Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02936041 2016-07-13
COMBINATION COOLING AND HEATING FAN STRUCTURE
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to a combination cooling and heating fan
structure, and more particularly to a combination cooling and heating fan
structure that
can limit a driving device and a fan blade assembly thereof to rotate at a
reduced
rotational speed when a heating device of the fan structure is started to
produce hot air.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The progress of industrial techniques also brings the problem of global
warming that is getting worse to cause fierce climate change all over the
world,
particularly the constantly increased temperature in summer. Most people try
to get rid
of unbearable heat by using air conditioners or electric fans to lower indoor
temperature.
Regarding electric fans, they are generally divided into two categories,
namely, cooling
fans for use in summer and fan heaters for use in winter. A user has to store
the cooling
fan when winter comes and the fan heater when summer comes. To buy both of the
cooling fan and the fan heater obviously increases a consumer's burden, and
the cooling
fan or fan heater that is seasonally not in use requires additional space for
storage. To
overcome the above problems, a dual fan cooler and heater capable of
selectively
producing cooling or hot air has been developed and introduced into the
market.
[0003] The currently commercially available dual fan cooler and heater
includes a
.. heating device, which heats air surrounding it to produce hot air, and a
fan blade
1
CA 02936041 2016-07-13
assembly, which rotates to blow the produced hot air through an indoor
environment to
gradually increase the temperature of the indoor environment. It is noted the
rotational
speed of the fan blade assembly will indirectly extend or shorten the time
needed to
increase the indoor temperature. When a user increases the rotational speed of
the fan
blade assembly to enhance air convection in the indoor environment, the
temperature of
the produced hot air will inevitably reduce more quickly, and more time is
needed to
increase the indoor temperature.
[0004] In view of the disadvantages of the currently available dual fan cooler
and
heater, it is desirable to provide an improved combination cooling and heating
fan
structure that is able to limit a driving device thereof to rotate within a
specific
rotational speed range when the fan structure blows hot air in an indoor
environment, so
as to avoid quick loss of heat energy of the hot air and to shorten the time
needed to
increase the temperature of the indoor environment.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] A primary object of the present invention is to provide a combination
cooling
and heating fan structure, which is able to limit a driving device thereof to
rotate within
a specific rotational speed range when the fan structure blows hot air in an
indoor
environment, so as to effectively avoid quick loss of heat energy of the hot
air and to
shorten the time needed to increase the temperature of the indoor environment.
[0006] To achieve the above and other objects, the combination cooling and
heating
fan structure according to the present invention includes a driving device, a
heating
2
CA 02936041 2016-07-13
device and an electronic device. The driving device drives a fan blade
assembly to
rotate; the heating device is able to produce hot air; and the electronic
device is
electrically connected to the driving device and the heating device and
includes a
regulating unit, a processing unit and a limiting module.
[0007] The regulating unit of the electronic device can control the driving
device to
rotate within a preset first rotational speed range to thereby drive the fan
blade
assembly of the fan structure to rotate and cause cold convection. The
regulating unit
can also selectively increase or reduce the rotational speed of the driving
device within
the first rotational speed range. The processing unit of the electronic device
can control
the heating device to produce hot air. The limiting module of the electronic
device can
limit the driving device to rotate within a second rotational speed range,
which is
smaller than the first rotational speed range, so that the fan blade assembly
blows the
produced hot air to cause heat convection.
[0008] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the
limiting
module includes a speed-limiting unit and a current-dividing unit. The speed-
limiting
unit is electrically connected to the driving device for limiting the driving
device to
rotate at a speed within the second rotational speed range. The current-
dividing unit is
electrically connected to the processing unit, the regulating unit, the speed-
limiting unit
and the heat device for selectively transmitting an external power supply to
only the
regulating unit or to both of the speed-limiting unit and the heating device.
And, the
speed-limiting unit and the current-dividing unit together form the limiting
module.
[0009] In the above embodiment, the processing unit generates a first control
signal to
3
CA 02936041 2016-07-13
the current-dividing unit when only the driving device is started, so that the
current-dividing unit having received the first control signal transmits the
external
power supply to only the regulating unit. On the other hand, the processing
unit
generates a second control signal to the current-dividing unit when both of
the driving
device and the heating device are started, so that the current-dividing unit
having
received the second control signal transmits the external power supply to both
of the
speed-limiting unit and the heating device.
[0010] According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the
limiting module includes a suppressing unit and a current-dividing unit. The
suppressing unit is electrically connected to the regulating unit and the
processing unit
for suppressing the regulating unit, so that the regulating unit can increase
or reduce the
rotational speed of the driving device only within the second rotational speed
range.
The current-dividing unit is electrically connected to the regulating unit and
the heating
device for selectively transmitting an external power supply to only the
regulating unit
or to both of the regulating unit and the heating device. And, the suppressing
unit and
the current-dividing unit together form the limiting module.
[0011] In the above embodiment, the processing unit generates a first control
signal to
the current-dividing unit, so that the current-dividing unit starts only the
driving device
via the regulating unit and limits the driving device to rotate at a speed
within the first
rotational speed range. On the other hand, the processing unit generates a
second
control signal to both of the current-dividing unit and the suppressing unit,
so that the
driving unit rotates at a speed within the second rotational speed range and
the heating
device is driven to produce hot air.
4
CA 02936041 2016-07-13
=
[0012] In the above two preferred embodiments, the current-dividing unit and
the
processing unit together constitute a microprocessor. According to a further
preferred
embodiment of the present invention, the combination cooling and heating fan
structure
further includes a wireless receiver module electrically connected to the
electronic
device and a sensing device electrically connected to the electronic device.
The wireless
receiver module is wirelessly connected to a portable mobile device, so that
the portable
mobile device can remotely start the driving device and the heating device via
the
wireless receiver module.
[0013] The sensing device detects different physical quantities in an indoor
environment. The electronic device is caused to turn off the driving device
and the
heating device when the sensing device detects any specific physical quantity
is higher
or lower than a preset value. In a preferred embodiment, the sensing device
includes a
temperature sensor unit for sensing an indoor temperature and a humidity
sensor unit
for sensing an indoor humidity level. The electronic device stops the driving
device and
the heating device from operating when the temperature sensor unit detects an
indoor
temperature that is too high relative to a corresponding preset value or the
humidity
sensor unit detects an indoor humidity level that is too low relative to a
corresponding
preset value.
[0014] According to a still further preferred embodiment of the present
invention, the
driving device includes an oscillating assembly for causing the fan blade
assembly to
oscillate, and the electronic device is able to selectively control the
oscillating assembly
to oscillate the fan blade assembly. According to the present invention, the
first and the
5
CA 02936041 2016-07-13
second rotational speed range have the same low limit while the first
rotational speed
range has a high limit larger than that of the second rotational speed range.
[0015] The present invention is characterized in that, when the driving device
and the
heating device are started simultaneously, the limiting module of the
electronic device
limits the driving device to rotate within the second rotational speed range
for the fan
blade assembly to blow hot air through an indoor environment and cause heat
convection, which can effectively increase the temperature of the indoor
environment
while preventing quick loss of thermal energy during the heat convection.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0016] The structure and the technical means adopted by the present invention
to
achieve the above and other objects can be best understood by referring to the
following
detailed description of the preferred embodiments and the accompanying
drawings,
wherein
Fig. 1 is an assembled perspective view of a combination cooling and heating
fan
structure according to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention;
Fig. 2 is an exploded view of Fig. 1;
Fig. 3 is a block diagram of the combination cooling and heating fan structure
according
to the first preferred embodiment of the present invention;
6
CA 02936041 2016-07-13
Fig. 4 is a cutaway view showing the combination cooling and heating fan
structure
according to the first preferred embodiment of the present invention is
started to
produce currents of cooling air;
Fig. 5 is a cutaway view showing the combination cooling and heating fan
structure
according to the first preferred embodiment of the present invention is
started to
produce currents of hot air;
Fig. 6 is a block diagram of a combination cooling and heating fan structure
according
to a second preferred embodiment of the present invention;
Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a combination cooling and heating fan
structure
according to a third preferred embodiment of the present invention;
Fig. 8 is a block diagram of the combination cooling and heating fan structure
according
to the third preferred embodiment of the present invention;
Fig. 9 is a block diagram of a combination cooling and heating fan structure
according
to a fourth preferred embodiment of the present invention;
Fig. 10 is a block diagram of a combination cooling and heating fan structure
according
to a fifth preferred embodiment of the present invention; and
Fig. 11 shows a housing of the combination cooling and heating fan structure
according
to the fifth preferred embodiment of the present invention can oscillate up
and down.
7
CA 02936041 2016-07-13
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0017] The present invention will now be described with some preferred
embodiments
thereof and by referring to the accompanying drawings. For the purpose of easy
to
understand, elements that are the same in the preferred embodiments are
denoted by the
same reference numerals.
[0018] Please refer to Figs. 1 and 2. A combination cooling and heating fan
structure 1
according to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a
base 10
for positioning on a ground or a floor, and a housing 20 movably connected to
a top of
the base 10. The housing 20 internally defines a receiving space 21
communicable with
an environment outside the housing 20. In the housing 20, there are mounted a
starting
device 30, a driving device 40, a heating device 50, an electronic device 60,
and a fan
blade assembly 70.
[0019] As shown, the starting device 30 includes a driving start switch 31,
which is
able to generate a driving start signal to the driving device 40 for the same
to start
operating, and a heating start switch 32, which is able to generate a heating
start signal
to the heating device 50 for the same to start heating. The driving device 40
in operating
will drive the fan blade assembly 70 to rotate in the receiving space 21. The
heating
device 50 is mounted in the receiving space 21 to locate in front of the fan
blade
assembly 70. Further, the heating device 50 is able to heat air inside the
receiving space
21 to produce hot air.
[0020] Please refer to Figs. 2 and 3. The electronic device 60 mainly includes
a
8
CA 02936041 2016-07-13
limiting module 61, a processing unit 62, an AC-to-DC converter 63, and a
regulating
unit 64. The limiting module 61 is composed of a current-dividing unit 611 and
a
speed-limiting unit 612. The current-dividing unit 611 is electrically
connected to the
processing unit 62, the AC-to-DC converter 63, the regulating unit 64, the
speed-limiting unit 612 and the heating device 50. The speed-limiting unit 612
is
connected to the driving device 40.
[0021] The processing unit 62 is electrically connected to the starting device
30 for
receiving the driving start signal and the heating start signal. In the case
only the
driving start signal is received, the processing unit 62 generates a first
control signal to
the current-dividing unit 611. On the other hand, in the case both of the
driving start
signal and the heating start signal are received, the processing unit 62
generates a
second control signal to the current-dividing unit 611. In a preferred
embodiment of the
present invention, the processing unit 62 and the current-dividing unit 611
together
constitute a microprocessor 65.
[0022] The regulating unit 64 is electrically connected to the driving device
40, while
the AC-to-DC converter 63 is electrically connected to the current-dividing
unit 611 of
the limiting module 61 to receive an external AC power supply. The AC-to-DC
.. converter 63 functions to convert the external AC power supply into an
external DC
power supply and transmit the external DC power supply to the current-dividing
unit
611 of the limiting module 61. And, the current-dividing unit 611 selectively
transmits
the received external DC power supply to only the regulating unit 64 or to
both of the
speed-limiting unit 612 of the limiting module 61 and the heating device 50.
9
CA 02936041 2016-07-13
[0023] As shown, when receiving the external DC power supply, the regulating
unit
64 transmits the external DC power supply to the driving device 40, so that
the fan
blade assembly 70 is driven by the driving device 40 to rotate in the
receiving space 21
and accordingly cause air therein to flow. The regulating unit 64 can
selectively
.. increase or reduce a rotational speed of the driving device 40 within a
first rotational
speed range. In the illustrated first preferred embodiment, the regulating
unit 64
achieves the increase or reduction of the rotational speed of the driving
device 40 by
changing the resistance of the driving device 40; and the driving device 40 is
controlled
by the regulating unit 64 to rotate at a speed ranged between 30 and 1400 rpm.
[0024] When the speed-limiting unit 612 receives the external DC power supply,
it
transmits the received external DC power supply to the driving device 40, so
that the
driving device 40 drives the fan blade assembly 70 to rotate in the receiving
space 21
and accordingly cause air therein to flow. The speed-limiting unit 612 can
limit the
.. driving device 40 to rotate within a second rotational speed range, which
is smaller than
the first rotational speed range. In the illustrated first preferred
embodiment, the first
and the second rotational speed range have the same low limit while the first
rotational
speed range has a high limit larger than that of the second rotational speed
range.
Further, the speed-limiting unit 612 limits the driving device 40 to rotate
within the
.. second rotational speed range by limiting the resistance of the driving
device 40 to
change within a specific resistance range. Moreover, the driving device 40 is
controlled
by the speed-limiting unit 612 to rotate at a speed ranged between 30 and 300
rpm.
[0025] Referring to Figs. 3 and 4. In practical application of the combination
cooling
.. and heating fan structure 1 according to the first preferred embodiment of
the present
CA 02936041 2016-07-13
invention, first turn the driving start switch 31 of the starting device 30
for the driving
start switch 31 to generate the driving start signal to the processing unit
62. When
receiving the driving start signal only, the processing unit 62 generates the
first control
signal to the current-dividing unit 611 of the limiting module 61.
[0026] When receiving the first control signal, the current-dividing unit 611
of the
limiting module 61 transmits the external DC power supply to the driving
device 40 via
the regulating unit 64, so that the fan blade assembly 70 is driven by the
driving device
40 to rotate in the receiving space 21 and accordingly causes air therein to
flow, which
causes cold convection to thereby reduce the temperature of an indoor
environment.
[0027] When the driving start switch 31 is turned to different magnitudes of
rotational
speed, the regulating unit 64 will correspondingly cause changes in the
rotational speed
of the driving device 40 to increase or reduce an air flow rate of the cold
convection. In
the illustrated practical application of the present invention, the driving
start switch 31
is turned to a rotational speed of 600 rpm, and the regulating unit 64
correspondingly
drives the driving device 40 to rotate at a speed of 600 rpm.
[0028] Please refer to Figs. 3 and 5. When it is desired to increase the
temperature of
the indoor environment, the driving start switch 31 and the heating start
switch 32 are
turned on at the same time, so that the driving start switch 31 generates the
driving start
signal to the processing unit 62 while the heating start switch 32 generates
the heating
start signal to the processing unit 62. When the processing unit 62 receives
both of the
driving start signal and the heating start signal, it generates the second
control signal to
the current-dividing unit 611 of the limiting module 61.
11
CA 02936041 2016-07-13
[0029] When receiving the second control signal, the current-dividing unit 611
of the
limiting module 61 transmits the external DC power supply to the speed-
limiting unit
612 and the heating device 50 at the same time. The speed-limiting unit 612
further
transmits the received external DC power supply to the driving device 40 for
the latter
to drive the fan blade assembly 70 to rotate in the receiving space 21. And,
the rotation
of the fan blade assembly 70 causes indoor air to flow.
[0030] Meanwhile, when the heating device 50 receives the external power
supply, it
starts heating the air in the receiving space 21 to produce hot air, which is
blown by the
fan blade assembly 70 into the indoor environment to cause heat convection to
thereby
increase the temperature of the indoor environment. Since the speed-limiting
unit 612
can limit the driving device 40 to rotate within the second rotational speed
range, the
driving device 40 will drive the fan blade assembly 70 to rotate at a low
speed and
slowly blows the produced hot air into the indoor environment, which
effectively
prevents quick loss of thermal energy during the heat convection and shortens
the time
needed to increase the indoor temperature. In the illustrated practical
application of the
present invention, the speed-limiting unit 612 limits the driving device 40 to
rotate at a
speed ranged between 30 and 300 rpm, so that the driving device 40 drives the
fan blade
assembly 70 to rotate at a speed ranged between 30 and 300 rpm.
[0031] Fig. 6 is a block diagram of a combination cooling and heating fan
structure
according to a second preferred embodiment of the present invention. The
second
preferred embodiment is different from the first one in that the limiting
module 61
includes a current-dividing unit 611 and a suppressing unit 613. Since all
other
12
CA 02936041 2016-07-13
structural parts of the second preferred embodiment, including the starting
device 30,
the driving device 40 and the heating device 50, are the same as those in the
first
preferred embodiment, they are not repeatedly described herein.
[0032] As shown in Fig. 6, the limiting module 61 mainly includes the
current-dividing unit 611 and the suppressing unit 613. The current-dividing
unit 611 is
electrically connected to processing unit 62, the AC-to-DC converter 63, the
regulating
unit 64 and the heating device 50. The suppressing unit 613 is electrically
connected to
the processing unit 62 and the regulating unit 64 for suppressing the
regulating unit 64,
so that the regulating unit 64 can increase or reduce the rotational speed of
the driving
device 40 only within the second rotational speed range. In practical
application of the
combination cooling and heating fan structure 1 according to the second
preferred
embodiment of the present invention, when the current-dividing unit 611 of the
limiting
module 61 receives the first control signal, it transmits the external DC
power supply to
only the regulating unit 64, which controls the driving device 40 to drive the
fan blade
assembly 70 to rotate within the first rotational speed range. On the other
hand, when
the processing unit 62 generates the second control signal, the second control
signal is
sent by the processing unit 62 to both of the current-dividing unit 611 and
the
suppressing unit 613.
[0033] When the current-dividing unit 611 receives the second control signal,
it
transmits the external DC power supply to both of the regulating unit 64 and
the heating
device 50. Meanwhile, when the suppressing unit 613 receives the second
control signal,
it suppresses the regulating unit 64, so that the regulating unit 64 drives
the driving
device 40 to rotate only at a speed within the second rotational speed range,
bringing
13
CA 02936041 2016-07-13
the fan blade assembly 70 to also rotate within the second rotational speed
range.
[0034] Referring to Figs. 7 and 8. A combination cooling and heating fan
structure 1
according to a third preferred embodiment of the present invention is
different from the
first one in that the starting device 30 thereof further includes a wireless
receiver
module 80, which is electrically connected to the processing unit 62. Since
all other
structural parts of the third preferred embodiment, including the driving
device 40, the
heating device 50 and the electronic device 60, are the same as those in the
first
preferred embodiment, they are not repeatedly described herein.
[0035] As shown in Figs. 7 and 8, the wireless receiver module 80 is
wirelessly
connected to a portable mobile device 81, which is able to generate and
transmit the
driving start signal and the heating start signal to the wireless receiver
module 80. The
wireless receiver module 80 in turn transmits the received driving start
signal and
heating start signal to the processing unit 62. The processing unit 62 will
determine
whether only the driving start signal is received or both of the driving start
signal and
the heating start signal are received. In the case only the driving start
signal is received,
the processing unit 62 generates the first control signal; and, in the case
both the
driving and the heating start signals are received, the processing unit 62
generates the
second control signal. Thereafter, the current-dividing unit 611 of the
limiting module
61 transmits the external DC power supply only to the regulating unit 64, in
the case the
first control signal is generated and transmitted to the current-dividing unit
611, or to
both of the speed-limiting unit 612 and the heating unit 50, in the case the
second
control signal is generated and transmitted to the current-dividing unit 611.
14
CA 02936041 2016-07-13
[0036] Fig. 9 is a block diagram of a combination cooling and heating fan
structure 1
according to a fourth preferred embodiment of the present invention. The
fourth
preferred embodiment is different from the first one in that it further
includes a sensing
device 90 electrically connected to the processing unit 62. Since all other
structural
parts of the fourth preferred embodiment, including the starting device 30,
the driving
device 40, the heating device 50 and the electronic device 60, are the same as
those in
the first preferred embodiment, they are not repeatedly described herein.
[0037] The sensing device 90 can detect different physical quantities in an
indoor
environment. When the sensing device 90 detects any specific physical quantity
is
higher or lower than a preset value, the processing unit 62 is caused to
generate a stop
signal to the current-dividing unit 611. When receiving the stop signal, the
current-dividing unit 611 stops transmitting the external power supply to the
speed-limiting unit 612 and the heating device 50.
[0038] In a preferred embodiment, the sensing device 90 includes a temperature
sensor unit 91 for detecting an indoor temperature, and a humidity sensor unit
92 for
detecting an indoor humidity level. In practical application of the
combination cooling
and heating fan structure 1 according to the fourth preferred embodiment of
the present
invention, when the fan blade assembly 70 blows hot air to an indoor
environment to
thereby increase the temperature of the indoor environment, the temperature
sensor unit
91 and the humidity sensor unit 92 act to detect the temperature and the
humidity level
of the indoor environment, respectively. When any one of the temperature
sensor unit
91 and the humidity sensor unit 92 detects an indoor temperature that is too
high or an
indoor humidity level that is too low relative to a corresponding preset
value, the
processing unit 62 generates a stop signal to the current-dividing unit 611.
When
receiving the stop signal, the current-dividing unit 611 stops transmitting
the external
power supply to the speed-limiting unit 612 and the heating device 50.
[0039] Referring to Figs. 10 and 11. A combination cooling and heating fan
structure
1 according to a fifth preferred embodiment is different from the first one in
that the
starting device 30 thereof further includes an oscillating start switch 33
electrically
connected to the processing unit 62 and that the driving device 40 thereof
further
includes an oscillating assembly 41. Since all other structural parts of the
fifth preferred
embodiment are the same as those in the first preferred embodiment, they are
not
repeatedly described herein. In practical application of the fifth preferred
embodiment,
when the oscillating start switch 33 is pushed, it generates an oscillating
start signal to
the processing unit 62, which further directly transmits the oscillating start
signal to the
oscillating assembly 41 of the driving device 40, so that the oscillating
assembly 41
causes the housing 20 to oscillate upward and downward. Meanwhile, the fan
blade
assembly 70 is brought to oscillate upward and downward synchronously with the
housing 20. It is understood that the upward and downward oscillation of the
housing
caused by the oscillating assembly 41 is only illustrative. In other operable
embodiments, the fan blade assembly 70 can be directly brought by the
oscillating
20 assembly 41 to oscillate up and down in the receiving space 21.
[0040] The present invention has been described with some preferred
embodiments
thereof and it is understood that many changes and modifications in the
described
embodiments can be carried out without departing from the scope of the
invention that
is intended to be limited only by the appended claims.
16
CA 2936041 2018-04-04
