Fan assembly

• US 9,458,853 B2
• Filed: 07/26/2012
• Issued: 10/04/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Dyson Technology Limited (Beeswax Holdings UK Limited)
• Original Assignee: Dyson Technology Limited (Beeswax Holdings UK Limited)
• Inventors: Staniforth, Mark Joseph, Pullen, Jude Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Kramer, Devon
• Assistant Examiner(s): HERRMANN, JOSEPH S
• Application Number:
  US13/559,146
• Publication Number:
  US 20130028766A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,531 Days
• Field of Search: 417/46, 417/47, 417/158, 417/165, 417/166, 417/313, 137/803, 137/565.26, 137/565.01, 137/597, 137/883, 137 88- 93, 137/78.5
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 25/08 the working fluid being air, e.g. for ventilation
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 25/166 using fans
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/705 Adding liquids
• CPC Class Codes: F04F 5/16 displacing elastic fluids

Abstract

A fan assembly includes a nozzle having a plurality of air inlets, a plurality of air outlets, a first air flow path and a second air flow path. Each air flow path extends from at least one of the air inlets to at least one of the air outlets. The nozzle defines a bore through which air from outside the fan assembly is drawn by air emitted from the nozzle. The fan assembly also includes a first user-operable system for generating a first air flow along the first air flow path, and a second user-operable system, different from the first user-operable system, for generating a second air flow along the second air flow path. Through user selection of one or both of these two systems, at least one of two different air flows can be emitted from the nozzle, each having a respective flow profile or other characteristic.

Claims

1. A fan assembly comprising:

a nozzle having a plurality of air inlets, a plurality of air outlets, a first air flow path entirely within the nozzle and a second air flow path entirely within the nozzle, each air flow path extending from at least one of the air inlets to at least one of the air outlets, the nozzle defining a bore through which air from outside the fan assembly is drawn by air emitted from the nozzle, wherein the nozzle is mounted on a body housing a first and a second user-operable system and each air flow path extends at least partially about the bore of the nozzle;

the first user-operable system comprising a first impeller and a first motor for driving the first impeller that generates a first air flow along the first air flow path; and

the second user-operable system comprising a second impeller and a second motor for driving the second impeller, different from the first user-operable system, that generates a second air flow within the body that travels along the second air flow path.

2. The fan assembly of claim 1, wherein each user-operable system is located upstream from its respective air flow path.

3. The fan assembly of claim 1, comprising a first air passageway for conveying the first air flow to the first air flow path and a second air passageway for conveying the second air flow to the second air flow path.

4. The fan assembly of claim 3, comprising an air flow inlet for admitting at least the first air flow into the fan assembly.

5. The fan assembly of claim 4, wherein the air flow inlet comprises a plurality of apertures.

6. The fan assembly of claim 3, wherein the second air passageway is arranged to receive air from the first air passageway.

7. The fan assembly of claim 6, wherein the second air passageway is arranged to receive the air from the first air passageway upstream from the first user-operable system.

8. The fan assembly of claim 1, wherein the body comprises a first air passageway for conveying the first air flow to the first air flow path and a second air passageway for conveying the second air flow to the second air flow path.

9. The fan assembly of claim 8, wherein the first and second air passageways extend vertically through the body.

10. The fan assembly of claim 8 or claim 9, wherein the first air passageway is located adjacent the second air passageway.

11. The fan assembly of claim 1, wherein the impeller of the first user-operable system is different from the impeller of the second user-operable system.

12. The fan assembly of claim 1, wherein the motor of the first user-operable system is different from the motor of the second user-operable system.

13. The fan assembly of claim 1, wherein said at least one air outlet of the first air flow path is located behind said at least one air outlet of the second air flow path.

14. The fan assembly of claim 1, wherein the first air flow path and the second air flow path each extend fully about the bore of the nozzle.

15. The fan assembly of claim 1, wherein the first air flow path is separate from the second air flow path.

16. The fan assembly of claim 1, wherein said at least one air outlet of the first air flow path comprises an air outlet which extends about the bore of the nozzle.

17. The fan assembly of claim 16, wherein the air outlet of the first air flow path is continuous.

18. The fan assembly of claim 1, wherein said at least one air outlet of the first air flow path is arranged to emit the first air flow through at least a front part of the bore.

19. The fan assembly of claim 18, wherein said at least one air outlet of the first air flow path is arranged to emit the first air flow over a surface defining said front part of the bore.

20. The fan assembly of claim 1, wherein said at least one air outlet of the second air flow path is located in a front end of the nozzle.

21. The fan assembly of claim 20, wherein said at least one air outlet of the second air flow path comprises a plurality of air outlets located about the bore.

22. The fan assembly of claim 21, wherein each of the plurality of air outlets of the second air flow path comprises one or more apertures.

23. The fan assembly of claim 1, wherein the second user-operable system is arranged to change a sensorial property of the second air flow before it is emitted from the nozzle.

24. The fan assembly of claim 1, wherein the second user-operable system is configured to change one of the temperature, humidity, composition and electrical charge of the second air flow before it is emitted from the nozzle.