Misting Fan

This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a) of Chinese Patent Application No. 202410345863.6, filed on Mar. 25, 2024, Chinese Patent Application No. 202421897374.3, filed on Aug. 6, 2024, Chinese Patent Application No. 202421902511.8, filed on Aug. 6, 2024, and Chinese Patent Application No. 202421901469.8, filed on Aug. 6, 2024, which applications are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

The present application relates to the field of fan technology and, in particular, to a misting fan.

A misting fan includes fan blades and a nozzle. The fan blades are driven by an electric motor to rotate to accelerate air circulation. The nozzle is connected to an external liquid source to perform spraying, thereby achieving cooling, summer relief, air circulation, and a good moisturizing effect. Moreover, a mist is evaporated faster under the action of an airflow and quickly absorbs heat from the surrounding environment, thereby further achieving the purpose of cooling.

The misting fan is generally provided with a power interface mating with a battery pack to power the misting fan. Thus, the misting fan cannot be powered in other manners. If the battery pack has insufficient power, it needs to be replaced with a fully charged battery pack. If the battery pack cannot be replaced, the battery life of the misting fan is difficult to guarantee.

This part provides background information related to the present application, and the background information is not necessarily the existing art.

A misting fan includes a fan assembly including fan blades and a first electric motor for driving the fan blades to rotate; and a support assembly configured to support the fan assembly. The misting fan further includes a nozzle disposed on the fan assembly and configured to spray a water mist; a second electric motor and a water pump, where the second electric motor drives the water pump to supply a water source to the nozzle; and a power supply assembly for supplying power to the first electric motor and the second electric motor, where the power supply assembly includes at least two power interfaces, the power supply assembly includes a first power interface and a second power interface, the first power interface is configured to be electrically connected to a battery pack, and the second power interface is configured to be electrically connected to an external power supply. The power supply assembly further includes a charging circuit, and when a charging condition is satisfied, the charging circuit charges the battery pack using the external power supply.

In some examples, the charging condition is that input power of the external power supply is greater than a required power for use of the misting fan.

In some examples, when input power of the external power supply is less than a required power for use of the misting fan and the first power interface is electrically connected to the battery pack, the battery pack and the external power supply jointly supply power to the misting fan.

In some examples, when input power of the external power supply is equal to a required power for use of the misting fan or the first power interface is not electrically connected to the battery pack, only the external power supply supplies power to the misting fan.

In some examples, the second power interface is a direct current interface.

In some examples, the second power interface is a bidirectional Type-C interface.

In some examples, when the second power interface is connected to a second powered device and the first power interface is electrically connected to the battery pack, the battery pack supplies power to the second powered device.

In some examples, the second power interface is an alternating current interface, and the power supply assembly further includes an alternating current-direct current conversion circuit.

In some examples, the power supply assembly is disposed on the support assembly.

In some examples, the charging circuit includes a direct current-direct current conversion circuit.

In some examples, the angle between an extension direction of the first power interface and a horizontal plane extending along a front and rear direction is greater than or equal to 0° and less than or equal to 30°.

In some examples, the angle between an extension direction of the second power interface and a horizontal plane extending along a front and rear direction is greater than or equal to 0° and less than or equal to 30°.

In some examples, the misting fan further includes a wireless communication module communicatively connected to a remote device, where the wireless communication module adopts a Bluetooth or Wi-Fi communication protocol, and the remote device remotely controls, based on the wireless communication module, the spraying of the nozzle to be enabled and/or disabled.

In some examples, the misting fan further includes a third electric motor for driving the fan assembly to oscillate, and the remote device remotely controls, based on the wireless communication module, the misting fan to oscillate.

In some examples, the misting fan further includes a control motherboard, and the wireless communication module is disposed on the control motherboard.

In some examples, a misting fan includes a fan assembly including fan blades and a first electric motor for driving the fan blades to rotate; and a support assembly configured to support the fan assembly. The misting fan further includes a nozzle disposed on the fan assembly and configured to spray a water mist; a second electric motor and a water pump, where the second electric motor drives the water pump to supply a water source to the nozzle; and a power supply assembly including at least two power interfaces, where the power supply assembly includes a first power interface and a second power interface, the first power interface is configured to be electrically connected to a battery pack, and the second power interface is configured to be electrically connected to an external power supply configured to charge the battery pack and/or supply power to the misting fan.

In some examples, a misting fan includes a fan assembly including fan blades and a first electric motor for driving the fan blades to rotate; and a support assembly configured to support the fan assembly. The misting fan further includes a nozzle disposed on the fan assembly and configured to spray a water mist; a second electric motor and a water pump, where the second electric motor drives the water pump to supply a water source to the nozzle; and a power supply assembly including at least two power interfaces, where the power supply assembly includes a first power interface and a second power interface, the first power interface is configured to be electrically connected to a battery pack, and the second power interface is configured to be electrically connected to an external powered device. The battery pack is configured to supply power to the misting fan and/or the external powered device based on the second power interface.

In some examples, the second power interface is a bidirectional Type-C interface.

In some examples, the second power interface is further configured to be electrically connected to an external power supply for charging the battery pack and/or supplying power to the misting fan.

In some examples, when the external power supply charges the battery pack and/or supplies power to the misting fan, input power of the external power supply is greater than a required power for use of the misting fan.

Before any examples of this application are explained in detail, it is to be understood that this application is not limited to its application to the structural details and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the above drawings.

In this application, the terms “comprising”, “including”, “having” or any other variation thereof are intended to cover an inclusive inclusion such that a process, method, article or device comprising a series of elements includes not only those series of elements, but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent in the process, method, article, or device. Without further limitations, an element defined by the phrase “comprising a . . . ” does not preclude the presence of additional identical elements in the process, method, article, or device comprising that element.

In this application, the term “and/or” is a kind of association relationship describing the relationship between associated objects, which means that there can be three kinds of relationships. For example, A and/or B can indicate that A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, and B exists alone. In addition, the character “/” in this application generally indicates that the contextual associated objects belong to an “and/or” relationship.

In this application, the terms “connection”, “combination”, “coupling” and “installation” may be direct connection, combination, coupling or installation, and may also be indirect connection, combination, coupling or installation. Among them, for example, direct connection means that two members or assemblies are connected together without intermediaries, and indirect connection means that two members or assemblies are respectively connected with at least one intermediate members and the two members or assemblies are connected by the at least one intermediate members. In addition, “connection” and “coupling” are not limited to physical or mechanical connections or couplings, and may include electrical connections or couplings.

In this application, it is to be understood by those skilled in the art that a relative term (such as “about”, “approximately”, and “substantially”) used in conjunction with quantity or condition includes a stated value and has a meaning dictated by the context. For example, the relative term includes at least a degree of error associated with the measurement of a particular value, a tolerance caused by manufacturing, assembly, and use associated with the particular value, and the like. Such relative term should also be considered as disclosing the range defined by the absolute values of the two endpoints. The relative term may refer to plus or minus of a certain percentage (such as 1%, 5%, 10%, or more) of an indicated value. A value that did not use the relative term should also be disclosed as a particular value with a tolerance. In addition, “substantially” when expressing a relative angular position relationship (for example, substantially parallel, substantially perpendicular), may refer to adding or subtracting a certain degree (such as 1 degree, 5 degrees, 10 degrees or more) to the indicated angle.

In this application, those skilled in the art will understand that a function performed by an assembly may be performed by one assembly, multiple assemblies, one member, or multiple members. Likewise, a function performed by a member may be performed by one member, an assembly, or a combination of members.

In this application, the terms “up”, “down”, “left”, “right”, “front”, and “rear” and other directional words are described based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, and should not be understood as limitations to the examples of this application. In addition, in this context, it also needs to be understood that when it is mentioned that an element is connected “above” or “under” another element, it can not only be directly connected “above” or “under” the other element, but can also be indirectly connected “above” or “under” the other element through an intermediate element. It should also be understood that orientation words such as upper side, lower side, left side, right side, front side, and rear side do not only represent perfect orientations, but can also be understood as lateral orientations. For example, lower side may include directly below, bottom left, bottom right, front bottom, and rear bottom.

In this application, the terms “controller”, “processor”, “central processor”, “CPU” and “MCU” are interchangeable. Where a unit “controller”, “processor”, “central processing”, “CPU”, or “MCU” is used to perform a specific function, the specific function may be implemented by a single aforementioned unit or a plurality of the aforementioned unit.

In this application, the term “device”, “module” or “unit” may be implemented in the form of hardware or software to achieve specific functions.

In this application, the terms “computing”, “judging”, “controlling”, “determining”, “recognizing” and the like refer to the operations and processes of a computer system or similar electronic computing device (e.g., controller, processor, etc.).

shows a misting fanfor spraying a water mist, and the water mist diffuses into the air and can cool the environment. The misting fancan be applied to outdoor places, such as a basketball court, a park, and an amusement park. When the misting fanis used outdoors, the misting fanmay use water in a bucket. The misting fancan also be applied to indoor places, such as a shopping mall, a workshop, and a warehouse. When the misting fanis used indoors, the misting fanmay be connected to a tap water pipe. To illustrate technical solutions of the present application, a front side, a rear side, a left side, a right side, an upper side, and a lower side shown inare defined.

As shown in, the misting fanincludes a fan assembly, a nozzle, a support assembly, and a power supply assembly. The fan assemblyincludes fan bladesand a first electric motorfor driving the fan bladesto rotate. The nozzleis disposed on the fan assemblyand specifically on a front surface of the misting fan(that is, the front side of the misting fan) and configured to spray a water mist outward. Optionally, the number of nozzlesis greater than or equal to 1. Nozzlesmay be disposed on two sides of the front surface of the misting fan, as shown in, or may be disposed at other positions, which are not limited in the present application. The support assemblyis configured to support the fan assembly, and the support assemblyincludes a portion below the fan assemblyand connecting portions on the left and right sides of the fan assembly. The power supply assemblyis configured to supply power to the first electric motor. The power supply assemblyincludes at least two power interfaces, one of the at least two power interfaces is a Type-C interface, and one of the at least two power interfaces is a battery pack interface. Optionally, the at least two power interfaces included in the power supply assemblyinclude a first power interfaceand a second power interface, the first power interfaceis the battery pack interface and configured to be electrically connected to a battery pack, and the second power interfaceis the Type-C interface and configured to be electrically connected to an external power supply. When the battery packis coupled to the first power interface(the battery pack interface), at least part of the battery packis exposed out of a housingof the support assembly.

In some examples, the power supply assemblyis disposed on the support assembly. As shown in, the first power interfaceis disposed in a space for insertion of the battery pack, and an insertion direction of the battery packinto the misting fanis substantially the same as a spraying direction of the nozzle, that is, the battery pack is inserted from the rear side of the misting fantowards the front side of the misting fan. Optionally, the angle A between the first power interfaceand a horizontal plane extending along a front and rear direction of the misting fanis greater than or equal to 0° and less than or equal to 30°. Optionally, the angle A between the first power interfaceand the horizontal plane extending along the front and rear direction of the misting fanmay be 10°. Optionally, the angle A between the first power interfaceand the horizontal plane extending along the front and rear direction of the misting fanmay be 15°. Optionally, the angle A between the first power interfaceand the horizontal plane extending along the front and rear direction of the misting fanmay be 23°.

In some examples, the angle between the first power interfaceand a vertical plane extending along the front and rear direction of the misting fanis greater than or equal to 0° and less than or equal to 30°. The angle between the first power interfaceand the vertical plane extending along the front and rear direction of the misting fanincludes an angle between the first power interfaceand the left side of the vertical plane extending along the front and rear direction of the misting fanor an angle between the first power interfaceand the right side of the vertical plane extending along the front and rear direction of the misting fan. Optionally, the angle between the first power interfaceand the vertical plane extending along the front and rear direction of the misting fanmay be 10°. Optionally, the angle between the first power interfaceand the vertical plane extending along the front and rear direction of the misting fanmay be 18°. Optionally, the angle between the first power interfaceand the vertical plane extending along the front and rear direction of the misting fanmay be 28°.

As shown in, the second power interfaceis disposed on the housingof the support assemblyof the misting fanand specifically on a rear surface of the misting fan(that is, the rear side of the misting fan), and the second power interface faces away from the nozzlein position, preventing the inside of the second power interfacefrom being sprayed by the water mist sprayed by the nozzle. Optionally, the second power interfacehas a matching waterproof protector. When the second power interfaceis not used, the waterproof protectoris mounted on the second power interface, further preventing the second power interfacefrom being sprayed by the water mist sprayed by the nozzle. Optionally, the angle between an extension direction of the second power interfaceand the horizontal plane extending along the front and rear direction of the misting fanis greater than or equal to 0° and less than or equal to 30°. The extension direction of the second power interfacespecifically refers to a direction formed by a line between a foremost endand a rearmost endof the second power interface. Optionally, the angle between the extension direction of the second power interfaceand the horizontal plane extending along the front and rear direction of the misting fanmay be 15°. Optionally, the angle between the extension direction of the second power interfaceand the horizontal plane extending along the front and rear direction of the misting fanmay be 25°. Optionally, the angle between the extension direction of the second power interfaceand the horizontal plane extending along the front and rear direction of the misting fanmay be 0°, as shown in, that is, the extension direction of the second power interfaceis parallel to the horizontal plane extending along the front and rear direction of the misting fan, so that a user can more conveniently use the second power interfacewhen using the misting fan. Optionally, the angle between the extension direction of the second power interfaceand the horizontal plane may be 30°, as shown in.

In some examples, the angle between the second power interfaceand the vertical plane extending along the front and rear direction of the misting fanis greater than or equal to 0° and less than or equal to 90°. The angle between the second power interfaceand the vertical plane extending along the front and rear direction of the misting fanincludes an angle between the second power interfaceand the left side of the vertical plane extending along the front and rear direction of the misting fanor an angle between the second power interfaceand the right side of the vertical plane extending along the front and rear direction of the misting fan. Optionally, the angle between the second power interfaceand the vertical plane extending along the front and rear direction of the misting fanis 5°. Optionally, the angle between the second power interfaceand the vertical plane extending along the front and rear direction of the misting fanis 30°. Optionally, the angle between the second power interfaceand the vertical plane extending along the front and rear direction of the misting fanis 55°. Optionally, the angle between the second power interfaceand the vertical plane extending along the front and rear direction of the misting fanis 83°.

In some examples, as shown in, the power supply assemblyfurther includes a charging circuit, the misting fanfurther includes a control motherboardand a main control module, the control motherboardis disposed inside the housingof the support assemblyand specifically inside the front side of the housing, and the main control moduleis configured to control a charging manner of the misting fan. The main control moduleis powered by the power supply assembly, and the main control modulemay be disposed on the control motherboard.

In some examples, the second power interfaceis a direct current interface, and the external power supplyprovides a direct current. In this case, the external power supplymay be a battery pack, and the battery pack may be composed of a group of battery units. For example, the battery units may be connected in series into a single power supply branch to form a 1P battery pack. Additionally, the external power supplymay be another form of direct current. In some examples, the second power interfaceis an alternating current interface, and the external power supplyprovides an alternating current, that is, 120 V or 220 V alternating current mains power may be connected through the second power interface. In this case, the power supply assemblyfurther includes an alternating current-direct current conversion circuit to convert the external power supplyinto a direct current. The direct current provided by the external power supplyor the direct current converted from the alternating current of the external power supplymay be converted by a direct current-direct current conversion circuit in the power supply assemblyinto a direct current with a voltage required by the misting fan. Similarly, a direct current of the battery packmay be converted by the direct current-direct current conversion circuit into the direct current with the voltage required by the misting fan.

Optionally, as shown in, the charging circuitincludes an AC-DC module(that is, the alternating current-direct current conversion circuit) and a DC-DC module(that is, the direct current-direct current conversion circuit). The AC-DC moduleis configured to convert the alternating current into the direct current when the external power supplyprovides the alternating current. The DC-DC moduleis configured to change a voltage of the direct current converted from the alternating current of the external power supplyor to change a voltage of the direct current of the external power supplyitself and output a power supply voltage suitable for the first electric motor, the battery pack, and so on to supply power to the first electric motor, the battery pack, and so on. Meanwhile, the DC-DC modulemay also change a voltage of the direct current output from the battery packand output the power supply voltage suitable for the first electric motorand so on to supply power to the first electric motorand so on.

Optionally, as shown in, circuits between the external power supply, the AC-DC module, the DC-DC module, and the battery packare all bidirectional conversion circuits, that is, the direct current output from the battery packmay pass through the DC-DC moduleand then be converted by the AC-DC moduleinto an alternating current, so as to output power to the outside.

When the power of the external power supplyis greater than a preset power threshold, the external power supplymay charge the battery packand simultaneously supply power to the misting fan. When the power of the external power supplyis less than the preset power threshold, the external power supplyand the battery packjointly supply power to the misting fan. When the power of the external power supplyis equal to the preset power threshold, the external power supplysupplies power to the misting fan. A specific working mode of the external power supplyis described below.

When the charging condition is satisfied, the main control modulecontrols the charging circuitto charge the battery packusing the external power supply. At the same time, the main control modulecontrols the external power supplyto supply power to the misting fan. In this case, the second power interfaceneeds to be electrically connected to the external power supply, and the first power interfaceneeds to be electrically connected to the battery pack. The charging condition is that input power of the external power supplyis greater than a required power for use of the misting fan, that is, input power of the Type-C interface is greater than the required power for use of the misting fan. The battery packis charged through the Type-C interface. In this case, the external power supplyhas relatively large input power and can not only supply power to the misting fanbut also charge the battery pack. Thus, the battery packcan be charged by the external power supply, avoiding the case where the battery packhas insufficient power and cannot supply power to the misting fan. Even if the battery packhas insufficient power, the external power supplycan be directly used for charging without replacing the battery packso that the misting fanhas relatively good endurance.

In some examples, when the second power interfaceis electrically connected to the external power supply, the first power interfaceis electrically connected to the battery pack, and the input power of the external power supplyis less than the required power for use of the misting fan(that is, the input power of the Type-C interface is less than the required power for use of the misting fan), the main control modulecontrols the battery packand the external power supplyto jointly supply power to the misting fan. In this case, the external power supplyhas relatively small input power. To avoid a poor work effect of the misting fanwhen only the external power supplysupplies power to the misting fan, the battery packand the external power supplyare used to jointly supply power to the misting fan.

In some examples, when the second power interfaceis electrically connected to the external power supplyand the input power of the external power supplyis equal to the required power for use of the misting fan, or when the second power interfaceis electrically connected to the external power supplyand the first power interfaceis not electrically connected to the battery pack, the main control modulecontrols only the external power supplyto supply power to the misting fan.

In some examples, the second power interfaceis a bidirectional Type-C interface. When the first power interfaceis electrically connected to the battery packand the second power interfaceis electrically connected to a second powered device (that is, an external powered device), the main control modulecontrols the battery packto supply power to the second powered device. The second powered device is any powered device other than the misting fan, which is not limited in the present application. The second powered device may be a power tool, a household appliance, or a personal powered device, such as an electric drill, a chainsaw, a string trimmer, a blower, a power bank, a notebook, or a smartphone, as shown in.