Blower

Abstract

To provide an air blowing device which can supply natural wind by a method different from a conventional one and furthermore hardly causes a problem on space for installation of the air blowing device.SOLUTION: The air blowing device comprises a driving source, a flexible blade portion extending in a direction crossing the vertical direction, and a transmission portion transmitting the driving force of the driving source to the blade portion and oscillating the blade portion in a vertical direction, the blade portion has a blade shaft extending in the direction crossing the axial direction of an oscillation axis extending back and forth, and a blade face extending from the blade shaft to the rear side, the blade shaft has higher rigidity than that of the blade face, the transmission portion is connected to the end close to the oscillation axis out of both ends of the blade shaft for oscillating the blade shaft up and down around the oscillation axis by the driving force of the driving source.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a blower device.

Background Art

[0002] Conventional blower devices mainly use swirling flows, such as a fan using a propeller fan or an air conditioner using a cross fan. On the other hand, a blower device that can generate a wind closer to natural wind than a swirling flow is desired. As such a blower device, an automatic hand-held fan that automatically fans a hand-held fan is known (see, 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] In the automatic hand-held fan disclosed in Patent Document 1, since the drive mechanism provided on the rear side of the hand-held fan swings the hand-held fan left and right, the drive mechanism and the hand-held fan are arranged in series along the blowing direction. When such an automatic hand-held fan is arranged, for example, near a wall, the protruding width from the wall to the front end of the automatic hand-held fan becomes large, so it may be difficult to secure an installation space.

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a blower device that can supply natural wind by a method different from the conventional one and is less likely to cause a problem with the installation space. Note that one aspect of the present disclosure involves a technical idea focusing on the flapping of bird wings, and thus is related to bionics.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The blower according to this disclosure comprises a drive source, a flexible blade portion extending in a direction intersecting the vertical direction, and a transmission portion that transmits the driving force of the drive source to the blade portion and causes the blade portion to oscillate up and down, wherein the blade portion has a blade shaft portion extending in a direction intersecting the axial direction of a pivot shaft extending in the front-rear direction, and a blade surface portion extending rearward from the blade shaft portion, and the rigidity of the blade shaft portion is higher than that of the blade surface portion, and the transmission portion is connected to the end of the blade shaft portion closest to the pivot shaft, and causes the blade shaft portion to oscillate up and down about the pivot shaft by the driving force of the drive source. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view of the blower unit, taken from diagonally above. [Figure 2] This is a perspective view of the blower unit, taken from diagonally below. [Figure 3] This is a view of the transmission unit from the front. [Figure 4] This is a view of the transmission unit from the rear. [Figure 5] This is a front view of the transmission unit where the wing section is at the upper end of the oscillation range. [Figure 6] This is a front view of the transmission unit where the wing section is at the lower end of the oscillation range. [Figure 7] This is a perspective view of a blower with its wing section in standby position. [Figure 8A] This is a perspective view of the transmission unit with the wing section in standby position. [Figure 8B] This is a front view of the transmission unit with the wing section in standby position. [Figure 9] This is a bottom view of the wing section. [Figure 10A] This is a bottom view of the wing section relating to Comparative Example 1. [Figure 10B] This is a front view of the wing section relating to Comparative Example 1. [Figure 11A] This is a bottom view of the wing section according to Comparative Example 2. [Figure 11B] This is a front view of the wing section relating to Comparative Example 2. [Figure 12] This is a perspective view of the blower device showing the detachable wing section. [Figure 13]It is a front view of a blower device showing the attachment / detachment structure of the wing part.

Embodiments for Carrying out the Invention

[0008] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. Regarding the drawings, the same or equivalent elements are denoted by the same reference numerals, and duplicate descriptions are omitted.

[0009] <Blower device> The overall configuration of the blower device 1 will be described. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the blower device 1 viewed obliquely from above. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the blower device 1 viewed obliquely from below. In the following description, the lower left side, upper right side, upper left side, lower right side, upper side, and lower side of FIG. 1 are defined as the front side, rear side, left side, right side, upper side, and lower side of the blower device 1, respectively.

[0010] The blower device 1 includes a device main body 2 and a wing part 3 that is detachably attached to the device main body 2. The device main body 2 includes a drive source 10, a transmission part 20, a support part 30, a base part 40, etc. The drive source 10 is a member that supplies power to swing the wing part 3, and is, for example, a stepping motor. The transmission part 20 transmits the driving force of the drive source 10 to the wing part 3 and swings the wing part 3 up and down, the details of which will be described later. The support part 30 is a member for supporting the device main body 2 at a positioned height. The base part 40 is a member that serves as the base of the blower device 1.

[0011] The wing part 3 is a flexible thin plate-like or sheet-like member extending in a direction intersecting the vertical direction. The blower device 1 of the present embodiment has a pair of wing parts 3 provided symmetrically left and right. The pair of wing parts 3 consists of a left wing part 3L and a right wing part 3R. The wing parts 3L and 3R attached to the transmission part 20 extend from the transmission part 20 to both the left and right sides so as to be symmetric in front view. A mounting part 300 for mounting the wing part 3L to the transmission part 20 is provided at the right end of the wing part 3L. A mounting part 300 for mounting the wing part 3R to the transmission part 20 is provided at the left end of the wing part 3R.

[0012] In this example, the drive source 10 is fixed to the rear side of the transmission part 20, and the support part 30 is fixed to the front side of the transmission part 20. The support part 30 has a support plate 31 fixed to the front surface of the transmission part 20 and a cylindrical part 32 provided on the front surface of the support plate 31. The cylindrical part 32 is cylindrical and extends in the vertical direction, with both upper and lower ends open. A plurality of mounting holes arranged at equal intervals in the vertical direction are formed on the front side of the cylindrical part 32.

[0013] The base part 40 has a flat lower plate 41 placed on the installation surface of the blower 1 and a cylindrical part 42 extending upward from the lower plate 41. The cylindrical part 42 is inserted into the interior of the cylindrical part 32 from below. The user positions the support part 30 at a desired height and uses the mounting hole corresponding to that height to screw the cylindrical part 32 onto the cylindrical part 42. Thereby, the wing part 3 attached to the transmission part 20 can be swung at a desired height. Due to the swinging of the wing part 3, air is blown toward the rear of the blower 1.

[0014] <transmission part> The structure of the transmission part 20 will be described. Fig. 3 is a view of the transmission part 20 as seen from the front side. Fig. 4 is a view of the transmission part 20 as seen from the rear side. Fig. 5 is a front view of the transmission part 20 when the wing part 3 is at the upper end of the swinging range. Fig. 6 is a front view of the transmission part 20 when the wing part 3 is at the lower end of the swinging range. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the blower 1 when the wing part 3 is in the standby position. Fig. 8A is a perspective view of the transmission part 20 when the wing part 3 is in the standby position. Fig. 8B is a front view of the transmission part 20 when the wing part 3 is in the standby position. In Figs. 3 to 6 and Fig. 8A, the illustration of the case 21 is omitted. In Fig. 8B, the case 21 is shown by a virtual line.

[0015] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the transmission unit 20 has multiple gears and movable members inside a frame-shaped case 21 that opens upward. The transmission unit 20 transmits the driving force of the drive source 10 to the wing section 3, causing the wing section 3 to oscillate up and down. The wing section 3 oscillates up and down around a pivot axis 90 that extends in the front-rear direction. In this example, the transmission unit 20 transmits the driving force of the drive source 10 to each of the pair of wing sections 3. The pair of wing sections 3 oscillate up and down synchronously with each other by the driving force of the drive source 10. In this example, the axial direction of the pivot axis 90 extends parallel to the front-rear direction, but it is sufficient for it to extend in a direction that intersects with a virtual plane that extends in the up-down, left-right, and right directions.

[0016] The transmission unit 20 includes a first transmission member 70 to which the driving force of the drive source 10 is supplied, and a second transmission member 80 connected to the end of the wing shaft portion 101. The first transmission member 70 and the second transmission member 80 can swing independently of each other around the pivot axis 90 and can be connected to each other by the magnetic force of magnetic materials provided on each. When the first transmission member 70 and the second transmission member 80 are connected by magnetic force, the first transmission member 70 and the second transmission member 80 swing together by the driving force of the drive source 10, causing the wing portion 3 to swing up and down. The above structure will be described in detail below.

[0017] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the drive source 10 has a rotating shaft 11 that extends forward through the rear plate of the case 21, and a small-diameter gear 51 is provided on this rotating shaft 11. Gear 51 meshes with a disc-shaped gear 52 provided above it. In front of gear 52, a small-diameter gear 53 is provided, fixed to gear 52 and the rotating shaft. Gear 53 meshes with a disc-shaped gear 60R located to its upper right. Gear 60R meshes with a disc-shaped gear 60L located to its left. Gears 60L and 60R are a pair and are identical in shape.

[0018] A plate-shaped connecting plate 61R is provided on the front side of the gear 60R. The connecting plate 61R is rotatable around a support pin located between the outer surface of the gear 60R and the center of rotation. A pivot shaft 90R extending in the front-rear direction is provided on the upper left side of the gear 60R. The pivot shaft 90R forms the pivot center of the wing section 3R and coaxially supports two plate-shaped movable bodies, the first transmission member 70R and the second transmission member 80R, so that they can rotate freely. The first transmission member 70R and the second transmission member 80R extend to the right from the pivot shaft 90R and are located in front of the gear 60R.

[0019] The aforementioned connecting plate 61R extends upward from the gear 60R, and its upper end is connected to the rear side of the first transmission member 70R. The right side of the first transmission member 70R is provided with mounting holes 71 into which magnets (not shown) are attached. In this example, two mounting holes 71 are aligned along the extension direction of the first transmission member 70R, and magnets are attached to each mounting hole 71.

[0020] The second transmission member 80R is supported by a pivot shaft 90R in front of the first transmission member 70R. The right side of the second transmission member 80R is provided with mounting holes 81 into which magnets (not shown) are attached. In this example, two mounting holes 81 are aligned along the extension direction of the second transmission member 80R, and magnets are inserted into each mounting hole 81.

[0021] The mounting hole 71 of the first transmission member 70R and the mounting hole 81 of the second transmission member 80R are approximately equal in distance from the pivot axis 90R. The magnet mounted in the mounting hole 71 and the magnet mounted in the mounting hole 81 have opposite polarities. Therefore, when the first transmission member 70R and the second transmission member 80R extend in approximately the same direction from the pivot axis 90R, the magnets in the mounting hole 71 and the magnets in the mounting hole 81 are close to each other and attract one another. The first transmission member 70R and the second transmission member 80R are connected by magnetic force in a state where they overlap each other front to back.

[0022] The second transmission member 80R is bent so as to extend upward from its right side, and a flat portion 82 extending in the front-rear direction is provided at its upper end. The mounting portion 300 for the wing portion 3R is fixed to the upper side of the flat portion 82. As a result, the wing portion 3R is supported in a position extending to the right from the flat portion 82. In this example, the mounting portion 300 is detachable from the flat portion 82 with screws, but it may be configured to be detachable by other connecting mechanisms.

[0023] The transmission section 20 is provided with a connecting plate 61L, a first transmission member 70L, a second transmission member 80L, and a pivot shaft 90L, respectively, arranged symmetrically to the connecting plate 61R, the first transmission member 70R, the second transmission member 80R, and the pivot shaft 90R. The pivot shaft 90L serves as the pivot center of the wing section 3L. Similarly, the gear 60L and the first transmission member 70L are connected by the connecting plate 61L.

[0024] When the first transmission member 70L and the second transmission member 80L extend in approximately the same direction from the pivot axis 90L, the magnet in the mounting hole 71 provided in the first transmission member 70L and the magnet in the mounting hole 81 provided in the second transmission member 80L are close to each other and attract each other. As a result, the first transmission member 70L and the second transmission member 80L are connected by magnetic force in a state where they overlap each other front to back. When the mounting portion 300 of the wing portion 3L is fixed to the upper side of the planar portion 82 of the second transmission member 80L, the wing portion 3L is supported in a position extending to the left from the planar portion 82.

[0025] In this example, when the drive source 10 drives the pair of left and right wing sections 3, it rotates the rotation axis 11 clockwise in a direction R1 when viewed from the front. Consequently, the gear 51 also rotates clockwise in a direction R1. At this time, the gear 52 that meshes with the gear 51 rotates counterclockwise in a direction R2 when viewed from the front, and the gear 53, which is coaxial with the gear 52, also rotates counterclockwise in a direction R2. The gear 60R that meshes with the gear 53 rotates clockwise in a direction R3 when viewed from the front, and the gear 60L that meshes with the gear 60R rotates counterclockwise in a direction R4 when viewed from the front.

[0026] As gear 60R rotates, the connecting plate 61R causes the first transmission member 70R to oscillate up and down around the pivot axis 90R. In other words, the connecting plate 61R converts the rotational motion of gear 60R into the oscillating motion of the first transmission member 70R. The second transmission member 80R, which is magnetically connected to the first transmission member 70R, also oscillates up and down around the pivot axis 90R. As a result, the wing portion 3R attached to the second transmission member 80R oscillates up and down.

[0027] Simultaneously, as the gear 60L rotates, the connecting plate 61L causes the first transmission member 70L to oscillate up and down around the pivot axis 90L. In other words, the connecting plate 61L converts the rotational motion of the gear 60L into the reciprocating motion of the first transmission member 70L. The second transmission member 80L, which is magnetically connected to the first transmission member 70L, also oscillates up and down around the pivot axis 90L. As a result, the wing section 3L attached to the second transmission member 80L oscillates up and down. The wing sections 3L and 3R oscillate synchronously in a symmetrical manner.

[0028] As shown in Figure 5, as the gear 60R rotates, the connecting plate 61R moves to the upper end of its range of motion, and the upper end of the connecting plate 61R is positioned higher than the pivot shaft 90R. The first transmission member 70R, which is connected to the upper end of the connecting plate 61R, extends upward and to the right from the pivot shaft 90R. As a result, the wing portion 3R attached to the second transmission member 80R also extends upward and to the right. Similarly, as the gear 60L rotates, the connecting plate 61L also moves to the upper end of its range of motion, causing the wing portion 3L to extend upward and to the left. At this time, the wing portions 3R and 3L are at the upper ends of their respective ranges of motion.

[0029] As shown in Figure 6, as the gear 60R rotates, the connecting plate 61R moves to the lower end of its range of motion, and the upper end of the connecting plate 61R is lower than the pivot shaft 90R. The first transmission member 70R, which is connected to the upper end of the connecting plate 61R, extends downward and to the right from the pivot shaft 90R. As a result, the wing portion 3R attached to the second transmission member 80R also extends downward and to the right. Similarly, as the gear 60L rotates, the connecting plate 61L also moves to the lower end of its range of motion, causing the wing portion 3L to extend downward and to the left. At this time, the wing portions 3R and 3L are at the lower end of their respective ranges of motion.

[0030] In this manner, the blade sections 3R and 3L oscillate up and down within their respective oscillation ranges on both the left and right sides of the device body 2. The wind generated by the oscillation of the blade sections 3R and 3L is supplied to the rear of the blower 1.

[0031] The magnetic force connecting the first transmission member 70 and the second transmission member 80 is strong enough to prevent the connection between the first transmission member 70 and the second transmission member 80 from being released by their own weight. Furthermore, the magnetic force connecting the first transmission member 70 and the second transmission member 80 is stronger than the air resistance experienced when the wing section 3 oscillates. This prevents the connection between the first transmission member 70 and the second transmission member 80 from spontaneously disengaging, thereby enabling continuous oscillation of the wing section 3.

[0032] Since the first transmission member 70 and the second transmission member 80 are connected only by magnetic force, it is easier to disconnect them compared to when the first transmission member 70 and the second transmission member 80 are physically connected. For example, a user can disconnect the first transmission member 70 and the second transmission member 80 by applying an external force stronger than the magnetic force in a direction that pulls them apart.

[0033] When the second transmission member 80 is moved downward from the first transmission member 70, the blade portion 3 can swing downward to a predetermined standby position. The blower 1 includes a relief portion 85 that supports the blade portion 3 extending directly downward from the transmission portion 20 on the outside of the device body 2 when the blade portion 3 is in the standby position. In this example, the relief portion 85 is part of the second transmission member 80, as will be explained below.

[0034] As shown in Figures 7, 8A, and 8B, for example, if the user pulls the second transmission member 80R downward from the first transmission member 70R, the connection between the first transmission member 70R and the second transmission member 80R is released, and the second transmission member 80R hangs down from the pivot shaft 90R due to its own weight. Similarly, if the second transmission member 80L is pulled downward from the first transmission member 70L, it hangs down from the pivot shaft 90L due to its own weight.

[0035] As a result, the wing sections 3R and 3L, which connect to the second transmission members 80L and 80R, are positioned in a standby position extending directly downward from the planar section 82 of the second transmission members 80L and 80R. The large wing sections 3R and 3L that extend to both the left and right sides are both folded downward, and the device body 2 is positioned between the folded wing sections 3R and 3L. Therefore, when the blower 1 is not in use, the overall size of the device can be made compact.

[0036] As shown in Figure 8B, the second transmission member 80R has a relief portion 85 at the end that is bent so as to protrude counterclockwise when viewed from the front, away from the pivot shaft 90R. In other words, when the second transmission member 80R is hanging down from the pivot shaft 90R, the relief portion 85 extends to the right toward the outside of the case 21. A flat portion 82 is provided at the protruding end of this relief portion 85. The wing portion 3R connected to the flat portion 82 is supported by the second transmission member 80R having the relief portion 85 at a position to the right of the pivot shaft 90R. At this time, the distance L1 between the pivot shaft 90R and the right side of the case 21 is smaller than the distance L2 between the pivot shaft 90R and the wing portion 3R. Therefore, the wing portion 3R positioned in the standby position is held in a position that extends straight down without contacting the case 21. The same applies to the wing portion 3L.

[0037] Furthermore, in this embodiment, since the wing portion 3 is not covered by a cover or the like, there is a risk that the wing portion 3 may come into contact with nearby objects when it swings. When the wing portion 3 comes into contact with a nearby object (for example, a person or an object), the connection between the first transmission member 70 and the second transmission member 80 is instantly released by the impact. As a result, the collision energy between the wing portion 3 and the object is mitigated, thus preventing damage to the object or the wing portion 3.

[0038] <Wing section> The structure of the wing section 3 will now be described. Figure 9 is a bottom view of the wing section 3R. In the following description, the right wing section 3R of the pair of left and right wing sections 3 will be referred to as appropriate. The left wing section 3L is symmetrical to wing section 3R, so its description will be omitted. The wing section 3 has a wing shaft section 101 that extends in a direction intersecting the axial direction of the pivot axis 90 that extends in the front and rear directions, and a wing surface section 102 that extends forward from the wing shaft section 101. The rigidity of the wing shaft section 101 is higher than that of the wing surface section 102.

[0039] In this embodiment, the wing shaft portion 101 is a plate member extending linearly substantially parallel to the radial direction of the pivot axis 90. The wing shaft portion 101 is made of a relatively rigid and resistant material, such as reinforced plastic or light metal. Therefore, the wing shaft portion 101 is resistant to bending even when subjected to vibrations and air resistance generated when the wing portion 3 oscillates. The wing shaft portion 101 functions as a frame that supports the sheet-like wing surface portion 102. In this example, the wing shaft portion 101 is fixed to the lower surface of the wing surface portion 102 and supports the wing surface portion 102 from below. Note that the wing shaft portion 101 is not limited to a linear shape, and may be curved or bent toward the wing width direction (i.e., the front-rear direction) of the wing surface portion 102.

[0040] The wing surface 102 is a sheet member that extends in a planar shape substantially parallel to the radial and axial directions of the pivot axis 90. The wing surface 102 is made of a material that can exhibit high elasticity and extensibility in a thin state, such as cloth (e.g., nonwoven fabric), resin film (e.g., PP), or rubber (e.g., silicone rubber). Because the wing surface 102 has relatively low rigidity, it is prone to bending when subjected to vibrations and air resistance generated when the wing 3 oscillates. Therefore, when the wing 3 oscillates, the wing shaft 101 moves up and down without bending, while the wing surface 102 moves up and down following the wing shaft 101, bending as it receives vibrations and air resistance. At this time, the wing surface 102 performs a torsional motion with the wing shaft 101 as the center of rotation.

[0041] It is known that bird wing flapping consists of a combination of three movements: flapping, feathering, and lead-lag. Flapping is the movement of the wing up and down relative to the body axis. Feathering is the movement of the wing twisting relative to the leading edge of the wing. Lead-lag is the movement of the wing back and forth relative to the body axis. The up-and-down oscillation of the pair of wing sections 3 described above technically realizes the flapping movement. Furthermore, the twisting motion of the wing surface section 102 in each wing section 3 technically realizes the feathering movement. Therefore, the blower 1 can efficiently blow air backward, similar to bird wing flapping, by combining the oscillation of the pair of wing sections 3 and the twisting motion of the wing surface section 102.

[0042] In the example shown in Figure 9, the wing section 3R extends approximately horizontally to the right from the transmission section 20. The leading edge 102A of the wing surface 102 is located in front of the wing shaft section 101 and extends in an arc shape that bulges forward towards the center in the left-right direction. The trailing edge 102B of the wing surface 102 is located behind the wing shaft section 101 and extends in an arc shape that bulges backward. However, the trailing edge 102B protrudes most far rearward on the left rear side of the wing surface 102, which is closest to the pivot axis 90R. Note that the wing surface 102 is not limited to the shape illustrated in Figure 9, and may be rectangular, rounded quadrilateral, elliptical, trapezoidal, rhombus, semicircular, semielliptical, or any combination of various shapes when viewed from the thickness direction (i.e., vertical direction) of the wing surface 102.

[0043] In the following explanation, the length of the wing surface 102 in the longitudinal direction (i.e., the left-right direction) is referred to as the wingspan of the wing 3. The maximum value of this wingspan is called the maximum wingspan W. The length of the wing surface 102 in the short direction (i.e., the front-back direction) is referred to as the chord length of the wing 3. The average value of this chord length is called the average chord length C of the wing 3.

[0044] The wing area S of wing section 3 can be calculated by multiplying the maximum wingspan W by the average chord length C (S = W × C). The aspect ratio AR of wing section 3 can be calculated as the ratio of the maximum wingspan W to the average chord length C (AR = W / C). The formula for calculating the aspect ratio AR is "AR = W / C = W 2 / S=S / C 2It can be converted as follows: In other words, if the wing area S is constant, the larger the average chord length C, the smaller the aspect ratio AR becomes.

[0045] In this embodiment, the magnitude of the aspect ratio AR is defined as "1 ≤ AR ≤ 10". For example, under conditions where the wing area S etc. are constant, multiple patterns of wing sections 3 differing only in aspect ratio AR are oscillated at a constant speed. In this case, if the magnitude of the aspect ratio AR is "1 ≤ AR ≤ 10", the wind speed and airflow supplied from the wing section 3 tend to be good.

[0046] In this example, the wing surface 102 is composed of a single wing-like structure, but it may be composed of multiple wing-like structures. In this case, parts of adjacent wing-like structures may be overlapped so that no gaps are formed between them. Alternatively, adjacent wing-like structures may be spaced apart so that gaps are formed between them. When the wing surface 102 is composed of multiple wing-like structures, the wing area S is taken as the total area of ​​the multiple wing-like structures, and the aspect ratio AR can be calculated as described above.

[0047] The longitudinal distance between the leading edge 102A of the wing surface 102 and the wing shaft 101 is called distance L. More specifically, distance L is the average value of the longitudinal distance between the leading edge 102A and the wing shaft 101. In this embodiment, the relationship between the average chord length C and distance L is defined as "0 ≤ L / C ≤ 0.5". For example, under conditions where the average chord length C etc. are constant, multiple patterns of wing sections 3 differing only in distance L are oscillated at a constant speed. In this case, if the relationship between the average chord length C and distance L is "0 ≤ L / C ≤ 0.5", the wind speed and airflow supplied from the wing section 3 tend to be good.

[0048] The lateral distance of the region of the wing surface 102 supported by the wing shaft 101 is called the wing support distance D. In the example in Figure 9, the wing support distance D of the wing 3R corresponds to the distance from the left end of the wing surface 102 to the right end of the wing shaft 101. In this embodiment, the relationship between the maximum wing span W and the wing support distance D is defined as "0.4 ≤ D / W". For example, under conditions where the average chord length C is constant, multiple patterns of wing sections 3 differing only in wing support distance D are oscillated at a constant speed. In this case, if the relationship between the maximum wing span W and the wing support distance D is "0.4 ≤ D / W", the wind speed and airflow supplied from the wing section 3 tend to be good. Also, when the average thickness of the wing section 3 is t, if the average thickness t is 5% or less of the average chord length C (t / C ≤ 0.05), the wind speed and airflow supplied from the wing section 3 tend to be good.

[0049] The wing portion 3 of this embodiment has a reinforcing member 103 for reinforcing the wing surface portion 102. The reinforcing member 103 is a plate member extending rearward from the wing shaft portion 101. Like the wing shaft portion 101, the reinforcing member 103 is made of a material that is relatively rigid and resistant to bending, and is resistant to bending even when subjected to vibrations and air resistance that occur when the wing portion 3 swings. The reinforcing member 103 is fixed to the lower surface of the wing surface portion 102 and functions as a frame that supports the wing surface portion 102. In the following description, one side of the wing portion 3 is the drive side connected to the transmission portion 20. The other side of the wing portion 3 is the outer end side of the wing opposite to the drive side.

[0050] In the example shown in Figure 9, the wing section 3R has multiple reinforcing members 103, including a first reinforcing member 131 that reinforces the drive side of the wing surface section 102, and multiple wing surface reinforcing members 132 that reinforce the wing surface section 102 on the outer edge side of the wing surface section 102, relative to the first reinforcing member 131. The drive side of the wing surface section 102 is the side closer to the pivot axis 90, which is the left side in the wing section 3R. The outer edge side of the wing surface section 102 is the side further from the pivot axis 90, which is the right side in the wing section 3R.

[0051] By providing multiple reinforcing members 103, the wing surface 102 can be reinforced, and its rigidity can be varied in the left-right direction. In other words, in the wing surface 102, areas with high rigidity supported by each reinforcing member 103 and areas with low rigidity between adjacent reinforcing members 103 are distributed alternately in the left-right direction. As a result, when the wing 3 oscillates up and down, there is a difference in the amount of deflection between the areas with high rigidity and the areas with low rigidity in the wing surface 102. Therefore, the deflection of the wing surface 102 is not concentrated in one place, but is distributed to multiple locations in the left-right direction. The wing surface 102 can evenly blow air from a wide area in the left-right direction toward the rear.

[0052] Furthermore, in this example, the first reinforcing member 131 extends rearward perpendicular to the wing shaft portion 101 along the left edge, which is the driving side of the wing surface portion 102. The three wing surface reinforcing members 132 are arranged in the left-right direction at approximately equal intervals and extend to the right rearward from the wing shaft portion 101, tilting toward the right side, which is the outer edge of the wing, towards the rear. The significance of tilting the wing surface reinforcing members 132 in this way with respect to the wing width direction (i.e., the front-rear direction) will be explained with reference to a comparative example.

[0053] Figure 10A is a bottom view of the wing section 1000 according to Comparative Example 1. Figure 10B is a front view of the wing section 1000 according to Comparative Example 1. Figure 11A is a bottom view of the wing section 1100 according to Comparative Example 2. Figure 11B is a front view of the wing section 1100 according to Comparative Example 2. Figures 10B and 11B show the wing sections 1000 and 1100 swinging downwards, respectively.

[0054] As shown in Figure 10A, the wing portion 1000 of Comparative Example 1 has a wing shaft portion 1001 extending in the left-right direction, a rectangular wing surface portion 1002 that is long in the left-right direction, and a plurality of reinforcing members 1003. The leading edge 1002A and trailing edge 1002B of the wing surface portion 1002 extend linearly in the left-right direction. The plurality of reinforcing members 1003 are arranged at approximately equal intervals in the left-right direction and extend perpendicularly rearward from the wing shaft portion 1001. The area of ​​the wing surface portion 1002 that is reinforced by one of the reinforcing members 1003 is called the reinforcement range RA1. The reinforcement range RA1 is the area that includes the area around the reinforcing member 1003 when viewed from below, and is represented as a rectangular area enclosed by four sides that extend in the front-rear, left-right, and right directions.

[0055] As shown in Figure 11A, the wing portion 1100 of Comparative Example 2, like Comparative Example 1, has a wing shaft portion 1101 extending in the left-right direction, a rectangular wing surface portion 1102 that is long in the left-right direction, and a plurality of reinforcing members 1103 arranged at approximately equal intervals in the left-right direction. The leading edge 1102A and trailing edge 1102B of the wing surface portion 1202 extend linearly in the left-right direction. However, in Comparative Example 2, the plurality of reinforcing members 1103 extend diagonally rearward from the wing shaft portion 1101 so as to be inclined toward the outer edge of the wing towards the rear.

[0056] The area within the wing surface 1102 that is reinforced by one reinforcing member 1103 is called the reinforcement range RA2. The reinforcement range RA2 is the area that encompasses the periphery of the reinforcing member 1103 when viewed from below, and is represented as a rectangular area enclosed by four sides extending in the front, rear, left, and right directions. The lateral distance between the front and rear ends of the reinforcing member 1103 shown in Comparative Example 2 is greater than the lateral distance between the front and rear ends of the reinforcing member 1003 shown in Comparative Example 1. Therefore, the reinforcement range RA2 of Comparative Example 2 is wider in the lateral direction than the reinforcement range RA1 of Comparative Example 1.

[0057] As mentioned earlier, when the wing section 3 oscillates up and down, a torsional motion of the wing surface section 102 occurs, similar to feathering motion. At this time, the further away the wing surface section 102 is from the axis of oscillation of the wing section 1000, towards the outer edge, the greater the vertical rotational speed, and therefore the greater the air resistance experienced during oscillation.

[0058] For example, as shown in Figure 10B, when the wing section 1000 oscillates up and down, a torsional motion occurs in the wing surface section 1002 with the wing shaft section 1001 as the center of rotation, and the trailing edge 1002B moves in accordance with the leading edge 1002A. At this time, in the wing surface section 1002, the leading edge 1002A, which is reinforced by the wing shaft section 1001, is less likely to curve, while the trailing edge 1002B is more likely to curve due to air resistance. As mentioned above, in the wing surface section 1002, the outer edge has greater air resistance than the driving side, so the outer edge curves more than the driving side. In other words, a twist occurs in the wing surface section 1002 around the oscillation axis of the wing section 1000.

[0059] At this time, the angular difference that occurs between the drive side and the outer end side of the wing surface 1002 is called the torsional angle θT. In Comparative Example 1, the reinforcement range RA1 is narrow in the left-right direction, so the overall rigidity of the wing surface 1000 is relatively small. Consequently, the outer end side of the wing surface 1002 curves significantly, the difference in deformation between the drive side and the outer end side of the wing surface 1002 becomes large, and the torsional angle θT becomes relatively large.

[0060] On the other hand, in Comparative Example 2, the reinforcement range RA1 is wider in the left-right direction, so the overall rigidity of the wing section 1100 is relatively high. Therefore, as shown in Figure 11B, when the wing section 1100 oscillates up and down, the curvature of the outer edge side of the wing surface 1102 is suppressed. The difference in deformation between the drive side and the outer edge side of the wing surface 1102 becomes smaller, and the twist angle θT becomes relatively smaller.

[0061] When the wing section 3 is oscillating up and down, the smaller the twist angle θT of the wing surface section 102, the better the wind speed and volume supplied to the rear from the wing surface section 102. In other words, the wing section 1100 of Comparative Example 2 has better wind speed and volume than the wing section 1000 of Comparative Example 1. From this viewpoint, in the wing section 3 of this embodiment, similar to Comparative Example 2, the multiple reinforcing members 103 are inclined towards the outer edge of the wing towards the rear (see Figure 9).

[0062] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the rigidity of the wing section 3 is higher on the outer edge side than on the drive side. Specifically, as shown in Figure 9, the multiple reinforcing members 1103 are not evenly distributed across the entire wing surface 102, but rather the proportion of those placed on the outer edge side of the wing surface 102 is greater than the proportion placed on the drive side of the wing surface 102. As a result, even when the outer edge side of the wing surface 102 experiences greater air resistance than the drive side during vertical oscillation of the wing section 3, the entire wing surface 102 can bend approximately evenly, resulting in better wind speed and airflow.

[0063] In the above embodiment, the wing shaft portion 101, the wing surface portion 102, and the reinforcing member 103 are separate components, but the invention is not limited to this. For example, in a wing portion 3 constructed as a single sheet or plate, the portion with relatively less thickness may be designated as the wing surface portion 102, and the portion with relatively more thickness may be designated as the wing shaft portion 101, with this wing shaft portion 101 provided at the leading edge of the wing portion 3. Even when the wing shaft portion 101 and the wing surface portion 102 are constructed from a single component, by distributing the portions with different rigidities to the front and rear, it is possible to form a wing shaft portion 101 and a wing surface portion 102 that function in the same way as in the above embodiment.

[0064] Similarly, in a wing portion 3 configured as a single sheet or plate, the portion with a relatively larger thickness may be used as a reinforcing member 103, and multiple reinforcing members 103 may be provided so as to extend rearward from the wing shaft portion 101 and be arranged side by side. Even when the wing shaft portion 101, wing surface portion 102, and reinforcing members 103 are composed of a single component, multiple reinforcing members 103 that function in the same way as in the above embodiment can be formed by distributing the portion with relatively high rigidity to the left and right.

[0065] <Wing section detachable structure> The detachable structure of the wing portion 3 will now be described. The wing portion 3 is detachably attached to the transmission portion 20. The wing portion 3 can be attached to the transmission portion 20 at any position within the range from the pivot shaft 90 to the drive-side end of the wing portion 3. In this embodiment, the wing portion 3 is detachably attached to the transmission portion 20 at the mounting portion 300 provided at its drive-side end. More specifically, the mounting portion 300 of the wing portion 3 is detachably attached to the second transmission members 80L and 80R connected to the pivot shaft 90.

[0066] Figure 12 is a perspective view of the blower 1 showing the attachment / detachment structure of the wing section 3. As mentioned above, when the connection between the first transmission member 70 and the second transmission member 80 is released, the second transmission member 80 hangs down from the pivot axis 90 due to its own weight. At this time, the flat portion 82 of the second transmission member 80 faces outward from the device body 2. In this example, the flat portion 82 of the second transmission member 80R faces to the right of the device body 2, and the flat portion 82 of the second transmission member 80L faces to the left of the device body 2. Furthermore, the flat portion 82 of the second transmission member 80 is outside the support plate 31 that forms the front of the blower 1 in a front view, and is therefore exposed in front of the device body 2.

[0067] Therefore, the user can easily visually confirm the attachment / detachment state of the mounting part 300 to the flat part 82 from outside the main body of the device 2. The user can easily attach and detach the wing part 3 to the second transmission member 80 by attaching and detaching the mounting part 300 to the flat part 82 facing the side of the main body of the device 2. In the example in Figure 12, the wing part 3R has been detached from the second transmission member 80R and is exposed on the right side of the flat part 82 of the second transmission member 80R. Therefore, when attaching the wing part 3R, the user can easily position and fix the mounting part 300 to the flat part 82.

[0068] In the above embodiment, the blade portion 3 and the second transmission member 80 are separated, but the blade portion 3 and the second transmission member 80 may be integrally configured. Figure 13 is a front view of the blower 1 showing the attachment and detachment structure of the blade portion 3. In the example of Figure 13, the blade portion 3 and the second transmission member 80 are fixed together to constitute the blade mechanism 1300.

[0069] In the wing mechanism 1300, a hole 83 into which the pivot shaft 90 is inserted and a slit 84 extending radially outward from the hole 83 are formed at the drive-side end of the second transmission member 80. The hole 83 is exposed to the outside of the second transmission member 80 through the slit 84. The user can easily connect the wing mechanism 1300 to the pivot shaft 90 by inserting the pivot shaft 90 into the hole 83 through the slit 84, and can release the connection between the wing mechanism 1300 and the pivot shaft 90 by removing the pivot shaft 90 from the hole 83.

[0070] In the above embodiment, the case in which the wing portion 3 blows air toward the rear of the blower 1 is illustrated, but the wing portion 3 may be installed to blow air in directions other than the rear. For example, the user may invert the wing portions 3R and 3L vertically and attach them to the second transmission members 80R and 80L, respectively. Alternatively, the user may rotate the wing portion 3R 180 degrees in a plan view and attach it to the second transmission member 80L, and rotate the wing portion 3L 180 degrees in a plan view and attach it to the second transmission member 80R. In these cases, since the wing surface portion 102 of the wing portions 3R and 3L extends forward from the wing shaft portion 101 to the front of the blower 1, air can be blown forward when the wing portions 3R and 3L swing, improving the degree of freedom of installation. Also, by blowing air toward the front of the blower 1, the main body of the device 2 can be moved to the opposite side of the airflow direction.

[0071] <Wing drive control> The blower 1 has a control unit that controls the transmission unit 20 to oscillate the blade unit 3. The control unit may be an MCU (Micro Control Unit) or MPU (Micro Processor Unit), or it may be an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), or other circuit with computational functions. The control unit in this embodiment controls the oscillating operation of the blade unit 3 as follows.

[0072] When the oscillating operation of the wing section 3 is performed, the wing section 3 is repeatedly oscillated up and down within the oscillating range. When the oscillating operation is finished, the wing section 3 is stopped in the standby position, which is the lowest point within the oscillating range. Specifically, when the control unit performs the oscillating operation, it causes the wing sections 3R and 3L to reciprocate up and down within their respective oscillating ranges as described above (see Figures 5 and 6). When the oscillating operation is finished, the control unit stops the drive source 10. The wing sections 3R and 3L, whose oscillation has stopped, descend to the lower end of their respective oscillating ranges due to their own weight (see Figure 6).

[0073] When the wing section 3 is at the lower end of its swing range, the first transmission member 70 is restricted from swinging downward. Therefore, the user can easily release the connection between the first transmission member 70 and the second transmission member 80 and move the wing section 3 to the standby position simply by pushing down on the wing section 3 (see Figure 7). As a result, the wing section 3 is in a folded position, which reduces the installation space required for the unused blower 1.

[0074] Furthermore, at the start of the oscillation operation, a preparatory operation of the blade section 3 is performed, with a slower oscillation speed than the main oscillation operation. The preparatory operation continues until the blade section 3 has oscillated over at least the entire oscillation range. Specifically, the control unit can perform both a main oscillation operation with a relatively faster oscillation speed and a preparatory operation with a slower oscillation speed than the main oscillation operation as oscillation operations of the blade section 3. For example, when the user instructs the start of the oscillation operation, the control unit first drives the blade section 3 upward at a relatively slow oscillation speed using the preparatory operation. The control unit performs the preparatory operation until the blade section 3 has moved from the lower end to the upper end of its oscillation range, and then performs the main operation.

[0075] Thus, at the start of the oscillation operation, a preparatory operation is performed until the blade section 3 has moved across the entire oscillation range. As a result, even if an object (e.g., a person or an object) is present within the oscillation range of the blade section 3, the collision energy imparted to the object and the blade section 3 is suppressed because the blade section 3 is operating at a relatively slow oscillation speed. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0076] 1 Blower, 2 Main body of the device, 3 Blade section, 10 Drive source, 20 Transmission section, 70 First transmission member, 80 Second transmission member, 85 Relief section, 101 Blade shaft section, 102 Blade surface section

Claims

1. Power source and A flexible wing section extending in a direction intersecting the vertical direction, The system includes a transmission unit that transmits the driving force of the drive source to the wing portion and causes the wing portion to oscillate up and down, The wing portion has a wing shaft portion extending in a direction intersecting the axial direction of the pivot axis that extends front to back, and wing surface portions fixed to the wing shaft portion and extending on both the front and back sides, and the rigidity of the wing shaft portion is higher than the rigidity of the wing surface portion. The transmission unit is connected to the end of the blade shaft closest to the pivot shaft, and the driving force of the drive source causes the blade shaft to oscillate up and down around the pivot shaft. The distance in the longitudinal direction from the wing shaft portion to the trailing edge of the wing surface portion is greater than the distance in the longitudinal direction from the wing shaft portion to the leading edge of the wing surface portion. Blower.

2. One side of the wing portion is the drive side connected to the transmission portion, The other side of the wing portion is the outer end of the wing opposite to the drive side, The wing portion has a rigidity on the outer end side that is higher than the rigidity on the drive side. The blower according to claim 1.

3. A pair of wing portions provided symmetrically on the left and right, The transmission unit transmits the driving force of the drive source to each of the pair of blades. The pair of wing sections swing up and down in sync with each other by the driving force of the drive source. The blower according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The wing portion is detachably attached to the transmission portion. The blower according to claim 1.

5. The wing section is capable of swinging downward to a predetermined standby position. When the blade portion is in the standby position, the device body of the blower is provided with a relief portion that supports the blade portion extending directly downward from the transmission portion on the outside of the device body. The blower according to claim 4.

6. The transmission unit includes a first transmission member to which the driving force of the drive source is supplied, and a second transmission member connected to the end of the blade shaft portion. The first transmission member and the second transmission member are able to swing independently around the pivot axis and are able to connect to each other by the magnetic force of the magnetic material provided on each of them. When the first transmission member and the second transmission member are connected by the magnetic force, the first transmission member and the second transmission member oscillate together by the driving force of the drive source, causing the wing portion to oscillate up and down. The blower according to claim 4.

7. When the magnetic connection between the first transmission member and the second transmission member is released, the wing portion swings downward to a predetermined standby position due to its own weight. When the wing portion is in the standby position, the device body of the blower is provided with a relief portion that supports the wing portion extending directly downward from the second transmission member on the outside of the device body. The blower according to claim 6.

8. When the oscillation operation of the blade section is performed, the blade section is repeatedly oscillated up and down within the oscillation range. When the oscillation operation is completed, the blade section is stopped in the standby position that is most downward within the oscillation range. The blower according to claim 1.

9. When the oscillation operation of the blade section is performed, the blade section is repeatedly oscillated up and down within the oscillation range. At the start of the oscillation operation, a preparatory operation of the blade section is performed, with a slower oscillation speed than that of the main oscillation operation. The preparatory operation is continued until the blade section swings over at least the entire swing range. The blower according to claim 1.

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