WO2021217338A1

WO2021217338A1 - Air jet blowing system for buildings and outdoor structures

Info

Publication number: WO2021217338A1
Application number: PCT/CN2020/087229
Authority: WO
Inventors: Kin Wing LIU
Original assignee: Liu Kin Wing
Priority date: 2020-04-27
Filing date: 2020-04-27
Publication date: 2021-11-04

Abstract

An air jet blowing system (100) for the windows (11) of a building or an outdoor structure, such as an electronic billboard (30), that keeps the rain and other precipitations away. For an air jet blower system (100) configured to be mounted above a screen (31) of an electronic billboard (30), the air jet blower system (100) comprises an air inlet (130); an air propelling vent (110); a volute assembly (220); and an air channel (101) connecting the volute assembly (220) to the air propelling vent (110). The air propelling vent (110) is configured to eject a flow of air to a forward direction for keeping rain and other precipitations away from the screen (31).

Description

AIR JET BLOWING SYSTEM FOR BUILDINGS AND OUTDOOR STRUCTURES

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure generally relates to a blower system that protects a structure from rain and moist. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to an air jet blowing system for the windows of a building or an outdoor structure, such as electronic billboards and outdoor touch screens.

BACKGROUND

In commercial buildings, offices, and retail stores, there is a trend of having more and more windows. The design of using large windows can improve the daylight penetration in a building, enhance the views, and attract customers to a store. Other outdoor structures having display screen, such as electronic billboards and outdoor touch screens, are gaining popularity and widely used in smart city.

However, the rain and other precipitations may affect the vision through the windows, and adversely impact the effectiveness of the electronic billboards and outdoor touch screens. Further, touch screen using capacitive touch technology may have detection problem when there is water on the screen surface.

Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a blower system that keeps the rain and other precipitations away from the windows of a building or an outdoor structure. Particularly, the blower system can reduce the impact of rain to the outdoor touch screens. Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and this background of the disclosure.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Provided herein is an air jet blowing system for the windows of a building or an outdoor structure that keeps the rain and other precipitations away.

In accordance with certain embodiments of the present disclosure, an air jet blower system configured to be mounted above a screen of an electronic billboard is disclosed. The air jet blower system comprises an air inlet, an air propelling vent, and an air channel connecting the volute assembly to the air propelling vent. The air propelling vent is configured to eject a flow of air to a forward direction for keeping rain and other precipitations away from the screen.

In accordance with a further aspect of the present disclosure, the volute assembly comprises an impeller provided within a volute housing.

Preferably, the impeller is configured to create an airflow from the air inlet to the air propelling vent via the air channel.

In accordance with a further aspect of the present disclosure, the forward direction of the flow of air is perpendicular to a surface of the screen, or at a downward angle in a range from 45 to 90 degrees from a surface of the screen.

In accordance with a further aspect of the present disclosure, the air inlet comprises one or more openings arranged in connection with a front side of the impeller for allowing air to enter the volute assembly.

Preferably, the screen is a touch screen using capacitive touch technology.

In accordance with another aspect of the present disclosure, the air jet blower system configured to be installed or mounted above a window of a building. The air jet blower system comprises an air inlet, an air propelling vent, and a fan assembly having one or more motorized fans configured to receive air from the air inlet and propel a flow of air to the air propelling vent. The air propelling vent is configured to eject the flow of air to a forward direction for keeping rain and other precipitations away from the window of the building.

In accordance with a further aspect of the present disclosure, the air propelling vent comprises an inlet opening and an outlet opening. The air propelling vent has a structure that tapers from the inlet opening to the outlet opening.

In accordance with a further aspect of the present disclosure, the air propelling vent comprises an air direction adjustment mechanism. The air direction adjustment mechanism comprises a horizontal flap, an actuator pivot, and a direction controller configured to drive the actuator pivot to rotate, thereby the horizontal flap can define the direction of the flow of air.

Preferably, the horizontal flap is a plate-like structure that can be rotated with the actuator pivot.

Perferably, the direction controller comprises a servo motor, a motor shaft, a first bevel gear, and a second bevel gear.

In accordance with a further aspect of the present disclosure, the fan assembly has a tunnel-like structure with a fan inlet and a fan outlet, thereby the one or more motorized fans are configured to create an airflow from the fan inlet to the fan outlet.

In accordance with a further aspect of the present disclosure, the air jet blowing system further comprises a control system configured to control the speed and direction of the flow of air.

Preferably, the control system comprises a processor and a rain sensor. The rain sensor is disposed on the window for determining whether the air jet blowing system is effective, thereby the processor can determine a most effective direction of the flow of air.

In accordance with a further aspect of the present disclosure, the forward direction of the flow of air is perpendicular to a surface of the window, or at a downward angle in a range from 45 to 90 degrees from a surface of the window for improving the effectiveness of the air jet blowing system.

In accordance with another aspect of the present disclosure, the air jet blower system configured to be installed or mounted on an interior side of a window. The air jet blower system comprises an air inlet, an air propelling vent, a fan assembly having one or more motorized fans configured to receive air from the air inlet and propel a flow of air to the air propelling vent, an indoor temperature sensor, and an outdoor temperature sensor. The air propelling vent is configured to eject the flow of air towards the window for lowering an indoor temperature around the window, thereby the indoor temperature is closer to an outdoor temperature.

In accordance with a further aspect of the present disclosure, the air jet blower system further comprises a control system configured to control the speed of the flow of air, wherein the control system further comprising a processor configured to determine the temperature difference based on the indoor temperature and the outdoor temperature.

This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter. Other aspects and advantages of the present invention are disclosed as illustrated by the embodiments hereinafter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The appended drawings contain figures to further illustrate and clarify the above and other aspects, advantages, and features of the present disclosure. It will be appreciated that these drawings depict only certain embodiments of the present disclosure and are not intended to limit its scope. It will also be appreciated that these drawings are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been depicted to scale. The present disclosure will now be described and explained with additional specificity and detail through the use of the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1A depicts a perspective view of a store having an air jet blowing system in accordance with certain embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 1B depicts a side view of the air jet blowing system of FIG. 1A;

FIG. 2 depicts a perspective view of an air jet blowing system for an interior side of a window in accordance with certain embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3A depicts a front view of an electronic billboard having an air jet blowing system in accordance with certain embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3B depicts a side cross-sectional view of the electronic billboard of FIG. 3A;

FIG. 4A depicts a perspective view of an air propelling vent in accordance with certain embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4B depicts a perspective view of an air propelling vent having a plurality of nozzles in accordance with certain embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5A depicts a perspective view of the air propelling vent of FIG. 4A with an air direction adjustment mechanism;

FIG. 5B depicts a top internal view of the air propelling vent of FIG. 5A;

FIG. 6 depicts an internal perspective view of the fan assembly in accordance with certain embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 7A depicts a block diagram of the control system of the air jet blowing system for keeping rain away from the window or screen in accordance with certain embodiments of the present disclosure; and

FIG. 7B depicts a block diagram of the control system of the air jet blowing system for interior use on a window in accordance with certain embodiments of the present disclosure.

Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been depicted to scale.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following detailed description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the disclosure or its application and/or uses. It should be appreciated that a vast number of variations exist. The detailed description will enable those of ordinary skilled in the art to implement an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure without undue experimentation, and it is understood that various changes or modifications may be made in the function and structure described in the exemplary embodiment without departing from the scope of the present disclosure as set forth in the appended claims.

The benefits, advantages, solutions to problems, and any element (s) that may cause any benefit, advantage, or solution to occur or become more pronounced are not to be construed as a critical, required, or essential features or elements of any or all of the claims. The invention is defined solely by the appended claims including any amendments made during the pendency of this application and all equivalents of those claims as issued.

The use of the terms “a” and “an” and “the” and “at least one” and similar referents in the context of describing the invention (especially in the context of the following claims) are to be construed to cover both the singular and the plural, unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted by context. The terms “comprising” , “having” , “including” , and “containing” are to be construed as open-ended terms (i.e., meaning “including, but not limited to” , ) unless otherwise noted. The use of any and all examples, or exemplary language (e.g., “such as” ) provided herein, is intended merely to illuminate the invention better and does not pose a limitation on the scope of the invention unless otherwise claimed. No language in the specification should be construed as indicating any non-claimed element as essential to the practice of the invention.

Terms such as “inner” , “outer” , “front” , “rear” , “top” , “bottom” , and any variations thereof are used for ease of description to explain the positioning of an element, or the positioning of one element relative to another element, and are not intended to be limiting to a specific orientation or position. Terms such as “first” , “second” , and the like are used herein to describe various elements, components, regions, sections, etc., and are not intended to be limiting.

The term “processor” , as used herein, includes one or more central processing units, microprocessors, micro-computers, single-chip computers, cloud computing system, integrated circuits, and the like, and systems incorporating the same.

The present disclosure generally relates to the structure of a blower system. More specifically, but without limitation, the present disclosure provides an air jet blowing system for the window of a building or the screen of an outdoor structure that keeps the rain, snow, and other precipitations away. One having ordinary skill in the art would understand that the current disclosure is also applicable in the various outdoor structures.

The term “smartphone” , as used herein, includes any mobile devices such as mobile phone, tablet, smartwatch, or other portable devices with an associated operating system (IOS, Android, etc. ) capable of running programmed applications and communicating with the present air jet blowing system.

FIG. 1A illustrates a store, generally indicated by the reference numeral 10, having an air jet blowing system 100 in accordance with the present disclosure is installed or mounted above the window 11, such as a display window. Although a store is depicted in FIG. 1A, it is apparent to those skilled in the art that the air jet blowing system 100 may also be installed in other buildings, such as commercial buildings, high-rise buildings, hotels, shopping centers, residential, and government buildings, without departing from the scope and spirit of the present disclosure.

In a preferred embodiment, the air jet blowing system 100 comprising an air propelling vent 110 installed or mounted above the window 11 for keeping the rain, snow, and other precipitations away from the window 11 of the building. The air propelling vent 110 may comprises a plurality of nozzles 113 arranged horizontally along a line across the width of the window 11. The internal structure of the air jet blowing system 100 is preferably provided inside the building structure, which may include a fan assembly 120, and an air inlet 130, as shown in FIG. 1B. In certain embodiments, the air propelling vent 110 generally has a rectangular shape with a longitudinal length covering the whole width of the window 11 or half of the window 11. The air ejected from the air propelling vent 110 is maintained at high speed and directs to a forward direction, which is essentially perpendicular to the surface of the window 11, or at a downward angle in a range from 45 to 90 degrees from the surface of the window 11 for improving the effectiveness of the air jet blowing system 100. The air propelling vent 110 is connected to the fan assembly 120. The fan assembly 120 is configured to propel a high volumetric flow of air to the air propelling vent 110. The fan assembly 120 receives air from an air inlet 130. The air let 130 may be arranged to receive air from indoor or outdoor. The air jet blowing system 100 further comprises a control system 140, which is configured to control the speed and direction of the flow of air. The control system 140 is coupled to a rain sensor 143, which is disposed on the window 11 for determining whether there is a rain.

FIG. 2 illustrates a window frame, generally indicated by the reference numeral 20, on which an air jet blowing system 100 in accordance with the present disclosure is installed or mounted on the interior side of the window 11 for balancing the temperature. This is a particular application of the air jet blowing system 100 installed indoor for preventing condensation on the inside surface of the window 11.

When warm and moist air comes into contact with a cooler surface of the window 11, the excessive indoor moisture will be released in the form of condensation. The condensed water on the glass can block the view and drip on the floor, which can be an annoying problem. The general approach in handling this problem is to lower the indoor relative humidity. Another possible approach is to lower the temperature around the windows 11. The present disclosure provides an air jet blowing system 100 installed indoor adjacent to the windows 11 for lowering the temperature of the window 11 from inside, so that the temperature difference between the indoor and outdoor is smaller. This can reduce the chance of water condensation.

The air jet blowing system 100 for indoor use comprises an air propelling vent 110 having an outlet opening 111, a fan assembly 120, an air inlet 130, an indoor temperature sensor 147, and an outdoor temperature sensor 148. The indoor temperature sensor 147 may be placed near the window 11 in the interior side. The outdoor temperature sensor 148 may be placed near the window 11 in the exterior side. The fan assembly 120 is configured to propel a high volumetric flow of air to the air propelling vent 110 towards the windows for lowering the indoor temperature around the window 11, thereby the indoor temperature is closer to the outdoor temperature. Preferably, the air jet blowing system 100 is activated automatically at a combination of a particular range of indoor temperatures and outdoor temperatures. The indoor relative humidity may also be measured so as to achieve a higher accuracy.

FIG. 3A shows an electronic billboard, generally indicated by the reference numeral 30, having an air jet blowing system 100 in accordance with the present disclosure is installed or mounted above the screen 31. In certain embodiments, the screen 31 may be a touch screen, particularly a touch screen using capacitive touch technology. The electronic billboard 30 may be placed at a roadside for advertising, and it is apparent that the electronic billboard 30 may also be a large computer screen for providing information or broadcasting videos. Generally, the electronic billboard 30 comprises a liquid crystal display (LCD) or light emitting diode (LED) display, a processor, and a communication module. The present disclosure provides an electronic billboard comprising an air jet blowing system 100 for keeping the rain and other precipitations away from the screen 31.

In a preferred embodiment, the air jet blowing system 100 for use in electronic billboard 30 comprises an air propelling vent 110 having an outlet opening 111, a volute assembly 220, an air inlet 130. In certain embodiments, the air propelling vent 110 generally has a rectangular shape with a longitudinal length covering the whole width of the screen 31 or half of the screen 31. The air ejected from the air propelling vent 110 is maintained at high speed and directs to a forward direction, which is essentially perpendicular to the surface of the screen 31, or at a downward angle in a range from 45 to 90 degrees from the surface of the screen 31 for improving the effectiveness of the air jet blowing system 100. The air propelling vent 110 is connected to the volute assembly 220 via an air channel 101. The volute assembly 220 is configured to propel a high volumetric flow of air to the outlet opening 111 of the air propelling vent 110. The volute assembly 220 receives air from an air inlet 130. The air inlet 130 may be arranged at the back of the electronic billboard 30, as illustrated in FIG. 3B. In certain embodiments, the volute assembly 220 comprises an impeller 225 provided within a volute housing 221. The air inlet 130 comprises one or more openings arranged in connection with the front side of the impeller 225 for allowing air to enter the volute assembly 220. The impeller 225 is configured to create an airflow from the air inlet 130 to the air propelling vent 110 via the air channel 101. The motor, the battery, and any gear transmission for driving the impeller 225 are not shown in the drawings for clarity and simplicity, which may be disposed adjacent to the impeller 225. The control system 140 is configured to control the rotation speed of the impeller 225 to determine the speed of the air projected from the air propelling vent 110.

FIG. 4A shows a perspective view of an exemplary air propelling vent 110. The air propelling vent 110 generally has a rectangular shape for covering the width of the window 11 or screen 31, with an inlet opening 112 on a first end, and an outlet opening 111 on a second end. The air propelling vent 110 has a structure that tapers from the inlet opening 112 to the outlet opening 111, with an axis connecting the centerlines of the outlet opening 111 and the inlet opening 112. The ratio on the cross-sectional area between the inlet opening 112 and the outlet opening 111 is optimized to provide sufficient air speed with high volumetric airflow, which can further increase the speed of air propelled from the air propelling vent 110. Other forms or structures of the air propelling vent 110 are also possible and within the scope of the present disclosure, for instance, the air propelling vent 110 may have a triangular shape, or the second end may have two or more outlet openings 111, or as shown in FIG. 4B, the second end may have a plurality of nozzles 113 arranged horizontally along a line across the width of the second end.

In certain embodiments, the air propelling vent 110 comprises an air direction adjustment mechanism 210, as shown in FIG. 5A. The air direction adjustment mechanism 210 comprises a direction controller 211, a horizontal flap 216, and an actuator pivot 217. The direction controller 211 is configured to drive the actuator pivot 217 to rotate precisely based on the desired direction of the air propelling from the outlet opening 111. The horizontal flap 216 is a plate-like structure that can be rotated with the actuator pivot 217, thereby the direction of the horizontal flap 216 with respect to the outlet opening 111 defines the direction of the high volumetric flow of air.

In more detail, one exemplarily internal structure of the air direction adjustment mechanism 210 is depicted in FIG. 5B. The direction controller 211 comprises a servo motor 215, a motor shaft 212, a first bevel gear 213, and a second bevel gear 214. The servo motor 215 can be controlled to drive a motor shaft 212 to rotate. The motor shaft 212 is connected to the first bevel gear 213, which is engaged to the second bevel gear 214 arranged perpendicular to the first bevel gear 213. The second bevel gear 214 is rotated with the actuator pivot 217 so that the servo motor 215 can control the rotation of the actuator pivot 217.

FIG. 6 shows an internal perspective view of the fan assembly 120 of the air jet blowing system 100. The fan assembly 120 has a tunnel-like structure with a fan inlet 121 on a first end, and a fan outlet 122 on a second end. The fan assembly 120 is configured to create an airflow from the fan inlet 121 to the fan outlet 122. Inside the fan assembly 120, there is provided one or more motorized fans 123 having a plurality of blades 124. The motor, the battery, and any gear transmission for driving the one or more motorized fans 123 are not shown in the drawings for clarity and simplicity.

FIG. 7A shows a block diagram of the control system 140 of the air jet blowing system 100 for keeping rain away from the window 11 or the screen 31, which is configured to control the speed and projection direction of the air jet blowing system 100. The control system 140 comprises a processor 141 and a rain sensor 143 for performing fan speed adjustment 151 and flap adjustment 152. The rain sensor 143 may be disposed on the window 11 for determining the effectiveness of the air jet blowing system 100 by measuring the amount of water collected on the window 11. The fan assembly 120 receives power from the main power 150 and control signals from the processor 141 for adjusting the fan speed.

Based on the rain sensor reading 143, the processor 141 is configured to perform flap adjustment 152 and determine the most effective direction of the horizontal flap 216. The above mechanism illustrates the automatic fan and flap adjustment for enhancing the performance of keeping the rain and other precipitations away from the window 11.

The fan adjustment 151 and the flap adjustment 152 are also fully customizable by switch or other manual controls 153. Alternatively, the processor 141 may have a transmission module for communicating with a smartphone via Bluetooth or other wireless communication technologies.

FIG. 7B shows a block diagram of the control system 140 of the air jet blowing system 100 for interior use as demonstrated in FIG. 2, which is configured to control the speed of the air jet blowing system 100. The control system 140 comprises a processor 141, an indoor temperature sensor 147, and an outdoor sensor 148. The control system 140 is configured to perform fan speed adjustment 151. The indoor temperature sensor 147 and the outdoor sensor 148 may be used to obtain the indoor and outdoor temperature for the processor 141 to determine the temperature difference between the exterior side and the interior side of the window 11 for balancing the temperature. The fan assembly 120 receives power from the main power 150 and control signals from the processor 141 for adjusting the fan speed.

The fan adjustment 151 is also fully customizable by switch or other manual controls 153. Alternatively, the processor 141 may have a transmission module for communicating with a smartphone via Bluetooth or other wireless communication technologies.

This illustrates the fundamental structure and mechanism of the air jet blowing system in accordance with the present disclosure. It is apparent that the present disclosure is also applicable in various transportation system without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiment is, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the disclosure is indicated by the appended claims rather than by the preceding description, and all changes that come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

Claims

An air jet blower system configured to be mounted above a screen of an electronic billboard, comprising:

an air inlet;

an air propelling vent;

a volute assembly; and

an air channel connecting the volute assembly to the air propelling vent,

wherein the air propelling vent is configured to eject a flow of air to a forward direction for keeping rain and other precipitations away from the screen.
The air jet blower system of claim 1, wherein the volute assembly comprises an impeller provided within a volute housing.
The air jet blower system of claim 2, wherein the impeller is configured to create an airflow from the air inlet to the air propelling vent via the air channel.
The air jet blower system of claim 1, wherein the forward direction of the flow of air is perpendicular to a surface of the screen, or at a downward angle in a range from 45 to 90 degrees from a surface of the screen.
The air jet blower system of claim 1, wherein the air inlet comprises one or more openings arranged in connection with a front side of the impeller for allowing air to enter the volute assembly.
The air jet blower system of claim 1, wherein the screen is a touch screen using capacitive touch technology.
An air jet blower system configured to be installed or mounted above a window of a building, wherein the air jet blower system comprises:

an air inlet;

an air propelling vent; and

a fan assembly having one or more motorized fans configured to receive air from the air inlet and propel a flow of air to the air propelling vent,

wherein the air propelling vent is configured to eject the flow of air to a forward direction for keeping rain and other precipitations away from the window of the building.
The air jet blowing system of claim 7, wherein:

the air propelling vent comprises an inlet opening and an outlet opening; and

the air propelling vent has a structure that tapers from the inlet opening to the outlet opening.
The air jet blowing system of claim 7, wherein:

the air propelling vent comprises an air direction adjustment mechanism; and

the air direction adjustment mechanism comprises a horizontal flap, an actuator pivot, and a direction controller configured to drive the actuator pivot to rotate, thereby the horizontal flap can define the direction of the flow of air.
The air jet blowing system of claim 9, wherein the horizontal flap is a plate-like structure that can be rotated with the actuator pivot.
The air jet blowing system of claim 9, wherein the direction controller comprises a servo motor, a motor shaft, a first bevel gear, and a second bevel gear.
The air jet blowing system of claim 7, wherein the fan assembly has a tunnel-like structure with a fan inlet and a fan outlet, thereby the one or more motorized fans are configured to create an airflow from the fan inlet to the fan outlet.
The air jet blowing system of claim 7 further comprising a control system configured to control the speed and direction of the flow of air.
The air jet blowing system of claim 13, wherein the control system comprises a processor and a rain sensor.
The air jet blowing system of claim 14, wherein the rain sensor is disposed on the window for determining whether the air jet blowing system is effective, thereby the processor can determine a most effective direction of the flow of air.
The air jet blowing system of claim 7, wherein the forward direction of the flow of air is perpendicular to a surface of the window, or at a downward angle in a range from 45 to 90 degrees from a surface of the window for improving the effectiveness of the air jet blowing system.
An air jet blower system configured to be installed or mounted on an interior side of a window, wherein the air jet blower system comprises:

an air inlet;

an air propelling vent;

a fan assembly having one or more motorized fans configured to receive air from the air inlet and propel a flow of air to the air propelling vent;

an indoor temperature sensor; and

an outdoor temperature sensor,

wherein the air propelling vent is configured to eject the flow of air towards the window for lowering an indoor temperature around the window, thereby the indoor temperature is closer to an outdoor temperature.
The air jet blower system of claim 17 further comprising a control system configured to control the speed of the flow of air, wherein the control system further comprising a processor configured to determine the temperature difference based on the indoor temperature and the outdoor temperature.