Air blower

Abstract

An air blower (A1) comprises: an air blowing part (1) having an air blowing port (112); a support part (2) that supports the air blowing part (1); and a 360° swing mechanism (3) that swings the air blowing part (1) with respect to the support part (2). In a side view, the air blowing port (112) includes a curved surface that bulges forward in the air blowing direction (Da). The 360° swing mechanism (3) swings the air blowing part (1) around a first axis (Ax1) inclined with respect to the horizontal direction in a side view. With such a configuration, it is possible to extend the reach distance of wind from the air blowing part (1).

Description

blower

[0001] The present invention relates to a blower.

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

[0003] Chinese Utility Model No. 207777236

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[0018] The blower 1 is a part that blows air in a blowing direction Da. There are no particular limitations on the specific configuration of the blower 1. In this embodiment, the blower 1 includes a blower cover 11, a fan motor 13, and a propeller fan 14.

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

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

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

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

[0023] The propeller fan 14 generates the air blown out by the blower unit 1 through its rotation. The specific structure of the propeller fan 14 is not limited in any way, and various types of blade structures can be appropriately adopted. In the illustrated example, the propeller fan 14 is a so-called axial flow propeller fan. The propeller fan 14 is connected to, for example, the tip of the drive shaft (output shaft) of the fan motor 13, and is located between the fan motor 13 and the air outlet 112 in the y direction. When the propeller fan 14 is driven by the fan motor 13 to rotate around a rotation axis extending in the air blowing direction Da, the air drawn into the air blower cover 11 through the air intake 111 is pressurized by the propeller fan 14 and is then blown out from the air outlet 112 in the air blowing direction Da.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[0044] 5 and 6, in a side view (viewed in the x direction), the air outlet 112 has a curved surface that bulges forward in the airflow direction Da. This shape of the air outlet 112 can improve the linearity of the airflow from the air blower 1 and extend the reach of the airflow from the air blower 1. This allows the air blower A1 to blow air over a wider area.

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

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

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

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

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

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

[0051] A1: blower, 1: blower unit, 2: support unit, 3: 360° swivel mechanism (swivel mechanism), 4: control unit, 5: left-right swivel mechanism (swivel mechanism), 11: blower cover, 12: internal frame, 13: fan motor, 14: propeller fan, 21: bottom cover, 23: operation button, 31: swivel motor, 32: first gear, 33: second gear, 34: third gear, 3 5: cylindrical portion, 50: shaft portion, 51: left-right swing motor, 52: link member, 53: stay, 111: air intake, 112: air outlet, 211: bottom cover main body (base portion), 212: drive portion, 341: first tooth row, 342: second tooth row, 2111: fixed portion, 2112: movable portion, 2119: lid portion, Ax1: first axis, Ax2: second axis, Da: air flow direction, O: center

Claims

1. A blower comprising: a blowing unit having an air outlet; a support unit that supports the blowing unit; and a swivel mechanism that causes the blowing unit to swivel relative to the support unit, wherein, in a side view, the air outlet includes a curved surface that bulges forward in the direction of air blowing, and the swivel mechanism swivels the blowing unit around a first axis that is inclined relative to the horizontal direction in the side view.

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

3. A blower as described in claim 2, wherein the support portion includes a base portion that is installed at the installation location of the blower, and a drive portion that is located between the base portion and the blower portion and that houses the oscillating mechanism, and when viewed from the side, the drive portion is located rearward of the center of the blower portion.

4. A blower as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the oscillating mechanism includes an oscillating motor, a first gear connected to the oscillating motor, and a second gear connected to the blower section, and the first gear and the second gear overlap when viewed along the first axis.

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

6. A blower as described in claim 3, wherein the base portion includes a fixed portion that is installed at the installation location and a movable portion that is located on the fixed portion, the movable portion supports the blower portion via the oscillating mechanism, and the blower further includes a swivel mechanism that swivels the movable portion relative to the fixed portion.

Images