Air blower

Abstract

To provide an air blower capable of drying laundry without unevenness.SOLUTION: An air blower 1 comprises: a vertical swingable air blowing part 2 having a fan 17 and a motor 18 driving the fan 17; and a control part 50 for controlling the motor 18 and vertical swing of the air blow part 2. The control part 50 controls the air blower so as to perform a clothing drying mode, in which an air velocity at a position near the upper end is larger than an air velocity at a position near the lower end during vertical swing of the air blowing part 2. In the clothing drying mode, the air velocity gradually gets larger as the air blowing part 2 rotates from the lower end to the upper end of vertical swing, and the air velocity gradually gets smaller when the air blowing part 2 is returned to the lower end from the upper end.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 10

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present embodiment relates to a blower (circulator). [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, there has been an increasing need to dry laundry indoors to prevent pollen and PM2.5 from adhering to laundry hung outside. In some cases, circulators, which are used to circulate indoor air, are used to dry clothes by blowing air onto the laundry. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2010-54084 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, conventional circulators are designed to oscillate from side to side at a constant air speed, so when trying to dry laundry lined up horizontally, the laundry closest to the center receives strong airflow, while the laundry on either side receives little airflow. Also, if the airflow from the circulator is made too strong, the laundry closest to the center is pushed to the sides by the air pressure, so the laundry is biased to the ends and the air does not reach it evenly, resulting in uneven drying.

[0005] The present embodiment provides a blower that can dry laundry evenly. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] According to one aspect of this embodiment, a blower is provided which has a fan and a motor for driving the fan, a blower unit which can swing up and down, and a control unit which controls the motor and the up and down swing of the blower unit, wherein the control unit controls the blower unit to perform a clothes drying mode in which the wind speed is faster at a position closer to the upper end of the up and down swing of the blower unit than at a position closer to the lower end, and in the clothes drying mode, the wind speed gradually increases as the blower unit rotates from the lower end to the upper end of the up and down swing, and the wind speed gradually decreases as the blower unit returns from the upper end to the lower end. According to another aspect of the present embodiment, there is provided a blower comprising: a blower section having a fan and a motor for driving the fan, capable of swinging up and down; and a control section for controlling the motor and the up and down swing of the blower section, wherein the control section controls the blower section to perform a clothes drying mode in which the wind speed at a position closer to the upper end of the up and down swing of the blower section is faster than the wind speed at a position closer to the lower end, and in the clothes drying mode, a wind speed adjustment range can be set to multiple stages, and the blower section can be swung up and down by selecting a wind speed from the multiple stages of the wind speed adjustment range depending on the distance from the object to be blown. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to this embodiment, the laundry can be dried evenly. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a blower according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a front view of the blower according to the embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a right side view of the blower according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a top view of the blower according to the embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a rear view of the blower according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] 1 is a cross-sectional view of a blower according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the blower according to the embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a state in which laundry is dried using a blower according to a comparative example. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a state in which laundry is dried using the blower according to the embodiment; [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a state in which laundry is dried using the blower according to the embodiment; [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a plan view of an operation panel included in the blower according to the embodiment. [Figure 12] 11A and 11B are explanatory diagrams showing the effect of setting the left and right swing angle range in three stages in the clothes drying mode of the blower of this embodiment, (a) when a blower of a comparative example is used, and (b) when a blower of this embodiment is used. [Figure 13] 1A and 1B are explanatory diagrams showing the relationship between the set angle range of left and right swing and wind speed in the clothes drying mode of a blower in accordance with the present embodiment, where (a) the set angle range of left and right swing is 60°, and (b) the set angle range of left and right swing is 120°. [Figure 14] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of left and right swing of the blower according to the embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an internal structure of a base part of the blower according to the embodiment. [Figure 16] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of up and down swing of the blower according to the embodiment. [Figure 17] 1A to 1C are explanatory diagrams showing the relationship between the set left / right swing angle and the up / down swing angle of a blower in accordance with the present embodiment, (a) when the up / down swing angle is 65°, (b) when the set left / right swing angle is 90°, and (c) an image of the air blowing trajectory. [Figure 18] 4 is an explanatory diagram of a vertical swing latch structure provided in the blower according to the embodiment; FIG. [Figure 19] 4 is an explanatory diagram of a vertical swing latch structure provided in the blower according to the embodiment; FIG. [Figure 20] 4 is an explanatory diagram of a vertical swing latch structure provided in the blower according to the embodiment; FIG. [Figure 21] 4 is an explanatory diagram of a gear holder included in the blower according to the embodiment; FIG. [Figure 22]4 is an explanatory diagram of a gear holder included in the blower according to the embodiment; FIG. [Diagram 23] 1A and 1B are explanatory diagrams of the up and down swinging operation of a blower according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which (a) is an explanatory diagram of a state in which the blowing direction of the blower is oriented horizontally, and (b) is an explanatory diagram of a state in which the blower is swung upward to its upper limit. [Figure 24] 6A to 6C are explanatory diagrams of another vertical swing operation of the blower according to the embodiment. [Diagram 25] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing an air flow in the blower according to the embodiment. [Figure 26] 2 is a perspective view of a remote control holder included in the blower according to the embodiment; FIG. [Figure 27] 1 is a diagram showing a state in which the blower according to the embodiment is in use and drying laundry. FIG. [Figure 28] 1 is a diagram showing a state in which the blower according to the embodiment is in use and drying laundry. FIG. [Figure 29] 1 is a diagram showing a state in which the blower according to the embodiment is in use and drying laundry. FIG. [Diagram 30] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram of the vertical angle range of a blower according to another embodiment. [Diagram 31] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a state in which a blower according to another embodiment dries laundry. [Diagram 32] 1A and 1B are diagrams showing a state in which a blower according to the embodiment agitates air in a room. [Diagram 33] 10 is a flowchart showing another example of the swing operation in the forced stirring mode of the blower according to the embodiment. [Diagram 34] A diagram showing a blower stirring the air in a room. [Diagram 35] A diagram showing a blower stirring the air in a room. [Diagram 36] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing an attachment position of a distance sensor provided in the blower according to the embodiment. [Figure 37] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of an on / off timer for a blower according to the embodiment. [Figure 38] 2 is a perspective view of a remote control holder included in the blower according to the embodiment; FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, the embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the description of the drawings, the same or similar parts are given the same or similar reference numerals. However, it should be noted that the drawings are schematic, and the relationship between thickness and planar dimensions, the thickness ratio of each layer, etc., differ from the actual ones. Therefore, the specific thickness and dimensions should be determined with reference to the following explanation. In addition, it goes without saying that the drawings include parts with different dimensional relationships and ratios.

[0010] [overview] The blower 1 according to the present embodiment is a circulator equipped with a DC motor. This blower 1 is optimal for drying clothes indoors in the clothes drying mode, and the angle of the left and right swing is adjustable, and the blowing capacity is increased by increasing the intake area. In the clothes drying mode, the wind speed is controlled to gradually decrease as the left and right swing is rotated from the positions near the ends to the center, so that the laundry can be dried evenly.

[0011] [exterior] Figures 1 to 5 are external views showing a blower 1 according to this embodiment, with Figure 1 being a perspective view, Figure 2 being a front view, Figure 3 being a right side view, Figure 4 being a top view, and Figure 5 being a rear view. This blower 1 is configured to increase wind speed with a spherical grill structure, and to look compact with an evolved spherical design.

[0012] Specifically, as shown in Figs. 1 to 5, the blower 1 according to the present embodiment includes a blower section 2 having a blower port 11 on the front side and a grille 12 provided at the blower port 11, and a base section (support section) 3 supporting the blower section 2. The grille 12 has a plurality of fins (blower guide plate) 13 arranged in a spiral shape, and an inner end 13A close to a center O of the spiral of the plurality of fins 13 protrudes in the blowing direction 4 from an outer end 13B continuing to the blower port 11. In other words, the inner end 13A protrudes in the blowing direction 4 from an outer end 13B of a portion 13C of the grille 12 where the plurality of fins 13 are formed. The inner end 13A is the inner end side close to the center O of the spiral, and includes the vicinity of the inner end. The outer end 13B is the portion on the outer end side continuing to the blower port 11. This allows the wind to gather (converge) at the center, improving the wind speed at the center of the blowing direction. It is also possible to extend the reach of the air (spiral airflow) blown out from air outlet 11. As a result, the air in the room can be reliably agitated, making the temperature in the room uniform and contributing to energy conservation.

[0013] In this example, a circular ring 13R is provided that intersects with each fin 13 to prevent fingers from getting in between the gaps between the multiple fins 13 and also to reinforce the grill 12, but this ring 13R is not essential.

[0014] The cover 15 of the blower 2 has a front cover 15a and a rear cover 15b. The front cover 15a is a semi-spherical cover made of a synthetic resin material such as polypropylene, and is provided with a spherical grill 12 at a circular blower port 11 that opens forward. The rear cover 15b is also a semi-spherical cover made of a synthetic resin material such as polypropylene. A large number of ventilation holes 21 for taking in outside air are formed over almost the entire surface of the rear cover 15b.

[0015] Grill 12 is a front panel made of, for example, a synthetic resin material with high impact resistance. Specifically, spiral fins 13 are formed in a convex curved shape so as to gradually protrude toward center O of the spiral. Cap 14 is attached to center O of the spiral of grill 12. When air is blown from behind grill 12 and the airflow (wind) passes in the front-to-rear direction of grill 12, a spiral airflow is generated that moves straight while swirling.

[0016] The base 3 supports the blower 2 so that it can swing left and right, and is placed on an installation surface. The base 3 has a lower base 31 formed in a circular shape in a plan view, and an upper base 32 that can be fitted into the lower base 31. The covers forming the outer surfaces of both the lower base 31 and the upper base 32 can be made of a synthetic resin material such as polypropylene. A one-legged support 33 is vertically erected behind the center of the upper base 32, and an operation panel 34 is disposed in front of the support 33. Here, the base 3 is exemplified as the support 3, but the support 3 may be structured so as to be mountable to a ceiling or the like.

[0017] [Internal structure] Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view of blower 1 according to this embodiment. As shown in this figure, blower section 2 is a blowing device that generates an air flow, and includes blower fan 17 and motor 18 that drives fan 17. An axial flow propeller fan is used as blower fan 17. In addition, a DC motor 18 that can adjust the wind speed more finely than an AC motor is used as motor 18 for fan 17.

[0018] The blower 1 according to this embodiment uses a motor M1 for left-right oscillation and a motor M2 for up-down oscillation to automatically perform left-right oscillation and up-down oscillation. Stepping motors M1 and M2 that can accurately control the rotation angle and rotation speed by pulse signals are used as the two oscillation motors M1 and M2. Note that the up-down oscillation can also be performed manually.

[0019] [Control Unit] 7 is an exploded perspective view of blower 1 according to the present embodiment, in which front cover 15a and rear cover 15b of blower unit 2 are removed, and the cover forming the outer surface of base unit 3 is also removed.

[0020] As shown in Fig. 7, the blower 1 according to this embodiment includes a control unit 50 that controls the ON / OFF of the power supply, the operation of the off timer, the operation of the on timer, the selection of the blowing mode, the rotation speed of the DC motor 18, the pulse signals sent to the stepping motors M1 and M2, etc. Such a control unit 50 is realized by, for example, a main board on which a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), etc. are mounted. A power supply board 3A for generating the required output power from the input power is connected to the main board. An AC adapter can be used instead of the power supply board 3A.

[0021] Furthermore, the blower 1 according to this embodiment can be operated not only using the operation panel 34 but also using a remote control 25. A signal from the remote control 25 is sent to the control unit 50 via a signal receiving unit 25a (see FIG. 2) provided in the center of the front of the base unit 3. The control unit 50 controls each of the above-mentioned processes based on the signal sent from the remote control 25 or the operation panel 34. The remote control 25 can be attached to a remote control holder 26 provided on the upper part of the rear cover 15b of the blower unit 2.

[0022] [Comparative Example] 8 shows a state in which laundry S1 to S20 (hereinafter collectively referred to as "laundry S") is dried using a blower 100 according to a comparative example. Here, a case is shown in which towels are hung on hangers and arranged in two rows on a clothesline.

[0023] 8, the blower 100 according to the comparative example is configured to swing left and right while maintaining a constant wind speed, and when blowing air on laundry S arranged horizontally to dry it, the wind blows strongly on laundry S14, S15, S16, S17, etc., near the center (see reference numeral 4b), and the wind does not blow very much on laundry S11, S12, S19, S20, etc., near both ends (see reference numerals 4a, 4c). In addition, if the wind from the blower 100 is made too strong, the laundry S14, S15, S16, S17, etc., near the center will be pushed to both ends by the wind pressure, and the laundry S will not be uniformly blown to both ends, resulting in uneven drying.

[0024] [Example 1] 9 shows a state in which laundry S is dried using the blower 1 according to the present embodiment. Here, as in the comparative example, an example is shown in which towels are hung on hangers and arranged in two rows on a clothesline.

[0025] As shown in Fig. 9, when the blowing mode is the clothes drying mode, the blower 1 according to this embodiment makes the wind relatively weaker near the center of the left and right swinging motion and relatively stronger near the both ends. As a result, weak wind is blown toward the position near the center of the laundry S spread out in the left and right direction and strong wind is blown toward the positions near the both ends (see symbols 4a and 4c). That is, it is possible to prevent the laundry S11 to S20, which are at different distances from the blower 1, from being strongly blown only to the laundry S14, S15, S16, and S17 near the center and from being weakly blown to the laundry S11, S12, S19, and S20 near the both ends. Therefore, the laundry S can be dried evenly.

[0026] As already described, the blower 1 according to this embodiment employs a stepping motor M1 as the motor M1 for left and right swing. The stepping motor M1 is a motor that operates in synchronization with a pulse signal (pulse power) and rotates at a fixed angle like the second hand of a clock in response to a pulse signal from the control unit 50. Therefore, the stepping motor M1 rotates by the amount of the pulse signal sent from the control unit 50 to the stepping motor M1. That is, the blower 1 controls the stepping motor M1 by the pulse signal sent from the control unit 50, and is capable of grasping its own posture and controlling left and right swing with high precision. In addition, even if an external force is applied to the blower unit 2 and a difference occurs between the pulse signal sent from the control unit 50 and the rotation of the stepping motor M1, the deviation between the recognition by the control unit 50 and the posture of the blower unit 2 can be corrected by position detection by the IR sensor 51 (see FIG. 15).

[0027] Furthermore, since a DC motor 18 is used as the motor 18 for the fan 17, it is possible to control the wind speed in 10 steps increments in response to the left and right swing caused by the stepping motor M1. For example, in the clothes drying mode, the wind speed near the center of the left and right swing is set to 6 out of 10 steps, and as the blower unit 2 rotates from the center of the left and right swing to the end, the wind speed gradually increases from 6 to 7 to 8 to 9 to 10. Next, when the blower unit 2 returns from the end of the left and right swing to the center, the wind speed gradually decreases from 10 to 9 to 8 to 7 to 6.

[0028] In addition, in controlling the air speed in the clothes drying mode, it is preferable that the air speed adjustment range can be set to multiple levels (select from multiple strong and weak levels), such as strong, medium, and weak, for example.

[0029] Here, the wind speed adjustment range is the amount of change in wind speed with the wind speed at the positions near both ends of the left and right swing as the upper limit and the wind speed at the position near the center as the lower limit. Specifically, the strong clothes drying mode means that the wind speed setting during left and right swing is at a strong level, while in the clothes drying mode, the wind speed setting during left and right swing is at a medium level, and the weak clothes drying mode means that the wind speed setting during left and right swing is at a weak level. In the strong clothes drying mode, the wind speed adjustment range is set relatively higher than the wind speed adjustment range in the clothes drying mode, and in the clothes drying mode, the wind speed adjustment range is set relatively higher than the wind speed adjustment range in the weak clothes drying mode. This makes it possible to select an appropriate wind speed adjustment range from among multiple stages depending on the distance between the laundry S and the blower 1.

[0030] [Example 2] 10 shows a state in which laundry S is being dried using the blower 1 according to the present embodiment. Here, a shirt is hung on a hanger and is hung to dry on a clothesline.

[0031] 10, when the air blowing mode is the clothes drying mode, the air blower 1 according to this embodiment blows a relatively weak wind near the lower end (lower limit) of the up-down swing motion and a relatively strong wind near the upper end (upper limit). As a result, for laundry S hung vertically, weak wind is blown toward the lower part of the laundry S that is close to the air blower 1 (see reference symbol 4e), and strong wind is blown toward the upper part of the laundry S that is far from the air blower 1 (see reference symbol 4d), preventing uneven drying at the upper and lower parts of the laundry S.

[0032] As already explained, in the blower 1 according to the present embodiment, the stepping motor M2 is used as the motor M2 for up-down oscillation. Therefore, it is possible to precisely control the up-down oscillation by the pulse signal sent to the stepping motor M2.

[0033] Furthermore, since the DC motor 18 is used as the motor 18 for the fan 17, the wind speed can be controlled in 10 steps increments in response to the up-and-down swing caused by the stepping motor M2. For example, in the clothes drying mode, the wind speed near the bottom end of the up-and-down swing is set to 6 out of 10 steps, and as the blower unit 2 rotates from the bottom end of the up-and-down swing to the top end, the wind speed is gradually increased from 6 to 7 to 8 to 9 to 10. Next, when the blower unit 2 returns from the top end of the up-and-down swing to the bottom end, the wind speed is gradually decreased from 10 to 9 to 8 to 7 to 6. In addition, in the wind speed control in the clothes drying mode, it is preferable that the wind speed adjustment range can be set to multiple steps (selectively from multiple strong and weak levels), such as strong, medium, and weak. This makes it possible to select an appropriate one from the multiple wind speed adjustment ranges depending on the distance between the laundry S and the blower 1 and perform the up-and-down swing in the clothes drying mode.

[0034] [Operation Panel] FIG. 11 is a plan view of an operation panel 34 included in the blower 1 according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 11, the operation panel 34 includes a power button 34a, an off timer button 34b, an on timer button 34c, a blowing mode button 34d, air volume buttons 34e and 34f, an up-down swing button 34g, and a left-right swing button 34h. The power button 34a is a button for setting the power on / off. The off timer button 34b is a button for setting the off timer. The on timer button 34c is a button for setting the on timer. The blowing mode button 34d is a button for selecting a blowing mode (continuous mode, rhythm mode, clothes drying mode). The air volume buttons 34e and 34f are buttons for adjusting the air volume of the blowing unit 2, and the air volume is reduced each time the air volume button 34e is pressed, and the air volume is increased each time the air volume button 34f is pressed. The up / down swing button 34g is a button for setting up / down swing on / off. The left / right swing button 34h is a button for setting left / right swing on / off, and the swing width of the left / right swing can be adjusted to three setting angle ranges (60°, 90°, and 120°).

[0035] [Three-stage setting range for left and right swing angle in clothes drying mode] FIG. 12 is a diagram for explaining the effect of setting the set angle range of the left and right swing in three stages in the clothes drying mode of the blower 1 according to the present embodiment. That is, when the blower 100 according to the comparative example is used, the set angle range (swing width) of the left and right swing cannot be adjusted, so when a large amount of laundry S is spread out to dry, it is necessary to blow air from a place far away from the laundry S (see FIG. 12(a)). In contrast, when the blower 1 according to the present embodiment is used, as shown in FIG. 12(b), the swing width of the left and right swing can be adjusted to a plurality of set angle ranges (60°, 90°, 120°) according to the installation width of the laundry S, so there is no need to install the blower 1 far away from the laundry S, and the air speed adjustment in the clothes drying mode can send air of a strength suitable for drying all the laundry S while preventing the laundry S from being biased to both ends, thereby improving the drying efficiency.

[0036] [Set the wind speed according to the left and right swing angle setting in clothes drying mode] FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining the relationship between the set angle range of the left-right swing and the wind speed in the clothes drying mode of the blower 1 according to the present embodiment. That is, in a usage scene in which the set angle range (swing width) of the left-right swing is changed, when the installation width of the laundry S is expanded, the distance between the blower 1 and both ends of the installation width of the laundry S becomes longer even if the distance between the blower 1 and the center position of the installation width of the laundry S is the same. Therefore, it is desirable to set the wind speed increase / decrease width corresponding to each set angle range of the left-right swing (60°, 90°, 120°). Here, the wind speed increase / decrease width is the amount of change in wind speed with the wind speed at the positions near the ends of the left-right swing as the upper limit and the wind speed at the position near the center as the lower limit, and may be rephrased as the wind speed adjustment range described above.

[0037] For example, as shown in Fig. 13(a), when the set angle range of the left and right swing is 60°, the wind speed at a position near the center of the left and right swing is set to 3 out of 10 (see symbol 4b), and as the left and right swing rotates to the end, the wind speed gradually increases from 3 to 4 to 5 (see symbols 4a and 4c). When returning from the end of the left and right swing to a position near the center, the wind speed gradually decreases from 5 to 4 to 3. In other words, when the set angle range of the left and right swing is 60°, the wind speed is switched between three stages, from 3 to 5.

[0038] On the other hand, as shown in Fig. 13(b), when the set angle range of the left and right swing is 120°, the wind speed at a position near the center of the left and right swing is set to 3 out of 10 (see symbol 4b), and as the left and right swing rotates to the end, the wind speed gradually increases from 3 → 4 → 5 → 6 → 7 (see symbols 4a and 4c). When returning from the end of the left and right swing to a position near the center, the wind speed gradually decreases from 7 → 6 → 5 → 4 → 3. In other words, when the set angle range of the left and right swing is 120°, the wind speed is switched between five stages from 3 to 7.

[0039] That is, when the set angle range of the left and right swing is changed from 60° to 120° in response to an increase in the installation width of the laundry S, the distance between the blower 1 and both ends of the installation width of the laundry S increases, but since the wind speed at the positions near the ends of the left and right swing is set high, appropriate wind can be sent to the laundry S at both ends of the installation width, and there is no unevenness in the drying rate of the laundry S at the center position and both ends of the installation width, so that the laundry S can be thoroughly dried. In other words, the blower 1 according to this embodiment can handle small to large amounts of laundry S.

[0040] [Left and right swing: Stepping motor & IR sensor] FIG. 14 is a diagram for explaining the left-right swing of the blower 1 according to this embodiment. As already explained, the blower 1 according to this embodiment employs a stepping motor M1 as the motor M1 for left-right swing. Thus, by controlling the pulse signal sent to the stepping motor M1, as shown in FIG. 14, when the automatic left-right swing is stopped (see reference symbol P11), the blower unit 2 returns to the standard position facing forward (see reference symbol P10). Similarly, when the power is turned off, the blower unit 2 returns to the standard position facing forward.

[0041] The reference position refers to the stationary position shown in Figures 1 to 5. In other words, the reference position is a position in which the left-right swing position of blower unit 2 is at the center position and blowing direction 4 of blower unit 2 faces horizontally.

[0042] In this way, the blower 1 according to this embodiment returns to the same forward position as the standard position when the left-right swing stops or when the power is turned off. This allows the blower unit 2 to maintain a neat position always facing forward when the left-right swing is in a standby state (stopped state). Also, if the left-right swing in the clothes drying mode is started (resumed) with the blower unit 2 facing the laundry S directly, the left-right swing will always be resumed at an equal angle, making it easy to align the center when used for drying clothes.

[0043] Fig. 15 is a perspective view showing the internal structure of base 3 of blower 1 according to this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 15, the left and right swing position (one location) is detected by an IR (infrared) sensor 51 such as a phototransistor. This makes it possible to correct the left and right swing position during operation, as described below.

[0044] That is, a stepping motor M1 is fixed to the upper surface of the fixed plate 41, and a left-right swing mechanism 43 is connected to the output shaft of the stepping motor M1. An IR sensor 51 is attached to the lower part of the fixed plate 41, and when the left-right swing position of the blower unit 2 is at the center position, the IR sensor 51 is blocked by a light shielding plate 52 provided on the lower part of the base 31. This makes it possible to detect that the left-right swing position of the blower unit 2 is at the center position, and the number of steps of the stepping motor M1 can be corrected every time the center position is passed. As a result, even if an external force is applied to the blower unit 2 and the blower unit 2 becomes unable to move, or is forcibly rotated, or hits an object during the left-right swing and becomes unable to move, it is possible to continue the left-right swing operation with the correct number of steps.

[0045] [Up and down swing: stepping motor] FIG. 16 is a diagram for explaining the up-down swing of the blower 1 according to this embodiment. As already explained, the blower 1 according to this embodiment employs a stepping motor M2 as the motor M2 for up-down swing. Thus, by controlling the pulse signal sent to the stepping motor M2, as shown in FIG. 16, when the automatic up-down swing is stopped (see reference symbol P21), the blower unit 2 returns to the standard position facing horizontally (see reference symbol P20). Similarly, when the power is turned off, the blower unit 2 returns to the standard position facing horizontally.

[0046] In this way, the blower 1 according to this embodiment returns to the horizontal position, which is the same as the reference position, when the vertical oscillation stops and when the power is turned off. This allows the blower unit 2 to always maintain a neat position facing horizontally when the vertical oscillation is in a standby state (stopped state).

[0047] [Center of ball = center of swing rotation (up, down, left, right)] In the blower 1 according to this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 14, the rotation axis C1 for left-right swing is provided at a position passing through the center of the spherical blower unit 2 in a plan view. Also, as shown in Fig. 16, the rotation axis C2 for up-down swing is provided at a position passing through the center of the spherical blower unit 2 in a side view. In this way, with the configuration in which the rotation axis C1 for left-right swing and the rotation axis C2 for up-down swing are both disposed at a position passing through the center of the spherical blower unit 2, the outline (silhouette) has the same shape regardless of whether the blower swings left-right or up-down. Therefore, even if the blower is installed in a narrow place such as by a window or on a staircase, it will not come into contact with nearby objects when it swings.

[0048] [Set angle of left / right swing ≠ integral multiple of up / down swing angle] FIG. 17 is a diagram for explaining the relationship between the set angle of left-right oscillation and the angle of up-down oscillation of the blower 1 according to this embodiment. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 17(a), the angle of up-down oscillation is 65°. The set angle of left-right oscillation is either 60°, 90°, or 120°, but here, as shown in FIG. 17(b), the set angle of left-right oscillation is set to 90°. In this way, if the set angle of left-right oscillation is not an integer multiple of the angle of up-down oscillation and the oscillation speeds of left-right and up-down oscillation are the same when the oscillations are simultaneous up-down and left-right, the air trajectory becomes random as shown in FIG. 17(c), and it is possible to blow air so that it reaches the entire air blowing range.

[0049] FIG. 17(c) will be described in more detail below. The dashed line in FIG. 17(c) indicates the position of the center of airflow in the airflow direction 4 when the target of airflow is a surface, and the arrow in FIG. 17(c) indicates the airflow trajectory. Assume that the left-right swing is at the far left end and the up-down swing is at the far bottom. The left-right and up-down swing speeds are the same. Assume that the head moves 90° to the right and 65° up in this state. In this case, while the head moves 65° up, it also moves 65° to the right, and when it moves 65° up, it starts to move down, and while it moves from 65° to the right to 90°, it continues to move down. And when it moves 90° to the right, the head is moving downward, so it will reverse to the left while moving downward. This makes it easy to blow air in a random trajectory by simultaneously swinging left-right and up-down. Therefore, it is possible to prevent biased airflow, and the laundry S in the airflow direction 4 can be dried evenly.

[0050] [Up and down swing latch structure] 18 to 20 are diagrams illustrating a vertical swing latch structure provided in the fan 1 according to the present embodiment. As will be described below, not only is vertical swing automatic, but the vertical swing angle can also be manually adjusted.

[0051] As shown in Figure 18, when the front cover 15a and rear cover 15b of the blower unit 2 are removed, the stepping motor M2, ratchet mechanism 81, and rack gear 85 are revealed. The rack gear 85 is fixed to the support pillar 70. The motor cover 71 is sandwiched between the support pillars 70 from both sides, and this sandwiched position serves as the vertical swing axis 72, allowing the blower unit 2 to swing up and down relative to the base unit 3. A gear is attached to the output shaft of the stepping motor M2, and this moves up and down via a rack and pinion.

[0052] Specifically, the ratchet mechanism 81 has a structure in which a pinion gear 82 (see FIG. 19) having a locking recess 82a faces a latch base 83 (see FIG. 20) having a locking pin 84. The output shaft of the stepping motor M2 fits into a central hole 83b of the latch base 83. The pin 84 of the latch base 83 is pressed against the locking recess 82a by a resilient force in the axial direction. As a result, the latch is completed within the range of the size of the pinion gear 82, making it possible to make the ratchet mechanism 81 compact.

[0053] Here, when the vertical swing is to be performed automatically, the stepping motor M2 rotates the latch base 83. When the latch base 83 rotates, the pinion gear 82 also rotates at the same time because the locking pin 84 is pressed against the locking recess 82a.

[0054] On the other hand, when manually adjusting the up and down swing angle, the stepping motor M2 is stopped and the latch base 83 is not rotating. When the blower unit 2 is moved by hand in this state, only the pinion gear 82 rotates. In other words, the latch base 83 does not rotate because the locking pin 84 is only pressed by spring B (see FIG. 22). Moving the blower unit 2 by hand does not affect the stepping motor M2.

[0055] In this embodiment, the locking pin 84 is attached to one of the holes 83a formed in the latch base 83, but the number of locking pins 84 can be adjusted as appropriate. When attaching multiple locking pins 84, it is preferable to attach them at symmetrical positions.

[0056] [Up and down swing latch structure (gear holder)] 21 and 22 are diagrams for explaining a gear holder 86 included in the blower 1 according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 21 and FIG. 22, the gear holder 86 is integrated with the rack gear 85. When the stepping motor M2 is driven, the output shaft M2a of the stepping motor M1 rotates, and a rotational force is transmitted to the pinion gear 82 via the latch base 83, and the pinion gear 82 meshing with the rack gear 85 moves up and down due to this rotational force. At this time, a convex portion 82c formed at the center of the pinion gear 82 moves along a groove 86a of the gear holder 86. The gear holder 86 abuts against a surface on the opposite side (in the axial direction) to a surface on which the pin 84 is pressed against the locking recess 82a of the pinion gear 82, thereby supporting the pinion gear 82 and maintaining the locking state between the locking recess 82a and the pin 84. In addition, a guide portion 86g of the gear holder 86 maintains the meshing between the pinion gear 82 and the rack gear 85. This allows the meshing state to be maintained reliably and prevents malfunction.

[0057] [Up and down swing: Swing operation after manual adjustment] FIG. 23 is a diagram for explaining the vertical swing operation of the blower 1 according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 23(a), when the vertical movable range θ2 is 65°, if the blowing direction of the blower unit 2 is moved manually from a state in which the blowing direction is horizontal to an intermediate position P22 of the vertical swing, a deviation occurs between the recognized position of the stepping motor M2 and the actual swing position. Therefore, when the vertical swing is started (restarted) from a state in which the vertical swing is stopped, as shown in FIG. 23(b), in step (1), the motor operates upward to the upper limit, in step (2), it stops by the amount of manual movement, and in step (3), it operates downward to the lower limit. In step (2), the convex portion 82c formed in the center of the pinion gear 82 is physically locked by the end of the groove 86a of the gear holder 86. As a result, if the motor is always operated upward when the swing is started, the generated deviation can be eliminated in the first step (2).

[0058] [Up and down swing: modified swing operation after manual adjustment] FIG. 24 is a diagram for explaining another operation of the vertical swing of the blower 1 according to the present embodiment. Here, as in FIG. 23, it is assumed that the vertical range of motion θ2 is 65° and the blower is manually moved to position P22 while the vertical swing is stopped. Of course, even at this time, there is a deviation between the recognized position of the stepping motor M2 and the actual swing position. When the vertical swing is resumed after that, the swing starts with small vertical swings, as in steps (1) → (2) → (3) → (4), and the angle gradually increases. This makes it possible to reduce the "time lag" at which the vertical swing stops due to the "deviation" between the recognized position of the stepping motor M2 and the actual swing position. By reducing the "time lag", the number of seconds that the vertical swing remains stopped can be shortened, reducing the number of times that the user mistakenly believes it to be a malfunction.

[0059] [Expanded intake area → Increased airflow capacity] Fig. 25 is a cross-sectional view showing the air flow in blower 1 according to this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 25, multiple air intake holes 15d are formed on the edge of front cover 15a. This allows outside air to be taken in not only through ventilation opening 21 formed in rear cover 15b but also through multiple air intake holes 15d. As a result, the air intake area is enlarged and air flows more smoothly, improving the blowing capacity. As a result, the clothes drying performance is improved.

[0060] As shown in Fig. 25, a cylindrical air tunnel 16 is provided inside the front cover 15a, so that the speed of the air blown out from the air outlet 11 is stable. The air blown out from the circulator is a spiral air current that moves straight while swirling, and has higher directionality and straightness than an electric fan. By providing the air tunnel 16, it is possible to ensure the directionality and straightness of the air, which are the unique effects of the circulator. In this embodiment, the curved (spherical) grille 12 produces the effect of straightness, so the air tunnel 16 may be short.

[0061] [Remote control holder] FIG. 26 is a perspective view of a remote control holder 26 provided in the blower 1 according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 26, a remote control holder 26 for holding a remote control 25 is provided on the upper part of the rear cover 15b of the blower 2. Specifically, a recessed space is provided on the inside so as not to destroy the spherical shape, and double plate-like members 26a, 26b, 26c, and 26d are provided on both the left and right sides of the space. The upper plate-like members 26a and 26b can hold the top surface of the remote control 25, and the lower plate-like members 26c and 26d can hold the side surface of the remote control 25, so that the remote control 25 can be held firmly. In addition, with the remote control 25 held in the remote control holder 26, the hand can be inserted into the space above the remote control 25 to lift the blower 1, and the structure is such that the remote control holder 26 and the handle are shared.

[0062] [Clothes drying mode: Swings left and right] When the blower 1 according to this embodiment is set to the clothes drying mode (left and right swing), the left and right swing angle is (automatically) set to 60°. The left and right swing angle can be set as follows: 60° → 90° → 120° → 60° → ... each time the swing (left and right) button 34h is pressed. Note that even in the clothes drying mode, the wind speed may be set not to change when the swing (left and right) is 60°. When the left and right swing angle is switched between 90° / 120°, the wind speed on the left and right becomes stronger relative to the wind speed in the front.

[0063] The blower 1 is controlled by switching between a plurality of blowing modes (continuous mode, rhythm mode, clothes drying mode) by pressing the blowing mode button 34d. In the continuous mode, the blower 2 swings left and right at a predetermined speed while controlling the motor 18 so as to keep the wind speed constant. In the clothes drying mode, the motor 18 is controlled so as to make the wind speed slower at a position closer to the center than at positions closer to both ends in the left and right swing of the blower 2, and the blower 2 swings left and right at a speed slower than the predetermined speed in the continuous mode. That is, the speed of the left and right swing in the clothes drying mode is set slower than the normal (continuous mode) left and right swing. Preferably, the left and right swing in the clothes drying mode is performed at a speed 1 / 2 to 1 / 4 times slower than the left and right swing speed in the continuous mode. Specifically, the left and right swing speed in the clothes drying mode is set to 1 / 3 times the left and right swing speed in the continuous mode. It is also preferable to set the left-right swing speed in the clothes drying mode to change according to the left-right swing angle (60°, 90°, 120°). By performing left-right swing at a slow speed in the clothes drying mode, the time that the laundry S is continuously exposed to the wind is increased, accelerating drying. To explain further, when the laundry S is exposed to the wind, the laundry S may swing and change its orientation (angle) relative to the blower 1, and if the time that the laundry S is continuously exposed to the wind is short, the laundry S will receive the wind in an unstable position. By lengthening the time that the laundry S is continuously exposed to the wind, there is an advantage that the laundry S receives the wind in a stable position after the swinging of the laundry S has stopped (converged), and the laundry S dries well.

[0064] The inventors conducted a clothes drying test. As a result, when comparing the case of drying clothes in continuous mode with a predetermined (normal) left-right swing speed and the case of drying clothes in clothes drying mode with a slow left-right swing speed, it was found that the time required for the clothes dryness rate to drop from 100% to 72% was 176 minutes in continuous mode and 160 minutes in clothes drying mode, which means that a time reduction of about 10% can be expected.

[0065] [Clothes drying mode: simultaneous up / down / left / right swing] The blower 1 according to the present embodiment swings up, down, left and right simultaneously in the clothes drying mode, and adjusts the wind speed according to the up, down, left and right direction of the air blowing, making it possible to keep constant the strength of the wind blowing on the laundry S. In other words, when the blower 1 is set to swing up, down, left and right simultaneously in the clothes drying mode, the wind speed is controlled in the left and right directions and up and down according to the distance between the blower 1 and the laundry S, making the wind weaker toward nearby laundry S and stronger toward distant laundry S.

[0066] As shown in FIG. 27, the area where the laundry S is hung out to dry is divided into 15 areas (three in the height direction and five in the width direction), and the strength of the wind blowing on each area is expressed as an indication of strength by numbers from 1 to 5. The higher the number, the stronger the wind. In this example, the strongest wind (indicated as "5" in the guidelines 1 to 5) is blown to the areas on the left and right ends of the upper level where the laundry S is located, which is the furthest from the fan 1, and the weakest wind (indicated as "1" in the guidelines 1 to 5) is blown to the central area of ​​the lower level where the laundry S is located, which is the closest from the fan 1. This allows the laundry S to be dried evenly.

[0067] [Distance detection means] A distance detection means (see FIG. 36) such as a distance sensor 61 that detects the distance to the laundry S in the air blowing direction may be provided, and the motor 18 and swing may be controlled based on the distance detection information detected by the distance sensor 61 to adjust the air speed. That is, in the clothes drying mode, the air speed is controlled according to the distance between the air blower 1 and the laundry S detected by the distance detection means, and the air is made weak toward nearby laundry S and strong toward distant laundry S. An infrared sensor or an ultrasonic sensor may be used as the distance sensor 61. The mounting position of the distance sensor 61 will be described later.

[0068] [Method of detecting moisture] A wetness detection means (see FIG. 36) such as a temperature sensor 62 for detecting the wetness of the laundry S in the air blowing direction may be provided, and the motor 18 and the swing may be controlled based on the wetness of the laundry S detected by the temperature sensor 62 to adjust the wind speed so as to blow appropriate wind toward the wet laundry S. As an example of the wind speed and swing control of the blower 1, as shown in FIG. 28, the wind speed is controlled according to the blowing direction within the blowing range where the wet laundry S is detected by the temperature sensor 62. In this example, since there is no wet laundry S in the two leftmost areas in the upper row and the entire area in the lower row, a weak wind ("1" in the guidelines 1 to 5) is blown. On the other hand, since there is wet laundry S in the remaining area (thick frame area), the wind speed is controlled according to the distance between the blower 1 and the laundry S, and the wind is made weak toward the nearby laundry S and strong toward the distant laundry S. This eliminates the waste of blowing strong wind to areas where there is no laundry S, and allows the wet laundry S to be dried efficiently. A surface temperature measuring device consisting of a non-contact thermometer such as an infrared radiation thermometer can be used as the temperature sensor 62. The mounting position of the temperature sensor 62 will be described later. Wind speed control is also possible by using the temperature sensor 62 and the distance sensor 61 in common.

[0069] As another example of the wind speed and swing control of the blower 1, as shown in Fig. 29, the blower unit 2 may be swung to blow air so that the blowing direction of the blower unit 2 is more frequently directed toward the wet laundry S detected by the temperature sensor 62. In this example, since there is no wet laundry S in the two leftmost areas in the upper row and the entire area in the lower row, these areas are determined to be non-drying areas and no air is blown thereto. On the other hand, since there is wet laundry S in the remaining areas (thick framed areas), the wind speed is controlled according to the distance between the blower 1 and the laundry S, and the wind is made weak toward the nearby laundry S and strong toward the distant laundry S. This eliminates the waste of blowing air to areas where there is no laundry S, and allows the wet laundry S to be dried efficiently.

[0070] The control unit 50 of the blower 1 has a determination means for determining, based on the wetness state of the laundry S (air blowing target object) detected by the temperature sensor 62, the range of the air blowing range by the up-down and left-right swinging as the range where the wet laundry S exists and the range where the wet laundry S does not exist as the non-drying target area, and if it is determined that a part of the laundry S in the drying target area has dried, the range where the dried laundry S exists is changed from the drying target area to the non-drying target area. In other words, if it is determined that the laundry S has dried, that range may be excluded and the swing range of the blower unit 2 may be gradually narrowed. In this way, if the air blowing range is gradually reduced based on the dryness determination of the control unit 50 using the temperature sensor 62, the wet laundry S can be dried more efficiently.

[0071] Another example of the fan 1 according to the present embodiment will be described below. As shown in Fig. 30, the vertical movement range θ1 of the blower 1 according to another embodiment is from 15° (-15°) downward to 90° upward. In the clothes drying mode, the angle range θ2 of the vertical swing is limited to 15° (-15°) downward to 45° upward. This eliminates the waste of blowing air in the upward blowing direction where laundry S is not present, and allows the air to be concentrated toward laundry S that is present at an angle between 15° downward and 45° upward of the blower 1.

[0072] As shown in FIG. 31, the blower 1 according to another embodiment can change the blowing direction upward while maintaining the angle range θ2 of the vertical swing in the clothes drying mode. This allows the hanging laundry S to be dried while blowing air from below onto the flat drying net 120 or the like. Although the angle range of the vertical swing is 60°, the present invention is not limited to this. That is, the vertical swing of the blower unit 2 is set to an angle range of 45° to 75°, and the angle can be adjusted in the vertical direction while maintaining the angle range of the vertical swing of the blower unit 2. The angle range of 45° is, for example, -15° to 30° or 45° to 90°. The angle range of 75° is, for example, -15° to 60° or 15° to 90°. This configuration that allows the angle range to be changed can meet various needs of users.

[0073] [Forced mixing mode] FIG. 32 is a diagram showing how fan 1 according to the present embodiment agitates the air in room 110. As shown in FIG. The blower 1 is configured to be controlled by switching the blowing mode to the forced stirring mode (by the blowing mode button 34d described above). In the forced stirring mode, the blower is controlled to swing left and right faster than in the continuous mode (normal). The speed of the left and right swing in the forced stirring mode is set, for example, twice as fast as the left and right swing in the normal (continuous mode). Preferably, the left and right swing in the forced stirring mode is performed at a high speed that is 1.5 to 3 times faster than the left and right swing speed in the continuous mode. When the blowing mode of the blower 1 is set to the forced stirring mode, even if the swing (left and right) is "off", the swing (left and right) is automatically turned "on" and the swing (up and down) angle is fixed at 45° upward. In the forced stirring mode, the swing in the up and down direction of the blower 2 is stopped and the swing is controlled to swing intermittently left and right at high speed (for example, twice as fast) while maintaining the up and down angle (up 45°), repeating the operation and stopping. Specifically, it swings 15 degrees to the left and right (angle range of 30 degrees) and stops at both ends for a certain period of time (for example, 4 seconds). In the forced stirring mode, a vertically rotating air current is generated throughout the room 110 to circulate the air in the room 110. 32, the forced mixing mode is used when it is desired to mix the air in the room 110 and reduce the temperature difference. By blowing air to the ceiling to circulate the air, it is possible to reduce unevenness in the air temperature in the room 110.

[0074] The present inventors conducted a forced stirring test in which the blower 1 was set to the forced stirring mode to examine the improvement rate of temperature unevenness near the ceiling and near the floor in the center of the room before and after operation (hereinafter referred to as the average stirring rate). Specifically, a 20-tatami room was used, the room was heated with a heat source (oil stove) without a blowing function, and a temperature difference (about 7 to 8°C) was created between the top and bottom of the room, and then the blower 1 was operated for 0.5 hours to measure the stirring effect. As a result, the average stirring rate before and after stirring operation in the continuous mode was 92.9%, while the average stirring rate was 95.8% in the forced stirring mode in which the left and right swing was performed at twice the left and right swing speed of the continuous mode, and was 88.1% in the comparative example mode in which the left and right swing was performed at 1 / 2 the left and right swing speed of the continuous mode. It was found that the average stirring rate improved to 98.9% in the forced stirring mode in which the left and right swing was performed at twice the speed, the swing was performed in an angle range of 15 degrees left and right, and the swing was stopped at both ends for 4 seconds. In this way, it became clear that swinging left and right at a higher speed (for example, twice as fast) compared to normal swinging left and right has the effect of mixing the indoor air more efficiently.

[0075] [Forced stirring mode: left and right swing intermittent operation] 33 is a flow chart showing another example of the swing operation in the forced stirring mode of the fan 1. When the fan is in the forced stirring mode, as described below, it may swing intermittently left and right, repeating start and stop.

[0076] First, when the forced stirring mode is selected (by the blowing mode button 34d), the blower 1 swings so that the blowing direction 4 of the blowing unit 2 faces the front, and is fixed in the front-facing position for, for example, 10 minutes (step S1). Next, the blower 1 swings so that the blowing direction 4 of the blowing unit 2 faces 60° to the left, and is fixed in the front-facing position for, for example, 5 minutes (step S2). Next, the blower 1 swings so that the blowing direction 4 of the blowing unit 2 faces the front, and is fixed in the front-facing position for, for example, 5 minutes (step S3). Next, the blower 1 swings so that the blowing direction 4 of the blowing unit 2 faces 60° to the right, and is fixed in the front-facing position for, for example, 5 minutes (step S4). Next, the blower 1 swings so that the blowing direction 4 of the blowing unit 2 faces the front, and is fixed in the front-facing position for 5 minutes (step S5). Thereafter, the same process is repeated (steps S2 → S3 → S4 → S5 → S2 → . . .). By intermittently swinging left and right in this manner and repeatedly starting and stopping, it is possible to generate an air current that rotates vertically.

[0077] [Forced stirring mode: distance sensor] The blower 1 may be equipped with a distance sensor 61 on the blowing section 2, detect the farthest wall (i.e., corner 111 of room 110 in FIG. 32), and adjust the airflow direction to blow air toward that wall. Alternatively, the blower is controlled to swing left and right between two points 111, 112 (or three points 111, 112, 113) in the corners of room 110. This allows the blower 1 to find the farthest corner of room 110 regardless of the installation location, and efficiently circulate air in room 110. The blower can also be controlled to adjust the air speed according to the distance from the blower 1 to the corner of room 110.

[0078] [Forced stirring mode: Temperature sensor] As shown in FIG. 34, a temperature sensor 62 may be mounted on the blower unit 2 to detect the position of the air conditioner 115 during heating and blow air towards the air conditioner 115. This allows warm air stagnating near the air conditioner 115 (near the ceiling) to circulate regardless of where the blower 1 is installed. This makes it possible to equalize the temperature in the room and improve heating efficiency. Also, since the cost required is only that of mounting the temperature sensor 62 on the blower 1, this can be achieved at a lower cost than the cost required when the blower 1 is linked to the air conditioner 115.

[0079] 35, when using the cooling function, it is preferable to stand with your back to the air conditioner 115 to circulate the cold air that accumulates below. In this way, an air current is created that circulates the cold air that accumulates near the floor surface, increasing the feeling of freshness.

[0080] Therefore, it is possible to distinguish between cooling and heating operation of the air conditioner 115 based on temperature information detected by the temperature sensor 62 of the blower section 2, and change the blowing method between cooling and heating operation. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 35, air is blown horizontally when cooling, and as shown in Fig. 34, air is blown diagonally upwards when heating. This maximizes the effect of the circulator and improves the efficiency of cooling and heating according to the season.

[0081] Also, the blower 1 may be configured to be rotatable (able to change direction by 180 degrees) so that it can blow air in the optimal direction for cooling and heating operation. Specifically, the movable range of the base part 3 of the blower 1 may be changed so that it can swing left and right more than 180 degrees. Alternatively, the blower 1 may be equipped with a running means such as tires, and the blower 1 may change direction by the running means, or the blower 1 may move by itself to the optimal position in the room and blow air in the optimal direction. This can further improve the efficiency of cooling and heating.

[0082] The direction of airflow in forced mixing mode can also be set manually. For example, when the blower 1 is installed in the room 110 and the blowing mode is set to the forced mixing mode, the search mode is activated. In the search mode, the blower 1 swings up, down, left and right. Then, while the blower 1 swings up, down, left and right, for example, by using a setting operation means such as the remote control 25 to set one corner 112 of the four walls 116 of the room 110 shown in FIG. 32 that is farthest from the blower 1 and the corner 114 diagonally opposite to the corner 112, the search mode ends. When the search mode ends, the blower 1 is controlled to swing left and right within the range of the rectangle defined by the two points 112 and 114 of the room 110 that it has set. In this way, it is possible to deal with a unique room shape in which the distance sensor 61 does not work well. That is, it is possible to realize efficient air mixing that matches the shape of the room 110. In addition, since the distance sensor 61 is not necessary, it is also possible to reduce costs.

[0083] [Sensor mounting position] FIG. 36 is a perspective view showing the mounting position of the distance sensor 61 provided in the blower 1 according to the present embodiment. Here, the mounting position of the distance sensor 61 will be described, but the same applies to the mounting position of the temperature sensor 62. As shown in FIG. 36, the distance sensor 61 is provided on the movable part (blower unit 2) of the circulator that swings up, down, left and right. Here, the case where the distance sensor 61 is provided on the upper end of the front cover 15a of the blower unit 2 is illustrated, but the distance sensor 61 may be provided on the lower end of the front cover 15a of the blower unit 2. This allows the detection target location of the distance sensor 61 or the temperature sensor 62 to follow the blowing direction 4. The circulator with a spherical grill structure has the advantage that the wind converges and concentrates in a narrow range, so that even if the detection target location detected by the distance sensor 61 or the temperature sensor 62 is a narrow range, the wind can be concentrated there.

[0084] [On / Off Timer] The on timer can be selected by pressing the on timer button 34c (see FIG. 11) of the fan 1. Similarly, the off timer can be selected by pressing the off timer button 34b. When the fan is not in operation (power is off) and the on timer is being set (the lamp is flashing), it is possible to set the off timer, fan mode, up / down oscillation, left / right oscillation, and air volume.

[0085] Also, when the ON timer is set, the up / down and left / right oscillation positions are maintained when the unit is stopped for the OFF timer setting, and when the ON timer setting starts, the unit blows air in the original oscillation positions. This means that if the oscillation position is set so that the air does not blow directly on the user when going to sleep, the air will not blow directly on the user even after the ON timer has been activated. When the unit is stopped under normal circumstances, the up / down and left / right oscillation positions are returned to their original positions.

[0086] Fig. 37 is an explanatory diagram of the on / off timer of the fan 1 according to this embodiment. Here, it is assumed that the off timer is set first, and then the on timer is set. As shown in Fig. 37, if the on timer is set while the off timer is operating (during operation), operation will stop after the time set by the off timer, and only the on timer lamp will be lit. Also, the on timer lamp will change according to the remaining time, and operation will start after the time set by the on timer.

[0087] [Remote control holder] Fig. 38 is a perspective view of remote control holder 26 included in blower 1 according to this embodiment. As already explained, remote control holder 26 for holding remote control 25 is provided on the upper part of rear cover 15b of blower unit 2. As shown in Fig. 38, among the ribs constituting remote control holder 26, at least one rib 26e may be raised a little higher. In this way, when remote control 25 is attached to remote control holder 26, rib 26e comes into contact with the underside of remote control 25, making it possible to prevent remote control 25 from falling off.

[0088] As described above, the blower 1 according to this embodiment includes the blower unit 2 that can swing left and right and has the blower fan 17 and the motor 18 that drives the fan 17, and the control unit 50 that controls the motor 18 of the blower unit 2 and the left and right swing of the blower unit 2, and the control unit 50 controls the left and right swing of the blower unit 2 so that the wind speed at a position closer to the center is slower than the wind speed at positions closer to both ends. This allows weak wind to be blown toward the laundry S that is spread out and hung out to dry in the left and right direction toward the positions closer to the center, and strong wind to be blown toward the positions closer to both ends, allowing the laundry S to be dried evenly.

[0089] Specifically, it is preferable that blower 1 according to this embodiment includes a stepping motor M1 that drives left and right swing of blower unit 2, and control unit 50 controls the left and right swing of blower unit 2 by a pulse signal sent to stepping motor M1. This makes it possible to control the wind speed according to the left and right swing position of blower unit 2.

[0090] Moreover, the blower 2 has a DC motor 18 that drives the fan 17, and the control unit 50 desirably controls the DC motor 18 in response to the left-right swing of the blower 2 caused by the stepping motor M1. This enables fine wind speed control in multiple stages, and allows fine wind speed switching according to the left-right swing position of the blower 2.

[0091] In addition, it is preferable that the wind speed adjustment range, with the wind speed at either end of the left and right swing of the blower unit 2 as the upper limit and the wind speed at the center as the lower limit, be set in multiple stages (select from multiple strong and weak levels). This allows the wind speed to be adjusted according to the distance to the laundry S.

[0092] It is also preferable that the swing width of the left and right swing of the blower unit 2 be adjustable within a plurality of set angle ranges. This allows the left and right swing angle (swing width) to be adjusted according to the placement width of the laundry S, thereby improving drying efficiency.

[0093] In addition, it is preferable to set the width of increase / decrease in the wind speed from the upper limit of the wind speed at the positions near both ends of the left and right swing of the blower unit 2 to the lower limit of the wind speed at the position near the center, corresponding to each set angle range of the left and right swing of the blower unit 2. This increases the drying rate of the laundry S and can accommodate small to large amounts of laundry S.

[0094] In addition, when the left and right swing of the blower unit 2 is stopped and when the power is turned off, the control unit 50 desirably controls the blower unit 2 to return to the standard position in which the blowing direction 4 of the blower unit 2 faces forward. This makes it easier to align the center when drying clothes.

[0095] It is also preferable to provide a detection unit (IR sensor 51) that detects that the left-right swing position of blower unit 2 is at a predetermined position. This makes it possible to correct the left-right swing position during operation.

[0096] In addition, a stepping motor M2 is provided to drive the vertical swing of the blower unit 2, and the control unit 50 desirably controls the vertical swing of the blower unit 2 so that the wind speed at a position closer to the upper end is faster than the wind speed at a position closer to the lower end. This allows weak wind to be sent to the laundry S hung vertically toward the position closer to the lower end, and strong wind to be sent to the position closer to the upper end, allowing the laundry S to be dried evenly.

[0097] Furthermore, when the vertical oscillation of the blower unit 2 is stopped and when the power is turned off, the control unit 50 desirably controls the blower unit 2 to return to a standard position in which the air blowing direction 4 of the blower unit 2 faces horizontally. This allows the blower unit 2 to maintain a regular position in which the blower unit 2 always faces horizontally when the blower unit 2 is in a standby state (stopped state) for vertical oscillation.

[0098] Moreover, the blower 1 according to this embodiment includes a blower unit 2 that can swing left and right and has a blower fan 17 and a motor 18 that drives the fan 17, and a control unit 50 that controls the motor 18 of the blower unit 2 and the left and right swing of the blower unit 2, and the control unit 50 controls the left and right swing of the blower unit 2 so that the wind speed at a position closer to the center is slower than the wind speed at positions closer to both ends of the left and right swing of the blower unit 2. The control unit 50 controls the blowing of air and the left and right swing of the blower unit 2 by switching between a plurality of blowing modes, and the plurality of blowing modes include a continuous mode in which the blower unit 2 swings left and right at a predetermined speed while controlling the motor 18 to keep the wind speed constant, and a clothes drying mode in which the blower unit 2 swings left and right at a speed slower than a predetermined speed while controlling the motor 18 to make the wind speed at a position closer to the center slower than the wind speed at positions closer to both ends of the left and right swing of the blower unit 2. This allows the left and right swinging to be performed slowly at a low speed in the clothes drying mode, thereby promoting the drying of laundry S such as clothes.

[0099] Moreover, it is preferable that the blower unit 2 includes a distance sensor 61 that detects the distance to the laundry S in the blowing direction 4, and the control unit 50 controls the motor 18 and the swing of the blower unit 2 based on the distance detection information detected by the distance sensor 61. This allows the optimum wind speed to be selected according to the distance from the blower 1 to the laundry S, and the laundry S to be blown at a constant wind speed.

[0100] Moreover, it is preferable that the air blowing unit 2 includes a temperature sensor 62 that detects the wetness of the laundry S in the air blowing direction 4, and the control unit 50 controls the motor 18 and the swing of the air blowing unit 2 based on the wetness of the laundry S detected by the temperature sensor 62. This allows the wet laundry S to be dried efficiently.

[0101] The control unit 50 also has a determination means for determining, based on the wetness of the laundry S detected by the temperature sensor 62, within the air blowing range of the air blowing unit 2, the area in which the wet laundry S exists as the drying target area and the area in which the wet laundry S does not exist as the non-drying target area, and when it is determined that part of the laundry S in the drying target area has dried, it is desirable to change the area in which the dried laundry S exists from the drying target area to the non-drying target area. This allows the wet laundry S to be dried efficiently.

[0102] Moreover, the blower 1 according to this embodiment includes a blower unit 2 that can swing left and right and has a blower fan 17 and a motor 18 that drives the fan 17, and a control unit 50 that controls the motor 18 of the blower unit 2 and the left and right swing of the blower unit 2, and the control unit 50 controls the blower unit 2 to swing up and down so that the wind speed at a position closer to the upper end is faster than the wind speed at a position closer to the lower end. This allows the laundry S to be dried evenly.

[0103] In addition, the vertical swing of the blower unit 2 is set within an angle range of 45 degrees to 75 degrees, and it is preferable to make the angle adjustable in the vertical direction while maintaining the vertical swing angle range of the blower unit 2. This allows the air to be directed intensively at the laundry S, allowing for efficient drying. In addition, it can be used in a variety of situations for drying clothes.

[0104] Moreover, the blower 1 according to this embodiment includes a blower unit 2 that can swing up and down and left and right and has a blower fan 17 and a motor 18 that drives the fan 17, and a control unit 50 that controls the motor 18 of the blower unit 2 and the up and down and left and right swing of the blower unit 2. The control unit 50 controls the blower unit 2 to have a smaller wind speed at the center position than the wind speed at both ends of the left and right swing, and controls the blower unit 2 to have a larger wind speed at a position closer to the upper end than the wind speed at a position closer to the lower end of the up and down swing. This allows the laundry S to be dried evenly.

[0105] Moreover, blower 1 according to this embodiment includes blower unit 2 that can swing left and right and has fan 17 for blowing air and motor 18 that drives fan 17, and control unit 50 that controls motor 18 of blower unit 2 and the left and right swing of blower unit 2, and control unit 50 controls the blowing of air and the left and right swing of blower unit 2 by switching between multiple types of blowing modes, and the multiple types of blowing modes include a continuous mode in which blower unit 2 swings left and right at a predetermined speed, and a forced stirring mode in which blower unit 2 swings left and right faster than the predetermined speed. As a result, indoor air can be circulated by swinging left and right quickly in the forced stirring mode.

[0106] In addition, it is preferable that the control unit 50 stops the vertical swing of the blower unit 2 and controls it to swing left and right faster than a predetermined speed while maintaining the vertical angle. This allows the indoor air to be mixed efficiently.

[0107] Moreover, it is preferable that the control unit 50 controls the blower unit 2 to swing left and right intermittently, which can improve the mixing rate of the indoor air.

[0108] Moreover, it is preferable that the blower unit 2 includes a distance sensor 61 that detects the distance to the laundry S in the blowing direction 4, and the control unit 50 controls the motor 18 and the swing of the blower unit 2 based on the distance detection information detected by the distance sensor 61. This allows the indoor air to be efficiently stirred in the forced stirring mode regardless of the installation location of the blower 1.

[0109] Moreover, it is preferable that the blower unit 2 includes a temperature sensor 62 that detects the temperature of an object in the blowing direction 4, and the control unit 50 controls the motor 18 and the oscillation of the blower unit 2 based on the temperature detection information detected by the temperature sensor 62. This allows the indoor air to be mixed efficiently.

[0110] In addition, the control unit 50 has a determination means for determining whether the air conditioner is in a cooling mode, in which the air conditioner attempts to lower the indoor temperature, or in a heating mode, in which the air conditioner attempts to raise the indoor temperature, based on temperature detection information detected by the temperature sensor 62, and desirably controls the blower unit 2 to blow air toward a low position along the floor of the room in the cooling mode, and controls the blower unit 2 to blow air toward a high position in the room in the heating mode. This allows the effect of the circulator to be maximized during cooling or heating, improving the efficiency of cooling and heating.

[0111] Moreover, it is preferable that the blower unit 2 is configured so that the direction can be changed by 180 degrees, so that the indoor air can be mixed efficiently.

[0112] Moreover, it is preferable that the blower unit 2 is provided with a traveling means, so that the indoor air can be mixed efficiently.

[0113] It is also preferable to provide a remote control 25 for setting the air blowing range of the air blowing unit 2, and the control unit 50 controls the swing of the air blowing unit 2 so that the air is blown toward the air blowing range set by the remote control 25. This eliminates the need for a sensor and reduces costs. Also, the air blowing range can be set as desired by the user.

[0114] [Other embodiments] As described above, although several embodiments have been described, the descriptions and drawings forming a part of the disclosure are illustrative and should not be understood as limiting. From this disclosure, various alternative embodiments, examples and operating techniques will become apparent to those skilled in the art.

[0115] In this manner, this embodiment includes various embodiments that are not described here. [Explanation of symbols]

[0116] 1 Blower 2 Blower section 17…Fan 18…DC motor 25...Remote control (setting operation means) 50...Control unit 61...Distance sensor (distance detection means) 62...Temperature sensor (wetness detection means) M1...Stepping motor M2: Stepping motor

Claims

1. A blower unit having a fan and a motor for driving the fan and capable of swinging up and down; A control unit that controls the motor and the vertical swing of the blower unit; Equipped with The control unit controls the blower unit to perform a clothes drying mode in which the wind speed at a position near the upper end of the vertical swing of the blower unit is greater than the wind speed at a position near the lower end, In the clothes drying mode, the wind speed gradually increases as the blower unit rotates from the lower end to the upper end of the up-down swing, and the wind speed gradually decreases as the blower unit returns from the upper end to the lower end. Blower.

2. The motor is a DC motor. The blower of claim 1.

3. Further comprising a motor for swinging the air blower up and down, The vertical oscillation motor is a stepping motor that controls the vertical oscillation of the blower unit using a pulse signal. The blower according to claim 1 or 2.

4. A blower unit having a fan and a motor for driving the fan and capable of swinging up and down; A control unit that controls the motor and the vertical swing of the blower unit; Equipped with The control unit controls the blower unit to perform a clothes drying mode in which the wind speed at a position near the upper end of the vertical swing of the blower unit is greater than the wind speed at a position near the lower end, In the clothes drying mode, the airflow speed adjustment range can be set to a plurality of stages, The wind speed can be selected from the multiple wind speed adjustment ranges depending on the distance to the object to be blown, and the blower unit can be swung up and down. Blower.

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