Enhanced Hand Operated Personal Cooling Fan

Abstract

An apparatus for cooling ones self by a traditional manual back and forth fanning movement of the invention. The apparatus has the capability to spray a mist of water into the moving air created by the apparatus so as to aid in the cooling process. The invention can also be used as a sound board or tambourine to create a sound to imitate traditional hand clapping for a signal or for celebratory expression. Also, in one embodiment, the invention serves as a sign or billboard for image or print media advertising. In another embodiment it serves as a traditionally recognizable symbol or trademark.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to the situation where a person or persons may become personally over heated because of their activity or their immediate environment or their situation in a mechanically cooled or “air conditioned” environment where that air conditioning system has suddenly failed and temporary relief is required as soon as possible with minimum preparation and difficulty. This invention might be compared to emergency lighting where electricity has failed. In a non-emergency or non-failure situation the invention pertains to providing relief from environmental personal overheating with also two other distinct enhancements. Those enhanced capabilities are advertising a team identity or other message and creating a celebratory noise.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention pertains generally to a hand held and hand operated personal portable cooling fan with the capability to spray a mist of cooling water by means of a hand operated intergal pump to aid in the cooling process.

The various drawings and specifications herein will describe and illustrate a new and unique apparatus to aid persons who may become overheated in various environments. The invention is easy to use, requires no power source or batteries and can be configured to also be an advertising sign and noise making device simultaneously while being practiced as a personal cooling fan apparatus.

The object of the invention is to create a simplistic and dependable personal cooling source to be stored and maintained and made available to persons subject to possible overheating due to failed “air-conditioning” in a confined environment and also provide a similar personal cooling source for persons attending a sports event or similar event where personal overheating may be a concern.

DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART

Contemporary lifestyles include being in environments which are mechanically cooled or “air conditioned”. If these air conditioning systems fail in certain environments there are often not adequate means, such as opening a window or relocating to a less hot location, to prevent persons from overheating while repairs can be made to the mechanical cooling system. Examples of such environments are funeral homes, taxi cabs, hotels, air planes, trains, shopping malls and so on . . . .

Also, other environments may not be suitable to “air condition” and persons could become overheated by the natural hot air in these environments. Examples are theme parks, outdoor shopping venues, an unenclosed sports stadium, golf courses, picnic groves, parade routes, horse shows, and so on . . . .

There is a ready need for a simple device to relieve an overheated person; an apparatus which is simple to operate, easily portable and storable, does not require charging or fresh batteries and is relatively low cost. Such a device could be maintained in relatively large quantities for emergency use by patrons in an environment susceptible to overheating conditions; or such a device could be made available to individuals as a convenience by either on-site of off-site vendors in situations or venues where overheating may be encountered.

Further, in a sporting event venue or a parade route or political rally or similar event, overheating may or may not be a concern; however hand clapping as a means of celebrating or signaling is a common activity. Often in such circumstances specialized portable hand held devices are used to enhance hand clapping activity. A need exists for a simple device that can be struck with the hand in the manor of the traditional tambourine which would enhance and amplify traditional hand clapping activity.

Further, in an environment and situation as described above; a sporting event or parade or political rally; a need exists to advertise ones political association or candidate preference or school association or organization or other message. Current art is a portable sign utilizing a handle to facilitate waving and carrying. Also hats with surfaces on which advertisements can be displayed.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other features of the drawings will become more apparent and the present invention will be better understood upon consideration of the following description and the accompanying drawings wherein:

The accompanying drawings illustrate the present invention. In such drawings FIG. 1 depicts a perspective view of a first embodiment of the invention indicated by numeral 1. The water bottle is assumed transparent and generally full of water. Numeral 2 is a traditional spray bottle mechanism and is not part of the invention. Numeral 4 is the single blade of the hand operated fan. Numeral 5 depicts in broken lines an advertisement presented upon the fan blade. Numeral 6 is the spray/mist nozzle; numeral 7 indicates the nozzle attaching bracket and numeral 8 the water conveying hose from the pump, 2, to the nozzle, 6. Neither numeral 6 nor 7 nor 8 are part of the invention.

FIG. 2 illustrates by numeral 9 a front view of a first embodiment of the invention. The rear view is not illustrated but is similar but opposite. Numeral 10 illustrates a left side view of a first embodiment of the invention and numeral 11 illustrates a right side view.

FIG. 3 depicts a perspective view of a second embodiment of the intervention indicated by the numeral 12. Numeral 13 points to the handle of the second embodiment of the invention which is also the water bottle and water reservoir, of the invention, which contains water for the misting spray. The mist water is pumped, by practising the squeeze handle 14 of the pump mechanism, via tube 20 through the nozzle 21. Numeral 15 indicates a threaded collar which threads onto the mouth, numeral 32 of FIG. 4, of the handle/water/bottle reservoir 13 to join the fan 16 assembly of the invention to the handle of the invention. Numeral 17 indicates the area of the fan blade which houses the fitting, numeral 29 of FIG. 4; which joins the handle 13 and blade 16 assemblies. Numeral 5 indicates by broken lines advertising with may be presented on the fan blade 16.

FIG. 4 depicts a generally detailed section front view section cut through the center of the invention top to bottom, numeral 22. A left side view similar section is numeral 24. Numeral 23 illustrates a right side view of the second embodiment of the invention. The front section 22 and the side section 24 illustrate how tube 31 from the pump is coupled, leak-free, with tube 20 which carries mist water to the nozzle 21. These sections illustrate how tube 20 is held firmly by rubber fittings 30 and 19, but not so firmly as to not allow tube 20 to be rotated by minimum force in order to alter the direction of the spray mist nozzle 21 in a 360 degree planar rotation.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF TWO EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

The embodiment of the invention described herein is not intended to be exhaustive nor to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Rather, the embodiments selected for the description have been chosen to enable one skilled in the art to practise the invention.

With reference first to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2: numeral 1 generally indicates a hand held hand operated single blade fan 4 with a water bottle 3 attached. Fan blade 4 has an advertisement 5 illustrated upon the broad smooth portion in broken lines.

Generally the blade 4 may be manufactured of any material capable of allowing the water bottle 3 to be press fit and/or glued in place as illustrated in FIG. 1. The blade material should be sturdy enough to withstand being struck with ones hand to produce the stimulated hand clapping action claimed by the invention and also be manufactured of a material capable of producing a loud noise when struck to produce the simulated hand clapping noise of the invention 1½ inch thick polystyrene sheet goods cut to shape is a possible suitable material for manufacturing the blade 16.

Referring still to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2., a pump mechanism 2 attached to the water bottle is a traditional pump and not part of this invention. Hose 8 conveys pumped water to nozzle 6 which converts the water to a spray mist. Detaching the sprayer from the bottle in the traditional manner allows refilling. Hose 8, nozzle 6 and pump 2 are not apart of the invention. Bracket 7 locates and secures the hose 8 and 6 nozzle assembly as illustrated in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2.

With reference to FIG. 3 and FIG. 4; numeral 12 generally indicates another embodiment of the invention herein referred to as a second embodiment of the invention. Generally numeral 12 indicates a water container 13 with a hand operated single blade fan attached to it.

The fan blade 16 in this embodiment is manufactured to allow a hollow structure 16 through which a water conveying tube 20 fitted with a mist creating nozzle 21 can be routed to the top of the fan blade 16. An advertisement 5 can be presented on the blade 16. The water container 13 which is also the handle of the invention by which it is practiced contains a pump 25 hand operated by squeezing handle lever 14. This pump forces water up tube 20 to and through mist creating nozzle 21.

Referring still to FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 numeral 15 indicates a rotatable circular threaded collar. Compatible threads 32 are manufactured into the opening or mouth 32 of the water bottle 13 which is also the handle 13 and the reservoir 13 of the invention. When these threads around the circular mouth 32 of the handle/water bottle/reservoir 13 are fully engaged with the compatible threads of the circular collar 15 of the fan blade assembly 16 then the fan blade 16 assembly is attached to the handle 13 assembly. When disengaged completely collar 15 allows the water bottle assembly 13 to be separated from the fan 16 which allows the water bottle/handle/reservoir to be filled with water for the mist created by nozzle 21. When attaching the blade 16 to the water bottle 13 by means of collar 15, at the same time water tube 31 from the pump mechanism is joined to tube 20 by means of being leak-free contained in rubber fitting 30 which is further fitted into fitting 29.

Fitting 29 is glued permanently into blade 16 after first being inserted through collar 15 to facilitate collar 15 being held captively to be in position to secure fitting 29 to the handle assembly 13 to join the blade 16 assembly with the handle 13 assembly.

Rubber fitting 30 also serves as a seal between water bottle opening 32 and the fan blade 16 assembly. Also, rubber fitting 30 in unison with rubber fitting 19 hold water tube 20 firmly in place; but not so firmly so not to allow water tube 20 to be moved in a 360 degree rotation to redirect the nozzle 21 360 degrees in a plane.

Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 3 which generally illustrates the two embodiments of this invention chosen to be described. The practising of each embodiment is generally the same. That is: after filling the respective reservoirs with water the invention is held with one hand by numeral 1 of FIG. 1 or 13 of FIG. 3. Then to practise the invention the blade of the invention, either 16 or 3, is moved in a back and forth motion to create moving air which when moving across skin creates a cooling effect. With the same hand, the pump 2 or 14, can be operated causing misting water to emit from the nozzle 21 or 6 to further cool skin.

If desired the blade 4 or 16 of the fan can be struck with the other hand to create a noise to simulate hand clapping.

If desired an advertisement can be present on the blade 4 or 16 of the fan.

An apparatus for cooling a person compromising:

A single hand operated fan blade. Not part of the invention.

A nozzle attached to said fan blade which causes water to exit said nozzle in a mist form. Not part of the invention.

A fillable water reservoir attached to said fan blade which also acts like the handle of the invention; not part of the invention.

A conduit to carry water from said reservoir to said nozzle; not part of the invention.

A hand operated water pump contained in said water reservoir attached to said fan blade to force water from said reservoir via said conduit through said nozzle; not part of invention.

Claims

1. The apparatus as set forth herein wherein any one or combination of members is used as a handle wherein said handle is used simultaneously to practise the invention to move air and also practise the invention to pump water through the nozzle to create water mist into the moving air.

2. The apparatus as set forth herein wherein embodied as such that the fan blade is a sounding board which when struck produces a celebratory and signaling sound to simulate and enhance traditional hand clapping.

3. The apparatus as set forth herein wherein embodied as such that the fan blade is a surface on which advertisement is presented or the shape of the fan blade is such as to be itself an advertisement.