Ceiling fan

Abstract

This technology provides a replacement for ceiling fans equipped with DC motors. [Solution] The above problem is solved by providing a support column, a motor, a blade, a rectifier and smoothing unit to which one live wire is input to a regulator and the output voltage from the regulator is input, a voltage conversion unit that converts the first DC voltage rectified and smoothed by the rectifier and smoothing unit into a second DC voltage, an airflow determination unit that determines the set airflow based on the voltage value of the first DC voltage, and an inverter unit that uses the second DC voltage as the input voltage and controls the motor unit based on the determined set airflow.

Description

Technical Field

[0005] ,

[0001] The present invention relates to a ceiling fan.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, in a ceiling fan that rotates blades by rotating a motor, thereby generating wind in the vertical direction, there is known a ceiling fan that changes the rotational speed of the blades by a speed control device connected in series between a live wire of a commercial power supply and the motor (for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Conventionally, such a speed control device is called a regulator and is installed on the wall of the room where the ceiling fan is used. The regulator is composed of a plurality of capacitors and a switch that switches which capacitor of the plurality of capacitors the live wire of the commercial power supply is connected to, and changes the rotational speed of the blades by the connected capacitor.

[0005] In such a configuration, an AC (Alternating Current) motor is used for the motor of the ceiling fan. The AC motor is less efficient and inferior in power saving compared to a DC (Direct Current) motor, and replacement with a ceiling fan equipped with a power-saving DC motor is desired.

[0006] Therefore, the present disclosure solves the above problems and aims to provide a technology that can be replaced with a ceiling fan equipped with a DC motor.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] To solve the above problems, a ceiling fan in one aspect of the present disclosure includes a support column that can be attached to the ceiling, a motor unit provided at the lower part of the support column, a blade unit that rotates with respect to the motor unit, a rectifier and smoothing unit to which a single live line of a first AC voltage, which is a commercial power supply, is input to a regulator and a second AC voltage, which is the output voltage from the regulator is input, a voltage conversion unit that converts the first DC voltage, which has been rectified and smoothed from the second AC voltage by the rectifier and smoothing unit, into a second DC voltage, an airflow determination unit that determines a set airflow based on the voltage value of the first DC voltage, and an inverter unit that uses the second DC voltage as the input voltage and controls the motor unit based on the set airflow determined by the airflow determination unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a technology that can be used to replace ceiling fans equipped with DC motors. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram of a ceiling fan. [Figure 2] This is a schematic functional block diagram of the ceiling fan and its surrounding components according to this embodiment. [Figure 3] This flowchart shows the control flow of the ceiling fan according to this embodiment. [Figure 4] This is a schematic functional block diagram of a conventional AC motor-equipped ceiling fan and its surrounding components. [Figure 5] This is a schematic functional block diagram of a ceiling fan and its surrounding components, designed to replace the conventional AC motor with a DC motor. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] The embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. However, the embodiments shown below are illustrative examples to embody the technical concept of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to these. In particular, the materials, shapes, components, arrangement of components, and relative arrangement described in the embodiments are examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention to them alone. In addition, in each figure, substantially identical components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations are omitted or simplified.

[0011] (Embodiment) First, an embodiment of the present invention, a ceiling fan 1, will be described. Figure 1 is a side view of the ceiling fan 1. As shown in Figure 1, the ceiling fan 1 includes a main body 2, a support column 3, a motor unit 4, a blade unit 5, and a control unit 6. The ceiling fan 1 is mounted on the ceiling 7 and functions as a fan that generates an upward or downward airflow by rotating the blade unit 5.

[0012] The main body 2 has a hollow cone shape and functions as an outer shell that encloses the motor unit 4, control unit 6, etc., within the hollow space.

[0013] The support column 3 is rod-shaped and can be secured at one end to the ceiling 7. It extends downward from the ceiling 7 and supports the main body 2, motor unit 4, blade unit 5, control unit 6, etc. In other words, the main body 2, motor unit 4, blade unit 5, control unit 6, etc. are supported by the support column 3.

[0014] The motor unit 4 is located at the lower part of the support column 3. The motor unit 4 is a DC motor that rotates the blades 5 supported by the support column 3. The motor unit 4 has an outer rotor structure, which includes a stator fixed to the support column 3 and a rotor that rotates around the outer circumference of the stator.

[0015] The blade section 5 is rotated by the motor section 4 to blow air in a vertical direction. Multiple blade sections 5 are attached to the outer circumference of the motor section 4 and rotate together with the rotor of the motor section 4.

[0016] The control unit 6 controls various operations of the ceiling fan 1. The detailed control content by the control unit 6 will be described later.

[0017] Here, as a result of intensive research, the inventor has found a technology that enables a ceiling fan equipped with an AC motor to be replaced with a ceiling fan equipped with a DC motor. This disclosure is based on the inventor's findings. In the process of finding this disclosure, new problems have arisen, and this disclosure has been found by overcoming these new problems. They will be described in detail below.

[0018] First, the conventional ceiling fan equipped with an AC motor will be described using FIG. 4. FIG. 4 is a schematic functional block diagram of a conventional ceiling fan equipped with an AC motor and its surroundings.

[0019] The live wire of the commercial power supply is input into the regulator 100. The regulator 100 is a device capable of setting and switching the air volume generated from the ceiling fan 110 equipped with an AC motor. The regulator 100 is installed on the wall of the room where the ceiling fan 110 is used, enabling the user to set the air volume.

[0020] The regulator 100 includes a connection switching unit 100a and a plurality of capacitors 100b to 100d. In this embodiment, the plurality of capacitors are described by taking three capacitors as an example, but the number may be more than three or less than three. The number of capacitors may be adjusted according to the number of air volumes that can be set.

[0021] The connection switching unit 100a is capable of switching which capacitor among the plurality of capacitors 100b to 100d the live wire of the commercial power supply is serially connected to. The switching can be performed by a physical switch or the like. For example, by pressing the switch corresponding to the air volume desired by the user, it is connected to the corresponding capacitor. Note that it may be possible to switch by a knob or the like instead of a switch.

[0022] This embodiment will be explained using three capacitors as an example. The connection switching unit 100a can switch between three airflow levels. The three airflow levels are, for example, the first airflow level, the second airflow level, and the third airflow level, with the order of magnitude being first airflow level < second airflow level < third airflow level. Capacitors 100b to 100d are capacitors with different capacitances, with the order of magnitude being capacitor 100b < capacitor 100c < capacitor 100d.

[0023] If the user wants to set the airflow to the first airflow level, pressing the switch on the connection switching unit 100a corresponding to the first airflow level connects the live commercial power supply and capacitor 100b in series. Similarly, if the user wants to set the airflow to the second airflow level, pressing the switch on the connection switching unit 100a corresponding to the second airflow level connects the live commercial power supply and capacitor 100c in series. Similarly, if the user wants to set the airflow to the third airflow level, pressing the switch on the connection switching unit 100a corresponding to the third airflow level connects the live commercial power supply and capacitor 100d in series. In other words, the higher the airflow setting, the larger the capacitance of the capacitor connected in series with the live commercial power supply.

[0024] The AC voltage output from regulator 100 is determined by the capacitance of the capacitor connected in series with the live power supply. The larger the capacitance of the capacitor connected in series with the live power supply, the higher the AC voltage output from regulator 100.

[0025] The ceiling fan 110 comprises a motor unit 101 and a blade unit 102.

[0026] The motor unit 101 is an AC motor, and the output from the regulator 100 is connected to a neutral input that bypasses the regulator 100. The AC motor is, for example, an induction motor that rotates when an AC voltage is applied.

[0027] The blade section 102 generates wind by rotating together with the rotation of the motor section 101.

[0028] In this case, the greater the AC voltage output from the regulator 100, the faster the induction motor rotates. In other words, the amount of air generated from the blade section 102 increases.

[0029] In the case of the first airflow rate, the AC voltage output from the regulator 100 is smaller than the AC voltage output from the regulator 100 in the case of the second airflow rate. Therefore, the amount of air generated from the blades 102 in the case of the first airflow rate is smaller than the amount of air generated from the blades 102 in the case of the second airflow rate. Also, in the case of the second airflow rate, the AC voltage output from the regulator 100 is smaller than the AC voltage output from the regulator 100 in the case of the third airflow rate. Therefore, the amount of air generated from the blades 102 in the case of the second airflow rate is smaller than the amount of air generated from the blades 102 in the case of the third airflow rate.

[0030] Thus, when the user sets the airflow via the regulator 100, the ceiling fan 110 is controlled to achieve the set airflow. An appropriate amount of airflow corresponding to the set airflow volume set via 100 can be generated from the blade section 102.

[0031] As mentioned earlier, AC motors are less efficient and less energy-efficient than DC motors, making it desirable to replace them with ceiling fans equipped with DC motors. Therefore, the inventor, after diligent research, has discovered a technology that allows for the replacement of conventional AC motor ceiling fans with DC motor ceiling fans, as shown in Figure 5. Figure 5 is a schematic block diagram of a ceiling fan and its surrounding components devised to change a conventional AC motor ceiling fan to a DC motor ceiling fan.

[0032] Considering user convenience, it is preferable that a device allowing the user to switch the airflow be installed at the location where the regulator was previously located on the wall or other surface of the room where the ceiling fan was used.

[0033] Therefore, the inventor found that a volume control unit 200 could be provided instead of the regulator 100, and a ceiling fan 210 driven by a DC motor could be provided instead of the ceiling fan 110 driven by an AC motor.

[0034] The live power from the commercial power supply is input to the airflow control unit 200. The airflow control unit 200 is a device that can set and switch the airflow generated by the DC motor-equipped ceiling fan 210. The airflow control unit 200 is installed on the wall of the room where the ceiling fan 210 is used and allows the user to set the airflow.

[0035] The airflow control unit 200 is equipped with an AC / DC converter 201. The AC / DC converter 201 receives live and neutral lines from the commercial power supply and converts the AC voltage of the input commercial power supply into a DC voltage. Unlike the regulator 100, the AC / DC converter 201 requires connection to both the live and neutral lines of the commercial power supply.

[0036] The airflow control unit 200 is capable of receiving airflow control requests from the user. For example, the airflow control unit 200 may be equipped with multiple physical switches, allowing the user to press the switch corresponding to their desired airflow. Alternatively, the airflow could be set using a knob or the like instead of a switch.

[0037] In this embodiment, we will describe the system with three airflow settings. Note that the number of available airflow settings may be more or less than three. For example, the three airflow settings could be the fourth, fifth, and sixth airflow levels, with the order of airflow magnitudes being fourth airflow < fifth airflow < sixth airflow.

[0038] The AC / DC converter 201 varies the voltage value of the converted DC voltage according to the airflow rate set by the user. The voltage value of the converted DC voltage (the DC voltage value output from the AC / DC converter 201) at the fourth airflow rate is smaller than the voltage value of the converted DC voltage at the fifth airflow rate. Similarly, the voltage value of the converted DC voltage at the fifth airflow rate is smaller than the voltage value of the converted DC voltage at the sixth airflow rate. In other words, the larger the airflow rate set by the user, the larger the voltage value of the converted DC voltage.

[0039] The ceiling fan 210 comprises an inverter unit 211, a motor unit 212, and a blade unit 213.

[0040] The inverter section 211 is an inverter circuit for performing PAM (Pulse Amplitude Modulation) control based on the voltage output from the AC / DC converter 201. Since PAM control is a known technology, a detailed explanation will be omitted. The inverter section 211 is connected to the DC voltage output from the AC / DC converter 201 and the GND (ground) of the DC voltage.

[0041] The motor unit 212 is a DC motor, and it rotates through PAM control performed by the AC / DC converter 201 and the inverter unit 211. Because PAM control is performed, the larger the DC voltage output from the AC / DC converter 201 (the DC voltage input to the inverter unit 211), the faster the DC motor rotates.

[0042] The blade section 213 generates wind by rotating together with the rotation of the motor section 212.

[0043] The greater the DC voltage input to the inverter unit 211, the greater the airflow generated from the fan blades 213. In the case of the fourth airflow, the DC voltage input to the inverter unit 211 is smaller than the DC voltage input to the inverter unit 211 in the case of the fifth airflow. Therefore, the airflow generated from the fan blades 213 in the case of the fourth airflow is smaller than the airflow generated from the fan blades 213 in the case of the fifth airflow. Also, in the case of the fifth airflow, the DC voltage input to the inverter unit 211 is smaller than the DC voltage input to the inverter unit 211 in the case of the sixth airflow. Therefore, the airflow generated from the fan blades 213 in the case of the fifth airflow is smaller than the airflow generated from the fan blades 213 in the case of the sixth airflow.

[0044] In this way, when the user sets the airflow rate via the airflow control unit 200, the ceiling fan 210 is controlled to achieve the set airflow rate. Then, the fan blades 213 can generate an appropriate amount of airflow corresponding to the set airflow rate set by the user via the airflow control unit 200.

[0045] Based on the above, the inventors believed that it was possible to replace conventional AC motor-equipped ceiling fans with DC motor-equipped ceiling fans. However, an additional problem arose. Conventionally, there was only one wire connecting the regulator 100 to the ceiling fan 110, but in the ceiling fan 210 that was considered replaceable, there were two wires connecting the airflow control unit 200 to the ceiling fan 210. This proved to be a significant problem in terms of installation. Since the labor and cost of replacing the conventional AC motor-equipped ceiling fan 110 with the newly designed DC motor-equipped ceiling fan 210 increased significantly, there was a need for a ceiling fan that could be replaced with a DC motor-equipped ceiling fan without increasing the number of wires.

[0046] Therefore, as a result of further diligent research, the inventor has discovered a technology that allows for the replacement of a ceiling fan equipped with a DC motor without increasing the number of wires. This technology will be explained in detail with reference to Figure 2. Figure 2 is a schematic functional block diagram of the ceiling fan 1 and its surrounding parts according to this embodiment.

[0047] One live line of the commercial power supply, the first AC voltage, is input to the regulator 8. The regulator 8 is a device that can set and switch the airflow generated by the DC motor-equipped ceiling fan 1. The regulator 8 is installed on the wall of the room where the ceiling fan 1 is used, and allows the user to set the airflow.

[0048] The regulator 8 comprises a connection switching unit 8a and a plurality of capacitors 8b to 8d. In this embodiment, three capacitors are described as an example, but there may be more or fewer capacitors. The number of capacitors should be adjusted according to the settable airflow rate.

[0049] The connection switching unit 8a allows switching which of the capacitors 8b to 8d the live commercial power supply is connected in series with. Switching can be done by a physical switch, for example, by pressing the switch corresponding to the desired airflow, the connection is made to the corresponding capacitor. Alternatively, switching may be done by a knob or similar device instead of a switch.

[0050] This embodiment will be explained using three capacitors as an example. The connection switching unit 8a can switch between three airflow levels. The three airflow levels are, for example, the 7th airflow level, the 8th airflow level, and the 9th airflow level, with the order of magnitude being 7th airflow level < 8th airflow level < 9th airflow level. Capacitors 8b to 8d are capacitors with different capacitances, with the order of magnitude being capacitor 8b < capacitor 8c < capacitor 8d.

[0051] If the user wants to set the airflow to level 7, pressing the switch on the connection switching unit 8a corresponding to level 7 connects the live commercial power supply and capacitor 8b in series. Similarly, if the user wants to set the airflow to level 8, pressing the switch on the connection switching unit 8a corresponding to level 8 connects the live commercial power supply and capacitor 8c in series. Similarly, if the user wants to set the airflow to level 9, pressing the switch on the connection switching unit 8a corresponding to level 9 connects the live commercial power supply and capacitor 8d in series. In other words, the higher the airflow setting, the larger the capacitance of the capacitor connected in series with the live commercial power supply. To put it another way, regulator 8 is an airflow switching device for the user to set the airflow, and the lower the airflow setting the user chooses, the smaller the capacitance becomes.

[0052] The AC voltage output from regulator 8 is determined by the capacitance of the capacitor connected in series with the live power supply. The larger the capacitance of the capacitor connected in series with the live power supply, the larger the AC voltage output from regulator 8. Here, the output voltage output from regulator 8 is referred to as the second AC voltage.

[0053] Thus, the regulator 8 is a capacitor with switchable capacitance. One live line of the first AC voltage is input to the capacitor, and the capacitor outputs a second AC voltage. The smaller the capacitance, the smaller the second AC voltage. The second AC voltage is smaller than the first AC voltage. In other words, the regulator 8 has a switchable capacitance, and the second AC voltage is changed by the capacitance.

[0054] Furthermore, if the user wants to set the airflow to zero, they can press the switch on the connection switching unit 8a corresponding to zero airflow, which will disconnect one live wire of the first AC voltage from capacitors 8b to 8d. In other words, the live wire will not be connected to any capacitor. Thus, when the user sets the airflow to zero, the regulator 8 will not connect one live wire of the first AC voltage to any capacitor.

[0055] The ceiling fan 1 includes a control unit 6. The control unit 6 includes a rectifier and smoothing unit 9, a voltage conversion unit 10, a voltage divider unit 11, an airflow determination unit 13, and an inverter unit 14.

[0056] The rectifier and smoothing unit 9 smooths the AC voltage to a DC voltage. Specifically, the rectifier and smoothing unit 9 is a rectifier and smoothing circuit that rectifies the input second AC voltage, smooths the rectified voltage, and outputs a first DC voltage. The rectifier and smoothing unit 9 has, for example, a full-wave rectifier circuit composed of a diode bridge and a smoothing circuit composed of a capacitor. A known configuration can be used for the rectifier and smoothing unit 9, so further detailed explanation is omitted. The first DC voltage output from the rectifier and smoothing unit 9 is input to the voltage conversion unit 10 and the voltage divider unit 11.

[0057] The voltage conversion unit 10 converts the first DC voltage output from the rectifier and smoothing unit 9 into a second DC voltage. An example of the voltage conversion unit 10 is a DC / DC converter. The voltage conversion unit 10 inputs a fixed second DC voltage to the inverter unit 14. In other words, the second DC voltage becomes the voltage that the inverter unit 14 uses to drive the motor unit 4. Since the voltage conversion unit 10 can employ a known configuration, further detailed explanation is omitted.

[0058] The voltage divider unit 11 divides the first DC voltage. For example, the voltage divider unit 11 has voltage divider resistors (not shown). The voltage divider unit 11 resistively divides the first DC voltage using the voltage divider resistors. The resistively divided voltages are input to the airflow determination unit 13.

[0059] The airflow determination unit 13 determines the set airflow based on the voltage value of the first DC voltage. The airflow determination unit 13 has an A / D converter. The airflow determination unit 13 receives a resistively divided voltage as input. The airflow determination unit 13 detects the resistively divided voltage using the A / D converter. The smaller the resistively divided voltage, the smaller the set airflow the airflow determination unit 13 determines. In other words, the smaller the voltage value divided by the voltage divider unit 11 and input to the airflow determination unit 13, the smaller the set airflow the airflow determination unit 13 determines.

[0060] Here, we will explain why the airflow determination unit 13 determines a lower set airflow the smaller the resistively divided voltage. The lower the airflow the user sets, the smaller the capacitance of the regulator 8 becomes. In other words, the capacitance of the capacitor connected in series with the live power supply becomes smaller. And the smaller the capacitance of the capacitor connected in series with the live power supply, the smaller the AC voltage (second AC voltage) output from the regulator 8 becomes. In other words, the lower the airflow the user sets, the smaller the second AC voltage becomes. Also, the smaller the second AC voltage, the smaller the first DC voltage becomes. And the smaller the first DC voltage, the smaller the resistively divided voltage becomes. In other words, the lower the airflow the user sets, the smaller the resistively divided voltage becomes. Therefore, the airflow determination unit 13 determines a lower set airflow the smaller the resistively divided voltage becomes. This allows the airflow of the ceiling fan 1 to be determined at the airflow desired by the user.

[0061] The airflow determination unit 13 determines the rotational speed of the motor unit 4 necessary to achieve the determined set airflow. The airflow determination unit 13 may also determine the current value of the motor unit 4 necessary to achieve the determined set airflow. Furthermore, the airflow determination unit 13 may determine both the rotational speed and current value of the motor unit 4 necessary to achieve the determined set airflow.

[0062] The inverter unit 14 uses the second DC voltage as its input voltage and controls the motor unit 4 based on the set airflow determined by the airflow determination unit 13. In other words, the inverter unit 14 controls the motor unit 4 so that the fan blades 5 generate air at the set airflow determined by the airflow determination unit 13. Specifically, the inverter unit 14 controls the motor unit 4 to achieve the rotational speed determined by the airflow determination unit 13. The inverter unit 14 may also control the motor unit 4 to achieve the current value determined by the airflow determination unit 13. Furthermore, the inverter unit 14 may also control the motor unit 4 to achieve both the rotational speed and current value determined by the airflow determination unit 13. In other words, the inverter unit 14 controls the motor unit 4 to achieve at least one of the rotational speed and current value determined by the airflow determination unit 13.

[0063] The inverter unit 14 is an inverter circuit that performs PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) control. Since PWM control is a well-known technology, a detailed explanation will be omitted. The inverter unit 14 can control at least one of the rotational speed and current value of the motor unit 4 by controlling the ON period of the switching element in PWM control. To increase the rotational speed of the motor unit 4, the ON period of the switching element should be increased. Similarly, to increase the current value of the motor unit 4, the ON period of the switching element should be increased.

[0064] Here, each functional block of the control unit can be implemented as hardware, such as a computer's CPU (Central Processing Unit), and as software, such as a computer program. These are functional blocks realized through their coordination. Therefore, these functional blocks can be realized in various forms through combinations of hardware and software.

[0065] Next, the control performed by the ceiling fan 1 will be explained using the flowchart in Figure 3. Figure 3 is a flowchart showing the control flow of the ceiling fan 1 according to this embodiment. In the flowchart, numbers are assigned starting with the letter S. For example, S1 indicates a processing step. However, the magnitude of the numerical value indicating a processing step is not related to the processing order.

[0066] First, the user sets the desired airflow via a switch on the regulator 8. The switch setting determines the capacitance of the capacitor connected to the live commercial power supply (S1). The capacitor connected to the live commercial power supply converts the first AC voltage input to the regulator 8 into a second AC voltage.

[0067] Next, the rectifier and smoothing unit 9 converts the converted second AC voltage into a first DC voltage (S2).

[0068] Next, the airflow determination unit 13 determines the airflow based on the voltage obtained by dividing the first DC voltage by the voltage divider unit 11 (S3).

[0069] Next, the inverter unit 14 controls the motor unit 4 based on the airflow information determined by the airflow determination unit 13 (S4). This allows the ceiling fan 1 to be operated at the airflow desired by the user.

[0070] In this embodiment, only one wire is needed to connect the regulator 8 to the ceiling fan 1. This means that replacing a conventional AC motor ceiling fan with a DC motor ceiling fan is possible with excellent ease of installation. In other words, the regulator used in conventional AC ceiling fans can be used as is, and it is possible to easily replace it with a DC motor ceiling fan without changing the number of connections from the regulator. Furthermore, both labor and costs can be reduced in the replacement work from a conventional AC motor ceiling fan to a DC motor ceiling fan. Moreover, it is possible to replace it with a DC motor ceiling fan without changing the configuration in which the conventional regulator exists.

[0071] The present disclosure has been described above based on embodiments. These embodiments are illustrative, and it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications are possible for each component or combination of processing processes, and that such modifications are also within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0072] For example, the control unit 6 does not need to include the voltage divider unit 11. In that case, the first DC voltage is input to the airflow determination unit 13.

[0073] The airflow determination unit 13 determines the set airflow based on the voltage value of the first DC voltage. The airflow determination unit 13 has an A / D converter. The first DC voltage is input to the airflow determination unit 13. The airflow determination unit 13 detects the first DC voltage using the A / D converter. The airflow determination unit 13 then determines a smaller set airflow the smaller the voltage value of the first DC voltage.

[0074] The lower the user sets the airflow rate, the lower the second AC voltage becomes. Also, the lower the second AC voltage, the lower the first DC voltage becomes. In other words, the lower the user sets the airflow rate, the lower the first DC voltage becomes. Therefore, the airflow rate determination unit 13 determines a lower set airflow rate as the first DC voltage decreases.

[0075] As described above, even without a voltage divider, the wire connecting the regulator 8 to the ceiling fan 1 remains a single wire, making it possible to replace a conventional AC motor ceiling fan with a DC motor ceiling fan. However, in this case, caution is necessary because there is a risk that a voltage exceeding the rated voltage capacity of the A / D converter may be input. If the rated voltage capacity of the A / D converter is low, it is preferable to include a voltage divider.

[0076] (Summary of Disclosure) The ceiling fan according to this disclosure comprises a support column that can be attached to the ceiling, a motor unit provided at the lower part of the support column, a blade unit that rotates with respect to the motor unit, a rectifier and smoothing unit to which a single live line of a first AC voltage, which is a commercial power supply, is input to a regulator and a second AC voltage, which is the output voltage from the regulator is input, a voltage conversion unit that converts the first DC voltage, which has been rectified and smoothed from the second AC voltage by the rectifier and smoothing unit, into a second DC voltage, an airflow determination unit that determines the set airflow based on the voltage value of the first DC voltage, and an inverter unit that uses the second DC voltage as the input voltage and controls the motor unit based on the set airflow determined by the airflow determination unit.

[0077] This allows the regulator used in conventional AC ceiling fans to be used as is, and makes it possible to easily replace them with ceiling fans equipped with DC motors without changing the number of connections from the regulator.

[0078] Furthermore, the regulator is a capacitor with switchable capacitance, where one live line of the first AC voltage is input to the capacitor, and a second AC voltage is output from the capacitor. The smaller the capacitance, the smaller the second AC voltage may be.

[0079] This allows the second AC voltage to be changed by switching the capacitance of the regulator.

[0080] Furthermore, the regulator is an airflow switching device that allows the user to set the airflow, and the capacitance may be reduced as the user sets a lower airflow.

[0081] The second AC voltage can be reduced by decreasing the capacitance of the regulator. Conversely, the second AC voltage can be increased by increasing the capacitance of the regulator. The capacitance can be changed according to the airflow rate set by the user.

[0082] Furthermore, if the user sets the airflow to zero, the regulator does not need to connect one of the live lines of the first AC voltage to the capacitor.

[0083] This allows the user to stop the operation of the ceiling fan by operating the regulator.

[0084] Furthermore, the airflow determination unit may determine a smaller set airflow rate as the voltage value of the first DC voltage decreases.

[0085] The lower the user sets the airflow rate, the lower the first DC voltage becomes. Therefore, the lower the voltage value of the first DC voltage, the lower the set airflow rate can be determined, allowing the user to achieve their desired airflow.

[0086] Furthermore, the device may include a voltage divider that divides the first DC voltage, and the airflow determination unit may determine a smaller set airflow rate as the voltage value divided by the voltage divider and input to the airflow determination unit becomes smaller.

[0087] The lower the user sets the airflow rate, the more the voltage divided by the pressure divider unit is input to the airflow determination unit. The value becomes smaller. Therefore, the smaller the voltage value that is divided by the pressure divider and input to the airflow determination unit, the smaller the set airflow can be determined, thereby allowing the user to determine the desired airflow. [Industrial applicability]

[0088] This invention is useful as a DC motor-equipped ceiling fan to replace AC motor-equipped ceiling fans that use a regulator to set the airflow. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0089] 1. Ceiling fan 2 Main unit 3 Support section 4. Motor section 5. Blade section 6 Control Unit 7 Ceiling 8 Regulators 8a Connection switching section 8b Capacitor 8c capacitor 8d capacitor 9. Rectification and Smoothing Section 10 Voltage conversion section 11. Pressure dividing section 13. Airflow determination unit 14. Inverter section 100 Regulator 100a Connection switching section 100b capacitor 100C capacitor 100d capacitor 101 Motor section 102 Blade section 110 Ceiling fan 200 Air volume control section 201 AC / DC Converter 210 Ceiling fan 211 Inverter section 212 Motor section 213 Wing section

Claims

1. A support column that can be attached to the ceiling, A motor unit is provided at the lower part of the support column, The blade section rotates due to the motor section, A rectifier and smoothing section receives a live line of a first AC voltage, which is the commercial power supply, as input to the regulator, and a second AC voltage, which is the output voltage from the regulator, as input. A voltage conversion unit converts the first DC voltage, which has been rectified and smoothed from the second AC voltage in the rectifier and smoothing unit, into a second DC voltage. An airflow determination unit that determines the set airflow based on the voltage value of the first DC voltage, An inverter unit that uses the second DC voltage as an input voltage and controls the motor unit based on the set airflow determined by the airflow determination unit, A ceiling fan equipped with [a specific feature / feature].

2. The US regulator is a capacitor with switchable capacitance, One live line of the first AC voltage is input to the capacitor, and the second AC voltage is output from the capacitor. The ceiling fan according to claim 1, wherein the smaller the capacitance, the smaller the second AC voltage.

3. The ceiling fan according to claim 2, wherein the regulator is an airflow switching device for the user to set the airflow, and the capacitance decreases as the user sets the airflow to a lower level.

4. If the user sets the airflow to zero, The ceiling fan according to claim 3, wherein the regulator does not connect one live line of the first AC voltage to the capacitor.

5. The aforementioned airflow determination unit is The ceiling fan according to claim 3, wherein the set airflow is determined to be smaller the smaller the voltage value of the first DC voltage.

6. The device includes a voltage divider that divides the first DC voltage, The aforementioned airflow determination unit is The ceiling fan according to claim 3, wherein the smaller the voltage value divided by the pressure dividing unit and input to the airflow determination unit, the smaller the set airflow is determined.

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