Axial-Fan Blower Layout for Battery Access Without Airflow Loss
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing axial-fan or in-line type blower designs face challenges in user comfort and ease of use, particularly with battery placement and electrical connections that can obstruct airflow or require cumbersome harnesses and cables, and lack removable battery options for efficient charging and battery swapping.
Innovation Solution
A blower design with a vertically aligned electric motor, fan, and handle, along with a battery housing that protects the battery and maintains the blower's center-of-gravity below the handle, allowing for secure grip and reduced moment forces, and an angled battery housing for seamless transition from rest to use position, while also supporting the blower when placed on the ground.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the battery is located at the rear of the blower where the air intake exists, then the battery can be easily accessed and secured, but it obstructs the air intake and reduces airflow efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The battery is repositioned from the rear horizontal position to the lower portion of the handle, utilizing the vertical dimension and handle structure. This spatial reconfiguration allows the battery to be easily accessible while completely clear of the air intake path, resolving the contradiction between accessibility and airflow efficiency.
2Ease of operation
If the battery is placed on the user's back with a harness, then the blower can be hands-free operated, but it requires cumbersome harnesses and electrical cables that can get tangled and impede movement
Solution Approach 1:
The battery is extracted from the external back-pack configuration and integrated directly into the blower handle structure. This eliminates the need for separate harnesses and electrical cables, providing hands-free operation through natural hand placement while removing the complexity and tangling issues of external cable systems.
3Ease of operation
If the batteries are integrally secured in the handle of the blower, then the battery is protected and easily accessible, but it is not removable which prevents efficient charging and continuous use with multiple batteries
Solution Approach 1:
The battery system is segmented into a removable battery unit and a battery housing integrated into the handle. The battery can be easily removed from the housing for charging or replacement, while the housing remains permanently attached to provide protection and structural support. This segmentation enables both easy accessibility and flexible battery swapping for continuous operation.
4Adaptability or versatility
If the blower is held in various positions, then the user can adapt to different working conditions, but the center-of-gravity creates moment forces that require readjustment of grip
Solution Approach 1:
The battery is strategically positioned in the lower portion of the handle to create a counterbalancing weight that offsets the moment forces generated by the blower's operation. This counterweight positioning stabilizes the center-of-gravity, reducing the effort required to maintain grip stability across various working positions and minimizing the need for grip readjustment.
Data Source
AI summary
An in-line blower having a housing with a substantially straight airflow path. A motor and fan are positioned within the airflow path, below the handle of the blower. A battery powers the motor, and is located below the housing so that the handle, motor and fan, and the battery are vertically aligned so the weight of the blower is aligned with the handle, and reduces moment forces acting thereon.