FAN

• US 20100150699A1
• Filed: 11/20/2009
• Published: 06/17/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dyson Technology Limited (Beeswax Holdings UK Limited), Universal Safety Response Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Dyson Technology Limited (Beeswax Holdings UK Limited)
• Inventors: NICOLAS, Frederic, Simmonds, Kevin John
• Granted Patent: US 8,092,166 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 415/90
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 25/08 the working fluid being air, e.g. for ventilation
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/441 especially adapted for elastic fluid pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/681 especially adapted for elastic fluid pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F04F 5/16 displacing elastic fluids
• CPC Class Codes: F04F 5/46 Arrangements of nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 239/07 Coanda
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 415/914 Device to control boundary layer

Abstract

A fan assembly for creating an air current is described. The fan assembly includes a nozzle mounted on a base housing a device for creating an air flow through the nozzle. The nozzle includes an interior passage for receiving the air flow from the base, a mouth through which the air flow is emitted, the mouth being defined by facing surfaces of the nozzle, and spacers for spacing apart the facing surfaces of the nozzle. The nozzle extends substantially orthogonally about an axis to define an opening through which air from outside the fan assembly is drawn by the air flow emitted from the mouth. The fan provides an arrangement producing an air current and a flow of cooling air created without requiring a bladed fan. The spacers can provide for a reliable, reproducible nozzle of the fan assembly and performance of the fan assembly.

Claims

1. A bladeless fan assembly for creating an air current, the fan assembly comprising a nozzle and a device for creating an air flow through the nozzle, the nozzle comprising an interior passage for receiving the air flow, a mouth through which the air flow is emitted, the mouth being defined by facing surfaces of the nozzle, and spacers for spacing apart the facing surfaces of the nozzle, the nozzle defining an opening through which air from outside the fan assembly is drawn by the air flow emitted from the mouth.

2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the nozzle extends about an axis to define said opening, and wherein the spacers are angularly spaced about said axis, preferably equally angularly spaced about said axis.

3. The assembly of claim 2, wherein the nozzle extends substantially cylindrically about the axis.

4. The assembly of claim 2, wherein the nozzle extends by a distance of at least 5 cm in the direction of the axis.

5. The assembly of claim 2, wherein the nozzle extends about the axis by a distance in the range from 30 to 180 cm.

6. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the spacers are integral with one of said facing surfaces of the nozzle.

7. The assembly of claim 6, wherein the spacers are arranged to contact the other one of said facing surfaces of the nozzle.

8. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the spacers are arranged to maintain a set distance between the facing surfaces of the nozzle.

9. The assembly of claim 1, wherein one of the facing surfaces of the nozzle is biased towards the other of the facing surfaces.

10. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the spacers comprise a plurality of spacers, the number of spacers being in the range from 5 to 50.

11. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the nozzle comprises a loop.

12. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the nozzle is substantially annular.

13. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the nozzle is at least partially circular.

14. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the nozzle comprises at least one wall defining the interior passage and the mouth, and wherein said at least one wall comprises the facing surfaces defining the mouth.

15. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the mouth has an outlet, and the spacing between the facing surfaces at the outlet of the mouth is in the range from 0.5 to 10 mm.

16. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the nozzle comprises an inner casing section and an outer casing section which together define the interior passage and the mouth.

17. The assembly of claim 16, wherein the mouth is located between an external surface of the inner casing section of the nozzle and an internal surface of the outer casing section of the nozzle.

18. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the device for creating an air flow through the nozzle comprises an impeller driven by a motor.

19. The assembly of claim 18, wherein the device for creating an air flow comprises a DC brushless motor and a mixed flow impeller.

20. A nozzle for a bladeless fan assembly for creating an air current, the nozzle comprising an interior passage for receiving an air flow, a mouth through which the air flow is emitted, the mouth being defined by facing surfaces of the nozzle, and spacers for spacing apart the facing surfaces of the nozzle, the nozzle defining an opening through which air from outside the fan assembly is drawn by the air flow emitted from the mouth.

21. The nozzle of claim 20, wherein the nozzle comprises a Coanda surface located adjacent the mouth and over which the mouth is arranged to direct the air flow.

22. The nozzle of claim 20, wherein the nozzle comprises a diffuser located downstream of the Coanda surface.