Portable Blower Intake Shroud to Prevent Grille Blockage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing portable blowers used for cleaning often have air intake grilles positioned laterally, leading to clothing contact and blockage, which disrupts airflow and can damage the blower fan.
Innovation Solution
A portable blower design featuring a protective shroud that covers the air intake grille on one side, preventing clothing contact and ensuring smooth airflow by positioning the outermost area of the grille closer to the center than the peripheral edge of the shroud, along with a hinged support structure for easy maintenance and separate components for replacement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the air intake grille is positioned laterally for air intake, then the blower can effectively draw air to produce airflow, but the grille is prone to contact with worker's clothing causing blockage
Solution Approach 1:
A protective shroud is introduced as an intermediary component between the worker's clothing and the air intake grille. The shroud extends beyond the grille's outer peripheral edge to create a physical barrier that prevents direct contact between clothing and the grille, thereby preventing blockage while allowing air to flow through the grille unchanged
2Reliability
If the air intake grille is covered with a protective shroud to prevent clothing contact, then the grille is protected from blockage, but the overall device size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The protective shroud is designed to extend only locally beyond the air intake grille's outer peripheral edge, rather than enclosing the entire blower. This localized extension provides just enough protection against clothing contact while minimizing the increase in overall device volume and maintaining portability
3Volume of moving object
If the air intake grille outer edge is positioned close to the shroud edge for compact design, then the device is more compact, but clothing can be sucked to the grille causing clog
Solution Approach 1:
The protective shroud is positioned to extend beyond the air intake grille's outer peripheral edge, creating a preliminary barrier that prevents clothing from being drawn toward the grille by the air current. This preemptive positioning blocks the harmful effect before it can occur, preventing both suction and subsequent clogging
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Prevents clothing from clogging the air intake, maintaining consistent airflow and reducing the load on the combustion engine, thereby increasing its durability and allowing for easier maintenance.
Implementation Method 1
a blower fan for producing an air current
Implementation Method 2
an air intake grille fitted to the casing and operable to permit an air to pass therethrough into the air intake opening, but to block foreign matters
Implementation Method 3
a protective shroud held in overlapping relation with the air intake grille for covering the air intake grille on one side of the air intake grille opposite to the air intake opening
Data Source
AI summary
A portable air blower includes a blower fan, a drive unit for driving the blower fan, a casing for covering at least the blower fan and having a side wall with an air intake opening defined therein, and a covering unit for covering the air intake opening. The covering includes an air intake grille fitted to the casing and operable to permit an air to pass therethrough into the air intake opening, but to block foreign matters off therefrom, and a protective shroud held in overlapping relation with the air intake grille for covering the air intake grille on one side of the air intake grille opposite to the air intake opening. The air intake grille has an outermost area having a circumferential edge, which is positioned substantially radially inwardly of an outer peripheral edge of the protective shroud.