Portable Fan with Modular Base and Angled Motor for Cup Holder Placement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing portable fans are not designed for multiple environments, such as recreational vehicles or exercise equipment, and lack the ability to fit into cylindrical receptacles like cup or bottle holders, nor do they incorporate a sports-themed design.
Innovation Solution
A portable fan with a modular design that can stand alone or fit into a cup or bottle holder, featuring a sports apparatus facsimile and a motor compartment with angled output shaft and shrouded fan blades, allowing for adjustable positioning and various sports-themed appearances.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the fan is designed with a fixed structure for handheld use, then it is simple to manufacture, but it cannot be placed in cup holders or multiple environments
Solution Approach 1:
The fan body is divided into an upper portion and a lower portion that can be separated or connected. The lower portion includes a receptacle for receiving a cup holder, while the upper portion contains the fan motor and blades. This segmentation allows the fan to adapt to different placement environments (handheld, cup holder, table surface) without requiring complete structural redesign.
Solution Approach 2:
The fan is designed with multi-functional capabilities: it can be held in the hand, placed in a cup holder, or set upright on a surface. The lower portion's receptacle structure enables universal compatibility with various cup holders found in vehicles, exercise equipment, and other settings, making the fan adaptable to multiple use scenarios.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the fan incorporates a sports apparatus facsimile design, then it achieves aesthetic integration with sports activities, but it increases manufacturing complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The fan incorporates a facsimile (replica) of a sports apparatus such as a golf ball, baseball, football, or bowling pin. This copying approach allows the fan to achieve aesthetic integration with sports themes without requiring complex custom manufacturing processes. The facsimile can be produced using standard molding techniques, maintaining manufacturing simplicity while achieving the desired aesthetic effect.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the motor output shaft is arranged at an angle to the longitudinal axis, then it enables versatile placement options, but it increases device complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The motor output shaft is arranged at an angle (asymmetrically) relative to the longitudinal axis of the fan body. This asymmetric arrangement allows the fan to function effectively in various orientations (held upright, placed in cup holder, or set on surface) without requiring complex adjustment mechanisms. The angled shaft configuration is built into the motor housing design, maintaining manufacturing simplicity while achieving versatile placement capability.
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
The fan provides versatile placement options and aesthetic integration with sports activities, enhancing user experience and convenience in multiple environments.
Implementation Method 1
The motor has an output shaft which is arranged at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the body which, in use, is generally vertical
Implementation Method 2
a set of fan blades attached to the motor output shaft
Data Source
AI summary
Portable battery-operated fan comprises a two-part base of which the lower part can be detached to allow the fan to stand on its own or attached to permit the fan to be placed in a cup or bottle holder. A facsimile of an element of sports apparatus such as a golf ball, basketball, or bowling pin is pivotally attached to the fan and provides a mounting place for a DC motor which is driven by a battery in the lower base. A shrouded fan is attached to an end or a side of the sports apparatus facsimile so as to provide cooling air flow on demand.