Fan assembly

• US 8,967,979 B2
• Filed: 10/17/2011
• Issued: 03/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Dyson Technology Limited (Beeswax Holdings UK Limited)
• Original Assignee: Dyson Technology Limited (Beeswax Holdings UK Limited)
• Inventors: Fitton, Nicholas Gerald, Thorn, James John, Stickney, Timothy Nicholas
• Primary Examiner(s): LETTMAN, BRYAN MATTHEW
• Application Number:
  US13/274,998
• Publication Number:
  US 20120093629A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,233 Days
• Field of Search: 239/26.17, 239/434.5, 239/561, 239/568, 239/565, 239/DIG.7, 417/76, 417/79, 417/84, 417/155, 417/177, 417/179, 417/182, 417/188, 417/198, 417/349, 417/423.14, 417/424.1, 417/157, 417/178, 415/51, 415/119, 415/126, 415/127, 416/9, 416/13, 416/16, 416/117, 416/118, 416/119
• US Class Current: 417/178
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 25/08 the working fluid being air, e.g. for ventilation
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 27/00 Control, e.g. regulation, of pumps, pumping installations or pumping systems specially adapted for elastic fluids
• CPC Class Codes: F04F 5/16 displacing elastic fluids
• CPC Class Codes: F04F 5/461 Adjustable nozzles

Abstract

A fan assembly includes a nozzle and a system for creating a primary air flow through the nozzle. The nozzle includes at least one outlet for emitting the primary air flow, and defines an opening through which a secondary air flow from outside the fan assembly is drawn by the emitted primary air flow and which combines with the primary air flow to produce a combined air flow. The nozzle includes a user operable device for allowing a user to adjust selectively at least one parameter, for example at least one of the profile, the orientation and the direction, of the combined air flow.

Claims

1. A fan assembly comprising a nozzle and a system for creating a primary air flow through the nozzle, the nozzle comprising at least one outlet for emitting the primary air flow, the nozzle defining an opening through which a secondary air flow from outside the fan assembly is drawn by the primary air flow emitted from said at least one outlet and which combines with the primary air flow to produce a combined air flow,

wherein the nozzle comprises an adjusting device configured to adjust at least one parameter of the combined air flow,

wherein the adjusting device is moveable relative to the at least one outlet between a stowed position and a deployed position, and

wherein, in the stowed position, the at least one parameter of the combined air flow is not adjusted by the adjusting device.

2. The fan assembly of claim 1, wherein said at least one parameter of the combined air flow comprises at least one of the profile, orientation, direction, flow rate and velocity of the combined air flow.

3. The fan assembly of claim 1, wherein the adjusting device is moveable relative to the opening.

4. The fan assembly of claim 1, wherein the adjusting device is rotatable relative to the at least one outlet.

5. The fan assembly of claim 1, wherein the adjusting device is slidably moveable relative to the at least one outlet.

6. The fan assembly of claim 1, wherein, in the stowed position, the adjusting device is shielded from the primary air flow.

7. The fan assembly of claim 1, wherein, in the deployed position, the adjusting device is located downstream from the at least one outlet.

8. The fan assembly of claim 1, wherein at least one of the size and the shape of the opening is fixed.

9. The fan assembly of claim 1, wherein at least one of the size, the shape and the position of the at least one outlet is fixed.

10. The fan assembly of claim 1, wherein the adjusting device comprises a flow guiding member.

11. The fan assembly of claim 10, wherein at least one of the position and the orientation of the flow guiding member relative to the at least one air outlet is adjustable.

12. The fan assembly of claim 1, wherein the nozzle comprises a surface over which the at least one outlet is arranged to direct the air flow, and wherein the adjusting device is moveable relative to said surface.

13. The fan assembly of claim 12, wherein said surface comprises a cutaway portion, and wherein the adjusting device is moveable relative to the surface to at least partially cover said cutaway portion.

14. The fan assembly of claim 13, wherein said surface comprises a plurality of cutaway portions, and wherein the adjusting device is moveable relative to the surface to at least partially cover at least one of the cutaway portions.

15. The fan assembly of claim 14, wherein the adjusting device is moveable relative to the surface to at least partially cover simultaneously each of the cutaway portions.

16. The fan assembly of claim 14, wherein the cutaway portions are regularly spaced about the nozzle.

17. The fan assembly of claim 13, wherein the surface comprises a diffuser portion downstream from the at least one outlet, and a guide portion downstream from the diffuser portion and angled thereto, and wherein the cutaway portion is located in the guide portion of the surface.

18. The fan assembly of claim 13, wherein the cutaway portion is located at or towards a front edge of the nozzle.

19. The fan assembly of claim 12, wherein the adjusting device is moveable between a stowed position and a deployed position in which the adjusting device is located downstream from said surface.

20. The fan assembly of claim 19, wherein, in the stowed position, the adjusting device extends about said surface.

21. The fan assembly of claim 19, wherein, in the stowed position, at least part of the adjusting device is located within the nozzle.

22. The fan assembly of claim 21, wherein, in the deployed position, the adjusting device converges in a direction extending away from the surface over which the at least one outlet is arranged to direct the primary air flow.

23. The fan assembly of claim 19, wherein the adjusting device tapers inwardly relative to the surface over which the at least one outlet is arranged to direct the primary air flow.

24. The fan assembly of claim 1, wherein the adjusting device is generally annular in shape.

25. The fan assembly of claim 1, wherein the adjusting device is frusto-conical in shape.

26. The fan assembly of claim 1, wherein the nozzle is in the form of a loop extending about the opening.

27. The fan assembly of claim 1, wherein the nozzle is mounted on a base housing said system for creating a primary air flow.

28. The fan assembly of claim 1, wherein the adjusting device is operable manually.