CN210087641U - Fan with cooling device - Google Patents

Abstract

A fan includes a housing having an air inlet and an air outlet, a motor disposed within the housing, and an impeller disposed within the housing and coupled to the motor. The impeller is operable to be rotated by the motor to draw air into the air inlet and to expel air from the air outlet. The fan also includes a diffuser disposed at least partially within the housing. The diffuser has a bowl shape defining an air diffusion surface over which air moves towards the air outlet.

Description

Fan with cooling device

Cross Reference to Related Applications

The present application claims priority from U.S. provisional patent application No. 62/624, 909, filed on 1/2/2018, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

Technical Field

The utility model relates to a fan.

Background

Fans may be used to circulate air in a room, dry carpets, dry floors, and the like. Some fans include blades or impellers within a housing that are not visible to the user. Such fans are known as bladeless fans. Bladeless fans typically draw air through openings in the housing and direct the air through the internal passage until the air is sent out of the internal passage in a given direction.

SUMMERY OF THE UTILITY MODEL

In one aspect of the present invention, a fan is provided, including a housing having an air inlet and an air outlet, a motor disposed within the housing, and an impeller disposed within the housing and connected to the motor. The impeller is operable to be rotated by the motor to draw air into the air inlet and to expel air from the air outlet. The fan also includes a diffuser disposed at least partially within the housing. The diffuser has a bowl shape to define an air diffusing surface over which air moves towards the air outlet.

In another aspect of the present invention, a fan is provided that includes a housing having an air inlet and a shroud. The shroud includes an inner peripheral surface. The fan may include an inverted bowl-shaped diffuser positioned at least partially within the housing. The diffuser may include an outer peripheral surface. The fan may include an air outlet defined between an inner peripheral surface of the shroud and an outer peripheral surface of the diffuser.

Other aspects of the invention will become apparent by consideration of the detailed description and accompanying drawings.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a top perspective view of a fan.

Fig. 2 is a bottom perspective view of the fan of fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a top view of the fan of fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a bottom view of the fan of fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a perspective cross-sectional view of the fan of fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a diffuser of the fan of fig. 1.

Fig. 7 is a front view of a fan according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 8 is a front view of a fan according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 9A is a front view of a fan according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 9B is a front view of a fan according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 10 is a front perspective view of a fan according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 11 is a rear perspective view of the fan of fig. 10.

Fig. 12 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a portion of the fan of fig. 10.

Fig. 13 is a perspective view of a diffuser of the fan of fig. 10.

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of the fan of FIG. 10, wherein the fan includes accessories.

Before any embodiments of the invention are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the following drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways.

Detailed Description

Fig. 1-5 show a fan generally designated 10. As shown in the illustrated embodiment, the fan 10 may comprise a ceiling fan configured to be mounted to a ceiling or other overhead structure and/or surface in a room or area to generate an airflow within the room or area. Such airflow may be used to improve heating of the room, improve cooling of the room, improve drying of objects in the room (e.g., improve drying of floors, carpets, and/or the like), and the like. However, aspects of the present invention may be applied to other types of fans, such as base fans, table top fans, box fans, window sashes, floor fans, automotive fans, centrifugal Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) fans, and the like.

Referring to fig. 1-5, the fan 10 may include a housing 14 and a diffuser 18 (see, e.g., fig. 5) located within the housing 14. In some embodiments, the diffuser 18 may comprise an inverted bowl-shaped diffuser over which air may be caused to flow (as described herein). In this manner, the fan 10 may output a desired wind or air flow (as described herein) by flowing, and/or circulating air through the diffuser. As shown in the illustrated embodiment, the diffuser 18 may be positioned entirely within the housing 14. In other embodiments, the diffuser 18 may be partially positioned within the housing 14. In further embodiments, the diffuser 18 may not be positioned within the casing 14 (e.g., the diffuser 18 may be positioned outside the casing 14, the diffuser 18 may be positioned adjacent the casing 14, etc.). Although not shown, the fan 10 may include a mount coupled to the housing 14 to mount the fan 10 to a ceiling. Additionally or alternatively, the fan 10 may be coupled to a ceiling mountable boom (see, e.g., 208 in fig. 7). In some embodiments, the housing 14 and the diffuser 18 may include opposing surfaces (e.g., complementary shaped surfaces) having the same or substantially similar shapes as described herein to create a desired airflow by flowing air between portions of the housing 14 and the diffuser 18. In this manner, the airflow output by the fan 10 may be customized and/or controlled based on the position, size, and/or shape of the diffuser 18 and/or the housing 14. For example, the diffuser 18 and the housing 14 may collectively or individually provide omni-directional airflow relative to the center of the fan 10 and/or provide airflow in one or more preferred directions (e.g., vertically upward, vertically downward, horizontally, and/or the like) intended relative to the center of the fan 10.

Referring to fig. 5, the fan 10 may additionally include a motor 22 and an impeller 26 coupled (e.g., electrically coupled, mechanically coupled, etc.) to the motor 22. The motor 22 may be configured to rotate the impeller 26 to draw air into the fan 10 by causing air to enter one or more air inlets (e.g., see 44 in fig. 1-2) of the housing 14 and establish an airflow in or/and through the housing 14 or portions thereof. In some embodiments, the motor 22 and impeller 26 may be co-located within the housing 14. For example, as shown in fig. 5, in some cases, the motor 22 may be positioned inside the diffuser 18 and the impeller 26 may be positioned between the casing 14 and the diffuser 18 (or a portion thereof). Other positions and/or orientations of the motor 22 and impeller 26 are also contemplated. The motor 22 may be supported within the diffuser 18 by the first mounting plate 30 and/or the second mounting plate 34. The first mounting plate 30 may include a mounting plate configured to support one or more lights (see, e.g., 66 in fig. 5) and/or light sources, and the second mounting plate 34 may be configured to support the motor 22. In some embodiments, the second mounting plate 34 may be configured to limit the motor 22 from vibrating and/or moving during operation of the fan 10.

In some embodiments, the motor 22 may be electrically coupled to a power source (not shown) located in a room in which the fan 10 is disposed, located, and/or otherwise provided. In some embodiments, the power source may be an ac power source disposed in a building (e.g., a home, office, school, retail store, etc.). Additionally or alternatively, in some embodiments, the power source may include a battery and/or battery pack that is removably connected to the fan 10. The impeller 26 may be supported on, above, and/or by the second mounting plate 34 and is coupled to an output shaft 38 of the motor 22 for rotation therewith to generate an airflow, for example, based on the motor 22 receiving power from an electrical power source. The motor 22 and impeller 26 may be axially aligned along an axis of rotation 40, the axis of rotation 40 extending centrally through the fan 10.

Referring to fig. 1-5, the housing 14 may include an air inlet region 42 and/or a shroud 46. In some embodiments, the air inlet region 42 may include one or more air inlets 44 or vents formed therein through which air may enter and/or be drawn into the fan 10. In some cases, the shroud 46 may be disposed on, over, around, and/or otherwise surround the diffuser 18. As shown in the illustrated embodiment, the air inlet region 42 and the shroud 46 may be integrally formed as a single component or part of the housing 14. In other embodiments, the air inlet region 42 and/or the shroud 46 may be formed as separate components of the housing (e.g., separate and apart from the housing 14) and selectively coupled to each other and/or selectively coupled to the housing 14. The air inlet region 42 may additionally or alternatively define at least one primary opening 50 through which air may enter the fan 10. Further, in the case where the fan 10 is operated by receiving ac power, one or more wires or electrical connectors (not shown) may pass through the main opening 50 to power electrical components such as the motor 22, the lights 66, sensors, controllers, and the like. As shown in the illustrated embodiment, the air inlet region 42 may be positioned above the impeller 26 (e.g., closer to the first tip of the fan 10, closer to the ceiling, etc.), but the air inlet region 42 may also be positioned elsewhere on the fan 10 (e.g., around the perimeter of the housing 14, in the shroud 46, etc.).

In some embodiments, the shroud 46 may include a bowl shape similar or substantially similar to the bowl shape of the diffuser 18. The shroud 46 may be positioned around the diffuser 18 to surround the diffuser 18. That is, in some embodiments, the diffuser 18 may be nested (e.g., fully or partially nested) with respect to the shroud 46. In some embodiments, the shroud 46 and diffuser 18 may be substantially congruent. In other words, the shroud 46 and diffuser 18 may comprise the same general shape, such as an inverted bowl shape. In other embodiments, the shroud 46 and diffuser 18 may comprise different shapes. In some embodiments, the diffuser 18 and the shroud 46 may be symmetrical or substantially symmetrical with respect to a central axis of the diffuser 18, a central axis of the shroud 46, a central axis of the fan 10, and/or the rotational axis 40 of the impeller 26. One or more of the center axis of the diffuser 18, the center axis of the shroud 46, the center axis of the fan 10, and/or the axis of rotation 40 of the impeller 26 may be aligned and coaxial, or non-aligned and non-coaxial. Asymmetric diffusers 18 and/or asymmetric shrouds 46 are also contemplated. By way of example, and in some embodiments, the shroud 46 and/or diffuser 18 may be provided together or separately in a concave shape (e.g., an upwardly concave shape, a concave shape, etc.), a convex shape, a shape that includes a convex portion and/or a convex surface, and/or the like. Air may be drawn into the shroud 46 by rotating the impeller 26 and drawing air into the fan 10 through the air inlet 44 and/or the main opening 50 of the air inlet region 42.

Referring now to fig. 5 and 6, the diffuser 18 may be positioned within the housing 14 and/or shroud 46 of the fan 10. The diffuser 18 may include an air diffusion surface 54 disposed on, above, and/or formed by an outer peripheral surface of the diffuser 18 that faces the housing 14 and/or the shroud 46. The air diffusing surface 54 may be convex or substantially convex and defines an inverted bowl shape of the diffuser 18. In some embodiments, the center of the diffuser 18 may be aligned with the axis of rotation 40 of the impeller 26, the center of the housing 14, the center of the shroud 46, and/or the center of the fan 10. Although the diffuser 18 may include and/or be referred to as having a bowl shape in the illustrated embodiment, the diffuser 18 may include and/or be referred to as having other shapes. For example, the diffuser 18 may include and/or be referred to as having a shape that is hemispherical, bell-shaped, or frustum corresponding to a sphere. In other embodiments, the diffuser 18 may comprise another shape (e.g., non-bowl-shaped), such as conical, frustoconical, annular, arcuate, curvilinear, convoluted, cylindrical, elliptical, helical, and/or the like. In this manner, the shape, direction, speed, etc. of the airflow exiting the fan 10 may be customized based on the size and/or shape of the diffuser 18, the housing 14, and/or the shroud 46 being customized together or separately.

Referring now to FIG. 5, an air passage 58 may be defined between the air diffusion surface 54 of the diffuser 18 and the inner surface 56 of the shroud 46. Air passage 58 may be in fluid communication with air inlet region 42. In other words, the air passage 58 may receive air drawn through the air inlet region 42 as the impeller 26 rotates. The air passage 58 may be formed in an annular shape (e.g., with respect to the center of the fan 10) and occupy most of the space disposed between the air passage 58 and the shroud 46. The air passage 58 may terminate adjacent to and/or at an air outlet 62 defined between the diffuser 18 and the lower end of the shroud 46. The air outlet 62 may include an annular shape (e.g., with respect to a center of the fan 10) from which air may exit the fan 10 and/or a portion of the fan 10 (e.g., air may exit the housing 14, the shroud 46, the diffuser 18, etc.). In some embodiments, air may be discharged from the space between the diffuser 18 and the casing 14 and/or the space between the diffuser 18 and the shroud 46 omnidirectionally with respect to the center of the fan 10. In other words, the air outlet 62 may be in fluid communication with the air passage 58 to force air through the air passage 58 by the impeller 26. In this manner, air may be expelled toward a surface or object in a preferred direction defined by the surface forming the air outlet 62.

As shown in fig. 2, 4 and 5, the fan may include one or more lights 66 mounted to the first mounting plate 30. In the illustrated embodiment, two lamps 66 are mounted adjacent the diffuser 18, which may form an inverted bowl shape around the lamps 66. In this manner, the diffuser 18 may improve reflection of light emitted by the lamp 66 in addition to serving to diffuse and exhaust air from the fan 10. In some embodiments, less than one light 66 may be provided per fan 10, only one light 66 may be provided per fan 10, or more than two lights 66 may be provided per fan 10. In some embodiments, the light 66 may be mounted to the housing 14 or other portion of the fan 10. The lamp 66 may include a light bulb (e.g., an incandescent light bulb, an LED light bulb, etc.), however, other types of lamps and/or light sources (e.g., an LED light source, an incandescent light source, a fluorescent light source, etc.) that form a lamp are also contemplated.

During operation of the fan 10, the motor 22 is configured to rotate the impeller 26 to draw air into the fan 10 from outside the fan 10, for example, through the main opening 50 that draws air into the air inlet 44 and/or the air inlet region 42. The impeller 26 may cause air to flow into the air passage 58. As the air is in the air passage 58, the impeller 26 may continue to rotate to move (e.g., force, drive, propel, etc.) the air through the air diffusion surface 54 and move the air out of the fan 10 through the air outlet 62. Due to the shape of the air diffusing surface 54, air may be forced through and/or across the air diffusing surface 54 as the air is discharged from the air outlet 62. In this manner, the diffuser 18 may produce an improved, more evenly distributed airflow as the air is expelled from the fan 10 and/or away from the fan 10. Generally, the air may also be directed in a downward direction from the fan 10 (e.g., away from the ceiling) by the shape of the diffuser 18, the housing 14, and/or the shroud 46. For example, the air discharged from the air outlet 62 may be directed in a direction substantially perpendicular to a ceiling to which the fan 10 may be mounted. Other types of fans having diffusers 18, such as desk fans, may exhaust air from the fan in a generally horizontal direction (e.g., parallel to the surface supporting the fan). In this manner, the diffuser 18 may improve the directional flow of air output by the fan 10.

As shown in fig. 6, the diffuser 18 and the air diffusing surface 54 may be solid and/or devoid of any openings such that air does not pass through the diffuser 18. In other embodiments, the diffuser 18 may include vents to allow air to pass through the diffuser 18 to areas located inside or below the diffuser 18. In this way, some air may be forced through the diffuser 18 to improve the heat dissipation capability of the fan 10 (e.g., the air may dissipate heat from the lights 66) and/or the floor drying capability of the fan 10. Additionally, the air diffusing surface 54 of the diffuser 18 may be smooth or textured (e.g., concave, ridged, include linear portions, etc.) to switch whether the air discharged from the air outlet 62 is turbulent or laminar.

Fig. 7 shows a fan 200 according to another embodiment. The fan 200 may be similar to the ceiling fan 10 described above, with like features being indicated by like reference numerals. As shown in the illustrated embodiment, the fan 200 may include a mount 204 and/or a boom 208 that positions the fan 200 a distance away from the ceiling. The mount 204 may be coupled to the ceiling of the room using suitable fasteners (not shown). The boom 208 may be coupled at one end to the ceiling mount 204 and at another end to a first top end of the housing 14 of the fan 200. In some embodiments, the hanger bar 208 may be provided in various lengths. For example, the gib 208 may comprise a length greater than about 1 inch, greater than about 2 inches, greater than about 8 inches, greater than about 60 inches, less than about 96 inches, less than about 24 inches, etc., and/or any range or subrange thereof. Fan 200 may include a first shroud 212 and a second shroud 216. The shields 212, 216 may be configured to diffuse air entering and/or exiting the fan 200. Alternatively, the blinders 212, 216 may provide an aesthetic appearance to the fan. The first shroud 212 may be positioned near the top of the housing 14 of the fan 200 (e.g., closer to the ceiling). The second blinder 216 may be positioned adjacent the inverted bowl-shaped diffuser 18, for example, in some cases, between the first blinder 212 and the diffuser 18. In some embodiments, air inlet 220 can be disposed between first and second blinders 212, 216. The impeller (e.g., 26 in fig. 5, not visible in this view) may be configured to draw in air, which may be directed and/or introduced to the interior of the housing 14 by drawing air into the air inlet 220, as indicated by arrows 224A, 224B. The air may then be expelled through an air outlet (e.g., 62 in fig. 5, not visible in this view) disposed adjacent the second blinder 216, as indicated by arrows 230A, 230B. Additionally, the second shutter 216 may replace the shroud 46 of the housing 14. Although in some embodiments the shield 46 and the second blinder 216 may be used in combination. In this manner, the second shroud 216 may be used to spread the discharged air from a wider area or space on, above, and/or around the diffuser 18. This may provide a larger area of distribution of the exhaust air. Alternatively, the air may be discharged at a lower velocity as it is discharged for more gentle cooling.

Fig. 8 shows a fan 300 according to another embodiment. The fan 300 may be similar to the fan 10 described above, with like features being indicated by like reference numerals. In the illustrated embodiment, the fan 300 includes a cosmetic cover 304 that forms a housing and/or is positioned around the housing 14. The trim cover 304 may include various pattern shapes, colors, and designs. In some embodiments, the decorative cover 304 may be replaced with another decorative cover 304 preferred by the user. The ceiling fan 300 operates similarly to the ceiling fan 10; however, air may be drawn into the air inlet 308 at a location above the trim cover 304, as indicated by arrows 308A and 308B. The air may then be expelled through an air outlet (e.g., air outlet 62 of fig. 5) located below the cover 304 adjacent the diffuser 18, as indicated by arrows 312A and 312B.

Fig. 9A and 9B illustrate fans 400, 500 according to other embodiments. The fans 400, 500 may be similar to the fan 10 described above, with like features indicated by like reference numerals. The fans 400, 500 are similar to each other, but such fans and/or features thereof may vary in size. In some embodiments (e.g., fig. 9A), the diffuser 18 and housing 14 may be larger and include larger impellers to create greater airflow. In other words, the fan 400 may include a housing having a larger volume to equip a more powerful motor. In addition, the diffuser 18 may include an air diffusion surface having a larger surface area to distribute air over a larger area. Alternatively, in some embodiments (e.g., fig. 9B), the diffuser 18 and housing 14 may be smaller to create a smaller airflow. In other words, the fan 500 may include a housing having a small volume to equip a motor having a small power. In addition, the diffuser 18 may include an air diffusing surface having a smaller surface area to distribute air over a smaller area. In this way, a user may select fans 400, 500 that are appropriate for different sized rooms or areas. In the illustrated embodiment, the diffuser 18 is partially positioned in the housing 14 to define an annular outlet 404 through which air is discharged. The operation of the ceiling fan 400, 500 may be similar to the ceiling fan 10; however, air may enter the fans 400, 500 through the housing 14, as indicated by arrows 406A, 506A and 406B, 506B. The air then exits the housing 14 through the annular outlets 404, 504, as indicated by arrows 408A, 508A and 408B, 508B, and moves the air over the air diffusion surface 54 as the air travels away from the fans 400, 500.

Fig. 10 to 14 show a fan 600 according to another embodiment. As shown in the illustrated embodiment, the fan 600 may include a floor fan (e.g., floor blower, floor dryer, etc.) for positioning on the floor, and in some cases, for drying the floor.

The illustrated fan 600 includes a housing 604 having an upper portion 608 and a lower portion 612. The upper portion 608 may include a battery receptacle (not shown) for attaching a battery and/or battery pack, an actuator 616 (e.g., a power button), a handle 620, and/or a strap 624. A battery cover 628 may be provided to protect the battery receptacle and/or the battery pack received in the battery receptacle. When actuator 616 is actuated (e.g., pressed, touched, etc.) by a user, the battery pack may provide power to fan 600. The battery and/or battery pack may be rechargeable and selectively removable from the battery receptacle. In other embodiments, the fan 600 may be powered using an ac power source (e.g., via a power cord).

The handle 620 may allow a user to easily carry the fan 600 to various locations on a floor where the fan 600 may be used. As shown, a handle 620 may extend upwardly from the upper portion 608 of the housing 604. In other embodiments, the handle 620 may be located elsewhere on the fan 600, and/or the fan 600 may include multiple handles 620, or the fan 600 may lack a handle 620.

The strap 624 may be attached to any portion of the fan 600. For example, in some embodiments, strap 624 may be attached to handle 620. The straps 624 may be used to selectively support and/or attach accessories, such as wet floor markings 632 (fig. 14) or other signage and/or accessory types that may be used in conjunction with the fan 600. In other embodiments, other suitable attachment mechanisms (e.g., clips, clamps, straps, hooks, etc.) may be used to releasably attach, retain, and/or support accessories on or over the fan 600. In some embodiments, strap 624 may be omitted.

In some embodiments, the upper portion 608 of the housing 604 may include a light or other safety signal to alert pedestrians of a wet floor or the presence of the fan 600. In this manner, the fan 600 may be used to mark or define areas where walking should be avoided.

In some embodiments, the lower portion 612 of the housing 604 may define a fan assembly 636, the fan assembly 636 including a fan housing 640 and a diffuser 644 at least partially positioned in the fan housing 640. In some embodiments, the diffuser 644 may include and/or be formed as an inverted bowl-shaped diffuser (e.g., an inverted bowl-shaped diffuser) as described above. The fan housing 640 may include an upper portion 648 and a lower portion 652. The upper portion 648 may be disposed near a location where the upper portion 608 of the housing 604 is coupled to the lower portion 612 of the housing 604. The upper portion 648 may define an air inlet 656 for the fan assembly 636. The air inlet 656 may include one or more openings 660 (e.g., inlets, vents, etc.) that allow air to enter the fan housing 640. The lower portion 652 of the fan housing 640 may define a shroud 664 of the fan assembly 636. The upper portion 648 and the lower portion 652 may define an air chamber 668 of the fan housing 640 (see, e.g., fig. 12).

As shown in fig. 12, the diffuser 644 may be positioned toward the bottom of the fan 600 (e.g., near the surface supporting the fan 600, near the surface to be dried, etc.) to support the fan 600 on or above the fan 600 floor or other surface. The diffuser 644 may extend partially into an air plenum 668 defined by the fan housing 640. The diffuser 644 may include an air diffusion surface 672 formed by and/or on the outer peripheral surface. The air diffusing surface 672 may be convex or substantially convex and defines a bowl-shaped portion of the diffuser 644. In some embodiments, the air diffusing surface 672 may be formed from one or more linear segments that collectively form the overall generally bowl shape of the diffuser 644.

As shown in fig. 13, the diffuser 644 may be similar to the diffuser 18 of the fan 10 described above, and thus may be referred to using similar terminology. Alternatively, the diffuser 644 may include vents 674 in the air diffusing surface 672 to allow portions of the surface on which the fan 600 may be disposed to be dried by the airflow. Similar to the diffuser 18, the air diffusing surface 672 may be solid and/or devoid of any openings such that air does not pass through the diffuser 18. In this manner, some air may be forced through the diffuser 644 to improve the heat dissipation capability of the fan 10 and/or the floor drying capability of the fan 10. Additionally, the air diffusing surface 672 of the diffuser 644 may be smooth or textured (e.g., concave, ridged, include linear portions, etc.) to switch whether the discharged air is turbulent or laminar. In addition, the diffuser 644 may include one or more feet 676 disposed on a bottom surface thereof to support and stabilize the fan 600 on or above a surface during operation.

Referring back to fig. 12, the fan assembly 636 may also include a motor 680 and an impeller 684 positioned in an air plenum 668 of the fan housing 640. The motor 680 may be positioned in a motor housing 688, the motor housing 688 extending from the upper portion 648 of the fan housing 640. The motor 680 may be electrically connected to a battery receptacle to power the motor 680 to rotate the impeller 684. Additionally or alternatively, the actuator 616 may be electrically connected to the motor 680 to selectively provide power from a battery or batteries. The motor 680 may include an output shaft 692 extending outwardly and/or away from the motor housing 688. The impeller 684 may be coupled to an output shaft 692 of the motor 680 for rotation therewith to induce the airflow. The motor 680 and the impeller 684 may be axially aligned along a rotational axis 694, which extends centrally through the fan 600. The impeller 684 may include a plurality of blades 696 configured to direct air through the fan assembly 636. In the illustrated embodiment, the impeller 684 includes three blades 696. In other embodiments, the impeller 684 may include fewer than three vanes 696, more than three vanes 696, an even number of vanes 696, an odd number of vanes 696, etc. The vanes 696 may be smooth or textured (e.g., concave, ridged, etc.) as desired to reduce noise caused during operation of the fan 600.

In some embodiments, the fan 600 defines an air passage 704 between the diffuser 644 and the fan housing 640. Specifically, the air passage 704 may be defined between an air diffusion surface 672 of the diffuser 644 and an inner surface 706 of the diffuser 644. The air passage 704 may be formed by a support 700 extending between the diffuser 644 and the fan housing 640 or between the supports 700 to maintain a gap between the diffuser 644 and the fan housing 640. The air channel 704 may be in fluid communication with the air inlet 656 and the air chamber 668. For example, the air passage 704 may receive air that has been forced by the impeller 684 through the air inlet 656 and into the air chamber 668. The air passage 704 may be annular (e.g., with respect to the center of the fan 600) and extend above and/or around the diffuser 644. The air outlet 708 may be defined at one end of the air passage 704, e.g., between the shroud 664 and a surface and/or end of the diffuser 644. The air outlet 708 may be in fluid communication with the air channel 704. For example, the air outlet 708 may be annular and discharge air that travels through the air channel 704 in a direction that is generally parallel to the surface on which the fan 600 is located. The air may also be discharged in a direction generally perpendicular to the rotational axis 694 of the impeller 644. The air may be discharged omnidirectionally with respect to the center of the fan 600 or in one or more preferred directions (e.g., non-omnidirectionally) with respect to the center of the fan 600. In some embodiments, a portion of the air may be vented through one or more openings or vents 674 of the diffuser 644 such that a portion of the floor or other surface below the diffuser 644 may be dried.

During operation of the fan 600, a user may position the fan 600 on, above, and/or near a wet (e.g., due to spills, recent cleaning, etc.) floor to dry the floor and/or surrounding area. The user may engage the actuator 616 (e.g., by pressing, actuating a switch, dial, etc.) to provide power to the motor 680 from a battery pack and/or an ac power source. The motor 680 may rotate the impeller 684 such that the impeller 684 draws air into or into the fan 600 from outside the fan 600. For example, air may enter the fan 600 through the opening 660 of the air inlet 656 and be drawn into the air plenum 668. The impeller 684 may force or push air over the air diffusion surface 672 and into the air passage 704. The air may continue along and/or through the air passage 704 and be discharged through the air outlet 708 to the floor and/or surrounding area. The air outlet 780 may exhaust air about 360 degrees or less about 360 degrees around the fan 600 to dry the surrounding area. Due to the inverted bowl shape of the diffuser 644, as air is exhausted through the air passage 704, the air may adhere to the air diffusion surface 672 to evenly distribute the air and/or condition the characteristics of the air flow during drying of the floor and/or surrounding area.

Various features and advantages of the invention are set forth in the following claims.

Claims (20)

1. A fan, characterized in that the fan comprises:

a housing, comprising:

an air inlet, and

an air outlet;

a motor disposed within the housing;

an impeller disposed within the housing and coupled to the motor,

the impeller is operable to be rotated by the motor to draw air into the air inlet and to expel air from the air outlet; and

a diffuser at least partially disposed within the housing,

the diffuser has a bowl shape defining an air diffusing surface over which air moves towards the air outlet.

2. The fan of claim 1 wherein the air outlet comprises an annular shape.

3. The fan of claim 1 wherein said bowl shape is inverted relative to said housing.

4. The fan of any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the diffuser comprises one or more openings.

5. The fan of any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the diffuser is free of openings.

6. The fan of claim 4, wherein the diffuser is disposed between the air inlet and the air outlet.

7. The fan according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a portion of the diffuser is disposed downstream of the air outlet.

8. The fan according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein:

the housing includes a shroud positioned about a portion of the diffuser, an

A portion of the shroud is bowl-shaped and substantially congruent with the diffuser.

9. The fan according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a portion of the air diffusing surface faces the impeller, and wherein the air diffusing surface is at least partially convex toward the impeller.

10. The fan as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a lamp.

11. The fan according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein:

the fan is configured to be mounted on a ceiling, an

Air is discharged from the air outlet in a direction generally perpendicular to the ceiling.

12. The fan according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein:

the fan is configured to be supported on a floor surface, an

Air is discharged from the air outlet in a direction generally parallel to the floor surface.

13. The fan according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the impeller is rotatable about an axis of rotation, and wherein a center of the diffuser is aligned with the axis of rotation.

14. The fan of claim 13 wherein the air outlet is configured to discharge air in a direction parallel to the axis of rotation.

15. The fan of claim 13 wherein the air outlet is configured to discharge air in a direction perpendicular to the axis of rotation.

16. A fan, characterized in that the fan comprises:

a housing comprising an air inlet and a shroud,

the shroud includes an inner peripheral surface;

a diffuser having an inverted bowl shape and located at least partially within the housing,

the diffuser includes an outer peripheral surface; and

an air outlet defined between the inner peripheral surface of the shroud and the outer peripheral surface of the diffuser.

17. The fan as claimed in claim 16, further comprising:

a motor located within the housing; and

an impeller positioned within the housing,

wherein the impeller is operable to be rotated by the motor to draw air into the air inlet and expel air from the air outlet.

18. The fan as claimed in claim 17, wherein the impeller is positioned between the housing and the diffuser.

19. The fan as claimed in claim 18, wherein the outer circumferential surface of the diffuser is convex toward the impeller.

20. The fan as claimed in any one of claims 16 to 19 wherein the air outlet is defined between a tip of the shroud and a tip of the diffuser.

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