Patent Application
20060179679
The present invention relates generally to air blowers. More particularly, the present invention relates to high velocity portable air blowers.
A direct, high velocity air stream is useful in a number of applications. A high-velocity air-stream can be used to cool an area where a person is working and does not otherwise have access to air conditioning or other air-cooling systems. For example, the work areas of mechanics, painters, plumbers, carpenters, or electricians are often in areas that are not typically occupied by people, and are therefore not air conditioned. A high-velocity air stream can be used to cool these areas for the comfort and productivity of the workers.
A high-velocity stream of air can also be used to ventilate a work area that does not have an adequate ventilation system. Similarly, a high velocity stream of air can be used as an exhaust, as the high velocity stream of air can send unwanted pollutants out of the workspace into a remote location. Additionally, a high velocity stream of air can be used to accelerate the drying of paint and other liquids.
To replace bulky solutions for air flow, including box fans and the like, so-called “portable,” high-velocity blowers have been created and placed on the market. These devices are able to deliver air at a high velocity without the requirement of a bulky, large fan. Instead of the larger fan, these blowers include powerful motors to drive a blower wheel at high speeds, driving the air flow at a velocity higher than would otherwise be possible with a fan of equivalent size.
However, although some of these blower devices claim to be portable, they lack a degree of portability often desired in remote workspaces. This is caused by the fact that some of these blower devices require attachment to a grounded 120 volt power outlet in order to drive the motor that drives the blower wheel. The use of electrical cords and wires can be inconvenient for a number of reasons. For example, a high velocity blower is sometimes needed in a wet environment, where there is a possibility that water or other liquids in the environment will come into contact with the electrical cord. Water or liquid contact with the electrical cord may increase the likelihood that the blower will malfunction.
Also 120-volt power outlets are often not available in remote workspaces where circulation, ventilation, or exhaust is desirable and otherwise not available, which is the prime location where a high velocity blower would be used. Thus, in order to power the blower, the blower's users would need to use a long extension cord connecting the blower to the closest 120-volt power outlet. Furthermore, the cord needs to be positioned so as to avoid any moisture that may be present in the work area, the existence of which is often the very reason a blower is used in the first place. Moisture in the work area, if it contacts an electrical cord, can result in malfunction of the blower.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a method and apparatus that provides high velocity air movement without the use of an electrical cord.
The foregoing needs are met, to a great extent, by the present invention, wherein in one aspect an apparatus is provided that in some embodiments provides a method and apparatus that provides high velocity air movement without the use of an electrical cord.
In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a portable blower is provided. The portable blower includes a housing, an opening in the housing configured to vent a gas, a blower wheel assembly configured to blow air out of the opening, a motor configured to drive the blower wheel, and a rechargeable battery configured to provide power to the motor.
In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, a method of assembling a portable blower is provided. The method includes attaching a blower wheel to a motor, fastening the motor and blower wheel assembly to a housing, and attaching a rechargeable battery to the housing.
In accordance with yet another embodiment of the present invention, a portable blower is provided. The portable blower includes a housing having an opening, a means for blowing a gas radially out of the opening, and a means for recharging a rechargeable battery that powers the portable blower.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, certain embodiments of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof herein may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional embodiments of the invention that will be described below and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of embodiments in addition to those described and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein, as well as the abstract, are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception upon which this disclosure is based may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
The invention will now be described with reference to the drawing figures, in which like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout. An embodiment in accordance with the present invention provides a portable multi-purpose blower that uses a 12 volt direct current blower motor in conjunction with a self-contained rechargeable battery pack that makes it portable. Another embodiment in accordance with the present invention provides a method of moving air at a high velocity using a 12 volt direct current blower motor and a self-contained rechargeable battery pack.
An embodiment of the present inventive apparatus and method is illustrated in
Using this pivoting blower head 14 and the handle 16, the blower's 10 user can direct the flow of air in an up or down direction, and/or a left or right direction, without moving the entire blower 10. The user can better focus the air where blowing is needed, i.e. where workers are working or where a liquid needs to be quickly dried. The pivoting blower head 14 is useful if air needs to be focused in an upper direction above the blower 10. The blower head 14 can pivot upwards so that the air can be focused on the upper level of the room while the blower 10 is at a lower level in the workspace. The pivoting blower head 14 can pivot approximately 180 degrees and is secured at any point of the rotation by a large rubber O-ring that is positioned between the pivoting blower head 14 and the supporting base housing assembly 12.
The blower 10 also contains a motor 20. The motor 20 is located on the left side of the base housing unit 12 in the embodiment of the invention shown in
Inside the housing unit 12, adjacent to the motor 20 is a blower wheel 22. The blower wheel 22 is coupled to the motor 20, so that the motor 20 causes the blower wheel 22 to rotate. The rotation of the blower wheel 22 causes air to be moved radially, as opposed to axial air flow produced by a fan blades. The blower wheel 22 is configured so that the airflow can be directed out of the vent 18. As described above, the vent 18 is a part of the pivoting blower head 14, and the air coming out of the vent 18 can therefore be focused in a plurality of directions. In some embodiments of the invention, the blower wheel 22 can withstand being driven by the motor 20 at high velocities. The blower wheel 22 is adapted to rotate at high velocities, causing air to be driven through the vent 18 at high velocities. The blower wheel 22 generally works better than other fan designs against high static pressures.
As shown in
In the embodiment of the invention as shown in
The battery pack 26 shown in
As shown in
In the embodiment of the blower 10 shown in
Some embodiments of the invention, as shown in
A voltage meter 46 is shown if
The various parts of the portable blower 10 can be made of a variety of materials, such as metals, plastics, composite materials, ceramics, and any other suitable materials. Attachments and connections between the various parts of the portable blower 10 can be accomplished using screws, bolts, nails, rivets, adhesives, welds, or any other suitable means.
Although an example of the portable blower is shown using a twelve volt rechargeable battery and a twelve volt direct current motor, it will be appreciated that other voltages can be used. Also, although the portable blower is useful to ventilate an area it can also be used for, among other things, cooling, exhausting, and drying.
The many features and advantages of the invention are apparent from the detailed specification, and thus, it is intended by the appended claims to cover all such features and advantages of the invention which fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and variations will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation illustrated and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.
