Sine Wave Blade Device

Abstract

An apparatus for manipulating a material, the apparatus comprising: a blade having a sinusoidal outer edge and a fin hub associated with a fin formed by an inner surface extending from the sinusoidal outer edge to a center of the fin, the fin hub being associated with a portion of the sinusoidal outer edge of the fin and configured to simultaneously rotate the fin hub and the fin about an axis of rotation coaxial with the fin hub, wherein the material is simultaneously drawn toward the portion of the sinusoidal outer edge of the fin via two opposing vortices coaxial with the axis of rotation, and the material is also simultaneously pushed 360 degrees around the axis of rotation and away from the axis of rotation. The blade is configured to axially draw in and radially expel material, such as air, to rapidly and efficiently mix the material.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 371,573, filed August 16, 2022, which is incorporated by reference herein to the extent not in conflict with this application.

[0002] FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates generally to material manipulation devices, and more particularly to material manipulation devices having sinusoidal blades. Summary of the Invention

[0003] Rotating blades are commonly used to manipulate and mix fluids in devices such as fans and mixers. These devices are configured to draw in or entrain a fluid, such as air, from a specific direction and expel the fluid in another direction, providing a desired function, such as room cooling. However, in many applications, the blades may not be able to direct the discharged fluid over a wide enough area, and a single device with a single blade may prove ineffective at mixing or redirecting the entrained fluid. This can result in slower fluid mixing and reduced efficiency. While additional structures can be used to manipulate the direction of the discharged fluid by actively manipulating the device's position or rotation, such features can complicate the device, and the approach may not be feasible in all applications.

[0004] Therefore, there is a need to solve the above-mentioned problems by providing an apparatus and method for a material handling device having blades configured to axially entrain and radially expel material as they rotate to promote rapid and efficient mixing of the material.

[0005] The aspects, problems, and related solutions presented in this section are approaches that could be pursued or have been pursued, but are not necessarily approaches that have been previously conceived or pursued. It is to be understood that structural and / or logical changes may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention. Thus, unless otherwise specified, it should not be assumed that any of the approaches presented in this section qualify as prior art merely by virtue of their presence in this section of the application. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This Summary is provided to introduce some concepts in a simplified form that are described later in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key or essential aspects of the claimed subject matter. Moreover, this Summary is not intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.

[0007] In one aspect, a blade is provided, the blade including fins having a sinusoidal outer edge and an inner surface extending from the sinusoidal edge to the center of the fin, the fins being associated with a fin hub. The blade is thus advantageously configured to intake axially disposed fluid and redirect it radially from the blade's axis of rotation. This allows for efficient distribution of fluids, solids, or other materials over a wide area, resulting in rapid and efficient mixing of the materials. When used in a fan, the blade draws in axially disposed air, mixes it, and expels it radially from the axis of rotation, discharging the fluid over a 360-degree range around the corresponding device. The sinusoidal outer edge of each fin of the blade and the complementary inner surface enclosed within each fin facilitate radial distribution of the axially entrained fluid, limiting the number of parts required to achieve this, thereby simplifying the overall structure of the blade and corresponding device.

[0008] Alternatively, the pitch angle of each fin of the blade can be adjusted to manipulate the extent to which axially disposed fluid is taken in and the outgoing fluid is discharged radially. Thus, an advantage is that the inlet and outlet operating parameters of the blade can be adjusted based on the needs of the application.

[0009] Alternatively, each fin on the blade may be configured to be removable from the blade, thus providing the advantage of allowing the fins on the blade to be adjusted or easily replaced without having to replace the entire blade.

[0010] In another aspect, the disclosed blades can be utilized within a radial discharge fan. Therefore, a radial discharge fan can advantageously be provided with multiple functional elements that operate in conjunction with or are further enhanced by the rotation of the blades. In one embodiment, the fan base of the fan body can include an accessory pod containing a scent, the accessory pod being axially disposed relative to the radial discharge fan. In this manner, the scent emitted from the accessory pod can be drawn into the blades and distributed radially outward from the axis of rotation, promoting effective distribution of the scent. A heating or cooling element axially disposed relative to the blades can also efficiently distribute the resulting product radially 360 degrees around the axis of rotation away from the radial discharge fan. Another advantage is that a radial discharge fan can effectively filter air by providing a filter around the blades, forcing air drawn in axially without being filtered through the filter in a radial direction.

[0011] These and other aspects or embodiments and advantages will become apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] By way of illustration and not by way of limitation, aspects, embodiments or examples of the present invention are illustrated in the figures of the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0013] FIG. 1 shows a front view of the disclosed radial discharge fan according to one embodiment.

[0014] 2A and 2B show front and top views, respectively, of an embodiment of the disclosed radial discharge fan, according to one aspect.

[0015] FIG. 3 illustrates a front view of the disclosed radial discharge fan and corresponding intake air flow direction, according to one embodiment.

[0016] FIG. 4 is a front view of the disclosed blade used in a fluid mixing operation, according to one embodiment.

[0017] FIG. 5 is a front view of the disclosed blades used in a single radial discharge fan, according to one embodiment.

[0018] FIG. 6 is a front view of a blade engaged with a magnetic clutch, according to one embodiment.

[0019] 7A-7C show front, top, and perspective views, respectively, of a disclosed blade, according to one embodiment.

[0020] FIG. 8 illustrates a front view of an embodiment of the disclosed blade configured to utilize pitched fins, according to one aspect.

[0021] FIG. 9 is a front view of an embodiment of the disclosed blade having removable fins, according to one aspect.

[0022] FIG. 10 is a front perspective view of a rotated disclosed blade, according to one embodiment.

[0023] FIG. 11 illustrates a top view of an embodiment of the disclosed blade having multiple dispersion packs, according to one aspect.

[0024] FIG. 12 is a front perspective view of an embodiment of the disclosed radial emission engaging an accessory pod, according to one aspect.

[0025] FIG. 13 is a front perspective view of a disclosed radial emission embodiment with an air shield, according to one aspect.

[0026] FIG. 14 is a front perspective view of a radial exhaust fan with a radial exhaust filter, according to one embodiment.

[0027] FIG. 15 shows a front perspective view of a radial discharge fan with a heater, according to one embodiment.

[0028] 16A-16I are top perspective views of a multiple blade embodiment, according to one aspect.

[0029] FIG. 17 illustrates an application interface for controlling an embodiment of a radial exhaust fan, according to one aspect.

[0030] FIG. 18 is a front perspective view of a radial discharge with an axial intake filter, according to one embodiment.

[0031] FIG. 19A shows a top view of a pump shell according to one embodiment.

[0032] 19B and 19C show top and side views, respectively, of a pump assembly utilizing the disclosed pump shell and blades, according to one embodiment.

[0033] FIG. 20 is a front perspective view of a blade showing material flow during clockwise rotation, according to one embodiment.

[0034] FIG. 21 is a front perspective view of an alternative embodiment of a radial exhaust fan, according to one aspect. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0035] The following is a description of various aspects, embodiments, and / or examples in which the present invention may be practiced. Reference is made to the accompanying drawings, the information contained in which is part of this detailed description. The aspects, embodiments, and / or examples described herein are offered by way of illustration and not by way of limitation.

[0036] In the following description, it can be assumed that most correspondingly labeled elements (e.g., 101, 201, etc.) throughout the figures have the same characteristics and are subject to the same structure and function. If there is an unnoted difference between correspondingly labeled elements that results in a non-corresponding structure or function of the elements for a particular embodiment, example, or aspect, then the conflicting description given for that particular embodiment, example, or aspect shall control.

[0037] FIG. 1 is a front view of one disclosed embodiment of a radially-exhausting fan 100. The disclosed radially-exhausting fan 100 is configured to take in axially-disposed fluids (e.g., fluids located above and below blades ("blades") 101), mix the fluids, and radially expel the fluids in a direction away from the axis of rotation 107 of the blades 101 (e.g., tangential to the axis of rotation 107 of the blades 101). In one embodiment, the disclosed fluid may be air, and rotation of the blades may circulate air in a surrounding room. An embodiment of the blade 101 disclosed herein may have four fins, such as fin 701a in FIG. 7, although other numbers of fins may be used as long as the function of the device is not hindered. In one embodiment, the disclosed blade 101 may be configured to draw in / intake axially-disposed air evenly from above and below the blade 101 and expel / distribute the air evenly radially around a 360-degree angle around the blade 101. The disclosed radial discharge fan 100, and its equivalents and alternatives (200, 500, 2100, etc.) described herein, as well as other structures utilizing the disclosed blades 101, may each be described as a "device for manipulating matter." It should be understood that the term "radial discharge" refers to the discharge of matter in the full 360 degrees around the axis of rotation 107, which may be selectively limited by supporting structure, such as the air shield 1318 of FIG. 13, as disclosed herein below.

[0038] The radial discharge fan 100 may be comprised of a fan base 102 associated with blades 101. The fan base 102 may itself be comprised of a fan body 103, accessory pod slots 104 nested within the fan body 103, a blade rotor (not shown) associated with the fan body 103 and the blades 101, and a blade cage 105 surrounding the blades 101 and associated with the fan body 103. The blade rotor may include a blade shaft 106, a clutch system associated with the blade shaft 106, such as magnetic clutch system 612 in FIG. 6, and a motor (not shown) associated with the clutch system, and may be configured to rotatably engage the blades 101 with the fan body 103, which in turn rotatably engages the fan base 102 and engages the blades 101 such that the blades 101 rotate about an axis of rotation 107. The blades 101, fan base 102, and corresponding elements are disclosed in further detail herein. It should be appreciated that blades 101 may be configured to rotate by blade shafts 106, which in turn are configured to rotate by a magnetic clutch, such as magnetic clutch 612 of FIG. 6, which is itself mounted to an engine (not shown). As such, the engine may be configured to facilitate rotation of the magnetic clutch, blade shafts 106, and blades 101 accordingly.

[0039] It should be understood that the radial discharge fan and its components may be made of suitably durable materials to prevent damage to the radial discharge fan during storage or use. In one embodiment, the blade fan 100 and its various components (e.g., blades 101, blade cage 105, fan base 102, blade shaft 106, etc.) may be made of a lightweight metal such as aluminum or a durable plastic. Other materials may also be used as long as the function of the device is not impeded or interrupted. While the blade 101 and corresponding device (e.g., the radial discharge fan 100) are more often discussed as being utilized in fan-based applications in which the substance being mixed is a fluid such as air, it should be understood that the same blade 101 may be utilized with equivalent or different devices to enable the mixing and radial discharge of other substances. For example, the blade 101 may be configured to mix not only liquids (e.g., water, paint, etc.) but also other substances such as solid powders, granular mixtures, etc., as described in further detail herein.

[0040] 2A-2B show front and top views, respectively, of an embodiment of the disclosed radially discharging fan 200 according to an aspect. The embodiment of the disclosed radially discharging fan 200 of FIGS. 2A and 2B display potential size designations that may be utilized for a standard consumer model of the disclosed radially discharging fan 200. As seen in FIG. 2A , the widest portion of the fan base 202 (the central blade cage portion 205a of the fan cage 205) may have a diameter of approximately 10.5 inches (approximately 267 mm). The central blade cage 205a may have a height of approximately 5 inches (approximately 127 mm). It should be understood that the diameter and height of the central blade cage 205a may be varied to accommodate different sized blades 201 depending on the application of the blades 200.

[0041] The overall height of the radial discharge fan 200 in this embodiment is approximately 18 inches (approximately 457 mm), with the height from the bottom of the blade shaft 206 to the top of the blade cage 205 being approximately 13 inches (approximately 330 mm). The height of the fan base 203 itself is approximately 9 inches (approximately 229 mm), with the diameter of the bottom (widest part) of the base body 203 a being approximately 12 inches (approximately 305 mm). It should be understood that these size designations can be modified as needed based on the size of the blades 201, the desired fan height, the type of peripherals utilized, etc.

[0042] FIG. 3 illustrates a front view of a disclosed radial discharge fan 300 and corresponding air intake and output directions, according to one embodiment. As seen in FIG. 3 , the disclosed radial discharge fan 300 can be configured to take in air from above and below the blades 301 in an axial direction. Axial intake air 308a above and below the blades 301 can be drawn into the blades 301 as the blades 301 rotate, the sinusoidal blade shape of which is described in more detail herein. As the intake air 308a is drawn into the blades 301 and redirected, it can be blown radially away from the axis of rotation 307 as output air 309. The output air 309 can be orthogonal (e.g., at a 90-degree angle) to the axis of rotation and thus the axially disposed intake air 308a, allowing individuals surrounding the radial discharge fan 300 to feel the output air 309 flowing toward them, regardless of their location around the radial discharge fan 300.

[0043] FIG. 4 illustrates a front view of a disclosed blade 401 used in a liquid mixing operation, according to one embodiment. It should be understood that the disclosed blade can be used in a variety of fluid manipulation applications and is not limited to use in fans or similar devices for manipulating airflow. As seen in FIG. 4 , the disclosed blade 401 is disposed within a mixer body 410, and the blade 401 is configured to quickly and efficiently mix liquids, such as paint. Similar to the phenomenon described in FIG. 3 , the intake fluid 408a disposed above the radially radiating blades and the intake fluid 408a disposed below the radially radiating blades may be drawn into the mixer body 410 as an output fluid 409 and directed radially outward due to the axial rotation of the radially radiating blades 401. This allows for efficient mixing of the fluids within the mixer body 410.

[0044] FIG. 5 shows a front view of multiple disclosed blades used in a radial discharge fan 500, according to one embodiment. To provide a radial discharge fan that can redirect air over a larger vertical area, it may be necessary to utilize multiple blades 501 within a single radial discharge fan 500. The radial blades 501 may be coaxially aligned with one another on the axis of rotation 507. The blades may also be positioned at different heights along the axis of rotation 507, allowing the radial discharge fan to circulate air at various heights. Such a radial discharge fan 500 allows a user 511 within range of the radial discharge fan to feel the radially discharged output air 509 whether standing, sitting, or lying down. As noted above, the blades 501 may be coaxially aligned with one another on the axis of rotation 507 such that the fan body 503 maintains a simple cylindrical shape. In one embodiment, the radial discharge fan 500 can have at least two coaxial blades 501, with each blade 501 coaxially aligned on the axis of rotation 507. As can be seen in FIG. 5, the blade shaft 506 can move coaxially through the corresponding fin hub portion of each blade 501 .

[0045] The rotation of each of the blades 501 combines to create a "wall" of radially moving air that can cool a larger area than a single blade 501 alone would provide. It should be understood that more or fewer blades may be used to create the desired wall of air based on the needs of the application. Such radial exhaust fans 500 configured to circulate larger volumes of air more quickly are suitable for applications in larger rooms, warehouses, etc.

[0046] It should be noted that the disclosed blades 501 can also be used to dehumidify air within an environment. For example, a warehouse or other structure may have a high roof where heat accumulates, while the ground of the structure may remain cold and unheated. Because the blades are configured to draw in air axially and expel it radially, the radial expulsion fan 500 can be positioned at a mid-height within the environment to draw in air from both the ceiling and the ground and mix them. This can homogenize the heat, moisture, carbon dioxide content, etc., of the surrounding air within the environment, which may be desirable in many applications. Furthermore, because the blades 501 may be configured to draw in air from above and below, the blades 501 may be configured to draw in air over twice the intake area than if they only received air from above or below. The blades 501 can also be configured to expel air radially at a 360-degree angle, thereby dispersing / pushing air over a wider area.

[0047] In one embodiment, the disclosed blades 501 may be configured to provide conditions suitable for agricultural applications. In such an embodiment, the rotation of the blades 501 may be configured to draw carbon dioxide from the ground and distribute it radially to all plants within range. By expelling / pushing air radially, a gentle breeze can be simulated rather than a linearly rotating vortex, providing conditions suitable for stem stimulation. Again, mixing air from above and below can provide a more normalized, uniform air with respect to balance, temperature, humidity, etc.

[0048] FIG. 6 is a front view of blades 601 engaged with a magnetic clutch 612, according to one embodiment. To facilitate rotation of blades 601, the blades 601 may need to be engaged with a power element, such as an engine (not shown). The structure depicted in FIG. 6 may be described as part of the blade rotor described in FIG. 1. The mechanism by which the engine or other power element engages and rotates the radially radial blades 601 may vary. In one embodiment, a magnetic clutch 612 may be disposed between the radially radial blades 601 and the power element and associated with the radially radial blades 601. The magnetic clutch may be comprised of a rotor 612a associated with the blades 601 and a clutch hub 612b associated with the power element, such as the engine.

[0049] The magnetic clutch 612 may further include a plurality of motor winding (negative) poles 613a associated with the rotor 612a and a plurality of armature (positive) poles 613b associated with the clutch hub 612b. The plurality of motor winding (negative) poles 613a associated with the rotor 612a may be spaced apart from a corresponding plurality of armature (positive) poles 613b associated with the clutch hub 612b. The motor winding poles 613a and armature poles 613b may be separated by an air gap 612c to prevent direct contact between the rotor 612a and the clutch hub 612b. The rotor 612a may be secured to the blades 601 by the blade shaft 606 described above in FIG. 1 to ensure proper positioning of the blades 601. When the engine is running, the armature poles 613b on the clutch hub 612b rotate, causing the winding poles 613a on the rotor 612a to rotate. Each winding pole 613a magnetically couples with the corresponding armature pole 613b, causing the attached blade shaft 606 and blades 601 to rotate.

[0050] In one embodiment, the engine may be configured to rotate the blades 601 in a clockwise direction 641 to facilitate axial entrainment of air and radial discharge of the axially entrained air. For such an embodiment, each fin 601 a may be attached to the fin hub 601 b of the blade 601 by a corresponding “valley” portion 614 b of the outer sinusoidal edge 614 of the fin 601 a, such that the radially most distal portion of each fin 601 a is a “hill” portion 614 a on the outer sinusoidal edge 614. This particular arrangement of the fins 601 a as described herein above, with distally disposed “hill” portions 614 a and a clockwise rotational direction 641 about the axis of rotation 607, may be a preferred embodiment due to resulting operating parameters (e.g., intake angle of radially entrained air, height of annularly discharged air ring, etc.), which will be described in more detail herein below.

[0051] In one embodiment, orienting the fins 601a relative to the horizon (e.g., maximizing the fin pitch angle) may improve performance for blades 601 rotating close to the floor / ceiling or where axial flow to the blades 601 is otherwise obstructed. If the blades 601 have fins 601a with a neutral pitch angle (e.g., zero-degree pitch angle) as seen in FIG. 6, the axial intake of air (or other material) from above or below the blade 601 is likely to be obstructed or starved by having surfaces too close to the top or bottom of the blade, which can result in an undesirable imbalance of intake air from above and below the blade 601. Increasing the pitch angle of each fin 601a of the blade can increase the area through which air is axially entrained, thereby mitigating this issue in embodiments closer to the top or bottom surfaces. Increasing the pitch angle of each fin 601a of blade 601 can increase the radial diameter over which air is drawn into the blade while decreasing the axial distance over which air is drawn, thus forming wider and shorter intake vortices above and below blade 601 as the pitch angle increases. The pitch angle of each fin is described in more detail below.

[0052] 7A-7C show front, top, and perspective views, respectively, of a disclosed blade 701 according to one embodiment. Each blade 701 may comprise a fin hub 701b and at least one fin 701a configured to associate with the fin hub. The unique structure of each fin 701a of the blade 701 may be configured to allow the blade 701 to inhale air from above and below itself (axially arranged air) and simultaneously exhaust or expel the air over a 360-degree area (radially), perpendicular to the radially exhausted or expelled output air, as described above. Each fin 701a of the blade 701 may have the same shape to properly balance the blade 701, and each blade 701 may have at least one fin 701a with an appropriate counterbalance (which may be another fin 701a) to ensure balance during blade rotation. In one embodiment, the blade 701 may comprise a fin hub associated with at least two fins 701a.

[0053] Each fin 701a may have a sinusoidal configuration characterized by each fin having a sinusoidal outer fin edge 714. The sinusoidal edge 714 may surround a fin surface 715. The fin surface 715 may form a continuous monolithic structure with the sinusoidal outer fin edge 714, with the fin surface 715 having a smooth contour that follows the configuration of the sinusoidally arranged fin edge 714. A fin center 701c may be located at the center of the fin surface 715. As seen in FIG. 7A, each fin 701a, such as fin 701a-1, may have a circular shape when viewed from a side view. This circular shape of the fin may be useful for achieving the necessary axial intake and radial exhaust of air through the blade 701. It should be understood that in FIG. 7B, the axis of rotation enters and exits the page through the fin hub 701b of the blade 701. It should also be understood that the profile shape of each fin 701a may be altered to form an oval shape from its profile view, which may affect not only the airflow favorable for intake or exhaust, but also the direction and effective area of ​​the intake and exhaust regions.

[0054] In one embodiment, each fin 701a of the blade 701 may be identical to maintain balance of the blade 701 during rotation. The thickness of the fin surface 715 may be approximately constant, providing a uniform thickness across each fin 701a. This thickness may taper smoothly from the outer end of the sinusoidal fin outer edge 714 to the fin center 701c, forming a smooth, rounded edge around each fin 701a. Alternatively, a sharp transition between the inner surface 715 and the sinusoidal fin outer edge 714 may form a flat or angled edge. In alternative embodiments, the sinusoidal outer outer edge 714 may be thicker than the inner surface. Because the thickness of the outer sinusoidal edge 714 of each fin 701a can affect the resulting drag exerted on the blade 701, it should be understood that different types of edges / edge thicknesses may be utilized within the blade 701 depending on the application of the blade 701.

[0055] To clarify the structure of each fin 701a of blade 701, the terms "peak" and "maximum" are used to represent the positioning of the sinusoidal fin outer edge 714 at one end, and "valley" and "minimum" are used to represent the positioning of the sinusoidal fin outer edge 714 at the other end. For consistency, the terms hill 714a and valley 714b are utilized to represent the opposing extremes of the sinusoidal outer edge positioning.

[0056] As seen in FIGS. 7A-7B, each fin 701a of the disclosed blade 701 can have a sinusoidal fin outer edge 714 and a fin surface 715 extending from the sinusoidal edge to the center 701c of the fin 701a. Each fin 701a can have three hills 714a and three valleys 714b. In one embodiment, following the outer sinusoidal edge 714 of the fin 701a, each hill 714a can be followed by an adjacent valley 714b, and each valley 714b can be followed by an adjacent hill 714a. This results in a continuous pattern of hills and valleys (e.g., a continuous sinusoidal pattern as shown) around the outer edge of the fin 701a. In each fin 701a, each peak 714a can be opposite a valley 714b. The first hill 714a-1 and the first valley 714b-1, which are visible from the top view of FIG. 7B , may be vertically aligned with the corresponding second hill 714a-2 and second valley 714b-2, respectively, which are not visible from the top view of FIG. 7B . In other words, the first hill 714a-1 may face the second valley 714b-2, and the second hill 714a-2 may face the first valley 714b-1, while the third hill 714a-3 faces the third valley 714b-3. The third hill 714a-3 may be located at the portion of the fin 701a farthest from the fin hub 701b, while the third valley 714b-3 may be located at the portion of the fin 701a closest to the fin hub 701b. While this particular embodiment of fins 701a having three hills 714a and three valleys 714b on each fin 701a is utilized herein, it should be understood that fins having more or fewer hills 714a and valleys 714b may also be utilized as long as the sinusoidal structure of the outer edge 715 of each fin 701a is maintained.

[0057] As shown in FIG. 7C , each set of opposing hills and valleys, such as first hill 714a-1 and second valley 714b-2, may meet at center 701c, thus forming the unique shape of each fin 701a. The thickness 701d of each fin 701a may be uniform across the entire fin surface 715, as well as at center 701c. The thickness of each fin 701a may taper as it reaches sinusoidal fin outer edge 714, resulting in a smooth, rounded edge around each fin 701a. Each fin 701a may be oriented in the same direction, as shown in FIGS. 7A-7C , to maintain balance of the blade 701. The smoothed edges disclosed above eliminate sharp edges on the blade 701, preventing the blade from cutting into the side or bottom of the fan base, mixer body, or any structure to which the blade 701 is attached, which may help reduce wear and damage to the structure.

[0058] As seen in FIG. 7C , when placing the disclosed blade 701 in a three-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system, each fin may be positioned or otherwise disposed on an X-axis 750 or a Y-axis 751. Additionally, the axis of rotation 707 may move along the Z-axis, and thus, the axis of rotation 707 may simply refer to the Z-axis in the embodiment of FIG. 7C . As will be appreciated, the first fin 701 a-1 and the third fin 701 a-3 may be disposed on the Y-axis 751 on opposite sides of the fin hub 701 b. Additionally, the second fin 701 a-2 and the fourth fin 701 a-4 may be disposed on the X-axis 750 on opposite sides of the fin hub 701 b. In summary, blade 701 may have two opposing fins 701a-2, 701a-4 positioned on the X-axis of blade 701 and two opposing fins 701a-1, 701a-3 positioned on the Y-axis of blade 701, all of which are associated with fin hub 701b.

[0059] FIG. 8 illustrates a front view of one embodiment of the disclosed blade 801 configured to utilize pitched fins 801a, according to an aspect. While each embodiment of the blade 801 depicted herein may utilize a “neutral pitch angle” (e.g., a pitch angle of approximately 0 degrees), varying the pitch angle of each fin 801a to affect the direction air is ingested and expelled toward it may be beneficial in certain applications. The term “pitch angle” may be determined by locating linear pitch lines 816-1, 816-2, 816-3 through the cross-section of the fin, where the pitch lines pass through the first ridge 814a-1 and the second ridge 814a-2 of a particular fin 801a-1. Thus, a “neutral pitch angle” has a pitch line, such as pitch line 816-1, where the pitch line is parallel to the axis of rotation 807.

[0060] While a neutral pitch angle as depicted by pitch line 816-1 may result in the aforementioned intake of air directly above and below blade 801 and subsequent axial dispersion of said air, these aspects of other pitch angles may differ. It should be understood that pitch lines 816-1, 816-2, and 816-3 are used to illustrate potential pitch angle embodiments for first fin 801a-1 and are not intended to depict the entire range of pitch angles possible for the disclosed fins. As will be appreciated, neutral pitch line 816-1 may have a zero-degree pitch angle and thus may be parallel to rotation axis 807 such that fin hub 801b is associated with the corresponding portion of sinusoidal outer edge 814 of corresponding fin 801a at a zero-degree angle. For visual simplicity, the pitch angles of other pitch lines may be measured by comparing the angle of neutral pitch line 816-1 to the other pitch lines.

[0061] The medium pitch line 816-2 depicts a medium pitch angle 830a for the first fin 801a-1, which affects the function of the blade 801 by moderately increasing the effective area through which the blade 801 takes in and outputs air. The extreme pitch line 816-3 depicts an extreme pitch angle 830b for the first fin 801a-1, which affects the function of the blade 801 by significantly increasing the effective area through which the blade 801 takes in and outputs air. Thus, the pitch angles 830a, 830b of each fin of the blade 801 can be modified to reflect the extent to which the blade is configured to take in air for fan applications, or to take in other fluids in corresponding applications. Additionally, adjusting the pitch angle of the fin 801a can affect the ratio of air drawn into the blade 801 from above the blade 801 to air drawn into the blade 801 from below the blade, which may also be relevant depending on the fan application. In one embodiment, each fin 801a of blade 801 can be pitched to draw more air into blade 801 from above than below in order to draw hot air from the ceiling for cooling and recirculation accordingly. Again, it should be appreciated that because neutral pitch line 816-1 is parallel to axis of rotation 807, the angle formed between neutral pitch line 816-1 and neutral pitch line 816-2 defines neutral pitch angle 830a, and local maximum pitch angle 830b is defined by the angle formed between neutral pitch line 816-1 and local maximum pitch line 816-3, as shown in FIG. 8. As should be appreciated, the pitch angle of fin 801a can vary based on the corresponding portion of fin 801a attached to fin hub 801b and the angle at which fin 801a is attached to fin hub 801b.

[0062] Different embodiments of the disclosed blades 801 may allow the pitch angle of the corresponding fins 801 a to be adjustable by various mechanisms. In one embodiment, each fin 801 a of a blade 801 may be removable such that the pitch angle of each fin 801 a of the blade 801 may be changed by removing a first set of fins 801 a having a first pitch angle from the blade 801 (e.g., removing each fin 801 a from the fin hub) and replacing it with a second set of fins having a second pitch angle. In alternative embodiments, the pitch angle of each fin 801 a of the blade 801 may be adjustable via a suitable adjustment mechanism, such as a knob or dial configured to rotate to manually manipulate the pitch angle of each fin 801 a of the blade 801. The knob or dial may be located in a convenient location on the blade 801 or the fan base so that a user can easily access the knob to adjust the pitch angle of the fins 801 a as needed.

[0063] While each of the blade embodiments disclosed herein can have a corresponding fin attached to the fin hub by a valley on the sinusoidal outer edge, such as the third valley 714b-3 of the sinusoidal outer edge 714 in FIG. 7A , it should be understood that the pitch of the corresponding fin can also be affected based on which portion of the fin is attached to the fin hub (e.g., the pitch angle of the fin can be affected by the point along the sinusoidal outer edge that is secured to the fin hub). For example, a fin attached to the fin hub by a hill (or the portion between the hills) can have a different pitch angle than a fin attached to the fin hub by a valley. Additional blade embodiments having fins with modified pitch angles are described in more detail herein below.

[0064] As seen in FIG. 8 , each fin 801 a may be associated with the fin hub 801 b by a corresponding portion of the sinusoidal outer edge 814 of that fin 801 a. Furthermore, when viewed from the front, each fin 801 a may appear as if the projection of the outermost point of that fin 801 a is circular, as shown by the sinusoidal outer edge 814-2 of the second fin 801 a-2 from FIG. 8 . In other words, when viewed from the front of the fin 801 a-2, the corresponding sinusoidal outer edge 814-2 may appear circular. In contrast, when the corresponding first fin 801 a-1 is viewed from the side, the sinusoidal nature of the corresponding sinusoidal outer edge 814-1 of the first fin 801 a-1 may be clearly visible, as shown by the sinusoidal outer edge 814-1 of the first fin 801 a-1 in FIG.

[0065] 9 illustrates a front view of an embodiment of the disclosed blade 901 having removable fins 901a, according to one aspect. To facilitate easy maintenance, replacement, or adjustment of the blade 901's operating parameters (e.g., the pitch angle of each fin), each fin 901a may be configured to be removable from a fin hub 901b. These removable fins 901a can be replaced or removed based on the user's needs, and each fin 901a can be joined to the fin hub 901b using an easy-to-operate yet secure connection structure (not shown), such as snaps, clips, screws, hook fasteners, loop fasteners, or adhesive. In this manner, the fin hub 901b can be removably associated with a corresponding portion of the sinusoidal outer edge 914 of the fin 901.

[0066] Each fin can be attached (or detached) by moving the fin 901a axially toward (or away from) the fin hub 901b to engage (or disengage) said fin 901a with appropriate structure on the fin hub 901b, as seen in Figure 9. In an alternative embodiment, the fin 901a and fin hub 901b can form an integrated monolithic structure, with the fin 901a not being removable.

[0067] FIG. 10 is a front perspective view of a rotating disclosed blade 1001, according to one embodiment. As depicted in FIG. 3, the rotation of the disclosed blade 1001 draws air from above and below 1008a toward the blade 1001, impinges and mixes with the blade 1001, and distributes it radially away from the axis of rotation 1007, as depicted by the radial outflow air 1009. It is important to note that the blade 1001 should be made of a suitable material that is lightweight, durable, and remains stable (e.g., does not deform significantly) as it rotates. Therefore, lightweight metals such as aluminum and durable plastics can be used for the blade 1001. Both the axially oriented air 1008a drawn from above and the axially oriented air 1008a drawn from below can be drawn into the blade 1001 to mix, then form two opposing vortices of inlet air 1008c that push the air 360 degrees around the axis of rotation 1007 and away from the axis of rotation 1007. The complementary opposing vortices 1008c may collide at the blade 1001 located between them, thus promoting faster and more efficient mixing of the two vortices 1008c. In one embodiment, these opposing intake vortices 1008c each have a conical shape, with the narrow portion 1008d of each vortex 1008c located closer to the blade 1001 than the wide portion 1008e of each vortex 1008c. As can be appreciated, both opposing intake vortices 1008c may be coaxial with the axis of rotation 1007.

[0068] FIG. 11 illustrates a top view of an embodiment of the disclosed blade 1101 having multiple dispersion packs, according to one aspect. The dispersion packs 1117-1, 1117-2, 1117-3, and 1117-4 may be configured to efficiently distribute the desired scent over a space or room through radial distribution of output air from the blade 1101, as described herein above. Each dispersion pack may be associated with two adjacent fins and / or corresponding fin hub portions disposed therebetween, with the four dispersion packs together forming a generally spherical shape upon attachment to the fin hub 1101b, which is located at the center of the spherical shape, as seen in FIG. 11.

[0069] As shown in the embodiment disclosed in FIG. 11 , the first dispersion pack 1117-1 may be associated with and disposed between the first fin 1101a-1 and the second fin 1101a-2. The second dispersion pack 1117-2 may be associated with and disposed between the second fin 1101a-2 and the third fin 1101a-3. The third dispersion pack 1117-3 may be associated with and disposed between the third fin 1101a-3 and the fourth fin 1101a-4. Finally, the fourth dispersion pack 1117-4 may be associated with and disposed between the fourth fin 1101a-4 and the first fin 1101a-1. As disclosed above, each dispersion pack may alternatively be associated with a corresponding portion of the fin hub 1101b to ensure that the dispersion pack remains securely attached.

[0070] It may be necessary for each dispersion pack 1117-1, 1117-2, 1117-3, 1117-4 to be approximately the same size, shape, and weight to maintain balance of the blade 1101 during rotation. Additionally, it may be important that the particular material used in each dispersion pack is used or worn at the same rate to avoid weight imbalances in the blades 1101 during use that could adversely affect rotational performance.

[0071] Each embodiment of the blade 1101 disclosed herein may have four fins, 1101a-1, 1101a-2, 1101a-3, and 1101a-4, as shown in FIG. 11 and described above; however, it should be understood that the number of fins per blade 1101 may vary as long as the balance of the blade 1101 is maintained during rotation. To maintain balance of the blade 1101, a minimal single fin, such as the first fin 1101a-1, may be positioned against a counterweight (not shown). This single-fin alternative may be the quietest of the possible embodiments because it avoids cavitation caused by the first fin impacting the wake of an adjacent second fin. Alternatively, the disclosed blade 1101 may utilize a greater number of fins (e.g., two, three, four, five, etc.), while still being positioned to balance during rotation, as described in more detail below.

[0072] 12 shows a front perspective view of an embodiment of the disclosed radial emission fan 1200 engaging an accessory pod 1217, according to one aspect. To make a suitable accessory pod 1217 available alongside the disclosed blades 1201 in the radial emission 1200, an accessory pod slot 1204 configured to receive the accessory pod 1217 may be nested within the fan body 1203. As disclosed below, a variety of different structures can be nested within the disclosed accessory pod slot 1204.

[0073] Similar to the dispersion packs 1117-1, 1117-2, 1117-3, and 1117-4 disclosed in FIG. 11 , the accessory pods 1217 may be scented, and the scented accessory pods 1217 may be disposed within the accessory pod slots 1204. As axially disposed air is pulled toward the blades 1201 from above and below during blade rotation, the scent of the scented accessory pods 1217 disposed below the blades 1201 may be drawn into the blades 1201 and distributed radially. Such scented accessory pods 1217 may utilize citronella-based substances that may be used in outdoor applications such as insect / mosquito repellent, and / or other scented substances that may be used indoors. The accessory pods 1217 may also be scented while simultaneously performing other functions, some of which are described below.

[0074] In one embodiment, the accessory pod 1217 may also include electronic elements such as lights and / or speakers. Lights, such as color-changing LEDs, may help illuminate the surrounding area and the blade 1201 while achieving a desired visual aesthetic. The lights may be directed upward toward the blade 1201 to achieve a unique visual appearance as the blade 1201 rotates. For example, the rotation of the blade 1201 may cause light emitted from the accessory pod 1217 to be reflected / directed in various different directions during rotation, which may be desirable for certain applications. In embodiments, each fin of the blade 1201 may be provided with a particular color. In some embodiments, each fin of the blade 1201 may be the same color (e.g., red, green, blue, silver, gold, etc.), while in alternative embodiments, each fin of the blade 1201 may be provided with a different color. In any embodiment, the fins of the blade 1201 are configured to reflect light emitted from the accessory pod and may affect the color of the light reflected into the environment based on their own color. In an alternative embodiment, the fins of blade 1201 or the entire blade 1201 may be made of a translucent material, and lighting located within or near blade 1201 (e.g., within accessory pod slot 1204) may shine through blade 1201 as it rotates, creating unique lighting effects. Any speaker on accessory pod 1217 may be equipped with a suitable Bluetooth receiver / transceiver to allow a user to easily interface with the speaker and play selected audio using a remote device, such as a smart device, as described in further detail herein.

[0075] Each electronic element of the accessory pod 1217 may be powered by a rechargeable battery (not shown) stored within the accessory pod 1217, thus making the accessory pod portable. This rechargeable battery can be charged via a connection to the fan base 1203, which itself powers the fan (e.g., its motor or other rotation means) via a mains battery, a connection to a wall outlet, or other suitable power supply method. If the accessory pod 1217 is powered by a detachable power source, such as a rechargeable battery, it may be possible to remove the accessory pod 1217 from the fan base 1203 while the sound / light is emitting to ensure proper positioning of the sound / light-emitting accessory pod. In one embodiment, accessory pods 1217 with speakers can be sold in pairs or larger multiples, and the speakers can be positioned to provide the user with an improved audio experience with a stereo and / or surround sound setup.

[0076] The accessory pod 1217 can also function as a decorative element to help the fan 1200 achieve a desired appearance or style. One example of a decorative element may be a chrome metallic-based structure. It should be understood that the accessory pod 1217 may perform one or more of the functions disclosed herein, or none, as required by the application. In one embodiment, the accessory pod 1217 may be configured to dispense fragrance, have color-changing LED lights, or have a Bluetooth speaker configured to play music from a wirelessly connected mobile device. Additionally, the accessory pod 1217 may be configured to interact with applications, such as mobile apps, through the use of Bluetooth connectivity, allowing a user to operate the speaker, lights, etc. on the accessory pod directly from a controller or a Bluetooth-enabled device, such as a smartphone.

[0077] It should be understood that the radial discharge fan 1200 and its various elements can also be decorated to achieve a desired visual appearance. Various designs, from camouflage to vibrant advertising, can surround the fan blades 1201 and fan base 1202 as appropriate for the application of the radial discharge fan 1200, so long as they do not adversely affect the fan's performance. Additionally, the accessory pod 1217 may also be decorated to fit this design aesthetic, thereby creating a fan 1200 with a unified design aesthetic. The blade cage 1205 can also be given a decorative appearance, so long as it maintains its function of protecting the blades 1201.

[0078] FIG. 13 shows a front perspective view of an embodiment of the disclosed radially-exhausting fan 1300 having an air shield 1318, according to one aspect. While the blades 1301 may be configured in many embodiments to radially distribute air in a full 360-degree radius around the radially-exhausting fan 1300, certain applications may preferentially or require limiting the radius of the emitted air to less than a full 360-degree radius. In alternative embodiments, the air shield 1318 may be secured to the blade cage 1305 to limit the extent to which the radially-exhausting air is distributed. More specifically, the air shield 1318 may be secured to the central blade cage 1305a for proper positioning of the air shield 1318 to prevent the expelled air, or other fluids or substances, from spreading in a particular direction. In other words, the air shield 1318 may be associated with the base 1302 and configured to reduce the 360-degree angle at which substances are expelled from the radially-exhausting fan.

[0079] In one embodiment, the air shield 1318 may be configured to surround a 90-degree radial portion of the central blade cage 1305a, as shown in FIG. 13 , such that radially discharged air is partially blocked by the air shield 1318 and effectively redirected toward the remaining 270-degree radial portion of the fan cage that is not blocked by the air shield 1318. It should be understood that the air shield 1318 may be configured to be easily removable from the blade cage 1305 and may be made of materials similar to those of the blade cage 1305. Furthermore, the air shield 1318 may be provided in different sizes so that the radial portion of the central blade cage 1305a that is covered can be varied based on the needs of the user. In one embodiment, the air shield 1318 may cover a 180-degree portion of the central blade cage 1305a, thus effectively redirecting radially discharged air toward the unshielded, uncovered half of the radially discharge fan 1300 (e.g., the opposing 180-degree portion). The air shield 1318 may be provided in modular sections so that a user can selectively use one or more of said modular sections to cover within or outside of a desired range of the radial emission 1300.

[0080] FIG. 14 shows a front perspective view of a radially-exhaust fan 1400 having a radially-exhaust air filter 1419, according to one embodiment. In addition to radially distributing air for circulating and cooling air in an area, distributing fragrance, etc., the disclosed radially-exhaust fan may include a radially-exhaust air filter 1419 so that air is filtered as it is drawn axially into the fan 1400 and distributed radially. Similar to the previously disclosed air shield 1318 of FIG. 13, the disclosed radially-exhaust air filter 1419 may be configured to engage the central blade cage 1405a of the blade cage 1405. In this manner, the axially-intake air 1408a is suitably filtered by the radially-exhaust air filter 1419 as it is radially discharged as output air 1409.

[0081] Positioning the radial exhaust air filter 1419 on the central blade cage 1405a filters air escaping radially from the central blade cage 1405a by forcing air that would normally pass through the central blade cage 1405a (e.g., radially discharged / distributed air 1409) to pass through the radial exhaust air filter 1419. The radial exhaust air filter 1419 may be configured to filter any material or particulate (e.g., dust, allergens, smoke, etc.) known in the art from the radially discharged air. The radial exhaust air filter 1419 may also be configured to be removable, allowing a user to install the radial exhaust air filter only when necessary or desirable. It should be understood that alternatively positioned air filters, such as the axial intake filter 1832 of FIG. 18, may also be utilized within radially discharge fans or other blade assemblies requiring filtering of inflowing materials.

[0082] Figure 15 is a front perspective view of a radial discharge fan 1500 with radial discharge, according to one embodiment. To enable the radial discharge fan 1500 to effectively heat a space, the radial discharge fan 1500 may be equipped with radial discharge, as seen in Figure 15. A heater 1520 may be positioned adjacent to the fin hubs (not shown) of the blades 1501 to enable the heater 1520 to provide heat to the radially discharged air without being rotated by the blade rotation.

[0083] In one embodiment, the heater 1520 may be coaxially positioned within the fan base 1502 below the blades 1501, such that heated, axially disposed air 1508a disposed below the blades 1501 is drawn into the blades 1501 with axially disposed air 1508a disposed above the radially-discharge fan base 1501, mixed, redirected, and radially discharged as radially-discharged heated air 1509. In an alternative embodiment, the heater 1520 may be coaxially aligned with the blades 1501 and positioned at the same vertical height as the blade fins (e.g., the heater 1520 may be positioned between the fins 1501a of the blades 1501, on or within a fin hub such as fin hub 701b in FIGS. 7A-7B), such that the heater 1520 is configured to heat incoming air from both above and below the blades in an even distribution. It should be understood that various embodiments and implementations of the radially-discharge fan may combine features thereof. In alternative embodiments, the radially discharging fan may be provided with an air shield 1318 as seen in Figure 13, an air filter 1419 as seen in Figure 14, and radial discharging as seen in Figure 15 to provide a radially discharging fan with a desired combination of functionality. It should be understood that the heating element 1520 may be replaced with a cooling element (not shown) to provide a suitable radial distribution of cool air as described herein.

[0084] The disclosed blades 1501 can be used in structures such as the radial discharge fan 1500 to provide consumers with a versatile radial discharge fan capable of radially discharging air 360 degrees around the circumference. The blade 1501 structure can be configured to draw air, another fluid, or another substance in equal proportions above and below the blade 1501, thereby canceling axial intake airflow and preventing backwash at high speeds. In some devices, multiple stacked blades 1501 can be used to create a radially moving wind wall, as described with reference to FIG. 5, to quickly and efficiently cool or heat large areas, such as industrial workplaces. The axial air intake, subsequent mixing, and subsequent radial air distribution help keep the air in the room well-mixed, thereby preventing the formation and circulation of "stagnant air." Additional structures, such as mist jets (not shown), can be attached to the fan base 1502 to allow the blades 1501 to disperse moist air and achieve humidity control. Alternatively, the mist jets may be located within the blade shaft 1506 so that the mist is appropriately distributed within the emitting blades 1501 for proper radial emission.

[0085] Figures 16A-16I show top views of multiple blade embodiments according to one aspect. As seen in Figures 16A-16I, the number of fins 1601a and the pitch angle of the blades can be varied depending on the needs of the application. Figures 16A, 16B, and 16C show five-fin blades 1601-1, four-fin blades 1601-2, and three-fin blades 1601-3, respectively, configured with the "upright" or "neutral" pitch angle described above in Figure 8. Figures 16D, 16E, and 16F show five-fin blades 1601-1, four-fin blades 1601-2, and three-fin blades 1601-3, respectively. The blades are configured with a "half" pitch angle, where each fin of each blade is pitched half its maximum potential pitch angle. Finally, FIGS. 16G, 16H, and 16I show five fin blades 1601-1, four fin blades 1601-2, and three fin blades 1601-3, respectively. The blades are configured to have a "full" pitch angle, where the pitch of each fin is maximized. It should be understood that the maximum pitch angle of a first fin may be limited based on the position of adjacent fins that may interfere with the pitching of the first fin. In an embodiment having blades with fins similar to those in FIG. 7C, where each fin 701a may be attached to the fin hub 701b by a corresponding valley 714b-3, a preferred maximum pitch angle may be approximately 45 degrees in either direction (e.g., approximately 45 degrees clockwise or counterclockwise rotation of the pitch angle of each fin).

[0086] As disclosed herein, manipulating the pitch angle of a blade's fins can allow the blade to change the corresponding effective area through which it inhales and exhales air (or another fluid / material), depending on the blade's desired operating parameters. In one embodiment, by changing the pitch angle of the fins 1601a, the general direction of the radial discharge can be changed from a direction straight out from the radial center (where a pitch angle of zero degrees means that the radially discharged air flows perpendicular, or at a 90-degree angle, to the axis of rotation) to a more conical flow pointing either up or down. Thus, depending on the direction and range of the pitch angle, the angle of the radially discharged air can flow more upward or downward, such that the radially discharged air is no longer perpendicular to the axis of rotation.

[0087] In one embodiment, a non-zero pitch angle of the fins 1601a of the blades 1601 can cause the axially discharged air to tilt up or down, such that the axially discharged air is at an 80-degree angle relative to the axis of rotation, a 100-degree angle relative to the axis of rotation, or any other suitable angle, depending on how the blades 1601 direct the intake air. In such an embodiment, this can be a cone-like shape that can redirect the flow in either direction (up or down) from the center. In an embodiment, the pitch angle of each fin 1601a can be adjusted in response to nearby obstacles (e.g., floors, ceilings, other structures, etc.) to allow for proper mixing of materials within a designated area. This can again affect the ratio of fluid drawn in from above the blade to fluid drawn in from below the blade as the blade rotates. The pitch angle can also be affected by the portion of each fin's sinusoidal outer edge relative to the fin hub 1601b. Removable fins or an adjustment mechanism can be implemented on each blade to facilitate changing the pitch angle of each blade without replacing the fin hub 1601b. Regardless of the number of fins utilized on a blade, it should be understood that the fins may be balanced to allow for safe and efficient rotation of the blade.

[0088] FIG. 17 illustrates an application interface 1731 for controlling an embodiment of a radial emission fan, according to one aspect. The functionality of a radial emission fan, such as radial emission fan 100 of FIG. 1, and each of its auxiliary elements, such as accessory pod 1217 of FIG. 12, may be remotely controlled by a user using an appropriate device. In one embodiment, a radial emission fan having a Bluetooth® receiver may be configured to interface with a suitable Bluetooth®-enabled device, such as a smartphone 1760. The smartphone 1760 may run an application (“app”) having an application interface (“app interface”) 1731 configured to allow a user to control various aspects of the radial emission fan functionality. In one embodiment, the app interface may provide the user with multiple buttons to press to control radial emission functions, including, but not limited to, a speed controller button 1731a, a fan information and system toggle button 1731b, a heating / cooling element toggle button 1731c, an air filtration toggle button 1731d, a scent diffuser toggle button 1731e, and a light device toggle button 1731f.

[0089] It should be noted that each button may affect the functionality of the device according to the description provided. For example, heating / cooling element toggle button 1731c may be used to turn on / off a heating / cooling element, such as heating element 1520 in FIG. 15, and lighting device toggle button 1731f may be used to turn a light on / off. This app interface 1731 may also be expanded to include additional toggles for fan operation and auxiliary functions not described herein. By utilizing the described app, a user is provided with a quick, easy, and remote way to adjust a radial emission fan to desired specifications.

[0090] FIG. 18 is a front perspective view of a radially discharge fan 1800 having an axial intake air filter 1832, according to one embodiment. As disclosed herein, it may be desirable to include a corresponding air filter on or within the radially discharge fan 1800 to facilitate filtering of air (or other matter) within the space. In contrast to the radially exhaust air filter 1419 disclosed in FIG. 14, the axial intake air filters 1832 may not be configured to engage with the blade cage in the same manner. Each axial intake air filter 1832 may be configured to be positioned above or below the central blade cage 1805a so that vortices of axial intake air 1808a (or other material) being pulled axially toward the blades 1801 can be filtered before entering the central blade cage 1805a. Each axial intake filter 1832 may have an approximately cylindrical shape, with the radius of the cylindrical shape being the same as the radius of the upper / lower surfaces 1805b, 1805c of the central blade cage 1805a so that each corresponding axial intake filter 1832 can cover the entire upper / lower surfaces 1805b, 1805c of the central blade cage 1805a.

[0091] In one embodiment, two axial intake filters 1832 may be utilized, with one axial intake filter 1832 positioned above and engaging the upper surface 1805b of the central blade cage 1805a, and the other axial intake filter 1832 positioned below and engaging the lower surface 1805c of the central blade cage 1805a. Depending on the needs and interests of the user, in applications requiring filtration of air within the environment, the user may choose to use a radial exhaust air filter, such as the radial exhaust air filter 1419 of FIG. 14, the axial intake air filter 1832, or both a radial exhaust air filter and an axial intake air filter 1832 in the same radial exhaust fan 1800. It should be understood that each air filter, such as the axial intake air filter 1832, may be configured to be selectively removable for cleaning, if desired.

[0092] It should be understood that elements configured to be directly operated by incoming air or elements configured to directly operate incoming / outgoing air may need to be positioned so that they are in the path of the incoming pulled air or the outgoing pushed air. For example, a scented accessory pod may be positioned in an accessory pod slot, such as accessory pod slot 104 of FIG. 1, so that the scented accessory pod is in the path of an intake vortex positioned below the blade, such as vortex 2008c of FIG. 20. Similarly, heating element 1520 of FIG. 15 may also be positioned so that it is in the path of two vortices moving toward blade 1801 of the device. As should be understood, axial intake filter 1832 may be in the direct path of the opposing vortices, while radial exhaust filter 1419 of FIG. 14 may be indirectly in the path of the vortices, thus operating on the air from the opposing vortices after mixing and pushing them radially. Again, elements that directly manipulate the air flowing toward and away from blade 1801 may be configured to be located anywhere along the path of the incoming or outgoing air, such as within the path of the incoming air intake vortex.

[0093] FIG. 19A shows a top view of a pump shell 1933a according to one embodiment. FIGS. 19B and 19C show top and side views, respectively, of a pump assembly 1933 utilizing the disclosed pump shell 1933a and blade 1901 according to one embodiment. As disclosed herein, the disclosed blade 1901 may sometimes be described herein as being a component of a fan assembly configured to manipulate airflow, but the blade 1901 may also be utilized in a variety of other applications. As seen in FIGS. 19B and 19C, the disclosed blade 1901 may be included as part of the pump assembly 1933. It should be understood that the axis of rotation for the top view of the pump assembly 1933 in FIG. 19B may be shifted in and out of the page through the fin hub 1901b for alignment with the axis of rotation 1907 shown in FIG. 19C.

[0094] In one embodiment, the pump assembly 1933 can include a pump shell 1933a, blades 1901 nested within the pump shell 1933a, and an engine (not shown) or equivalent structure associated with the blades 1901 and configured to rotate the blades 1901. The pump shell 1933a can have two axially disposed intake grates 1933b, a rounded pump guard 1933c disposed between and engaging the intake grates 1933a, and a radially disposed output port 1933d in fluid communication with the rounded pump guard 1933c. In this manner, upon rotation of the blades 1901, material such as water can be drawn into the pump assembly 1933 through both axially disposed intake grates 1933b on the pump shell 1933a and channeled through the rounded pump guard 1933c before being radially discharged from the radially disposed output port 1933d.

[0095] In one embodiment, the disclosed pump assembly 1933 can be utilized as a pump for one or more pools. In an embodiment having two pools, the pump assembly 1933 can be positioned between the two pools so that a single pump assembly 1933 can be utilized to receive water from both pools. In such an embodiment, the pump assembly 1933 can be configured to draw water from one pool in a first axial direction 1934a along the axis of rotation 1907 and draw water from the second pool in a second axial direction 1934b along the axis of rotation 1907. Water flowing through the radially disposed output ports 1933d can then be appropriately returned to both pools by appropriately splitting and redirecting the resulting output flow exiting the output ports 1933d. This arrangement can require less machinery (e.g., only a single pump) to facilitate the pumping operations required for the two different pools.

[0096] In another embodiment, the disclosed pump assembly can be utilized to pump water from a unique pool. The pump assembly 1933 can be positioned within the pool such that water from the pool can be drawn into the pump shell 1933a from both axial directions 1934a, 1934b. In this manner, the disclosed pump assembly 1933 can be configured to continue pumping water through the intake grate 1933b and into the pump shell 1933a even if one of the intake grates is blocked by debris. In this manner, by utilizing two different axial intake directions 1934a, 1934b, pump intake can be maintained and consistent pumping of pool water can be ensured.

[0097] It should be understood that a comparable pump assembly 1933 could be utilized in a hair dryer or other similar air pumping device. The described two-way air intake could also prove beneficial when the pump assembly 1933 is used as part of a hair dryer or other air pumping device. As a result, because air is drawn into the pump assembly 1933 from two different axial directions 1934a, 1934b, effective pumping can be maintained even if one intake grate 1933b is blocked. It should be noted that such a pump assembly could be utilized to pump any suitable material, not just water or air as described herein. By drawing air from both axial directions 1934a, 1934b at once, a high-pressure flow of material can be forced through a corresponding opening, such as the output port 1933D, for efficient movement of the corresponding material. As will be appreciated, having the blade 1901 in a corresponding substance / material may allow rotation of the blade 1901 to manipulate or otherwise control the flow or movement of the material. This manipulation of material can be further controlled or regulated by additional structures and features such as pump shell 1933a, air shields such as air shield 1318 in FIG.

[0098] 20 is a front perspective view of blade 2001 illustrating material flow during clockwise rotation, according to one embodiment. As disclosed herein, as blade 2001 rotates clockwise, it can be configured to take in axially disposed material, such as air, liquid, or granular solids, from above and below blade 2001 and exhaust, vent, or otherwise expel the material radially away from the axis of rotation 2007 of blade 2001. Depending on how blade 2001 and its fins 2001a are configured, the shape and characteristics of the expelled material, as well as the overall flow of material into, from, and through blade 2001, can follow a particular pattern. In this embodiment, air is the material mixed by the rotation of blade 2001, however, it should be understood that any suitable material may be mixed by the rotation of blade 2001, as disclosed herein.

[0099] As seen in FIG. 20 , as blade 2001 rotates clockwise, it can draw in or entrain axially disposed intake air 2008a from above and below blade 2001. This entrained axially disposed air can be drawn into blade 2001 in corresponding vortices 2008c above and below blade 2001, each of which can have a conical shape. After being drawn into blade 2001, intake air 2008a is expelled radially outward from the axis of rotation 2007 of blade 2001. As seen in FIG. 20 , this radially expelled output air 2009 can be expelled as successive air rings ("air pulses," "air ripples") 2009a, each of which has an annular shape. These annular-shaped air pulses 2009a may be projected outward from the radially distal-most portion of each fin 2001a, which in the illustrated embodiment of Figure 20 would be the apex of the third ridge 2014a-3 of each fin 2001. Each annular-shaped air pulse 2009a may be configured to push out a previously generated annular-shaped air pulse 2009a, such that successive rotations of the blade 2001 are configured to successively generate and eject annular-shaped air pulses 2009a. For example, the most recent annular-shaped air pulse 2009a-1 may be configured to push a second, most recent annular-shaped air pulse 2009a-2 radially outward from the axis of rotation 2007. As blade 2001 continues to rotate, each fin 2001 a may generate a resulting air ring 2009 a, and subsequent fins 2001 a (e.g., the next fin 2001 a that arrives at the same position as the original fin based on the direction of rotation) may generate newer air rings 2009 a configured to propel the previously generated air ring 2009 a radially outward. Again, it should be understood that blade 2001 may rotate in a clockwise direction as shown in FIG. 6 for the current embodiment.In an embodiment having a blade 2001 similar to that of FIG. 20, the blade 2001 may perform similarly when rotating in either direction (clockwise or counterclockwise), but depending on the configuration of the blade 2001, the blade 2001 may experience better performance and generate less noise when rotating in a clockwise direction.

[0100] The recycled air 2040 is also shown in Figure 20. Figure 20 provides an overview of the discharged output air 2009 flowing back to an axial location to be re-inhaled by the blades 2001. As can be seen, as the output air 2009 is pushed away from the blades 2001 as an annular shaped pulse of air, this discharged air 2009 flows back up and down to axial locations above and below the blades 2001, respectively, where it may be re-intaken as intake air 2008a. In essence, air is taken in as intake air 2008a, discharged radially as output air 2009, and returned along the exhaust flow as recycled air 2040 to its original axial location where it may be re-intaken as intake air 2008a. As seen in FIG. 20 , air that begins as recycled air 2040 flowing countercurrently in an axial position and is ingested by blades 2001 as intake air 2008a may follow a “ring-shaped path” and thus form a ring-shaped pattern, said ring-shaped pattern being coaxially aligned with the axis of rotation 2007. In this manner, air drawn in and expelled from the disclosed mixing / dispensing device forms a ring shape as shown in FIG. 20 . It should be understood that the recycled air 2040 utilized as part of this “ring-shaped path” may represent a simplified representation of the airflow, only showing a 360-degree ring-shaped cross section (e.g., top view) of the air circulating through blades 2001 as blades 2001 rotate. This particular mechanism for drawing radially arranged intake air 2008a and discharging toroidal air ring may be configured to efficiently mix the air, or any material manipulated by blades 2001.

[0101] FIG. 21 is a front perspective view of an alternative embodiment of a radially discharging fan 2100 from one side. It should be understood that the shape, properties, and characteristics of the fan base 2102 and blade cage 2105 of the radially discharging fan can be modified according to the needs and desires of the user. For example, as seen in FIG. 21 , the fan base 2102 may be provided as a cylindrical shape with an electronic interface 2135 for operating the radially discharging fan 2100. In this embodiment, the fan base 2102 may omit an accessory pod slot, such as the accessory pod slot 1204 of FIG. 12 , if not needed. Furthermore, the shape of the blade cage 2105 may also be modified such that the blade cage 1205 has a simplified shape. As seen in FIG. 21 , this embodiment of the blade cage 1205 may form a generally cylindrical shell around the blades 2101 to protect the blades 2105 during rotation. It should be understood that various modifications to the shape and general appearance of the fan base 1202 and blade cage 1205 can be made without adversely affecting the function of the device.

[0102] It may be advantageous to provide definitions of certain terms used in this patent document. The term "couple" and its derivatives refer to direct or indirect communication between two or more elements, whether or not those elements are in physical contact with one another. The term "or" is inclusive and means and / or. As used in this application, "and / or" means that the listed items are in the alternative, but the alternatives also include any combination of the listed items.

[0103] The words "associated with" and "associated with," and their derivatives, may mean to include, be included in, interconnect, include, contain, connect, couple, be communicable with, cooperate with, sandwich, juxtapose, be adjacent to, combine, have, be characterized by, and the like.

[0104] Furthermore, as used in this application, "plurality" means two or more. A "set" of items may include one or more of such items. The terms "consisting of," "include," "carry," "have," "include," "involving," etc. are understood to be open-ended, i.e., to mean including, but not limited to. With respect to the claims, only the transitional phrases "consisting of" and "consisting essentially of" are closed or semi-closed transitional phrases.

[0105] Throughout this specification, presented aspects, embodiments, or examples should be considered as exemplars, not limitations on the disclosed or claimed apparatus or procedures. While some examples may include specific combinations of method acts or system elements, it should be understood that those acts and those elements may be combined in other ways to achieve the same purpose.

[0106] Acts, elements and features discussed only in connection with one aspect, embodiment or example are not intended to exclude a similar role in other aspects, embodiments or examples.

[0107] Aspects, embodiments, or examples of the invention may be described as a process, which is typically depicted using a flowchart, flow diagram, structure diagram, or block diagram. While a flowchart may depict operations as a sequential process, many operations may be performed in parallel or concurrently. Additionally, the order of operations may be rearranged. With respect to flowcharts, it should be understood that additional or fewer steps may be taken, and that steps as shown may be combined or further refined, to achieve the described method.

[0108] Although aspects, embodiments, and / or examples have been illustrated and described herein, those skilled in the art will readily recognize identical and / or equivalent variations that can be substituted for the aspects, embodiments, and / or examples illustrated and described herein, which will achieve the same results, without departing from the scope of the present invention. Accordingly, the scope of this application is intended to cover such alternative aspects, embodiments, and / or examples. Accordingly, the scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents. Moreover, each claim is incorporated herein as further disclosure.

Claims

1. 1. A material manipulation device having a blade with a fin hub connected to a fin, and a base rotationally connected to the fin hub, comprising: the fin is formed by a continuous sinusoidal outer edge and a continuous inner surface extending from the sinusoidal outer edge to a center of the fin; the fin hub is coupled to a portion of the sinusoidal outer edge of the fin, such that the fin hub and the fin rotate simultaneously about an axis of rotation coaxial with the fin hub; 1. An apparatus for manipulating a material, wherein as the blade rotates about the axis of rotation, the material is simultaneously drawn toward a portion of the sinusoidal outer edge of the fin via two opposing vortices coaxial with the axis of rotation, and simultaneously the material is pushed away from the axis of rotation through a 360 degree rotation around the axis of rotation.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the blade has two or more of the fins.

3. 10. The device of claim 1 configured to operate as a fan for mixing or distributing air.

4. 4. The device of claim 3, wherein the air drawn and forced out of the mixing or dispensing device forms an annular shape.

5. 10. The device of claim 1, wherein the device is configured to operate as a fan capable of dispersing air radially in a continuous annular air ring.

6. 2. The device of claim 1, wherein the outermost projections of the fins are circular.

7. 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the fin hub is connected to a portion of the sinusoidal outer edge of the fin at a zero degree pitch angle.

8. 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the fin hub removably connects to a corresponding portion of the sinusoidal outer edge of the fin.

9. 10. The device of claim 1, wherein at least one of a scented accessory pod, a heating element, a cooling element, or a filter is positioned in the path of one or both of the opposing vortices.

10. 10. The device of claim 1, comprising two or more coaxial blades.

11. 10. The device of claim 1, further comprising an air shield coupled to the base, the air shield configured to reduce a 360 degree angle through which material is extruded from the device.

12. 1. A material manipulation device having a blade with a fin hub connected to a fin, and a base rotationally connected to the fin hub, comprising: the fin is formed by a sinusoidal outer edge and an inner surface extending from the sinusoidal outer edge to a center of the fin; the fin hub is coupled to a portion of the sinusoidal outer edge of the fin, such that the fin hub and the fin rotate simultaneously about an axis of rotation coaxial with the fin hub; 1. An apparatus for manipulating a material, wherein as the blade rotates about the axis of rotation, the material is simultaneously drawn toward a portion of the sinusoidal outer edge of the fin via two opposing vortices coaxial with the axis of rotation, and simultaneously the material is pushed away from the axis of rotation through a 360 degree rotation around the axis of rotation.

13. 13. The device of claim 12, wherein the projections at the outermost points of the fins are circular.

14. 13. The device of claim 12, wherein the sinusoidal outer edge is continuous.

15. A blade having a fin having a sinusoidal outer edge and an inner surface extending from the sinusoidal outer edge to a center of the fin, and a fin hub.

16. 16. The blade of claim 15, wherein the projections at the outermost points of the fins are circular.

17. 16. The blade of claim 15, wherein the inner surface is continuous.

18. 16. The blade of claim 15, wherein two opposing fins located on the blade's X axis and two opposing fins located on the blade's Y axis are connected to the fin hub.

19. The blade of claim 15, wherein the fin hub connects to the fin at a zero degree pitch angle.

20. 16. The blade of claim 15, wherein the sinusoidal outer edge is continuous.

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