Protective Screen Or Guard Patents (Class 416/247R)
  • Patent number: 6139270
    Abstract: The present invention relates an electric fan. The fan has a body and a fan assembly housed in the body. The fan is able to pivot and elevate/descend with respect to the body. Furthermore, the body has a fragrance container received in a recess defined in the body, such that when the fan is activated, ambience will be full of delightful scent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2000
    Inventor: Chin-I Liao
  • Patent number: 6135714
    Abstract: A necklace hanger for mounting on a portable fan to be worn is disclosed. The hanger includes a main body having a ring for fitly mounting on a fan and an extension for supporting the shroud of the fan. Then a cord is connected to the extension to form a loop for hanging the fan to one's neck. The hanger can selectively combine with the fan by user and is suitable for applying to other portable fans. Furthermore, the connecting mechanism of the cord and the main body is in a detachable manner that when an outer force applied to the connectors exceeds a certain extent, the cord will be released from the hanger to prevent from harms of a wearer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2000
    Inventor: Chin-Tien Hsu
  • Patent number: 6132171
    Abstract: The present apparatus provides a blower that improves the P-Q characteristic and reduces noise. The apparatus is a blower that sucks air inside through slits (6) provided in an annular wall (2), wherein the blade thickness near a blade end s is progressively reduced toward the front end, and the location F of the maximum thickness gradually moves back toward a blade trailing edge side u2 so as to make the blade advance angle near the front end larger than in other locations. In addition, the width of a slit is made wider in sections near a spacer than in other sections. Alternatively, notches are provided in the outer perimeter of annular plates near the spacers so as to reduce the radial length of the annular plates. This arrangement improves the P-Q characteristic and reduces noise.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2000
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroyasu Fujinaka, Shigeru Otsuka
  • Patent number: 6120248
    Abstract: Fan construction which includes a pre-assembled pretested handle assembly, which contains a multi-position switch, a thermostat, a cordset and wiring to connect to a fan motor, which is snapped into place in a fan body or grill.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2000
    Inventors: Charles Litvin, William E. Lasko
  • Patent number: 6099258
    Abstract: A high velocity fan which includes a pre-assembled motor cover assembly, which contains a mounting plate, which is provided with locator studs to engage with a grill plate on a fan, and which motor mounting plate and grill plate are fastened together with a plurality of blind rivets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2000
    Assignee: Lasko Holdings, Inc.
    Inventors: Charles Litvin, Gary Beideman
  • Patent number: 6071078
    Abstract: A ring bracket-shroud mounting assembly for an car engine cooling system includes a bracket for enclosing and supporting fan blades and motor, and a shroud with a mounting seat for supporting the bracket. The bracket has at least one active lock coupler, and a shroud has at least one passive lock coupler. Each active lock coupler includes an overhanging means and each passive lock coupler includes a catch. The overhanging apparatus and catch are adapted to matingly engage and retain the ring bracket to the shroud when the overhanging apparatus and catch are placed adjacent to each other and the ring bracket is rotated relative to the shroud to a locking position to have the overhanging apparatus combined with the catch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2000
    Assignee: ITT Manufacturing Enterprises Inc.
    Inventors: Jennifer J. Schlegel, Lisa E. Lindemann, Steven J. Barnes, Michael W. Boles, John R. Savage
  • Patent number: 6071079
    Abstract: A high velocity fan for supplying forced air where the fan has a front grill with its air delivery area having aerodynamically formed spaced radial ribs that increase the velocity of the delivered air over the conventional round wire rib grill.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2000
    Assignee: Lasko Holdings, Inc. USA
    Inventor: Charles Litvin
  • Patent number: 6050774
    Abstract: A modular fan filter unit designed to supply process control air to mini-enclosure clean rooms. The modular fan filter unit is easy to remove, repair, and replace in the clean room environment. It has a readily accessible filter mounted across its bottom surface and an internal variable frequency drive fan. The fan pushes air through the filter into a clean room. Multiple numbers of modular fan filter units may be connected together as an array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2000
    Assignee: Huntair Inc.
    Inventor: James F. LeBaron
  • Patent number: 6045329
    Abstract: A filter for a fan comprising air permeable material exteriorally embracing the suction portion of said fan.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2000
    Inventor: Randy Sobala
  • Patent number: 6045330
    Abstract: A fan shroud retrofittable about a vehicle's fan and mountable to the fan housing, to prevent access thereto by animals. A first embodiment includes a pair of semi-circular screened housing members which include a pair of aligned, planar flange members. When the respective pairs are joined to the companion pairs of a second housing member, the assembly defines a circular shroud for mounting to the fan housing. A second embodiment for the shroud of this invention consists of a unitary, circular housing having a radially extending opening to override the shaft of the fan.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 1997
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2000
    Inventor: Robert E. Williams
  • Patent number: 6036444
    Abstract: A protective air passing shield has a top shield resiliently releasably connected by a plurality of mounts to an end portion of a side shield. The protective air passing shield is disposed about a fan and connected to a shroud of a cooling system and blocks large particles from the cooling system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2000
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Brian W. Barney, Paul J. Byrne, Gary L. Heiser, Gary E. Philipsen
  • Patent number: 6017191
    Abstract: This invention relates to an axial fan housing having a metallic shielding grating covering an air passage opening, wherein the grating is formed with a series of vane-like guide bars arranged in two or more concentric circular series. The number of guide bars in each circular concentric series increases from the radially inner series to the radially outer series of guide bars.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 1997
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2000
    Assignee: Papst-Motoren GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Siegfried Harmsen
  • Patent number: 6015262
    Abstract: A fan apparatus includes a housing with front and rear parts and two swivel joints, a driving motor disposed in the housing, inner and outer annular members, a transmission member, and an anchoring member. The motor has a rear portion provided with a worm section extending toward the rear part. The inner annular member is sleeved on the front part and is connected to the joints so as to swivel relative to the latter. The outer annular member is sleeved retainingly on the inner annular member and is angularly adjustable relative to the same. A swing rod has a first proximate end relative to the worm section and mounted pivotally on the rear part, and a first distal end which extends toward the front part. The transmission member is disposed in the rear part to transmit an axial rotation of the worm section to swing the first distal end of the swing rod relative to the first proximate end in a plane parallel to the worm section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 1997
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2000
    Inventor: Kuo-Cheng Huang
  • Patent number: 6015265
    Abstract: A box fan which includes an air divider ring as part of the front grill, which ring results in increases in the peak velocity of the air supplied by the fan, and the cubic foot per minute of the supplied air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2000
    Assignee: Lasko Holdings, Inc.
    Inventors: William E. Lasko, Ralph Zwakenberg, Rodney Wilson
  • Patent number: 5997254
    Abstract: An attaching plate is fixed to a cooling air duct in a refrigerator. A fan motor for supplying cooling air, is downwardly directed and is attached to the attaching plate. A fan cover is attached to the cooling air duct and below the fan motor. A bottom plate portion having a recess is disposed in the fan cover so as to be opposed to the tip end of the fan rotation shaft which is downwardly projected from a fan.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 7, 1999
    Assignee: Hoshizaki Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Junichi Tosaki
  • Patent number: 5944488
    Abstract: A tube axle fan assembly comprising a tubular housing and resiliently deformable, convex guards that removably, snap fit to each fan end. A motor and associated components are mounted in the housing upon a bracket having two spaced-apart feet that form a triangular brace. A pivoted bracket mounts the motor such that the pull of gravity tends to tighten the drive belt entrained about the pulleys. The housing comprises a cylindrical, hollow body having input and output ends with diameters smaller than the guard outside diameter. A reinforcing channel is formed in each end of the housing to retain the seated guard. Each guard comprises a circular wire frame that assumes a dome-like configuration. Each guard has a series of radially spaced-apart spokes emanating from a central hub which must be arched to clear the smaller diameter of the housing. The spokes are reinforced by a continuous wire spiral that circumscribes the hub.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 31, 1999
    Assignee: Triangle Engineering of Arkansas, Inc.
    Inventor: Carl G. Matson
  • Patent number: 5871334
    Abstract: An outlet structure for an air-conditioner has a fan guard disposed on the outlet side of the air-conditioner for preventing foreign matter from entering to an air blower, and at least one air-direction control vane disposed upstream and/or downstream of the fan guard. The fan guard has elements, except for an outer frame, not in parallel to the rear edge of the upstream air-direction control vane or the front edge of the downstream air-direction control vane. Even in the case where the distance between a fan guard and air-direction control vanes is reduced, and airflows interfere with the fan guard and the air-direction control vanes as the size of air-conditioners is progressively reduced, air-turbulence noise may be reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 1997
    Date of Patent: February 16, 1999
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shinichi Suzuki, Akira Takamori
  • Patent number: 5868127
    Abstract: A smoke exhauster includes bottom opening for engaging with a fan device and includes a fastener secured beside the opening. A net device has a portion secured to the smoke exhauster opposite to the fastener and includes an ear having a notch for engaging with the fastener and for allowing the ear to be secured to the smoke exhauster without disengaging the fastener from the smoke exhauster. The ear includes an oblong hole communicating with the notch for allowing the fastener to be engaged into the oblong hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 1997
    Date of Patent: February 9, 1999
    Inventors: Chao Cheng Chiang, Chi Shyong Chiang
  • Patent number: 5833436
    Abstract: A slot structure for positioning fans in computers, office machines or electrical products. The slot structure includes a positioning slot with an elastic hook members at either side and a plurality of suspended elastic stop blocks at the corners. After the fan is inserted into the positioning slot and hooked by the hook members, the elastic stop blocks will urge upwardly against the fan to eliminate any clearance and secure the fan firmly in place.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 1996
    Date of Patent: November 10, 1998
    Inventor: Hsin Chien Ho
  • Patent number: 5795133
    Abstract: A hinged snap together fan guard has front and rear fan guard members hingedly attached in a unique arrangement. Each of the front and rear fan guard members are generally formed in the shape of a concave dish having a plurality of ribs extending outwardly from a central region to a periphery of the member. Selected ribs on the front guard member terminate, at an outer end, in a hook for engaging with a peripheral rim of the rear fan guard member. At least one selected rib on each fan guard member terminates at an outer end in a loop. The two loops mate with each other, thereby forming a hinge. The front guard member can be moved from a closed position in engagement with the rear fan guard member to an open position, by pivoting the front fan guard member about the hinge. The hinge is preferably located in a lower quadrant of the fan guard, such that when opened, the front fan guard member is pivoted outwardly and downwardly relative to the rear fan guard member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 1996
    Date of Patent: August 18, 1998
    Assignee: Emerson Electric Co.
    Inventors: D. Lee Hill, Jimmy D. Vanfossan, Steven E. Woosley
  • Patent number: 5749708
    Abstract: A fan using tensionable safety guards combined with a universal subframe to enhance fan servicing. The preferred fan comprises a parallelepiped housing protectively enclosing an internal subframe securing a drive motor and fan propeller. A reinforcing edge circumscribes the housing front and rear to facilitate guard coupling. The edge comprises an angled brace adjacent to a peripheral lip penetrated by several spaced-apart slits. Fastener orifices penetrate the housing adjacent the slits. A displaceable clip resides in each slit. A clip anchor mates with a fastener that permits an operator to displace the clip outwardly and inwardly to selectively tension the safety guards that cover the housing front and rear. Each guard comprises a rectangular wire mesh. Each clip defines an arcuate cradle that captivates a portion of a safety guard. A transverse notch in each cradle captivates another portion of the guard to firmly seat it.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 1996
    Date of Patent: May 12, 1998
    Assignee: Triangle Engineering of Arkansas Inc.
    Inventor: Carl G. Matson
  • Patent number: 5743709
    Abstract: A portable electric window fan including a housing having side walls, a bottom wall for mounting on a sill of a window, a top wall for engaging a sash of the window, a front wall defining an air outlet, a rear wall defining an air inlet, and the walls together defining a closed chamber communicating with the inlet and outlet. Also included is a fan mount supported by the housing for rotation on a first axis; a drive shaft supported in the chamber on the fan mount and having a second axis transverse to the first axis; an electric drive motor coupled to the drive shaft and operable to produce rotation thereof; a fan blade fixed to the drive shaft for rotation therewith within the chamber; and an electrically powered drive mechanism coupled to the fan mount and operable to produce reciprocating rotation thereof on the first axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 1995
    Date of Patent: April 28, 1998
    Assignee: Honeywell Consumer Products, Inc.
    Inventors: Rodney B. Jane, Jui-Shang Wang, Robert L. Marvin, Jr., John Longan
  • Patent number: 5725356
    Abstract: A portable fan for use on a child 's stroller. The fan has a housing, an electric motor in the housing powered by a source such as a battery so that the motor does not require any physical connection to a fixed location, a mechanism for moving air including a shaft connected to the motor, a hub on the shaft and a plurality of blades, made of a resiliently flexible material, projecting radially outwardly from the hub, a shroud having an animal face depicted thereon connected to the housing and substantially enclosing said air moving mechanism, a clamp for releasably clamping the fan onto the stroller being shaped in the form of an animal foot and a bendable support interconnecting the housing and the fan.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 10, 1998
    Inventor: C. Michael Carter
  • Patent number: 5707205
    Abstract: An air moving device for improving P-Q characteristics and noise by suppressing the production of vortices. An annular wall spaced from blade tips, is formed of a plurality of annular plates and spacers with a slit defined between adjacent annular plates. The width of each slit is set to satisfy the formula W.ltoreq.(.nu..multidot.R.sub.ec /v) where .nu. is the kinematic viscosity of air, v is the peripheral speed of the blade tips, W is the width of the slits and R.sub.ec is the critical Reynold's number. Thus, as a fan is rotated, air is drawn in a laminar flow through the slits to the inner periphery of the annular wall. Thereby, it is possible to suppress the separation of air flow on the suction side of blade surfaces and the production of vortices, thus improving the air moving state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 1996
    Date of Patent: January 13, 1998
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Shigeru Otsuka
  • Patent number: 5671610
    Abstract: A fan guard of the freezing chamber in the refrigerator directs the cool air ejected from the cooling fan into the freezing chamber in quantities for shortening the time required for maintaining the optimum ambience of the freezing chamber, economizing the power consumed in the refrigerator and minimizing the cool air which collides against the fan guard and changes the advancing direction thereof to interfere the cooling fan to thereby decrease the noise. For attaining these effects, the fan guard is formed with plural cool air holes and projections for guiding flow of the cool air protrude between the cool air holes toward the cooling fan which circulates the cool air. In another embodiment, a single projection is located on the fan guard and formed between an adjacent pair of the cool air holes and placed along the same axis as the cooling fan.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 30, 1997
    Assignee: Daewoo Electronics, Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Jun-Chul Shin
  • Patent number: 5667731
    Abstract: A portable fan device for use with a spray misting bottle which is capable of being mounted atop a spray applicating head portion of the misting bottle so that a fan blade unit of the fan device is positioned forwardly and in communication with an atomized spray nozzle of the spray head and cools and atomizes the mist spray issued by the nozzle. Releasable securing means such as an attachment bracket or contoured gripping tabs extending from the fan underside are employed for securing the fan body in a generally horizontal fashion atop the spray head. A stand member is held within a recessed cavity in the fan underside and can be rotated downwardly to support the fan device in an upright position for use as a portable fan once the fan body has been detached from atop the spray head. In a further embodiment, a gripping tab which forms part of the releasable securing means can provide the dual function of gripping part of the spray head and supporting the fan body in an upright position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 1995
    Date of Patent: September 16, 1997
    Assignee: Circulair, Inc.
    Inventors: Eric F. Junkel, Linda M. Usher
  • Patent number: 5613833
    Abstract: A support particularly adapted to support an electric fan is provided. The support has a cam action quick release mechanism which is movable between locked and free positions. When the release mechanism is in the free position the fan can be easily rotated to a desired degree of tilt about a horizontal axis. When the release mechanism is in the locked position rotation of the fan is prevented. The support also includes tilt limiting mechanisms which sets a predetermined forward and backward limitation on fan rotation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 1995
    Date of Patent: March 25, 1997
    Assignee: Holmes Products Corp.
    Inventors: Robert E. Wolfe, Johnson Hsu
  • Patent number: 5609473
    Abstract: A pivot fan which has an improved yoke and base assembly, which is easy to mold, of improved structural design, uses less material in construction, which includes a one piece molded base with a yoke, a portion of which is integral with the base and with two members which are engaged in recesses in each side of the base, and support a fan outer housing, which is retained in the yoke, and tiltable for air direction variance, which housing has an integral handle, and contains a fan motor and blade to provide airflow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 11, 1997
    Inventor: Charles Litvin
  • Patent number: 5601412
    Abstract: A fan guard for, the guard having an easily adjustable diameter and a fence for protecting people and objects from coming into contact with the rotating fan blades. The frame of the fan guard includes notches within the frame that allow the user to disconnect portions of the fan guard so that the diameter of the fan guard can be made to approximately match the diameter of a circle formed by the ends of the fan blades as the fan blades rotate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 1995
    Date of Patent: February 11, 1997
    Inventor: Stephen D. Vice
  • Patent number: 5597288
    Abstract: A screw driving device is loaded within a box-shaped casing, straightening plates are disposed on the front surface of the casing so as to face to the front surface of screw vanes, and water holes are bored in a rear portion and side portions of the casing, the casing being held on a support frame mechanism capable of being adjusted in vertical movement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 1994
    Date of Patent: January 28, 1997
    Inventor: Miyoshi Hatanaka
  • Patent number: 5580220
    Abstract: A fan guard for use in connection with a textile fan blower is of minimal surface area to intrude upon the air flow or collect lint or debris. The guard has a plurality of fingers joined together by a mounting ring. The fingers are annexed in a spoke-like configuration to embrace the fan blades, and are free of additional interconnections along their length. The ends of the fingers are located so as to create an open central exhaust corridor for the fan.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 1995
    Date of Patent: December 3, 1996
    Assignee: Uniwave, Inc.
    Inventor: John Baumann
  • Patent number: 5573382
    Abstract: A multi-speed electric fan comprising a fan assembly, a variable power controller and an electrostatically actuated signal generator. The fan assembly includes an electric fan motor having a pair of power supply inputs. The variable power controller has a pair of power inputs, a pair of power outputs, and an actuating signal input. The actuating signal controls the power output of the variable power controller. The signal generator preferably includes a conducting plate, having an insulated conducting lead, and an isolation housing, having an open top. The conducting plate is installed within the isolation housing in a manner such that the conducting plate is electrically isolated from the housing of the fan assembly and the conducting lead is in electrical connection with the signal generator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 1995
    Date of Patent: November 12, 1996
    Inventor: Furness W. Girard
  • Patent number: 5556256
    Abstract: An electrical fan having a positioning mechanism, driven by the rotation of the fan's motor, which causes the fan's head to simultaneously pivot sinusoidally and continuously about a pair of perpendicular axes to continuously redirect the airstream from the fan in a conical pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 1995
    Date of Patent: September 17, 1996
    Inventor: Steve Shao
  • Patent number: 5545009
    Abstract: A hot air/cold air dual-mode electric fan including a vane assembly having an electric heating coil in the mica sheets of each vane, a bakelite mount fixedly secured to the vane assembly and having a circuit board with backward female contacts, a barrel mounted inside a holder in front of a motor and having separated carbon brushes, a shaft mounted within the barrel and coupled to the motor and having male contacts respectively connected to the female contacts and separated copper rings respectively disposed in contact with each carbon brush, and a control circuit for controlling power supply to the electric heating coils and regulating its heating temperature, so that the vane assembly produces currents of cold air when the motor is started and power supply is cut from the electric heating coils by the control circuit, or currents of hot air when the motor is started and power supply is connected to the electric heating coil by the control circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 1995
    Date of Patent: August 13, 1996
    Inventor: Chin-Fu Ke
  • Patent number: 5520509
    Abstract: A fan housing having a peripheral wall disposed about the fan's axis of rotation. A plurality of flanges including reinforced hems are integrally formed with and extend perpendicularly of the peripheral wall toward the fan's axis of rotation. A screen fabricated from interconnected, perpendicular wire strands is coupled to the flanges by means of the reinforced hems with rigid but malleable tabs integrally formed thereon that are bent around a peripheral strand of the screen. Apertures are defined by and extend through the peripheral wall and the flanges to provide access to the tabs such that the tabs may be urged toward the flanges to secure the screen in position. The same apertures provide access to the tabs such that the tabs may be urged away from the flanges to disengage the peripheral strand from the tabs such that the screen may be removed and replaced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 1994
    Date of Patent: May 28, 1996
    Assignee: Staco, Inc.
    Inventor: Leon S. Zimmerman
  • Patent number: 5498134
    Abstract: A cover assembly is attached to a shaft extending upward from a handle. The cover assembly includes a plurality of cross guards that cross in front of and behind the fan blade to prevent injury. A pair of supports hold the cover assembly in an open position, and automatically shut the fan off if the fan is closed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 1994
    Date of Patent: March 12, 1996
    Inventor: Sam Ibekwe
  • Patent number: 5474427
    Abstract: A fan assembly having a housing having side walls, a fan having rotating blades mounted within the housing and a fan screen mounted relative to the housing and spaced from the rotating blades. The fan assembly includes a housing having two parallel spaced tracks for slidable reception of a pair of opposed parallel edges of the fan screen. The fan screen is slidably moveably between an operable position in front of the rotating blades and a fan clean-out position where the fan screen is at least partially disengaged from the tracks of the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 1993
    Date of Patent: December 12, 1995
    Assignee: J & D Sales of Eau Claire Wisconsin
    Inventor: Donovan A. Redetzke
  • Patent number: 5474426
    Abstract: A rotatable device for a protective net of an electric fan including a vertical base, a synchronous motor fixed on a rear surface of the base, a gear fixed on the shaft of the motor, a first sleeve supported on the shaft of the motor of an electric fan and fitting through a center hole of the base to fit around a rear small diameter shaft hole of a rotatable sleeve and then to engage a rotatable sleeve locking nut fitted in a front large diameter shaft hole of the rotatable sleeve, a net locking nut engaging a male threaded portion of the rotatable sleeve to secure the net ring of the protective net of an electric fan with the rotatable sleeve having a gear portion to engage the gear so that the protective net may be rotated by the rotatable sleeve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 1994
    Date of Patent: December 12, 1995
    Inventor: Tsai-Sou Wang
  • Patent number: 5470202
    Abstract: A low-aspect ratio propeller system is provided with a multiple ring structure formed with a plurality of circular or non-circular, annular, narrow equivalent air foil rings which are held by rails in a predetermined relationship with the propeller blades. The upstream ring is located downstream from the tip vortex of the propeller within the axial span of the propeller. One or more additional downstream-located rings are used so as to provide at least one annular multiple ring-defined pump aperture through which peripheral vortices generated by the propeller blades or fan blades may enhance the mass flow. In one propeller system, a low-aspect-ratio propeller is employed with high blade angles of attack and non-stall capability to generate strong vortices which enhance the beneficial effect of the multiple ring structure. These vortices increase thrust because their induction action on the rings increase beneficial ring flow circulation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 1993
    Date of Patent: November 28, 1995
    Inventor: Harold E. Lemont
  • Patent number: 5460485
    Abstract: A blower having an axial fan driven by a rotating drive source and enclosed by a shroud assembly including a substantially cylindrical fan shroud enclosing an outer circumference of the axial fan, and a protective unit provided with a plurality of support beams extending from the fan shroud toward an air intake side of the blower and cooperating with a plurality of ring-like members so as to form a protective net member for preventing entrance of any unfavorable substances such as foreign matter or a human finger into the shroud assembly, and a plurality of support ribs operating as a physical rib members and as protective members preventing entrance of the unfavorable substances from a radially outer region of the blower into the interior of the shroud assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 1994
    Date of Patent: October 24, 1995
    Assignee: Nippondenso Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshiki Sugiyama, Yoshitake Hoshino
  • Patent number: 5458462
    Abstract: A swivel mechanism for the electrical fan having the motor used to drive the blade of the electrical fan is used to control the swiveling movement. The controlling elements generally includes an U-shape supporting bracket, a positioning post and a connecting mechanism which is disposed between the output shaft and the positioning post. The motor is supported by an U-shape supporting bracket and the U-shape supporting bracket includes a pair of legs which can be connected to the rear housing by a pair of screws. Accordingly, the motor is capable of pitching upward and downward by the help of the screws. The lower end of the U-shape supporting bracket is rotatably mounted onto a positioning post, accordingly, the supporting bracket being capable of swiveling thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 1994
    Date of Patent: October 17, 1995
    Assignee: Accutek Products Corp.
    Inventor: Steve Shao
  • Patent number: 5435695
    Abstract: A portable electric fan with fixed multiple support structure permitting orientation of the fan in various angular positions with respect to the support surface on which the fan is placed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 1993
    Date of Patent: July 25, 1995
    Assignee: Duracraft Corp.
    Inventors: Bernard Chiu, Robert L. Marvin, Jr., John Longan
  • Patent number: 5431544
    Abstract: A tiltable fan assembly adapted to exhaust air at a variety of angular orientations. In a preferred embodiment, the tiltable fan assembly includes a generally flat base member adapted to rest on a table top or similar surface. The base member is shaped to include a pair of horizontally-extending, cylindrically-shaped sleeves. The fan assembly also includes a pair of mounting posts, each mounting post being angularly adjustably mounted about its longitudinal axis within its respective sleeves and being appropriately sized to extend out through both ends of its respective sleeve. A rotary switch is angularly adjustably mounted on the outer end of one of the mounting posts, and a cap is fixedly mounted on the outer end of the other of the mounting posts. A pair of gaskets are fitted onto the inner ends of the mounting posts. The fan assembly further includes a fan unit and a neck assembly, the neck assembly being used to couple the fan unit to the angularly adjustable mounting posts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 1994
    Date of Patent: July 11, 1995
    Assignee: Holmes Products Corp.
    Inventors: Johnson Hsu, Joseph M. Cunning
  • Patent number: 5429481
    Abstract: An angle-adjustable joint including an upright stand having a substantially U-shaped mounting frame at the top, a fan support pivotally connected to the U-shaped mounting frame by a screw bolt and a nut, and a lock retained in a vertical groove on the U-shaped mounting frame and engaged with a tooth portion in an annular recess at one side of the fan support to lock the fan support in any of a series of angular positions, wherein the lock has a hooked portion on a projecting rod thereof inserted through a transeverse through hole on the fan support and hooked on a retaining flange at an opposite side of the fan support.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 1994
    Date of Patent: July 4, 1995
    Inventor: Su-Liang Liu
  • Patent number: 5423660
    Abstract: An improved plastic, injection-molded shroud/banded fan combination in which the shroud extends axially from an inlet portion to an outlet portion, and the outlet portion comprises means for connecting a heat exchanger to the shroud, More specifically, the shroud includes an inlet lip which is curved in cross-section and positioned at the inlet portion of the shroud. The lip extends radially inward and axially downstream from the inlet portion of the shroud to a trailing edge. An intermediate cylindrical wall is attached to said inlet lip. The intermediate cylindrical wall is positioned: 1) coaxially with the fan; and 2) radially between the inner surface of the shroud and portions of the outer surface of the fan band so as to form a wall-to-band radially restrictive running clearance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 1993
    Date of Patent: June 13, 1995
    Assignee: Airflow Research and Manufacturing Corporation
    Inventor: Michael Sortor
  • Patent number: 5393197
    Abstract: Improvements to a propulsion thrust apparatus are described wherein a propeller is surrounded by a ring cage structure with which propeller tip vortices are converted to useful mass flow with a plurality of rings whose spacing from each other and the propeller are selected so that in one embodiment at least one ring is placed inside an enclosure and the others are outside. The operation of the propeller then produces an enhanced circulation of the air inside the enclosure without hot spots. In another embodiment, the rings are segmented to provide additional vortices for enhancement of the propeller mass flow. With another embodiment, at last one of the rings are provided with discontinuities on the inside edge to promote the generation of vortices that improve mixing of tip vortices and provide a noise reduction effect.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 1993
    Date of Patent: February 28, 1995
    Assignee: Lemont Aircraft Corporation
    Inventors: Harold E. Lemont, Andrew I. Lemont
  • Patent number: 5391056
    Abstract: An air blower including a rear housing defining a plurality of air inlet openings, a front housing having an annular peripheral portion secured to the rear housing, a central support portion within the peripheral portion, a grillwork portion extending between the peripheral portion and the support portion, and a fan assembly secured to the central portion and projecting toward the rear housing. The grillwork portion includes a plurality of vanes each of which is arcuately curved in shape and each of which is connected between the central support portion and the annular peripheral portion independently of the other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 1993
    Date of Patent: February 21, 1995
    Assignee: Duracraft Corporation
    Inventor: Jui-Shang Wang
  • Patent number: 5382136
    Abstract: A window fan having a housing with a bottom wall for mounting on a sill of a window opening, a front wall defining an air outlet, a rear wall defining an air inlet, a first side wall joined to the front wall and the rear wall, a second side wall joined to the front wall and the rear wall; and the first side wall defining an elongated opening extending between opposite ends thereof; a blower retained by the housing and activatable to produce air flow between the air inlet and the air outlet; a partition biased into a recessed position within the housing and movable through the elongated opening into a projecting position extending between the first end wall and one side of the window opening; and a latch for retaining the wall in its projecting position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 1993
    Date of Patent: January 17, 1995
    Assignee: Duracraft Corporation
    Inventor: Jui-Shang Wang
  • Patent number: 5368453
    Abstract: An electric fan including a hood having a plurality of tubular members in each of which there is a cylindrical member, a plurality of bell-shaped members each mounted on each of said tubular members, and a plurality of protecting covers each mounted on an outlet of each of said tubular members, and a base portion mounted under said hood and having a motor provided with an output gear engaged with a plurality of fan gears each fixedly mounted on an axle extending from said base portion upwardly into said cylindrical member, and a plurality of impellers each mounted on the top end of said axle, whereby the electric fan can make air currents in a range of 360 degrees.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 1993
    Date of Patent: November 29, 1994
    Inventor: Jung C. Peng
  • Patent number: 5352094
    Abstract: An environmental conditioning apparatus including a control unit for conditioning a surrounding environment; a housing retaining the conditioning unit and comprising a flange defining an opening, the flange having inner and outer flange edge portions separated by oppositely directed front and rear flange surface portions; and a grill covering the opening and comprising a rim juxtaposed to the flange, the rim having inner and outer rim edge portions separated by oppositely directed front and rear rim surface portions and the rear rim surface portion facing the front flange surface portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 1992
    Date of Patent: October 4, 1994
    Assignee: Duracraft Corporation
    Inventor: Johnson Peng