotation of the air director such that the at least one cross member does not interfere with the rotation of the air director; a motor having at least one output shaft; a fan blade assembly positioned within the air director and coupled to the output shaft of the motor; a motor controller for controlling an operation of the motor, the motor controller positioned proximate the motor; a plurality of wires electrically connecting the motor controller and the motor, the plurality of wires remaining substantially stationary with respect to the motor and the motor controller during rotation of the air director; and an air outlet in the air director for discharging a flow of exhaust air from the air director, the exhaust flow being in a direction that is substantially orthogonal to the axis of rotation of the air director.
  • 46. The portable air circulator device according to claim 45, wherein said air director is rotatable with respect to the sidewalls such that the air outlet can be positioned over an angular range between 0 and 360 degrees.
  • 47. The portable air circulator device according to claim 45, wherein said at least one cross member further comprises a handle far use in transporting the portable air circulator from one location to another, and wherein the one or more cross members are stationary with respect to the rotatable air director.
  • 48. The portable air circulator device according to claim 45, wherein the at least one cross member further comprises one or more feet for supporting the portable air circulator device on a mounting surface, and wherein the one or more feet are stationary with respect to the rotatable air director.
  • 49. The portable air circulator device according to claim 45, wherein the motor is connected to one or more of the first sidewall and/or the second sidewall and the motor controller is connected to an exterior of the same sidewall to which the motor is connected.
  • 50. The portable air circulator device according to claim 45, wherein the motor is connected to the air director and the motor controller is connected to the air director, wherein the motor, the motor controller, and the plurality of wires rotate with the air director during rotation of the air director.
  • 51. The portable air circulator device according to claim 45, wherein the motor further comprises a single output shaft, and wherein the motor is mounted to one of the sidewalls and at least a portion of the output shaft extends through an opening in the air director into the air director.
  • 52. The portable air circulator device according to claim 45, wherein the motor further comprises dual output shafts, and wherein the motor is mounted within the air director and the motor controller is mounted on the air director.
  • 53. A portable electrical blower assembly comprising:a free-standing support chassis having at least one side wall; a motor connected to the at least one side wall; a motor controller electrically coupled to the motor by a plurality of wires; and an air director rotatably coupled to the support chassis, the air director being rotatable with respect to the support chassis, the motor, and the motor controller, wherein the motor and the motor controller do not impede rotation of the air director.
  • 54. The portable electrical blower assembly according to claim 53, wherein the motor controller is connected to the at least one side wall on a surface opposite the air director and proximate the motor.
  • 55. The portable electrical blower assembly according to claim 53, wherein the motor controller is positioned on a casing of the motor.
  • 56. The portable electrical blower assembly according to claim 53, wherein the motor controller is proximate a casing of the motor.
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Entry
International Search Report PCT/US03/26955, dated Jan. 2, 2004.