blower

Abstract

To provide a blower capable of extending the reach of air from a blowing section. SOLUTION: The blower A1 includes a blower unit 1 having an air outlet 112, a support unit 2 that supports the air outlet 1, and a 360° swing mechanism 3 that swings the air outlet 1 relative to the support unit 2. In a side view, the air outlet 112 includes a curved surface that bulges forward in the air blowing direction Da. The 360° swing mechanism 3 swings the air blower unit 1 around a first axis Ax1 that is inclined relative to the horizontal direction in a side view.

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Blowers are widely used as devices for blowing air to a specified area. Patent Document 1 discloses an example of a conventional blower. The blower disclosed in this document includes a blower unit equipped with a propeller fan and a support unit that supports the blower unit. The blower unit oscillates relative to the support unit. The axis of oscillation is inclined at approximately 45° with respect to the rotation axis of the propeller fan. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] China Utility Model Patent No. 207777236 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The blower disclosed in Patent Document 1 has room for improvement in the reach of the air blown from the blowing section.

[0005] The present invention was conceived in light of the above circumstances, and has as its object to extend the reach of air in a blower in which the oscillation axis of the blower section is inclined relative to the horizontal direction. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The blower provided by the present invention comprises a blower section having an air outlet, a support section that supports the blower section, and a swivel mechanism that swivels the blower section relative to the support section, wherein, in a side view, the air outlet includes a curved surface that bulges forward in the blowing direction, and the swivel mechanism swivels the blower section around a first axis that is inclined relative to the horizontal direction in the side view.

[0007] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the blower is spherical, and the first axis passes through the center of the blower.

[0008] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the support portion includes a base portion that is installed at the installation location of the blower, and a drive portion that is located between the base portion and the blower portion and that houses the oscillating mechanism, and when viewed from the side, the drive portion is located rearward of the center of the blower portion.

[0009] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the oscillating mechanism includes a oscillating motor, a first gear connected to the oscillating motor, and a second gear connected to the blower, and the first gear and the second gear overlap when viewed along the first axis.

[0010] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the swing mechanism includes a third gear interposed between the first gear and the second gear to transmit driving force.

[0011] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the base portion includes a fixed portion that is installed at the installation location and a movable portion that is located on the fixed portion, and the movable portion supports the blower portion via the oscillating mechanism and further includes a swivel mechanism that swivels the movable portion relative to the fixed portion. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] According to the present invention, it is possible to extend the reach of airflow in a blower in which the oscillation axis of the blower section is inclined relative to the horizontal direction.

[0013] Other features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] 1 is a front perspective view showing a blower according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view showing the blower according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] 1 is a front view showing a blower according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] 1 is a plan view showing a blower according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] 1 is a side view showing a blower according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI in FIG. [Figure 7] 1 is a view of a part of a blower according to a first embodiment of the present invention, viewed obliquely from below. [Figure 8] 1 is a partial perspective view showing a blower according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a partial bottom view showing the blower according to the first embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0016] 1 to 9 show a blower according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The blower A1 of this embodiment includes a blower unit 1, a support unit 2, a 360° swing mechanism 3, a control unit 4 (operation board), and a left-right swing mechanism (swivel mechanism) 5. The blower A1 is designed to blow air to a predetermined area and is a type of blower known as a circulator, but the specific structure of the blower A1 is not limited thereto. For example, the blower of the present invention may be a stand-type propeller fan equipped with a support. The primary use of the blower A1 is for circulating indoor air, but is not limited thereto and may also be used for drying clothes, for example.

[0017] In these figures, the z direction corresponds to the vertical (up and down) direction. In the following explanation, one of the z directions may be referred to as "up" and the other as "down". The x and y directions are directions along a horizontal plane. One of the x directions may be referred to as "left" and the other as "right". One of the y directions may be referred to as "front" and the other as "rear". Furthermore, the airflow direction Da, which will be described later, may be referred to as "front" and "rear". In Figures 7 and 8, the support part 2, the control part 4, and the left and right swing mechanism 5 are omitted. In Figure 9, a part of the support part 2 (the lid part 2119, which will be described later) is omitted.

[0018] The blower 1 is a part that blows air in a blowing direction Da. There are no particular limitations on the specific configuration of the blower 1. In this embodiment, the blower 1 has a blower cover 11, a fan motor 13, and a propeller fan .

[0019] The blower cover 11 houses a fan motor 13, a propeller fan 14, and other components. The blower cover 11 is made of, for example, resin. The shape of the blower cover 11 is not limited to the shape shown in FIG. 1 and other figures. In this embodiment, the blower unit 1 has a spherical (bowl-shaped) structure and has a circular (perfectly circular) outer shape when viewed from the front, top, bottom, side, or other perspectives. That is, the blower unit 1 in this embodiment has a spherical (perfectly spherical) shape. Note that the blower unit 1 having a spherical (perfectly spherical) shape refers to a shape that includes, for example, dimensional errors that may inevitably occur during manufacturing, minute irregularities formed to perform the function of the blower unit 1, and irregularities provided for decorative purposes. In FIGS. 1 to 9, the blower unit 1 is shown facing forward. In this case, the blowing direction Da is along the y direction (front-to-back direction).

[0020] The air blower cover 11 has an air intake port 111 and an air blower port 112. As shown in Figs. 2 and 4 to 8, the air intake port 111 is an opening for drawing air into the interior of the air blower cover 11 from the rear in the air blowing direction Da. The specific configuration of the air intake port 111 is not limited in any way. In the illustrated example, the air intake port 111 is structured to draw air into the interior of the air blower cover 11 from gaps between multiple frames. The multiple frames are arranged, for example, radially extending in the radial direction when viewed from the rear in the air blowing direction Da. Because the air blower cover 11 has a spherical shell structure, the air intake port 111 bulges out rearward in the air blowing direction Da.

[0021] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4 to 6, the air outlet 112 is an opening for blowing air forward in the airflow direction Da. The specific configuration of the air outlet 112 is not limited in any way. In the illustrated example, the air outlet 112 is configured to blow air out of the air blower unit 1 through gaps between multiple frames. The multiple frames are arranged in a spiral shape when viewed from the front in the airflow direction Da, forming an air blower grill. In a side view (viewed from the x direction), the air outlet 112 includes a curved surface that bulges forward in the airflow direction Da (to the right in FIGS. 4 and 5). As shown in FIG. 5, the air blower cover 11 in this embodiment has a circular shape when viewed from the side, and the air outlet 112 is an arc-shaped portion that forms part of the circle when viewed from the side. The air blower unit may have any shape as long as the air outlet includes a curved surface that bulges forward in the airflow direction, and is not limited to a spherical shape as in this embodiment.

[0022] The fan motor 13 is a drive source that rotates the propeller fan 14 in the air blowing direction Da. The fan motor 13 is driven by, for example, commercial AC 100V power. The fan motor 13 is supported by, for example, the air blower cover 11.

[0023] Propeller fan 14 generates the air blown out by blower unit 1 through its rotation. There are no particular limitations on the specific structure of propeller fan 14, and various types of blade structures can be appropriately adopted. In the illustrated example, propeller fan 14 is a so-called axial flow propeller fan. Propeller fan 14 is connected, for example, to the tip of the drive shaft (output shaft) of fan motor 13, and is located between fan motor 13 and air outlet 112 in the y direction. When propeller fan 14 is rotated around a rotation axis extending in air blowing direction Da by driving fan motor 13, air sucked into blower cover 11 through air intake port 111 is pressurized by propeller fan 14 and is then blown out from air outlet 112 in the air blowing direction Da.

[0024] The support part 2 supports the blower part 1. As shown in FIG. 1, in this embodiment, the support part 2 supports the blower part 1 so that it can swing (rotate 360°) around a first axis Ax1. That is, in this embodiment, the blower part 1 is rotatable around the entire circumference of the first axis Ax1. As shown in FIG. 1, the first axis Ax1 is inclined with respect to the horizontal direction (blowing direction Da in the figure), and forms an angle of approximately 45° with respect to the horizontal direction, for example.

[0025] The specific configuration of the support part 2 is not limited in any way, and in the example shown in FIGS. 1 to 9, it has a bottom cover (support part) 21 and a plurality of operation buttons 23.

[0026] The bottom cover 21 houses at least a portion of each of the operation buttons 23, the 360° swing mechanism 3, the control unit 4, and the left-right swing mechanism 5. The material of the bottom cover 21 is not limited in any way, and for example, resin is used. In the illustrated example, the bottom cover 21 has a bottom cover main body (base portion) 211 and a drive unit 212. As shown in FIG. 1, the bottom cover main body 211 is a portion that is installed where the fan A1 is installed (for example, a floor surface in a room or the top surface of a desk). The bottom cover main body 211 has, for example, a circular shape as a whole.

[0027] In this embodiment, the bottom cover main body 211 includes a fixed part 2111 and a movable part 2112. The fixed part 2111 is a part that is installed at the installation location described above. The fixed part 2111 has, for example, a circular shape as a whole. The movable part 2112 is a part that is located above the fixed part 2111 in the z direction. The fixed part 2111 has, for example, a lid part 2119 ( FIG. 6 ). The lid part 2119 closes an opening formed in the fixed part 2111 below in the z direction. The movable part 2112 has, for example, a circular shape as a whole, and its outer diameter is approximately the same as the outer diameter of the fixed part 2111. The movable part 2112 supports the blower unit 1 via a 360° swing mechanism 3.

[0028] In this embodiment, the control unit 4 and the left-right swing mechanism 5 are housed in the bottom cover main body 211.

[0029] 6, the drive unit 212 is located between the bottom cover main body 211 and the blower unit 1, and houses the 360° swing mechanism 3. In this embodiment, the drive unit 212 is connected to the rear of the movable unit 2112, and protrudes rearward in the y direction from the movable unit 2112 and upward in the z direction (FIG. 6).

[0030] The multiple operation buttons 23 are provided for the user to operate the fan A1 and are provided, for example, on the front of the movable part 2112 (FIG. 1). More specifically, the front of the movable part 2112 is formed with multiple circular holes penetrating in the z direction and aligned in the x direction, and each operation button 23 is disposed within the circular hole. In this embodiment, the operation buttons 23 are push buttons, but are not limited to this and may be various types of operation means, such as touch buttons (electrostatic touch) or touch sliders. In addition, a display unit (lamp) illuminated by, for example, an LED (Light Emitting Diode) is provided in the vicinity of the operation buttons 23 on the movable part 2112, and an indicator, display, etc. may also be provided. In addition to the operation buttons 23, the fan A1 can also be operated by a remote control (not shown), but is not limited to this.

[0031] The 360° swing mechanism 3 is a mechanism for swinging the blower unit 1 about a first axis Ax1 relative to the support unit 2. The specific configuration of the 360° swing mechanism 3 is not limited in any way, and in the illustrated example, as shown in FIGS. 6 to 8, it includes a 360° swing motor (swing motor) 31, a first gear 32, a second gear 33, and a third gear 34.

[0032] The oscillating motor 31 is a drive source for oscillating the blower unit 1 about the first axis Ax1 relative to the support unit 2. The specific configuration of the oscillating motor 31 is not limited in any way, and various electric motors can be used, for example, a synchronous motor. In the illustrated example, the oscillating motor 31 is supported within the drive unit 212. In this embodiment, the output shaft of the oscillating motor 31 extends along the first axis Ax1.

[0033] The first gear 32 is connected to the output shaft of the oscillating motor 31 and rotates when driven by the oscillating motor 31. The first gear 32 includes a tooth row made up of a plurality of teeth arranged in a circle around a rotation axis parallel to the first axis Ax1. In the illustrated example, the first gear 32 is housed in the drive unit 212 together with the oscillating motor 31.

[0034] The second gear 33 receives driving force from the oscillating motor 31 to oscillate (rotate 360°) the blower unit 1 around the first axis Ax1 relative to the support unit 2. The second gear 33 includes a tooth row made up of a plurality of teeth arranged in a circle centered on the first axis Ax1 and extends along the first axis Ax1. In the illustrated example, the second gear 33 (the tip of the cylindrical portion 35) is fixed to the blower unit 1 (the rear flat surface of the blower cover 11) by a fixing member such as a screw.

[0035] 7 is a view of a portion of the blower A1 (the support unit 2, the control unit 4, and the left-right swing mechanism 5 are omitted) viewed from below toward above along the first axis Ax1. As shown in the figure, the first gear 32 and the second gear 33 overlap when viewed along the first axis Ax1. In the illustrated example, the first gear 32 and the second gear 33 both rotate around a rotation axis extending along the first axis Ax1. In the illustrated example, the rotation axes of the first gear 32 and the second gear 33 are offset from each other when viewed along the first axis Ax1, but they may also be configured to coincide with each other.

[0036] The third gear 34 is interposed between the first gear 32 and the second gear 33 and transmits driving force from the first gear 32 to the second gear 33. In this embodiment, the third gear 34 is shifted from the first gear 32 and the second gear 33 in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the first axis Ax1 extends with respect to the first gear 32 and the second gear 33. The third gear 34 has a rotation axis parallel to the first axis Ax1.

[0037] As shown in FIG. 8 , the third gear 34 has a first tooth row 341 and a second tooth row 342. Each of the first tooth row 341 and the second tooth row 342 is made up of a plurality of teeth arranged in a circle centered on the rotation axis of the third gear 34. The first tooth row 341 and the second tooth row 342 are spaced apart from each other along the rotation axis of the third gear 34. The first tooth row 341 meshes with the tooth row of the first gear 32. The second tooth row 342 meshes with the tooth row of the second gear 33.

[0038] 5 and 6, in this embodiment, the first axis Ax1 passes through the center O of the blower unit 1. Here, "the first axis Ax1 passing through the center O of the blower unit 1" means not only that the first axis Ax1 passes through the center O in a strict geometrical sense, but also that the first axis Ax1 does not strictly pass through the center O due to dimensional errors that may inevitably occur during the manufacture of the blower unit 1, the 360-degree swing mechanism 3, etc., minute irregularities formed to fulfill the functions of the blower unit 1, the 360-degree swing mechanism 3, etc., or irregularities provided for decorative purposes, etc., but the deviation is so slight that the intended effect of the present application, described below, is achieved. In other words, the scope of the present invention includes a configuration in which the first axis Ax1 substantially passes through the center O.

[0039] As shown in FIG. 6, in a side view (viewed in the x direction), the drive unit 212 is located rearward in the y direction from the center O of the blower unit 1. Also, in a side view (viewed in the x direction), the 360-degree swing mechanism 3 is located rearward in the y direction from the center O of the blower unit 1. Furthermore, in a side view (viewed in the x direction), the swing motor 31 is located rearward in the y direction from the center O of the blower unit 1. Also, in a side view (viewed in the x direction), the drive unit 212 is located rearward in the y direction from the fan motor 13, and the 360-degree swing mechanism 3 is located rearward in the y direction from the fan motor 13. Furthermore, in a side view (viewed in the x direction), the swing motor 31 is located rearward in the y direction from the fan motor 13.

[0040] The horizontal swing mechanism 5 rotates the movable part 2112 about the second axis Ax2 relative to the fixed part 2111. The direction of the second axis Ax2 is not limited in any way, and in this embodiment, the second axis Ax2 extends along the z direction. The specific configuration of the horizontal swing mechanism 5 is not limited in any way, and in the example shown, it includes a shaft part 50, a horizontal swing motor 51, a link member 52 connected to the output shaft of the horizontal swing motor 51, and a stay 53 connected to the link member 52. The stay 53 is connected to the shaft part 50. As a result, the shaft part 50 rotates about the second axis Ax2, and the movable part 2112 rotates relative to the fixed part 2111. As shown in FIG. 6, in this embodiment, the second axis Ax2 substantially passes through the center O of the blower part 1, but is not limited to this.

[0041] The shaft portion 50 is a portion that rotates the movable portion 2112 relative to the fixed portion 2111, and is a portion that defines the second axis Ax2. The left-right swing motor 51 is a drive source for the left-right swing mechanism 5. The specific configuration of the left-right swing motor 51 is not limited in any way, and various electric motors can be used, such as a synchronous motor. In the example shown in the figure, the left-right swing motor 51 is supported by the movable portion 2112.

[0042] The control unit 4 controls the operation of the blower A1, and drives and controls the fan motor 13, the swing motor 31 (360° swing mechanism 3), the left-right swing motor 51 (left-right swing mechanism 5), etc. The specific configuration of the control unit 4 is not limited in any way, and may include, for example, a CPU, a memory, a communication interface, etc. In this example, the control unit 4 is supported by the movable part 2112.

[0043] Next, the operation of the fan A1 will be described.

[0044] According to this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, when viewed from the side (as viewed in the x direction), Air outlet 112 has a curved surface that bulges out forward in the airflow direction Da. This shape of air outlet 112 makes it possible to increase the directness of the airflow from air blower 1 and extend the reach of the airflow from air blower 1. This allows air blower A1 to blow air over a wider area.

[0045] The first axis Ax1 substantially passes through the center O of the blower unit 1. As a result, even when the blower unit 1 rotates a full rotation around the first axis Ax1 by the 360-degree swing mechanism 3, the spherical blower unit 1 rotates around the center O. Therefore, although the blower unit 1 rotates, its center O does not substantially move in any of the x, y, or z directions. Therefore, when the blower unit 1 swings 360 degrees, it can blow air over a wide area of ​​space while maintaining an excellent aesthetic appearance.

[0046] The blower unit 1 is located forward in the y direction from the drive unit 212. The blower unit 1 includes heavy objects such as the fan motor 13. Therefore, the center of gravity of the blower A1 is likely to be located forward in the y direction. In this embodiment, in a side view (viewed in the x direction), the drive unit 212 is located rearward in the y direction from the center O of the blower unit 1. This makes it possible to shift the center of gravity of the blower A1 rearward in the y direction, thereby preventing the blower A1 from tipping forward in the y direction. In addition, the 360-degree swing mechanism 3 and the swing motor 31 being located rearward in the y direction from the center O, and the 360-degree swing mechanism 3 and the swing motor 31 being located rearward in the y direction from the fan motor 13 are preferable for preventing tipping.

[0047] 7, the first gear 32 and the second gear 33 overlap when viewed along the first axis Ax1. This allows the 360° swing mechanism 3 to be made smaller than, for example, a configuration in which the first gear 32 and the second gear 33 are arranged side by side when viewed along the first axis Ax1.

[0048] The 360° swing mechanism 3 also includes a third gear 34. This allows for smooth transmission of driving force from the first gear 32 to the second gear 33, which overlap each other when viewed along the first axis Ax1.

[0049] The blower A1 is equipped with a left-right swing mechanism 5, which allows the blower unit 1 to rotate about the second axis Ax2. Therefore, the blower unit 1 can be rotated about the second axis Ax2 by the left-right swing mechanism 5 while swinging about the first axis Ax1 by the 360-degree swing mechanism 3, allowing the blower unit 1 to blow air over a wider range.

[0050] The fan A1 according to the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and the specific configuration of each part of the fan A1 according to the present invention can be freely modified in various ways. [Explanation of symbols]

[0051] A1: Blower 1: Blower 2: Support part 3: 360° swivel mechanism (swivel mechanism) 4: Control section 5: Left and right swing mechanism (swivel mechanism) 11: Ventilation cover 12: Internal frame 13: Fan motor 14: Propeller fan 21: Bottom cover 23: Operation button 31: Oscillating motor 32: 1st gear 33: 2nd gear 34: 3rd gear 35: Cylindrical part 50: Shaft 51: Right and left swing motor 52: Link member 53: Stay 111: Air intake 112: Ventilation outlet 211: Bottom cover body (base part) 212: Drive unit 341: First dentition 342: Second dentition 2111:Fixed part 2112: Moving part 2119: Lid Ax1: 1st axis Ax2: 2nd axis Da: Airflow direction O: Center

Claims

1. a blower unit having a blower port; a support portion that supports the blower portion; a swing mechanism that swings the blower unit relative to the support unit, When viewed from the side, the air blowing port includes a curved surface that bulges forward in the air blowing direction, The oscillating mechanism oscillates the blower unit around a first axis that is inclined with respect to the horizontal direction in the side view.

2. The blower is spherical, The blower according to claim 1 , wherein the first axis passes through a center of the blower section.

3. The support portion is a base portion installed at a location where the blower is installed; a drive unit located between the base unit and the blower unit and accommodating the swing mechanism, The blower according to claim 2 , wherein the drive unit is located rearward of a center of the blower unit in the side view.

4. the oscillation mechanism includes an oscillation motor, a first gear connected to the oscillation motor, and a second gear connected to the blower, The blower according to claim 1 , wherein the first gear and the second gear overlap when viewed along the first axis.

5. The blower according to claim 4 , wherein the oscillation mechanism includes a third gear interposed between the first gear and the second gear to transmit a driving force.

6. the base portion includes a fixed portion that is installed at the installation location and a movable portion that is located on the fixed portion; the movable portion supports the blower portion via the swing mechanism, The blower according to claim 3 , further comprising a rotation mechanism that rotates the movable part relative to the fixed part.

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