Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02872346 2014-10-31
DESCRIPTION
ELECTRIC FAN
Technical Field
The present invention relates, in general, to electric
fans and, more particularly, to an electric fan configured in
such a way that impellers are disposed in respective
peripheral parts of a casing configured in a foLm of a polygon
having segments so that a discharge flow rate of air per unit
air inflow rate can be enhanced, whereby the strength of wind
can be increased.
Background Art
Generally, electric fans for home use include a set of
blades or vanes provided on a shaft and rotated around the
shaft, and a drive unit rotating the blades to produce flow of
air. The flow and circulation of air produces a breeze that
cools for users as heat is dissipated from their skin by
convection currents and evaporation.
Such electric fans can be configured in various sizes and
shapes. For example, there may be ceiling electric fans that
are 1 m or more in diameter.
Typically, such a ceiling
electric fan is suspended from a ceiling so as to produce
downward air flow to cool a room. For desk electric fans, the
1
CA 02872346 2014-10-31
diameter thereof is mainly about 30 cm. Most desk electric
fans are generally free standing and portable. Floor standing
tower fans include a vertical casing that is typically about 1
m in height and are generally provided with at least one set
of impellers to produce air flow within a range from 300 l/s
(liter/sec) to 500 l/s. Such floor standing tower fans may
employ an oscillating mechanism so as to rotate the air
discharge outlet and enable air flow to be supplied to a wide
area of a room.
In the above-described typical electric fans or floor
standing tower fans, a motor having a relatively high output
is required because an air discharge rate is deteLmined by the
RPM of the impeller.
That is, the strength of air flow is deteLmined by
factors such as the size and RPM of an impeller of an electric
fan. The output per unit input energy used by a motor is
comparatively low. To
overcome the above problems, a
technique for increasing the strength of air flow per unit
input is urgently needed.
Disclosure
Technical Problem
Accordingly, the present invention has been made keeping
in mind the above problems occurring in the prior art, and an
object of the present invention is to provide an electric fan
2
CA 02872346 2014-10-31
that can increase the flow rate of air discharged from the
electric fan in such a way that air flow is produced by means
of a difference of air pressure.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an
electric fan configured such that air pressure in the electric
fan can be markedly increased whereby the strength of air flow
produced from the electric fan can be increased.
Technical Solution
In order to accomplish the above objects, the present
invention provides an electric fan, including: a casing having
a frame shape such that a first opening is foLmed in a central
portion of the casing, with an inlet hole and an outlet hole
respectively foLmed in inner and outer peripheral surfaces of
the frame, and a space defined in the casing; a rotary unit
comprising an impeller installed in the space, and a drive
unit, the rotary unit being configured such that when the
impeller is rotated by the drive unit, external air is drawn
into the space through the inlet hole and then discharged out
of the space through an outlet hole; and a cover installed on
a front part of the casing in a direct contact manner, the
cover defining a second opening communicating with the first
opening so that air supplied from, the outlet hole is
discharged out of the second opening.
An inner surface of the second opening may be inclined
3
CA 02872346 2014-10-31
such that the second opening is increased in cross-sectional
area from a rear end thereof to a front end.
The impeller of the rotary unit installed in the space
may include a shaft and a plurality of blades radially
provided on an outer circumferential surface of the shaft,
wherein the shaft is connected to the drive unit so that the
shaft is electrically-driven.
The space may comprise two columns of spaces spaced apart
from each other, and the impeller may comprise impellers
respectively placed upright in the spaces.
The space may comprise two columns and two rows of spaces
continuously connected at ends thereof to each other, and the
impeller may comprise impellers vertically or horizontally
installed in the respective spaces.
The impeller may be installed in the space by a bracket.
The bracket may include: a connection part having a
predetermined length; a fixed part bent from an upper end of
the connection part, the fixed part having a connection hole
through which the shaft is coupled to the fixed part; a
support part bent from a lower end of the connection part, the
support part being coupled to a lower end of the drive unit;
and connection brackets respectively connected to the fixed
part and the support part, the connection brackets being
integrally fastened to respective fixed brackets provided in
the space.
4
CA 02872346 2014-10-31
Advantageous Effects
In an electric fan according to the present invention, a
casing having a frame shape and a cover are coupled to each
other, and a rotary unit is installed in a space formed in the
casing. The electric fan is operated such that external air
is drawn into the space through an inlet hole, the pressure in
the space is thus increased, and then air is discharged out of
an outlet hole at a high flow rate by increased pressure in
M the space, whereby external air around the cover passes
through the cover, thus generating air currents and increasing
the flow rate of air by virtue of a difference in air pressure
before air is discharged out of the electric fan. Therefore,
the strength of air flow produced from the electric fan can be
further increased.
FurtheLmore, in the electric fan according to the present
invention, a rotating means is installed in the casing. The
air pressure of the space in the casing can be further
increased by the rotating means. Thereby, the discharge flow
rate and speed of air can be further enhanced.
In addition, brackets are used to install impellers in
respective spaces defined in the segments of the loop-shaped
casing, thus facilitating the installation of the impellers,
whereby the efficiency of manufacturing the electric fan can
be enhanced.
5
CA 02872346 2014-10-31
Description of Drawings
FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating an electric fan
according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the
electric fan according to the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a sectional view illustrating the electric fan
according to the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating an electric fan
according to another embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a sectional view illustrating the electric fan
according to another embodiment of the present invention.
<Description of the Reference Numerals in the Drawings>
100: electric fan 110: casing
111: space 112: inlet hole
113: outlet hole 114: first opening
115: fixed bracket 120: cover
121: second opening 130: rotary unit
131: second opening 132: impeller
132a: shaft 132b: blade
133: drive unit 140: bracket
141: connection part 142: fixed part
143: connection hole 144: support part
145: connection bracket
6
CA 02872346 2014-10-31
Best Mode
Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present
invention will be described in detail with reference to the
attached drawings.
Reference now should be made to the drawings, in which
the same reference numerals are used throughout the different
drawings to designate the same or similar components. If in
the specification, detailed descriptions of well-known
functions or configurations would unnecessarily obfuscate the
gist of the present invention, the detailed descriptions will
be omitted.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating an electric fan
according to the present invention. FIG. 2
is an exploded
perspective view illustrating the electric fan according to
the present invention. FIG. 3 is a
sectional view
illustrating the electric fan according to the present
invention. FIG. 4
is a perspective view illustrating an
electric fan according to another embodiment of the present
invention. FIG. 5
is a sectional view illustrating the
electric fan according to another embodiment of the present
invention.
As shown in FIGS. 1 through 5, an electric fan 100
according to the present invention includes a casing 110, a
cover 120 and a rotary unit 130.
The casing 110 has a polygonal frame shape. The casing
7
CA 02872346 2017-01-16
110 has one or more segments foLming a polygon
In the present invention, the casing 110 will be
illustrated as having a streamlined shape having two segments
or a square shape having four segments. The
shape of the
casing 110 is not limited to a special shape.
In detail, as shown in FIG. 4, the casing 110 that has a
streamlined shape is configured to have a two-column structure
such that spaces 111 are spaced apart from each other. An
impeller 132 is placed upright in each space 111.
As shown in FIG. 4, the square-shaped casing 110 is
configured in such a way that spaces 111 that form two rows
and two columns of segments are continuously connected to each
other. An
impeller 132 is horizontally or vertically
installed in each of the spaces 111 formed at upper, lower,
left and right positions.
Overall, the casing 110 having such a polygonal shape
forms a loop shape such that a first opening 114 is formed in
a central portion of the casing 110.
Here, the body of the polygonal casing 110 is called a
frame.
The segments of the polygonal frame define therein the
respective spaces 111. Inlet holes 112 are formed in an outer
surface of a periphery of the casing 110. The cover 120 is
installed on a front part of the casing 110 in a direct
contact manner, and outlet holes 113 are formed in an inner
8
CA 02872346 2017-01-16
surface of a periphery of the cover 120. The inlet holes 112
and the outlet holes 113 communicate with the spaces 111.
The rotary unit 130 includes the impellers 132 installed
in the respective spaces 111 and is configured such that when
the impellers 132 are rotated by drive units 133, external air
is drawn into the spaces 111 through the inlet holes 112 and
then discharged to the outside through the outlet holes 113.
Each impeller 132 includes a shaft 132a having a
predetermined length, and a plurality of blades 132b radially
provided around the outer circumferential surface of the shaft
132a
The drive units 133 are installed on the respective
impellers 132. A rotating shaft 132a of a motor of each drive
unit 133 is connected to the shaft 132a of the corresponding
impeller 132 so that the impeller 132 can be directly rotated
by force generated from the drive unit 133.
Furthermore, each impeller 132 is supported by a bracket
140 in the corresponding space 111.
The bracket 140 includes a connection part 141, a fixed
part 142, a support part 144 and connection brackets 145.
The connection part 141 has a predetermined length
corresponding to the length of the impeller 132.
Furthermore, the fixed part 142 is bent from an upper end
of the connection part 141 and has a connection hole 143
through which the shaft 132a is coupled to the fixed part 142.
9
CA 02872346 2017-01-16
The support part 144 is bent from a lower end of the
connection part 141 and coupled to a lower end of the drive
unit 133.
The connection brackets 145 are respectively provided on
the fixed part 142 and the support part 144 and are integrally
coupled to corresponding fixed brackets 115 provided in the
spaces 111.
As such, the brackets 140 are installed in the spaces 111
in such a way that the connection brackets 145 are coupled to
the fixed brackets 115 provided in the spaces 111. Each
impeller 132 provided with the drive unit 133 is installed
between the connection part 141 and the fixed part 142 of the
corresponding bracket 140.
In other words, the brackets 140 are used to install the
0 impellers 132 in the respective spaces 111 defined in the
segments of the loop-shaped casing 110, thus facilitating the
installation of the impellers 132, whereby the efficiency of
manufacturing the electric fan can be enhanced.
In the electric fan 100 having the above-mentioned
construction, when the impellers 132 are rotated by the drive
units 133, external air is drawn into the spaces 111 through
the inlet holes 112 and then discharged to the outside through
the outlet holes 113.
The cover 120 has therein a second opening 121
communicating with the first opening 114 so that air supplied
CA 02872346 2017-01-16
from the outlet holes 113 is discharged out of the second
opening 121.
Preferably, an inner surface of the second opening 121 is
inclined in such a way that the second opening 121 is
increased in cross-sectional area from the rear end thereof to
the front end.
Air discharged from the one or more outlet holes 113
moves towards the second opening 121 via the first opening
114; and the air flows partially combine with each other thus
rapidly increasing the discharge flow rate.
As described above, in the electric fan 100 according to
the present invention, the casing 110 having a frame shape and
the cover 120 are coupled to each other, and the rotary unit
130 is installed in the internal spaces 111. The electric fan
100 is operated in such a way that external air is drawn into
the spaces 111 through the inlet holes 112, the pressure in
the spaces 111 is thus increased, and then air is discharged
out of the outlet holes 113 at a high flow rate by increased
pressure in the spaces 111, whereby external air around the
cover 120 passes through the cover 120, thus generating air
currents, and increasing the flow rate of air by virtue of a
difference in air pressure before air is discharged out of the
electric fan.
Therefore, the wind strength of the electric
fan can be further increased.
Although the preferred embodiments of the present
11
CA 02872346 2017-01-16
invention have been disclosed for illustrative purposes, those
skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications,
additions and substitutions are possible, without departing
from the scope and spirit of the invention as disclosed in the
accompanying claims.
12
