WO2024070924A1

WO2024070924A1 - Air-blowing device and article with air-blowing device

Info

Publication number: WO2024070924A1
Application number: PCT/JP2023/034432
Authority: WO
Inventors: 弘司市ヶ谷; 秀樹市ヶ谷
Original assignee: 株式会社セフト研究所
Priority date: 2022-09-30
Filing date: 2023-09-22
Publication date: 2024-04-04
Also published as: JP2024051757A

Abstract

This air-blowing device comprises blades 21 that generate air flow, a motor 22 that causes the blades 21 to rotate, a connection cord 23 connected to an electrical component 221 of the motor 22, and a case body 24 that houses the blades 21 and the motor 22. The connection cord 23 includes a power jack 231 at the end opposite to the end connected to the electrical component 221, and in addition to the resin-sealed electrical component 221, the portion of the connection cord 23 excluding the power jack 231 is waterproof. This configuration can make the air-blowing device easier to clean.

Description

Blower and article with blower

The present invention relates to a blower and an article equipped with a blower.

In recent years, items that have the function of cooling the body by circulating air inside using a blower have been put into practical use, such as clothing that has the function of introducing outside air into the clothing to cool the wearer's body, cushions and bedding that have the function of introducing air between two sheets and cooling the contact points between such sheets and the body, helmets that have the function of cooling the wearer's head by circulating air inside the helmet, and backpacks that have the function of cooling the wearer's back by introducing air into the backpack.
Such articles (hereinafter referred to as "articles with a blower") require a blower to introduce air. Such a blower typically comprises blades and a motor for rotating the blades housed within a case body, and the motor is supplied with the voltage required for operation via a cable from a power supply device provided outside the blower, causing the blades to rotate and creating an air flow (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2020-2482 A

With such blowers, dust tends to accumulate in the blades and gaps in the case, and there is a demand for them to be able to be washed with water. However, with conventional blowers, it was difficult to wash them with water because there was a high possibility that the electrical components (coils, etc.) that make up the motor would break down if they got wet.

The objective of the present invention is to make the blower easier to clean.

In order to solve the above problem, the present invention provides a blower device, comprising:
A blade that creates an air flow;
A motor that rotates the blades;
a case body that houses the blades and the motor;
Equipped with
The motor is characterized in that the electrical components are waterproof.

The invention described in claim 2 is the blower device described in claim 1,
The electrical components are sealed with resin.

The present invention relates to a blower device comprising:
a connection cord connected to the electrical component;
the electrical connection cord includes a power supply section at an end of the connection cord opposite to the end connected to the electrical component, the power supply section being adapted to supply a voltage from a power supply device to the electrical component;
In addition to the electrical components, at least the portion of the connection cord other than the power supply portion is waterproof.

The invention described in claim 4 is an article with a blower,
The blower device according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
a main body into which air is introduced by the blower;
A power supply device that supplies a voltage to the air blower;
The present invention is characterized by comprising:

The invention described in claim 5 is the article with a blower described in claim 4,
a power cable connecting the air blower and the power supply;
The connection portion between the air blower and the power cable is covered with a waterproof cover.

The present invention makes it easier to clean the blower.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the fan-equipped wear according to the embodiment with the opening/closing means open. FIG. 2 is a rear view of the fan-equipped wear according to the embodiment with the opening/closing means closed. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the fan-equipped garment according to the embodiment, as viewed from the air-blowing section side of the blower device. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the fan-equipped garment according to the embodiment, seen from the air intake side of the blower device. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a blower device of the fan-equipped garment according to the embodiment in a disassembled state. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a blower device of the fan-equipped garment according to the embodiment in an exploded state.

An embodiment of the present invention applied to fan-equipped clothing will be described below with reference to Figures 1 to 6. However, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the illustrated examples, and various modifications can be made to the embodiment described below without departing from the spirit of the present invention.
In addition, in the following description, the state in which the wearer is wearing the fan-equipped garment 100 is taken as the basis, and the direction in front of the wearer is defined as front, the direction behind the wearer is back, the direction above the wearer is up, the direction below the wearer is down, the direction of the wearer's right hand is right, the direction of the wearer's left hand is left, the axis along the front-to-back direction is the X-axis, the axis along the left-to-right direction is the Y-axis, and the axis along the up-down direction is the Z-axis.
In addition, when the opening/closing means 11 of the garment body 1 is open, the direction in which the inner side of the garment body 1 (the side that faces the wearer's body when worn) faces will be defined as the front, and the opposite direction will be defined as the back, as shown in Figure 1. Also, when describing only the air blower 2, the directions will be defined based on the state in which it is attached to the fan-equipped garment 100.

[Configuration of 1 embodiment]
As shown in FIG. 1 , the fan-equipped wear 100 according to the embodiment comprises a wear body 1, an air blower 2 that introduces air into the wear body 1 (into the space between the wear body 1 and the wearer's body), a power supply unit 3 that supplies voltage to the air blower 2, and a power cable 4 that connects the power supply unit 3 and the air blower 2. The air taken into the wear body 1 by the air blower 2 is circulated along the surface of the wearer's body or underwear worn under the wear body 1, and then discharged from air outlet sections 14 formed in the collar and sleeves of the wear body 1, thereby evaporating sweat from the body and cooling the body with the heat of vaporization generated during evaporation.

[(1) Clothing body]
The garment body 1 is the clothing portion of the fan-equipped garment 100 excluding the air blower 2, the power supply unit 3, and the power cable 4, and is formed in the shape of a blouson-type upper garment that covers the torso and arms of the wearer, as shown in Figures 1 and 2.
The shape of the garment body 1 is not limited to the above as long as it covers at least a part of the wearer's body. For example, the garment body 1 may be formed into a vest type that covers only the torso of the wearer.
The surface of the garment body 1 that faces the wearer when worn is referred to as the inner surface, and the opposite surface of the garment body 1 that faces the outside space when worn is referred to as the outer surface.

As shown in FIG. 1, the garment body 1 has an opening/closing means 11, which is a detachable divided part formed with a linear fastener or the like, at the front body, and as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the hem has an air leakage prevention means 12, which is a means for preventing air inside the garment body 1 from leaking out from the hem of the garment body 1 to the outside, formed by providing a stretchable member such as an elastic band that goes around the wearer's body.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, at positions on the back of the garment body 1 corresponding to the left and right sides of the wearer's waist, there are formed air blower mounting holes 13, which are circular holes that connect the space inside the garment body 1 with the space outside the garment body 1 when the fan-equipped garment 100 is worn.
The blower device mounting hole 13 is formed so that its diameter is approximately the same as the diameter of the tubular portion 2412 of the housing 241 of the case body 24 of the blower device 2 described below. By attaching the blower device 2 to the garment body 1 so that the tubular portion 2412 passes through the blower device mounting hole 13, outside air can be taken into the space within the garment body 1 through the blower device mounting hole 13.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the opening between the wearer's neck and the end of the collar of the garment body 1 and the opening between the wearer's arm and the end of the sleeve of the garment body 1 are provided with air exhaust sections 14, which are openings for discharging air introduced into the garment body 1 by the air blower 2 after circulating it along the wearer's body or underwear.

As shown in FIG. 1, the inner surface of the garment body 1 is provided with a power supply unit holding means 15 formed in a pocket shape capable of storing the power supply unit 3 in order to hold the power supply unit 3 in a position where it can be connected to the air blower 2 via the power cable 4, and a cable holding means 16 formed in a ring shape with an opening through which the power cable 4 can be inserted in order to hold the power cable 4 on the inner surface of the garment body 1.

[(2) Blower]
The air blower 2 is a device for introducing air into the space between the garment body 1 and the wearer's body through the air blower mounting hole 13, and as shown in Figures 1 and 2, is attached to the air blower mounting hole 13 of the garment body 1 so that the air intake section 2421 of the case body 24 described later is located on the outer side of the garment body 1, and the air discharge section 2411 is located on the inner side of the garment body 1.
The blower device 2 is supplied with a necessary voltage from a power supply device 3 via a power cable 4 .

As shown in Figs. 3 to 6, the blower 2 includes a blade 21, a motor 22 for rotating the blade 21, a connection cord 23 for connecting the power cable 4 to supply voltage from the power supply 3 to the motor 22, a case body 24 for housing the blade 21 and the motor 22, and an attachment ring 25, which is a ring-shaped member for fixing the case body 24 to the garment body 1.

[a feather]
The blades 21 are means for generating an air flow from an air intake section 2421 side of the case body 24 described below to an air delivery section 2411 side by being rotated by a motor 22 .
In Figures 3 to 6, a so-called propeller fan formed in a propeller shape is illustrated as the blade 21, but the shape of the blade 21 is not particularly limited as long as it can generate an air flow from the air intake section 2421 side to the air discharge section 2411 side of the case body 24 described below.

[b Motor]
Motor 22 is a means for rotating blades 21, is disposed at the center of blades 21, receives a voltage supply from power supply device 3, and rotates blades 21 about an axis (an axis parallel to the X-axis in Figs. 1 and 2) passing through the center of air intake section 2421 and the center of air delivery section 2411 of case body 24. A brushless motor that does not have electrodes called "brushes" inside is used as motor 22.

As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the motor 22 includes an electrical component 221, a magnet 222, and a bearing 223.

The electrical component 221 is a part of the motor 22 through which current flows when voltage is supplied from the power supply device 3, such as a coil.

The magnet 222 is a ring-shaped magnet, and is arranged so as to cover the electrical component 221, as shown in Figures 5 and 6.

The bearings 223 are members for supporting the rotating shaft of the electrical component 221, and are provided on both the front and rear sides of the electrical component 221.

In the motor 22, the electric parts 221 are entirely sealed with resin to provide waterproofing.
In addition, a product is considered to be waterproof if water does not penetrate into the product when sprayed with water for cleaning, specifically if it satisfies IP68.
The resin for sealing the motor 22 is not particularly limited as long as it can provide the above-mentioned waterproofing, but ABS resin or the like can be used.

[c Connection code]
The connection cord 23 is a member for providing a power jack 231 for supplying voltage from the power supply unit 3 to the motor 22 at a position away from the blades 21, the motor 22, and the case body 24, and is formed in a cord-like shape with one end connected to the electrical components 221 of the motor 22 and the other end having the power jack 231 which is a connection part for connecting to the power plug 41 of the power cable 4.
The power jack 231 may be any type that can be connected to the power plug 41 of the power cable 4, and may be, for example, a general DC jack.

The connection cord 23, except for the power jack 231, has the same waterproofing as the electric components 221 of the motor 22. The connection portion between the connection cord 23 and the electric components 221 of the motor 22 is also configured to have the same waterproofing as the electric components 221 of the motor 22, for example, by sealing with resin.
In addition, the power jack 231 may also be made waterproof in the same way as the electrical components 221 of the motor 22 by using a waterproof terminal. However, since the blower device 2 can be washed while preventing water from coming into contact with only the power jack 231, as described below, the power jack 231 does not need to be waterproof.

[d Case body]
The case body 24 is a case in which the blades 21 and the motor 22 are stored, and as shown in Figures 3 to 6, it comprises a housing 241 in which the blades 21 and the motor 22 are stored, a finger guard 242 for covering an opening 2413 formed at one end of the housing 241, and a cover plate 243 attached to the end of the housing 241 opposite to where the finger guard 242 is attached.

(a) Housing
The housing 241 is the part that forms the main body of the case body 24 in which the blades 21 and the motor 22 are housed, and as shown in Figures 5 and 6, has an air sending section 2411 which is a mesh-like portion from which air is sent out when the blades 21 are rotated, a cylindrical section 2412 which is a cylindrical section formed to be continuous with the air sending section 2411, an opening 2413 which is a circular opening formed on the surface opposite to the surface on which the air sending section 2411 is formed, and a flange 2414 which protrudes from the end of the cylindrical section 2412 on the opening 2413 side in a direction approximately perpendicular to the side of the cylindrical section 2412.

The tubular portion 2412 is formed in a cylindrical shape such that the cross-sectional outline when cut along a plane (YZ plane) perpendicular to the rotation axis (X-axis) of the blade 21 is approximately circular, and its outer diameter is formed to be approximately the same as the diameter of the blower device mounting hole 13.
In addition, at two opposing locations on the outer surface of the tubular portion 2412, there are formed case body side fitting portions 24121 which are concave-convex portions that fit into mounting ring side fitting portions 251 which are concave-convex portions formed on the inner surface side of the mounting ring 25 described below, and are configured so that the mounting ring 25 can be fixed to the outer surface side of the tubular portion 2412 as described below.

(b) Finger guard
The finger guard 242 is a member that is attached so as to cover the opening 2413 of the housing 241, and as shown in Figures 4 to 6, is formed in a circular shape, and over the entire surface except for the ends, an air intake section 2421 is formed, which is a mesh-like portion through which air is taken in when the blades 21 are rotated.

[(c) Screening plate]
The blind plate 243 is a circular plate-like member, and as shown in FIGS. 3, 5 and 6, is attached so as to cover the central portion of the housing 241.

[e. Mounting ring]
The mounting ring 25 is a ring-shaped member integrally formed from a flexible material such as plastic, and is attached so as to cover the outer surface of the tubular portion 2412 of the housing 241 of the case body 24, as shown in Figures 3 and 4. It is used to attach the blower device 2 to the garment body 1, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, by sandwiching the area surrounding the blower device mounting hole 13 of the garment body 1 between one end of the mounting ring 25 and the flange 2414 of the housing 241 of the case body 24.

The mounting ring 25 is formed in a ring shape that has an elliptical shape when viewed from the direction of the rotation axis (X-axis) of the blade 21. The mounting ring 25 is also formed so that the length of the inner circumference is longer than the length of the outer circumference of the cylindrical portion 2412 of the housing 241 of the case body 24, and the minor axis of the inner circumference is smaller than or equal to the outer diameter of the cylindrical portion 2412 of the housing 241 of the case body 24. In this case, the major axis of the inner circumference of the mounting ring 25 is larger than the outer diameter of the cylindrical portion 2412 of the housing 241 of the case body 24.

In addition, at two opposing positions on the inner surface of the mounting ring 25 in the short diameter direction, mounting ring side fitting portions 251 are formed, which are projections and recesses that fit into case body side fitting portions 24121, which are projections and recesses formed on the outer surface side of the cylindrical portion 2412 of the housing 241 of the case body 24.

Since the mounting ring 25 has flexibility as described above, when pressure is applied from the outer surface side in the major axis direction, the minor axis direction bulges outward, and the mounting ring 25 can be deformed into a substantially perfect circle. When the pressure from the outer surface side in the major axis direction is released, the mounting ring 25 returns to its original elliptical shape.
Utilizing this, the elliptical mounting ring 25 is pressed from the outer surface side in the long diameter direction, and is deformed into an approximately circular shape. The mounting ring side fitting portion 251 of the mounting ring 25 is then aligned with the case body side fitting portion 24121 of the tubular portion 2412, and the mounting ring 25 is placed over the tubular portion 2412. The pressure on the mounting ring 25 is then released, and the mounting ring 25 can be attached to the tubular portion 2412 of the housing 241 of the case body 24, as shown in Figures 3 and 4.
At this time, the blower device 2 can be attached to the garment body 1 by clamping the area surrounding the blower device mounting hole 13 of the garment body 1 between one end of the mounting ring 25 and the flange 2414 of the housing 241 of the case body 24.

[(3) Power supply unit]
The power supply device 3 is a member for supplying power to the air blower 2, and may include, for example, a lithium-ion battery pack with a safety protection circuit, and is connected to the air blower 2 via a power cable 4 as shown in Fig. 1. The power supply device 3 also includes a switch for switching on/off the power supplied to the air blower 2.
The power supply device 3 may have any specific configuration as long as it is capable of supplying power to the blower device 2 .

[(4) Power Cable]
As shown in FIG. 1 , the power cable 4 is a cable that connects the power supply device 3 and the blower device 2, and the power required to operate the blower device 2 is supplied from the power supply device 3 to the blower device 2 via the power cable 4.
As shown in FIG. 1 , the power cable 4 is split into two ends, with a power plug 41 on both ends. By inserting the power plug 41 into the power jack 231 of the connection cord 23 of the blower 2, the power cable 4 can be detachably connected to the blower 2.

The specific configuration of the power plug 41 is not particularly limited, as long as it can be inserted into the power jack 231 of the connection cord 23 of the blower 2 to detachably connect the power cable 4 to the blower 2 and supply the power necessary to operate the blower 2.

[2. Effects of the embodiment]
According to the fan-equipped wear 100 of this embodiment, the blower 2 comprises blades 21 that generate air flow, a motor 22 that rotates the blades 21, and a case body 24 that houses the blades 21 and the motor 22, and the electrical components 221 provided in the motor 22 are waterproof.
This makes it difficult for the motor 22 to break down even if water is poured onto the blower device 2, making it easy to wash the blower device 2 with water.

In addition, the electrical components 221 of the motor 22 of the blower 2 are sealed with resin, which further improves the waterproofing of the motor 22.

Furthermore, the blower 2 includes a connection cord 23 connected to the electrical component 221 of the motor 22, and the connection cord 23 includes a power jack 231 at the end opposite to where the connection cord 23 is connected to the electrical component 221, for supplying voltage from the power supply 3 to the electrical component 221. In addition to the electrical component 221, at least the portion of the connection cord 23 excluding the power jack 231 is waterproof, so that the power jack 231 can be positioned away from the blades 21 and case body 24 of the blower 2, making it easier to clean the blower 2 while preventing water from splashing on only the power jack 231.

[3 Modifications]
Next, a modified example of the fan-equipped wear 100 according to this embodiment will be described.

[(1) Changes to items with air blowers]
In the explanation of the above configuration and effects, the fan-equipped wear 100 has been described as an example of an article equipped with the air blower 2, but the article equipped with the air blower 2 may be any article in which air is introduced into the main body portion by the air blower 2, and is not limited to the fan-equipped wear 100.
For example, the blower 2 may be provided in a cushion or bedding that has a function of introducing air between two sheets and cooling the contact area between such sheets and the body, a helmet that has a function of cooling the wearer's head by circulating air inside the helmet, a backpack that has a function of cooling the wearer's back by introducing air into the backpack, etc. Any of these articles is considered to be an article with a blower in the present invention.

[(2) Adding a terminal cover]
A waterproof cover may be provided to cover the connection portion when the power jack 231 provided on the connection cord 23 of the blower 2 and the power plug 41 of the power cable 4 are connected. By covering the connection portion between the power jack 231 and the power plug 41 with the cover and imparting to the connection portion the same waterproofness as the electrical component 221 of the motor 22, it becomes possible to pour water over the entire connection cord 23 with the power cable 4 attached to the blower 2, and it becomes even easier to wash the blower 2 with water with the power cable 4 attached to the blower 2.

The present invention can be suitably used in the field of manufacturing air blowers and items equipped with air blowers.

100 Fan-equipped clothing (items with blowers)
1. Wear body (main body)
2 Blower device 21 Blade 22 Motor 221 Electrical component 23 Connection cord 231 Power jack (power supply unit)
24 Case body 25 Mounting ring 3 Power supply device 4 Power cable 41 Power plug

Claims

A blade that creates an air flow;
A motor that rotates the blades;
a case body that houses the blades and the motor;
Equipped with
The air blower according to claim 1, wherein the electric components of the motor are waterproof.
The blower device according to claim 1, characterized in that the electrical components are sealed with resin.
a connection cord connected to the electrical component;
the electrical connection cord includes a power supply section at an end of the connection cord opposite to the end connected to the electrical component, the power supply section being adapted to supply a voltage from a power supply device to the electrical component;
2. The air blower according to claim 1, wherein in addition to the electrical components, at least a portion of the connection cord other than the power supply portion is waterproof.
The blower device according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
a main body into which air is introduced by the blower;
A power supply device that supplies a voltage to the air blower;
An article with a blower, comprising:
a power cable connecting the air blower and the power supply;
5. The article with a blower according to claim 4, wherein a connection portion between the blower and the power cable is covered with a waterproof cover.