Leg-equipped appliance switchable between deployed state of use and stowed and / or handled compact state

Abstract

The invention relates to a legged appliance (20) switchable between a deployed state of use and a stowed and / or handling compact state, comprising: an upper functional unit (22), such as a blowing unit; a leg of the upper functional unit (22), having a lower base (26) and a removable post, the lower base (26) having at least one recess for stowing the post (24), and a securing device for securing the lower base (26) to a front face (40) of the upper unit (22), characterized in that the stowing recess (80) is open to a bottom face (26i) of the lower base (26), the lower base (26) has a lower surface (26i) to allow stowing of the post split into two segments (24i, 24s), and the bottom surface (26i) of the lower base (26) is adjacent to the front surface when the appliance (20) is in a compact state. The invention is also applicable to lighting devices, such as street lamps.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an electrical appliance, in particular to a fan with legs, wherein the legs of an upper functional unit (such as an upper air supply unit) have a lower base and a detachable column to allow the device to be folded into a compact state without packaging or special packaging. Background Art

[0002] Therefore, the present invention relates to an electrical appliance with legs that can be converted between an unfolded state for use and a folded and / or compact state for transportation, comprising:

[0003] a) - Upper functional unit, having:

[0004] A protective housing for a source of a functional flow, having a functional flow output front face;

[0005] A source of emission of the functional flow is disposed in the protective housing along an axial general direction; and

[0006] b) When the device is in the unfolded state, the legs of the upper functional unit have:

[0007] i) a lower base, the bottom surface of which is capable of resting on a surface; and

[0008] ii) a removable column, the lower end of which is removably fixed to the lower base and the upper end of which is removably fixed to the upper functional unit,

[0009] And the lower base has at least one groove for folding the column, and a fixing device for fixing the lower base to the front side of the protective shell when the appliance is in a compact state.

[0010] The invention aims to propose an appliance of this type whose design is as simple as possible, whose conversion is as simple and as intuitive as possible, and whose aesthetics are optimized both in its state of use and in its compact state of storage. Summary of the invention

[0011] The present invention provides a convertible electrical appliance of the above type, characterized in that:

[0012] -i) said at least one stowage recess is open to said bottom surface of the lower base to allow stowage of the column;

[0013] -ii) and when the appliance is in said compact state, the bottom surface of the lower base is adjacent to the front surface of the protective housing.

[0014] According to other features of the present invention:

[0015] - the column is composed of several sections, including at least one lower section, the lower end of which is detachably fixed to the lower base, and at least one upper section, the upper end of which is detachably fixed to the upper functional unit, and when the appliance is in the compact state, the at least two sections are arranged in the at least one stowed groove open to the bottom surface of the lower base;

[0016] - when the appliance is in the compact state, at least two sections of the column extend parallel to each other along the maximum dimension of the at least one retracted recess;

[0017] - the lower base has an annular peripheral frame and a central fixing bracket to fix the lower end of the column, in which the at least one stowage groove of the column is formed;

[0018] - the annular peripheral frame of the lower base is circular and the central fixing bracket is a radial bracket;

[0019] - said fixing means for fixing the lower base to the protective housing of the upper functional unit have a bayonet fixing mechanism, the translation and rotation axes of which are coaxial with said general firing direction;

[0020] - the front face of the hollow housing has a hollow front wall, which extends facing the bottom face of the lower base when the appliance is in a compact state;

[0021] - the stowage recess has retaining means for retaining the column in the stowed position, in particular elastically deformable retaining means;

[0022] - the upper functional unit has a handle for carrying the appliance in the use state or in the compact state;

[0023] - the lower base forms a hollow half-shell with an open flat bottom surface capable of being placed on a surface;

[0024] The lower base is molded in one piece, in particular of plastic material.

[0025] The electrical appliance according to the present invention is characterized in that the upper functional unit is an upper air supply unit having:

[0026] The hollow protective shell can be penetrated axially by airflow and has an airflow output front;

[0027] The fan blades are arranged in the hollow shell;

[0028] A driving motor drives the fan blades to rotate so that the airflow flows axially through the front surface,

[0029] Thus, a fan with legs is formed which can be switched between an unfolded state for use and a folded and / or compact state for transportation.

[0030] As a variant, the electrical appliance according to the invention is characterized in that the upper functional unit is an upper lighting unit having:

[0031] A protective housing for the emission source of the luminous flux, having a luminous flux output front face;

[0032] The emission source of the luminous flux is arranged in the protective housing along the axial general direction.

[0033] Thus, a lamp with legs is formed which can be converted between an unfolded state for use and a folded and / or transported compact state.

[0034] Brief Description of the Figures

[0035] Other features and advantages of the present invention will be described by reading the following specific embodiments. For ease of understanding, reference will be made to the following drawings, in which:

[0036] Figure 1 is a front three-quarter perspective view showing an embodiment of a convertible fan according to the invention, the fan being shown in an in-use, deployed state on the one hand and in a stowed, compact state on the other hand;

[0037] Figure 2 and Figure 1 similarly, a rear three-quarter perspective view of the fan in both its extended and stowed compact states;

[0038] Figure 3A yes Figure 1 and Figure 2 A bottom perspective view of the lower base of the fan shown in ;

[0039] Figure 3B is with Figure 3A a similar view wherein the lower section of the column is shown in a stowed position within the stowage recess of the lower base, and the upper section of the column is shown in a stowed intermediate position outside of the stowage recess of the lower base;

[0040] Figure 3C is with Figure 3B a similar view in which the two sections of the upright are shown in a stowed position in the stowed recesses of the lower base;

[0041] Figure 4 is a rear three-quarter perspective view showing an intermediate step of mounting the lower base and the two sections housed therein onto the front face of the upper air supply unit of the fan;

[0042] Figure 5A is a perspective view of a detail of the implementation of a hollow protective shell of a fan blade, showing one of the lugs belonging to the bayonet fixing system that fixes the lower base to the front side of the hollow shell;

[0043] Figure 5B After the lower base is placed on the hollow shell by axial translation, Figure 5A Similar views;

[0044] Figure 5C After the lower base is locked on the hollow shell by rotation, Figure 5B Similar views;

[0045] Figure 6 is a perspective view of a detail of the implementation of a hollow protective shell of a fan blade, showing one of the lugs belonging to the bayonet fixing system that fixes the lower base to the front side of the hollow shell;

[0046] Figure 7 is a perspective view of the implementation details of the lower base, which shows one of the "L"-shaped grooves, which belongs to the bayonet fixing system for fixing the lower base to the front side of the hollow shell;

[0047] Figure 8 is a front three-quarter perspective view, which particularly shows the upper air supply unit;

[0048] Fig. 9 is similar to Figure 8 , which shows some components of the upper air supply unit in an exploded perspective view;

[0049] Fig.10 is a perspective view of implementation details, which shows the storage layout of the power cord of the fan motor. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0050] For the purpose of describing the present invention and understanding the claims, as a non-limiting example and without limiting reference to the direction of gravity on the ground, vertical, longitudinal and transverse orientations will be adopted, as marked with coordinates V, L, T as shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the longitudinal axis L and the transverse axis T extend in the horizontal plane.

[0051] Typically, the longitudinal axis L is oriented from front to back.

[0052] In the following description, the same, similar or similar elements will be denoted by the same reference numerals.

[0053] First embodiment

[0054] Figure 1 and Figure 2 A so-called "fan with legs" type fan 20 is shown, which extends vertically as a whole in the unfolded state of use, and has, from top to bottom, an upper air supply unit 22 (also called a fan head), a detachable vertical column 24 and a lower base 26 in the shape of a disc as a whole, the overall flat bottom surface of the lower base being able to be placed on a horizontal surface, such as the ground (not shown).

[0055] The lower base 26 equipped with the uprights 24 constitutes the legs 28 of the fan 20 , which supports the upper air supply unit 22 .

[0056] The legs extend along a vertical axis A28.

[0057] The upper air supply unit 22 has a hollow housing 30 , which is in the form of a grille-type housing and has an overall cylindrical shape, whose general axis A30 is horizontal here and perpendicular to the axis A28 of the support leg 28 .

[0058] Especially if Figure 2 As can be seen in the figure, at the rear of the hollow housing 30 , the upper air supply unit 22 has an axial rear drive block 32 , the lower part of which has a vertical pipe 34 for detachably fixing it to the upper end of the column 24 .

[0059] Known and as Figure 8 and Fig. 9 As can be seen in the figure, the rear drive block 32 has an electric reducer with a motor, and its output shaft 33 extends axially along the axis A30 in the hollow housing 30.

[0060] The rear driving block 30 may also have a transmission device to allow the upper air supply unit 22 to be driven to rotate alternately around the vertical axis A28, thereby allowing the air supply airflow generated by the fan 20 to perform an alternate sweeping motion on the space.

[0061] The hollow housing 30 is composed of two parts, including a hollow cylindrical rear part 36 with a rear drive block fixed on the rear side, and an open flat front side 40 .

[0062] The hollow housing 30 also has a front grille 42 closing its front face 40 , in the form of a flat grille 42 of circular profile.

[0063] The front grille 42 is assembled and secured to the cylindrical rear portion 36 by a bayonet type mechanism having a set of peripheral lugs 46 carried by the front grille 42 , and a set of “L” shaped complementary grooves 48 .

[0064] The hollow housing 30 includes a fan blade 56 , which is driven to rotate by the output shaft 33 and is fixed to the output shaft by a nut 58 .

[0065] Under the action of the motor, the fan blades 56 can be driven to rotate to generate an air supply airflow, which passes through the hollow housing axially from back to front along the axis A30.

[0066] Ventilation air flows out of the hollow housing 30 through a front grille 42 that closes the open front side of the rear portion 36 thereof.

[0067] At the upper part of the hollow cylindrical rear part 36, the upper air supply unit 22 is equipped with a handle 60 that allows the fan 20 to be carried, in particular when the fan is in a stowed and / or compact state for carrying. The axial positioning of the handle 60 along the axis A30 is determined according to the center of gravity of the assembly to be carried. Therefore, the position is not limited to the position shown, and the handle can be fixed, for example, to the upper part of the rear drive block 32.

[0068] The hollow casing 30 divided into two parts 36 and 42 as well as the blade 56 and its nut 58 are advantageously moulded from plastic material.

[0069] The column 24 is a detachable column divided into several sections, which include, without limitation, an upper section 24s and a lower section 24i.

[0070] The two sections are here of equal length and the lower end 62i of the upper section 24s is removably fixed to the upper end 64s of the lower section 24i in any manner known for this purpose.

[0071] The upper end 62s of the upper section 24s is removably fixed (here by fastening and fitting) to the tube 34, while the lower end 64i of the lower section 24i is removably fixed (here by fastening and fitting) to a hole 66 of the lower base 26 that opens vertically upward.

[0072] Advantageously, the design of the free upper end 62s and the free lower end 64i of the removable column 24, and of the complementary portions 34 and 66 that receive them, are identical, so as to allow the column 24 to be mounted in any orientation.

[0073] The lower base 26 is generally in the shape of a hollowed-out disc and a half-shell, and is, for example, molded from a plastic material.

[0074] Without limitation, the hollow lower base 26 here has an annular peripheral frame 70 in the shape of a half crown and a central radial support 72 .

[0075] Especially FIG. 3A to FIG. 3C and Figure 4 As seen in FIG. 2 , the bottom surface 26 i of the hollow lower base 26 is an open surface extending in a plane that specifically includes the outer bottom edge 69 and the inner bottom edge 71 of the frame 70 and the bottom edge 73 of the central support 72 .

[0076] All its edges 69, 71 and 73 constitute the edges of the flat bottom surface 26i of the lower base 26, which edges lie on the ground when the fan 20 is in the deployed state of use.

[0077] In the center of the center bracket 72, the lower base 26 has a hub 74 in which the aperture 66 is formed.

[0078] Especially Figure 1 and Figure 2As seen in FIG. 2 , the top surface 26 of the lower base 26 is substantially flat and hollowed out, and has an opening 66 in the middle of the center of the lower base 26 and the center bracket 72 to accommodate the free lower end 64i of the lower section 24i of the column 24.

[0079] The design is not limited to the top surfaces on both sides of the central support 72 and the hollowed-out lower base, wherein the top surface may be solid, for example.

[0080] The open bottom surface 26i of the lower base 26 leads to two grooves 80, each of which is capable of receiving in the stowed position a section 24i, 24s of the removable column 24. The two stowed grooves 80 are two grooves diametrically opposed relative to the central axis of the lower base 26, each extending into the interior of the hollow central support 72, substantially along the entire length of the latter.

[0081] Each stowage recess 80 is defined by peripheral side walls 82 having a rectangular profile, the dimensions of which are such that they allow each stowage recess 80 to receive a segment 24i, 24s of a removable post 28 when in the stowed position.

[0082] Each folding groove 80 here has a retaining device that is retained by elastic deformation of the segments 24i, 24s. The retaining device is composed of two cylindrical arc ribs 84, which act as elastic clamps and whose contour is complementary to the cylindrical outer contour of each segment 24i, 24s of the detachable column 24.

[0083] Especially Figure 3C and Figure 4 As can be seen in the figure, each section of 24i and 24s can be completely accommodated in the stowed groove 80 and is elastically retained without protruding from the plane of the open bottom surface 26i of the lower base 26. After the column 24 is disassembled and the two sections 24s and 24i are stowed in the groove 80 of the lower base 26 (see Figure 4 and Figure 5C ), the lower base 26 is designed to be fixed to the upper air supply unit 22.

[0084] More specifically, the lower base 26 is connected to and fixed to the front side 40 of the hollow housing 30 of the upper air supply unit 22 .

[0085] The lower base 26 is mounted and fixed to the hollow housing 30 in a fixed position so that the open bottom surface 26i of the lower base 26 is adjacent to the front surface of the hollow cylindrical rear portion 36 of the hollow housing to at least partially cover the latter.

[0086] The fixing of the lower base 26 on the hollow shell 30 is ergonomically achieved here by a bayonet fixing system having a set of lugs 90, each of which can be accommodated in a set of complementary "L"-shaped grooves to allow the lower base 26 to be installed and fixed to the front side of the hollow shell 30, which is first achieved by axial translation movement (from front to back) of each lug 90 through the guiding axial segment 96 of the "L"-shaped groove, and then by rotation of the lower base 26 relative to the hollow shell 30 (about axis A30), which causes each lug 90 to rotate simultaneously and accordingly within the circumferential segment 98 of the "L"-shaped groove extending along the axial segment 96.

[0087] The number of lugs 90 and "L"-shaped grooves is four, and the angles are evenly distributed.

[0088] Without limitation, and in particular Figure 5A , Figure 6 and Fig. 9 As can be seen in FIG. 1 , the fixing lugs 90 are arranged to protrude radially outward on the edge of the convex outer cylindrical surface 54 of the front end crown 52 of the cylindrical rear portion 36 .

[0089] Each locking lug 90 also has a central notch 91 that can accommodate a complementary boss 99 formed near the closed end of the circumferential segment 98 of each "L" shaped groove 92, thereby further locking the lower base 26 into a fixed position on the hollow housing 30.

[0090] Each of the four “L” shaped grooves 92 is formed on the raised cylindrical inner wall 75 of the annular peripheral frame 70 .

[0091] To assist the user in the operation of securing the lower base 26 to the hollow housing 30, indicia are provided.

[0092] from Figure 5A and Figure 6 It can be seen that, near one of the lugs 90 and at the upper part near the handle 60, the raised outer cylindrical face 54 of the front crown 52 of the cylindrical rear portion 36 has double markings 100 and 102, representing an open padlock and a locked padlock, which are angularly or circumferentially spaced from each other by a certain angle corresponding to the rotational travel of each lug 90 in the segment 98 of the "L"-shaped groove that accommodates it.

[0093] like Figure 5B As can be seen in FIG. 1 , the raised outer cylindrical face 77 of the annular frame 70 has additional markings in the form of axial score lines 104. Figure 5B As seen in FIG. 1 , the user aligns the axial score line 104 with the open padlock 100 and, in this relative angular position, he can simultaneously insert each lug 90 axially into the axial segment 96 of the “L” shaped recess 92 .

[0094] He then rotates the lower base 26 relative to the hollow housing 30 until a fixed and locked angular position is reached, which he can confirm by observing whether the axial score line 104 is aligned with the locked padlock 102 (see Figure 5C ).

[0095] Especially as reference Figure 1 and Figure 4 It can be seen or understood that when the fan 20 is in the folded compact state, the open bottom surface 26i of the lower base 26 is covered by the front grille 42 of the hollow housing 30, and the "smooth" top surface 26s of the lower base 26 is visible from the outside.

[0096] The lower base is therefore in the form of a cover attached to the hollow housing 30 .

[0097] In addition, the two sections 24s and 24i of the removable column 24 are fixed or retained (previously placed and elastically engaged in the retracted groove 80 of the lower base 26) and are "closed" into the lower base 26 fixed to the hollow shell 30 without the need for other additional parts to close the open bottom surface.

[0098] In addition, when the fan 20 is in the deployed state, and in particular, Figure 1 and Figure 2 As seen in FIG. 1 , the top surface of the lower base 26 located on the ground has an aesthetically pleasing appearance.

[0099] like Fig.10 As shown, when the motor is an AC motor and must be connected to the mains for power supply, the rear drive block 32 has a power cord 106 equipped with a connection socket 108, which can be wound around the cylindrical body 31 when retracted.

[0100] After being wound in any direction, to prevent accidental unraveling, the power cord has a clip or clamp 110 which can be fixed to the portion opposite to the hollow housing by elastic engagement, thereby being fixed to the grid bars of the grid structure of the cylindrical rear portion of the hollow housing 30 .

[0101] Fan design variations

[0102] The invention is not limited to the fan embodiment described above. The motor may be powered by direct current, for example by batteries, which may be housed in the various sections of the upright 24 and / or in other recesses provided for this purpose in the hollow lower base 26.

[0103] Advantageously, the batteries arranged in the lower base can be easily replaced and they also constitute a counterweight for the legs 28 .

[0104] The battery housed in the base can be electrically connected to the upper drive block 32 through electrical connections and wiring devices integrated into the various sections of the column 24.

[0105] The detachable fixing device of the lower base 26 may be designed in any other form, such as a fixing device that is snap-fitted or elastically engaged along the axial direction A30 .

[0106] The sections of the post may be removably secured to the tube 34 and into the hole 66 by tightening.

[0107] The upper air supply unit 22 and the lower base 26 are not necessarily generally cylindrical. For example, the lower base can be generally a cube with an open front with a square outline; similarly, the outline of the outer frame of the lower base 26 is also square.

[0108] In the latter case, the square peripheral frame has four rectangular peripheral supports, each of which can have a stowage recess for a section of a column, or a recess for a strip of cylindrical or parallelepiped cells; and the base can have two cross-shaped central supports, for example corresponding to the diagonals of the peripheral frame.

[0109] Other implementation variations of the present invention

[0110] The main features of the invention are applicable in the same way to the design of a street lamp or a floor lamp.

Claims

1. An electrical appliance with legs (20) that can be switched between an unfolded state for use and a folded and / or compact state for transportation, comprising: a) an upper functional unit (22) having: A protective housing (30) for the emission source of the functional flow, having a functional flow output front face (40); a source (56) of emission of the functional flow, arranged in the protective housing (30) along the axial general direction (A30); and b) When the electrical appliance (20) is in the unfolded state, the legs (28) of the upper functional unit (22) have: -i) a lower base (26) whose bottom surface (26i) can be placed on a surface; and -ii) a removable column, the lower end of which is removably fixed to the lower base (26) and the upper end of which is removably fixed to the upper functional unit (22), and wherein the lower base (26) has at least one groove for folding the column (24), and fixing means (90, 92) for fixing the lower base (26) to the front side (40) of the protective housing (30) when the electrical appliance (20) is in a compact state, Features: iii) the at least one stowage recess (80) is open to the bottom surface (26i) of the lower base (26) to allow stowage of the column (24); iv) and when the electrical appliance (20) is in the compact state, the bottom surface (26i) of the lower base (26) is adjacent to the front surface (40) of the protective housing (30).

2. The electrical appliance (20) according to claim 1, characterized in that: The column (24) is composed of a plurality of sections (24i, 24s), including at least one lower section (24i), whose lower end (64i) is detachably fixed to the lower base (26), and at least one upper section (24s), whose upper end (62s) is detachably fixed to the upper functional unit (22), and when the electrical appliance (20) is in a compact state, the at least two sections (24i, 24s) are arranged in the at least one folding groove (80) open to the bottom surface (26i) of the lower base (26).

3. The electrical appliance (20) according to claim 2, characterized in that: When the electrical appliance (20) is in a compact state, at least two sections (24i, 24s) of the column (24) extend parallel to each other along the maximum dimension of the at least one folding groove (80).

4. The electrical appliance (20) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The lower base (26) has an annular peripheral frame (70) and a central fixing bracket (72) fixing the lower end (64i) of the column (24), and the at least one stowage groove (80) of the column is formed in the column (24).

5. The electrical appliance (20) according to claim 4, characterized in that: The annular peripheral frame (70) of the lower base (26) is circular, and the central fixing bracket (72) is a radial bracket.

6. The electrical appliance (20) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The fixing device for fixing the lower base (26) to the protective housing (30) of the upper functional unit (22) has a bayonet fixing mechanism (90, 92), whose translation and rotation axis (A30) is coaxial with the general emission direction.

7. The electrical appliance (20) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The front side (40) of the hollow housing (30) has a hollow front wall (42), and when the electrical appliance (20) is in a compact state, the front wall extends facing the bottom surface (26i) of the lower base (26).

8. The electrical appliance (20) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The stowage groove (80) has a retaining device (84) for retaining the column (24) in the stowed position, in particular an elastically deformable retaining device (84).

9. The electrical appliance (20) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The upper functional unit (22) has a carrying handle (60) for the electrical appliance (20) in a use state or a compact state.

10. The electrical appliance (20) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The lower base (26) forms a hollow half-shell having an open flat bottom surface (26i) capable of being placed on a surface.

11. The electrical appliance (20) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The lower base mold (26) is made of a single piece, in particular of plastic material.

12. The electrical appliance (20) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The upper functional unit is an upper air supply unit (22) having: A hollow protective housing (30) capable of being axially penetrated by airflow and having an airflow output front face (40); A fan blade (56) is disposed in the hollow shell (30); A drive motor drives the fan blades (56) to rotate so that the airflow flows axially through the front face (40), Thus, a fan with legs (28) is formed which can be switched between an unfolded state for use and a folded and / or compact state for transportation.

13. The electrical appliance (20) according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that: The upper functional unit is an upper air supply unit, which has: A protective housing for the emission source of the luminous flux, having a luminous flux output front face; The emission source of the luminous flux is arranged in the protective housing along the axial general direction. Thus, a lamp with legs is formed which can be converted between an unfolded state for use and a folded and / or transported compact state.

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