Air blower

Abstract

To provide an air blower that can be folded in a compact manner, capable of improving safety during accommodation of the air blower and suppressing waste electric power consumption in the air blower.SOLUTION: An air blower 1 comprises an air blowing part 2, a motor part 3, and a body 4 and a support member 5 that support the air blowing part 2. The motor part 3 has a first connection part 17. The body 4 has a second connection part 21 and a third connection part 22. The support member 5 has a fourth connection part 30. The body 4 has a first grounding part 29. The support member 5 has a second grounding part 34. The first connection part 17 and the second connection part 21 have a first oscillation part 23 connected to enable oscillation. The third connection part 22 and the fourth connection part 30 have a second oscillation part 35 to enable oscillation. While the body 4 and the support member 5 are opened at a predetermined angle, the air blowing part 2 is supported. In the air blower, the body 4 includes a detection part 42 that detects a state where the body 4 and the support member 5 are opened at the predetermined angle.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 10

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a blower such as a circulator. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, a known blower device is an electric fan that includes a fan section (corresponding to the blower section of the present invention), a base section that is placed on the floor, and a frame section that has a pair of arms that are rotatably attached to the left and right sides of the fan section and are supported so that they can swing freely on the left and right sides of the base section, and that can take a free-standing position in which the arms rise up from the base section to lift the fan section, or a folded position in which the arms and base section are parallel and the overall shape is flat (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Utility Model Registration No. 3191871 Publication Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, with such fans, the fan can be turned on even when it is folded, which can cause the impeller to operate unexpectedly. There is also the possibility that the fan may be stored while still turned on, resulting in unnecessary power consumption. Furthermore, if the fan is battery-powered, accidentally turning it on while it is folded and stored can consume the battery, resulting in the battery running out when the user wants to use it.

[0005] To provide a blower that solves the above problems and improves safety by not turning on the power even if a user mistakenly operates an operating part when the device is folded, and that can reduce unnecessary power consumption by not turning on the power when the device is stored. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The blower device described in claim 1 of the present invention comprises a front guard, a rear guard, a blower section consisting of a fan arranged in a space defined by the front guard and the rear guard, a motor arranged on the rear side of the blower section and driving the fan, a motor section accommodating the motor, and a main body and support member supporting the blower section, wherein the motor section has a first connection section, the main body has a second connection section and a third connection section, the support member has a fourth connection section, the main body has a first grounding section, the support member has a second grounding section, a first swinging section that swingably connects the first connection section and the second connection section, and a second swinging section that swingably connects the third connection section and the fourth connection section, and the blower section is supported by grounding the first grounding section and the second grounding section on an installation surface when the main body and the support member are opened at a predetermined angle by the second swinging section, and a detection section is provided on the main body to detect when the main body and the support member are opened at the predetermined angle. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] By configuring the air blower described in the present invention as described above, a detector is provided that detects when the front body and the support member are open at a predetermined angle, so that the power of the air blower cannot be turned on when the body and the support member are closed, i.e., in the stored state. This improves safety by preventing the fan from operating even if a user accidentally operates the operating unit in the stored state. It also prevents the air blower from being turned on accidentally when the device is stored, thereby preventing unnecessary power consumption. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a front perspective view of a blower device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of the blower device when the blowing direction is directed directly upward. [Figure 4] FIG. [Figure 5] 10 is a side view of the blower device in the same embodiment when the main body and the support member are opened at a predetermined angle and the blowing direction is horizontal. FIG. [Figure 6] 10 is a side view of the blower device in the same manner as above, with the main body and the support member opened at a predetermined angle and the blowing direction being upward. FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the detection section of the blower device in the stored state according to the first embodiment. [Figure 11] 10 is a cross-sectional view of the detection unit in the state where the main body and the support member are opened at a predetermined angle. [Figure 12] FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 1 to Fig. 12. In the description of the embodiments, the lower left direction in Fig. 1 will be referred to as the front, the upper right direction as the rear, the lower right direction as the right, and the upper left direction as the left.

[0010] The blower of the present invention is designated by 1. This blower 1 is composed of a blower section 2, a motor section 3, a main body 4, and a support member 5.

[0011] The blower 2 is made up of a front guard 6, a rear guard 7, and a fan 8 disposed in a space defined by the front guard 6 and the rear guard 7. The outer periphery of the front guard 6 is a cylindrical ring portion 9. A lattice portion 10 made of metal wire is fixed to this ring portion 9. A decorative plate 11 is fixed to the center of the lattice portion 10. The front guard 6 has a cylindrical shape with a bottom and an open rear side. A fixing member 12 is attached to the underside of the ring portion 9 so as to be able to swing relative to the ring portion 9.

[0012] The rear guard 7 is composed of a lattice portion 13 made of metal wire and a handle 14 also made of metal wire. The handle 14 is fixed by welding or the like to the upper rear side of the rear guard 7. The lattice portion 13 has a cylindrical shape with a closed bottom and an open front side.

[0013] The front guard 6 and the rear guard 7 have a detachable structure. The front guard 6 and the rear guard 7 are fixed by engaging a hook provided on the ring portion 9 and a hook on the fixing member 12 with the lattice portion 13, respectively. Then, by rotating the fixing member 12, which is attached so as to be swingable relative to the ring portion 9, downward, the hook of the ring portion 9 is disengaged from the lattice portion 13. Then, by disengaging the hook provided on the ring portion 9 from the lattice portion 13, the front guard 6 can be detached from the rear guard 7. When the front guard 6 is attached to the rear guard 7, the central axis of the bottomed cylindrical shape of the front guard 6 and the central axis of the bottomed cylindrical shape of the rear guard 7 are on a center line X1. The motor unit 3 is disposed behind the rear guard 7. The motor unit 3 is a hollow cylinder that houses a motor M for driving the fan 8. The rear guard 7 and the motor unit 3 are fixed together with a fixing screw or the like. At this time, the central axes of the motor unit 3 and the housed motor M are aligned on the center line X1. The central axes of the cylindrical, bottomed shape of the rear guard 7 and the motor unit 3 are also aligned on the center line X1.

[0014] The rotation shaft of the motor M housed in the motor unit 3 protrudes along the center line X1 into the space defined by the front guard 6 and the rear guard 7.

[0015] The fan 8 is an axial flow fan that has a cylindrical hub at its center and multiple blades on the peripheral wall of the hub. The fan 8 is attached to the rotation shaft of the motor M with mounting screws or the like. At this time, the central axis of the fan 8 and the rotation shaft of the motor M are on the center line X1. That is, the central axis of the fan 8 and the central axis of the motor unit 3 are also on the center line X1.

[0016] In summary, the central axis of the motor unit 3, the central axis of the front guard 6, the central axis of the rear guard 7, and the central axis of the fan 8 are aligned on the center line X1.

[0017] Furthermore, because the central axes of the components constituting the blower unit 2 and the motor unit 3 are aligned on the center line X1 and because of the weight relationship between the components, the center of gravity when the blower unit 2 and the motor unit 3 are combined is near the connection point between the motor unit 3 and the rear guard 7 on the center line X1.

[0018] An operation unit 15 and a display unit 16 are provided above the motor unit 3. By pressing this operation unit 15, the blower 1 can be turned on and off, and by rotating it, the rotation speed of the fan 8 can be changed, and the air volume can be adjusted.

[0019] Furthermore, the display unit 16 uses LEDs arranged in the motor unit 3 that light up when the fan device 1 is in the ON state, and the number of lights that light up changes depending on the air volume. In this embodiment, one LED lights up when the air volume is minimum, and the number of lights increases as the air volume increases, until four lights up when the air volume is maximum. When the fan device 1 is in the OFF state, the LEDs are turned off.

[0020] A control unit 40 is provided within the motor unit 3. The control unit 40 receives signals from the operation unit 15, controls ON / OFF of the motor M, and adjusts the number of rotations of the motor M. The control unit 40 also controls the number of lit LEDs of the display unit 16 according to the number of rotations of the motor M.

[0021] A first connection part 17, which has a shape that is a combination of a semicircle and a square and extends in the left-right direction in a side view, is provided at the center of the rear of the motor part 3. This first connection part 17 has a recess 18 in its center and protrusions 19, 19 on both sides, so that it has a U-shape when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the center line X1 and a center line X2 (described later). In addition, an abutment part 26 is provided on the upper surface of the recess 18.

[0022] The main body 4 has a plate-like shape, and the upper and lower ends are semicircular when viewed from the side. A second connection portion 21 and third connection portions 22, 22 are provided on the upper side of the main body 4. The second connection portion 21 is provided in the center of the upper side of the main body 4, with recesses 20, 20 provided on the left and right sides thereof. The third connection portion 22 is provided near the left and right sides of the upper side of the main body 4. A DC jack 41 is attached to the left side of the main body 4, and power is supplied by connecting an AC adapter (not shown). In this embodiment, power is supplied from an AC adapter, but a structure in which a battery is built into the main body 4 and power is supplied from the battery may also be used.

[0023] Then, the motor unit 3 and the main body 4 are connected together such that the second connection part 21 is inserted into the recess 18 of the first connection part 17, and at the same time, the convex parts 19, 19 of the first connection part 17 are inserted into the recesses 20, 20 of the main body 4.

[0024] The protrusions 19, 19 and the second connection portion 21 are connected using a torque hinge. This forms a first swinging portion 23 that swings the motor portion 3 and the main body 4. In this embodiment, the center point of the semicircle of the first connection portion 17 and the center point of the semicircle at the upper end of the main body 4 coincide when viewed from the side. If a line extending from these center points in the left-right direction is defined as center line X2, the central axis of the first swinging portion 23 is located on center line X2. In other words, the first swinging portion 23 is located in the center of the direction of center line X2. Furthermore, this center line X2 intersects with center line X1.

[0025] Since a torque hinge is used for the first swinging part 23, the angle between the motor part 3 and the main body 4 can be fixed at an angle desired by the user. In other words, the air blowing direction of the blower part 2 can be fixed at an angle desired by the user. In the case of this embodiment, the angle can be adjusted within a range from the angle at which the bottom surface 24 of the motor part 3 abuts against the front surface 25 of the main body 4 to the angle at which the abutment part 26 of the first connecting part 17 abuts against the protrusion 27 provided on the back side of the main body 4.

[0026] An anti-slip member 28 is attached to the underside of the main body 4. This anti-slip member 28 is made of an elastic material such as silicone, and acts as a non-slip member on the floor surface. The anti-slip member 28 is a first ground contact portion 29, which comes into contact with the installation surface F.

[0027] The fourth connection portion 30 of the support member 5 is attached to the third connection portion 22 of the main body 4. The support member 5 has the fourth connection portions 30, 30, connecting portions 31, 31, and leg portions 32. The support member 5 has a symmetrical shape, with the fourth connection portions 30, 30 connected to the leg portions 32 extending horizontally via the connecting portions 31, 31, which are slightly bent in a dogleg shape. In addition, an anti-slip member 33 is attached to the leg portions 32. Like the anti-slip member 28, the anti-slip member 33 is made of an elastic material such as silicone and acts as an anti-slip device on the floor surface. The anti-slip member 33 serves as a second grounding portion 34 and comes into contact with the installation surface F.

[0028] The third connecting portion 22 and the fourth connecting portion 30 are swingably connected by a swing mechanism provided in the third connecting portion 22. This forms second swinging portions 35, 35 that swingably move the support member 5 relative to the main body 4. The central axes of the second swinging portions 35, 35 are located on the center line X2. That is, the central axis of the first swinging portion 23 and the central axes of the second swinging portions 35, 35 are both located on the center line X2. The second swinging portions 35, 35 are located at both ends in the direction of the center line X2. A rotation prevention structure is provided within the third connection portion 22. As shown in Fig. 5, if the angle between the main body 4 and the upper side of the connecting portion 31 is θ, in this embodiment, the main body 4 is configured to swing within a range of θ = 0° to θ = 70°. Furthermore, a detection unit 42 is provided within the main body 4 for detecting that the support member 5 has swung by a predetermined angle relative to the main body 4.

[0029] The second oscillating unit 35 may be configured to stop the angle θ at a desired angle by the user using a torque generating mechanism such as a torque hinge. Alternatively, the second oscillating unit 35 may not include a torque generating mechanism. In the former case, the user can freely determine the angle θ as long as the angle θ is such that the blower unit 2 can be supported when using the blower device 1, allowing use even in small installation spaces. In the latter case, the blower device 1 is used at the angle θ stopped by the aforementioned anti-rotation structure (70° in this embodiment). This angle is maintained by the weight of the blower unit 2 and the aforementioned anti-rotation structure, supporting the blower unit 2. Therefore, since the blower unit 2 can be supported without using a torque generating mechanism, the number of components in the second oscillating unit 35 can be reduced, thereby reducing manufacturing costs.

[0030] When storing the air blower 1, as shown in FIG. 7, the support member 5 is folded (the angle θ=0°) and the bottom surface 24 of the motor unit 3 and the front surface 25 of the main body 4 are placed parallel to each other. In other words, the main body 4 and the center line X1 are placed perpendicular to each other. This allows the air blower 1 to be stored by leaning it against the wall or laying it down in the space between pieces of furniture. It can also be stored in a small space such as a closet.

[0031] As described above, the central axis of the first oscillating portion 23 and the central axis of the second oscillating portion 35 are on the center line X2. The center line X2 is perpendicular to the center line X1.

[0032] Because of this positional relationship, when the air blowing direction of the air blowing unit 2 is directed straight up, the center of gravity of the air blowing unit 2 and the motor unit 3 combined is near the center between the first connection part 17 and the second grounding part 34, so the air blowing device 1 can be installed stably and the risk of it falling over can be reduced.

[0033] In this embodiment, the central axis of the first oscillating portion 23 and the central axis of the second oscillating portion 35 are both located on the center line X2, but the position of the second oscillating portion may be located near the center of the side of the main body 4 instead of on the center line X2.

[0034] Furthermore, although the first oscillating portion 23 is provided at the upper center of the main body 4 and the second oscillating portion 35 is provided on the upper left and right side surfaces of the main body 4, the first oscillating portion may be provided on the upper left and right side surfaces of the main body 4 and the second oscillating portion may be provided at the upper center of the main body 4.

[0035] Furthermore, anti-slip members 28, 33 are attached to the first ground contact portion 29 and the second ground contact portion 34, respectively, but an anti-slip member may be attached only to the first ground contact portion 29, or no anti-slip member may be used, and the leg portion 32 of the support member 5 may be used as the second ground contact portion, and a portion that serves as the first ground contact portion may be provided on the main body 4.

[0036] Furthermore, the protrusion 27 is provided on the main body 4 so that the air blowing direction of the air blowing unit 2 stops directly above, but it is also possible to direct the air blowing direction of the air blowing unit 2 toward the rear without providing a protrusion.

[0037] Next, the structure of the detection unit 42 will be described. The main body 4 is composed of a front main body 43 and a rear main body 44. A disk 47 and a rotation-preventing member 48 are attached to the fourth connection portions 30, 30 of the support member 5, respectively. One of the disks 47, 47 acts as a detection body. The detection unit 42 is composed of the support member 5, a detector 45, a detector holder 46, the disk 47 acting as a detection body, and the rotation-preventing member 48 adjacent to the disk 47.

[0038] The detector 45 is fixed to the detector holder 46 by a screw, a nail, etc. The detector holder 46 is then fixed to the third connecting portion 22 on the right side of the front main body 43 by a screw, etc.

[0039] The support member 5 is made using a metal wire rod having a circular cross section. Planar portions 49 are provided on the fourth connection portions 30 of the support member 5, which are circular, to form insertion portions 50. The right-side planar portions 49 are arranged parallel to each other and symmetrically with respect to the center of the second swinging portion 35. The left-side planar portions 49 are also arranged parallel to each other and symmetrically with respect to the center of the second swinging portion 35. The right-side planar portions 49 and the left-side planar portions 49 are arranged parallel to each other and in the same direction when viewed from the side.

[0040] The disks 47 are attached to the insertion portions 50 of the fourth connection portions 30. An attachment hole 51 is provided at the center of each of the disks 47. The attachment holes 51 are shaped to fit the shape of the insertion portion 50 and are slightly larger than the shape of the insertion portion 50, allowing the disks 47 to be attached to the insertion portion 50. The centers of the disks 47 and the second swing portions 35 are aligned in a positional relationship.

[0041] After the disks 47 are attached to the insertion portions 50, the anti-rotation members 48 are fixed to the flat portions 49 with screws. In this way, the anti-rotation members 48 serve to prevent the disks 47 from coming off, and the disks 47 can be fixed to the insertion portions 50. Then, the support member 5 and the disks 47 rotate integrally.

[0042] The anti-rotation members 48 also serve as anti-rotation devices that determine the swing range of the second swing parts 35. Anti-rotation ribs 52 are provided on the front main body 43, and the anti-rotation ribs 52 come into contact with the anti-rotation members 48, providing an anti-rotation structure for the second swing parts 35. In this embodiment, the anti-rotation devices are configured so that the angle θ is in the range of 0° to 70°.

[0043] Each of the disks 47 has a small outer periphery 53 and a large outer periphery 54. The small outer periphery 53 and the large outer periphery 54 are concentric with each other from the center of the disk 47, and the radius of the large outer periphery 54 is larger than the radius of the small outer periphery 53.

[0044] Next, the relationship between the disc 47 that functions as a detection body and the detector 45 will be described. In this embodiment, a microswitch is used as the detector 45, so the description will be based on the operation of the microswitch.

[0045] The small outer periphery 53 of the disk 47 is shaped to open the arm 55 of the detector 45, i.e., to turn the microswitch OFF. The large outer periphery 54 of the disk 47 is shaped to press down the arm 55 of the detector 45, i.e., to turn the microswitch ON.

[0046] In this embodiment, the predetermined angle at which the blower unit 2 can be supported is set to 70°. Therefore, the small outer periphery portion 53 has an angle θ in the range of -70°<θ<70°, and the large outer periphery portion 54 is formed in any other angle θ range. Because the angle θ of the second oscillating unit 35 oscillates in the range of 0° to 70°, the disc 47 presses down on the arm 55 of the detector 45 only when the angle θ is 70°. At any other angle, the disc 47 releases the arm 55 of the detector 45. The reason why the small outer periphery portion 53 is formed in the range of -70° to 70° is to ensure that the disc 47 functions even if it is mistakenly attached to the insertion unit 50 upside down.

[0047] When the arm 55 of the detector 45 is in an open state, i.e., when the microswitch is in an OFF state, the control unit 40 determines that the air blower 1 is in a stored state. When the arm 55 of the detector 45 is in a pressed-down state, i.e., when the microswitch is in an ON state, the control unit 40 determines that the air blower 1 is in a used state.

[0048] The ranges of the small outer periphery portion 53 and the large outer periphery portion 54 may be appropriately determined based on a predetermined angle that can support the blower portion 2. For example, if the predetermined angle range is set to 50° to 70°, the small outer periphery portion 53 may be provided in an angle θ range of 0°≦θ<50°, and the large outer periphery portion 54 may be provided in an angle θ range of other angles, or the large outer periphery portion 54 may be provided in an angle θ range of 50°≦θ≦70°, and the small outer periphery portion 53 may be provided in an angle θ range of other angles.

[0049] The control will be explained with reference to Fig. 12. As described above, when the angle θ between the main body 4 and the support member 5 is within a predetermined angle range that can support the blower unit 2, the disk 47, which acts as a detection body, presses down the arm 55 of the detector 45. At this time, the detector 45 is in the ON state. When the control unit 40 recognizes that the detector 45 is in the ON state, the control unit 40 determines that the blower device 1 is in use.

[0050] Then, while the control unit 40 determines that the air blower 1 is in use, it performs control to receive signals from the operation unit 15. Pressing the operation unit 15 turns on and off the air blower 1. Also, turning the operation unit 15 changes the rotation speed of the motor M, thereby changing the air volume.

[0051] On the other hand, when the angle θ between the main body 4 and the support member 5 is outside the predetermined angle range, the arm 55 of the detector 45 is positioned on the small outer periphery 53 of the disk 47, which acts as a detection body, and the arm 55 of the detector 45 is open. At this time, the detector 45 is in the OFF state. When the control unit 40 recognizes that the detector 45 is in the OFF state, the control unit 40 determines that the blower 1 is in the stored state.

[0052] Then, while the control unit 40 determines that the air blower 1 is in the stored state, it performs control not to accept an operation signal from the operation unit 15. At this time, even if the operation unit 15 is pressed, the air blower 1 is not turned on and the motor M is not driven. Next, we will describe the case where, when the blower 1 is in use and the motor M is driving, the support member 5 is moved, the angle θ between the main body 4 and the support member 5 changes outside the specified angle range, and the blower 1 changes to a stored state. When the blower 1 is in the use state and the motor M is driving, and the blower 1 changes to the storage state, the control unit 40 performs control to stop the power supply to the motor M. Since the power supply to the motor M is stopped, the rotation of the motor M gradually decreases due to the frictional resistance of the motor M and the air resistance of the fan 8, and the rotation of the fan 8 finally stops.

[0053] Even if the support member 5 is subsequently moved again and the air blower 1 is returned to a position that is determined to be in use, the power of the air blower 1 will not be automatically turned on. It is necessary to press the operation unit 15 to turn on the power of the air blower 1.

[0054] As described above, when the blower device 1 is in the stored state, by controlling not to accept operation of the operating unit 15 and controlling to stop the power supply to the motor M, even if the user accidentally operates the operating unit 15 when the blower device 1 is stored, the fan 8 will not be driven, thereby preventing an unexpected operation by the user and improving safety. Also, it is possible to avoid wasting power by accidentally turning on the blower device when the blower device is stored.

[0055] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the invention. For example, a microswitch is used as the detector, but a magnet may be fixed to a disk that serves as the detection body, and a magnetic sensor may be used as the detector. Also, a slit may be provided in the disk that serves as the detection body, and an optical sensor may be used as the detector. [Explanation of symbols]

[0056] 1. Blower 2. Blower 3 Motor section 4 Main unit 5 Support member 6 Front guard 7 Rear guard 8 Fans 17 First connection part 21 Second connection part 22 Third connection part 23 First swinging part 28 Anti-slip material 29 First grounding part 30 Fourth connection part 33 Anti-slip material 34 Second grounding part 35 Second swinging part 42 Detector X1 center line X2 center line Medium motor θ angle F Installation surface

Claims

[Claim 1] a front guard, a rear guard, and a blower unit including a fan disposed in a space defined by the front guard and the rear guard; A blower device including a motor arranged on the rear surface of the blower unit and driving the fan, a motor unit accommodating the motor, and a main body and a support member supporting the blower unit, the motor portion has a first connection portion; the main body has a second connecting portion and a third connecting portion; the support member has a fourth connection portion; the main body has a first grounding portion; the support member has a second ground contact portion; a first swinging portion to which the first connecting portion and the second connecting portion are swingably connected; a second pivoting portion to which the third connection portion and the fourth connection portion are pivotally connected, The second swinging portion causes the main body and the support member to open at a predetermined angle, and the first grounding portion and the second grounding portion are grounded on an installation surface, thereby supporting the blower unit. A blower device characterized in that the main body is provided with a detection unit that detects when the main body and the support member are opened at a predetermined angle.

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