FAN ASSEMBLY

• US 20120033952A1
• Filed: 07/27/2011
• Published: 02/09/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dyson Technology Limited (Beeswax Holdings UK Limited)
• Original Assignee: Dyson Technology Limited (Beeswax Holdings UK Limited)
• Inventors: WALLACE, John David, Choong, Chang Hin
• Granted Patent: US 8,873,940 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 392/367
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 25/08 the working fluid being air, e.g. for ventilation
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/403 especially adapted for elastic fluid pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/582 specially adapted for elastic fluid pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/5826 Cooling at least part of the working fluid in a heat exchanger
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/584 cooling or heating the machine F04D29/5846, F04D29/5853 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F04F 5/16 displacing elastic fluids
• CPC Class Codes: F04F 5/46 Arrangements of nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 13/06 Outlets for directing or distributing air into rooms or spaces, e.g. ceiling air diffuser
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2013/0612 Induction nozzles without swirl means
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2221/28 using the Coanda effect
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 7/007 with forced flow using ducting systems F24F7/06
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 2250/04 Positive or negative temperature coefficients, e.g. PTC, NTC
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 3/0417 portable or mobile
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 9/0063 in air channels
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 9/1872 PTC

Abstract

A fan assembly includes a motor-driven impeller for creating an air flow, a casing including an interior passage for receiving the air flow, and a plurality of air outlets for emitting the air flow from the casing. The casing defines and extends about an opening through which air from outside the casing is drawn by the air flow emitted from the air outlets. The fan assembly also includes at least one heater for heating at least a first portion of the air flow, and means for diverting at least a second portion of the air flow away from said at least one heater. The plurality of outlets includes at least one first air outlet for emitting the relatively hot first portion of the air flow and at least one second air outlet for emitting the relatively cold second portion of the air flow.

Claims

1. A nozzle for a fan assembly for creating an air current, the nozzle comprising:

an interior passage for receiving an air flow, and for dividing a received air flow into a plurality of air streams; and

a plurality of air outlets for emitting the air flow from the nozzle, the nozzle defining an opening through which air from outside the nozzle is drawn by the air flow emitted from the air outlets;

wherein the interior passage extends about the opening, and houses a heating arrangement for heating a first portion of each air stream and at least one air diverting surface for diverting a second portion of each air stream away from the heating arrangement;

and the plurality of air outlets comprises at least one first air outlet for emitting the first portions of the air streams, and at least one second air outlet for emitting the second portions of the air streams.

2. The nozzle of claim 1, arranged to emit the first and second portions of each air stream simultaneously.

3. The nozzle of claim 1, wherein the air outlets are arranged to emit the air flow through the opening.

4. The nozzle of claim 1, wherein said at least one air diverting surface comprises at least one wall located within the interior passage.

5. The nozzle of claim 1, comprising a chassis for retaining the heating arrangement within the interior passage, and wherein the chassis comprises said at least one air diverting surface.

6. The nozzle of claim 1, wherein the interior passage comprises, for each air stream, a first channel for conveying the first portion of the air stream to one of the plurality of air outlets, a second channel for conveying the second portion of the air stream to another one of the plurality of air outlets, and a wall for separating the first channel from the second channel.

7. The nozzle of claim 6, wherein the wall is integral with at least one air diverting surface.

8. The nozzle of claim 6, comprising an inner annular casing section and an outer annular casing section which define the interior passage and the opening, and wherein the wall is located between the casing sections.

9. The nozzle of claim 8, wherein the wall is connected to one of the casing sections.

10. The nozzle of claim 8, wherein each first air outlet is located between an internal surface of the outer casing section and a respective wall.

11. The nozzle of claim 8, wherein each second air outlet is located between an external surface of the inner casing section and a respective wall.

12. The nozzle of claim 8, wherein the second channel is arranged to convey the second portion of the air stream along an internal surface of one of the casing sections.

13. The nozzle of claim 8, wherein the wall comprises a plurality of spacers for engaging at least one of the inner casing section and the outer casing section.

14. The nozzle of claim 6, wherein each of the first channel and the second channel is shaped so as substantially to reverse the flow direction of a respective portion of the air stream.

15. The nozzle of claim 1, wherein said at least one first air outlet is located adjacent said at least one second air outlet.

16. The nozzle of claim 15, wherein said at least one first air outlet is located alongside said at least one second air outlet.

17. The nozzle of claim 1, wherein the heating arrangement comprises a plurality of heater assemblies each for heating a respective first portion of the air flow.

18. The nozzle of claim 17, wherein the heater assemblies are located on opposite sides of the opening.

19. The nozzle of claim 17, wherein said at least one air diverting surface comprises a plurality of walls located within the interior passage each for diverting a respective second portion of the air flow away from a heater assembly.

20. The nozzle of claim 1, wherein said at least one first air outlet comprises a plurality of first air outlets located on opposite sides of the opening.

21. The nozzle of claim 1, wherein said at least one second air outlet comprises a plurality of second air outlets located on opposite sides of the opening.

22. The nozzle of claim 1, wherein each air outlet is in the form of a slot.

23. The nozzle of claim 22, wherein each air outlet has a width in the range from 0.5 to 5 mm.

24. The nozzle of claim 1, wherein the heating arrangement comprises at least one ceramic heater.

25. The nozzle of claim 1, comprising at least one air diverting surface for diverting a third portion of each air stream away from the heating arrangement.

26. The nozzle of claim 25, wherein the interior passage is shaped to re-combine the first portion and the third portion of the air stream upstream from said at least one first air outlet.

27. The nozzle of claim 25, comprising, for each air stream, a third channel for conveying the second portion of the air stream along an internal surface of one of the casing sections.

28. A fan assembly comprising the nozzle of claim 1.

29. The fan assembly of claim 28, comprising a base housing a system for creating the air flow, and wherein the nozzle is connected to the base.