Fan Assembly

This application is a continuation of and claims priority to U.S. application Ser. No. 18/296,758, filed on Apr. 6, 2023, and granted as U.S. Pat. No. 12,352,275, issued Jul. 8, 2025, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference.

The present disclosure relates generally to a fan assembly.

There are various cooling devices for cooling an area and/or users. One such device is a fan, which generally include spinning fan blades that produce airflow for cooling the area and/or user.

Aspects and advantages of one or more embodiments of the invention in accordance with the present disclosure will be set forth in part in the following description, may be understood from the description, or may be learned through practice of the technology.

According to one or more embodiments, a fan assembly comprises a motor having an output shaft that defines a rotation axis, a plurality of fan blades coupled to the output shaft and configured to be rotated by the output shaft when the motor is actuated to generate airflow, a fan shroud surrounding the plurality of fan blades, and a handle disposed on the fan shroud, wherein the handle comprises a base and a rotating handle structure rotatable about the base, and wherein the base comprises a first gripping portion configured to be gripped by a user, and the rotating handle structure comprises a second gripping portion configured to be gripped by the user.

According to one or more embodiments, the fan assembly defines an upward direction and a downward direction, and the handle is disposed on the fan shroud at a position in the upward direction from the rotation axis.

According to one or more embodiments, the fan assembly defines a rightward direction and a leftward direction, the handle is disposed on the fan shroud at a position in one of the rightward direction and the leftward direction from the rotation axis, and at least one wheel is positioned in the downward direction from the rotation axis and the other of the rightward and leftward direction from the rotation axis.

According to one or more embodiments, the first gripping portion and the second gripping portion extend in a direction parallel to the rotation axis.

According to one or more embodiments, the rotating handle structure is rotatable between a lowered position and a raised position, in the lowered position, the first gripping portion and the second gripping portion are equidistant from the rotation axis, and, in the raised position, the second gripping portion is farther away from the rotation axis than the first gripping portion.

According to one or more embodiments, the rotating handle structure is rotatable between a lowered position and a raised position, and the handle comprises a detent structure configured to retain the rotating handle structure in the raised position.

According to one or more embodiments, the detent structure comprises a rib disposed on one of the rotating handle structure and the base, and a detent slot disposed on the other of the rotating handle structure and the base and, in the raised position, the rib is inserted into detent slot.

According to one or more embodiments, a fan assembly comprises a motor having an output shaft that defines a rotation axis, a plurality of fan blades coupled to the output shaft and configured to be rotated by the output shaft when the motor is actuated to generate airflow, a fan shroud surrounding the plurality of fan blades, a battery receptacle assembly disposed on the fan shroud, wherein the battery receptacle assembly comprises a battery receptacle configured to receive a battery pack, wherein the fan assembly defines an upward direction and a downward direction, and wherein the battery receptacle is disposed in the downward direction from the rotation axis.

According to one or more embodiments, the fan assembly comprises a stand, and the battery receptacle assembly is directly fixed to the stand.

According to one or more embodiments, two wheels are rotatably disposed on the stand, and the battery receptacle is at least partially disposed between the two wheels.

According to one or more embodiments, the battery receptacle assembly comprises an electrical plug receptacle.

According to one or more embodiments, the battery receptacle assembly comprises a speed control dial that is rotatable to control a rotational speed of the motor.

According to one or more embodiments, the speed control dial is disposed in the upward direction from the battery receptacle.

According to one or more embodiments, the battery receptacle comprises a guide rail portion configured to accept a slidable battery pack in a direction that forms an angle with the upward direction and the downward direction.

According to one or more embodiments, a fan assembly comprises a motor having an output shaft that defines a rotation axis, a plurality of fan blades coupled to the output shaft and configured to be rotated by the output shaft when the motor is actuated to generate airflow, a fan shroud surrounding the plurality of fan blades, and a rear grill disposed on a rear side of the fan shroud, wherein the plurality of fan blades define a fan diameter, wherein each of the plurality of fan blades defines a leading edge and a trailing edge, and wherein a ratio between i) a minimum distance between the trailing edge of each of the plurality of fan blades and the rear grill and ii) the fan diameter is 10% or greater.

According to one or more embodiments, the ratio is between 10% and 18%.

According to one or more embodiments, the ratio is between 15% and 18%.

According to one or more embodiments, the ratio is between 16% and 17%.

According to one or more embodiments, the fan assembly further comprises a front grill, and the minimum distance between the trailing edge of each of the plurality of fan blades and the rear grill is greater than a minimum distance between the trailing edge of each of the fan blades and the front grill.

According to one or more embodiments, the fan assembly further comprises a front grill, and the minimum distance between the trailing edge of each of the plurality of fan blades and the rear grill is greater than a minimum distance between the leading edge of each of the fan blades and the front grill.

These and other features, aspects and advantages of one or more embodiments of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following description and appended claims. The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the technology and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the technology.

Reference now will be made in detail to embodiments of the present invention, one or more examples of which are illustrated in the drawings. The word “exemplary” is used herein to mean “serving as an example, instance, or illustration.” Any implementation described herein as “exemplary” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other implementations. Moreover, each example is provided by way of explanation, rather than limitation of, the technology. In fact, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that modifications and variations can be made in the present technology without departing from the scope or spirit of the claimed technology. For instance, features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment can be used with another embodiment to yield a still further embodiment. Thus, it is intended that the present disclosure covers such modifications and variations as come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents. The detailed description uses numerical and letter designations to refer to features in the drawings. Like or similar designations in the drawings and description have been used to refer to like or similar parts of the invention.

As used herein, the terms “first”, “second”, and “third” may be used interchangeably to distinguish one component from another and are not intended to signify location or importance of the individual components. The singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. The terms “coupled,” “fixed,” “attached to,” and the like refer to both direct coupling, fixing, or attaching, as well as indirect coupling, fixing, or attaching through one or more intermediate components or features, unless otherwise specified herein. As used herein, the terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “includes,” “including,” “has,” “having” or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of features is not necessarily limited only to those features but may include other features not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. Further, unless expressly stated to the contrary, “or” refers to an inclusive- or and not to an exclusive- or. For example, a condition A or B is satisfied by any one of the following: A is true (or present) and B is false (or not present), A is false (or not present) and B is true (or present), and both A and B are true (or present).

Terms of approximation, such as “about,” “generally,” “approximately,” or “substantially,” include values within ten percent greater or less than the stated value. When used in the context of an angle or direction, such terms include within ten degrees greater or less than the stated angle or direction. For example, “generally vertical” includes directions within ten degrees of vertical in any direction, e.g., clockwise or counter-clockwise.

Benefits, other advantages, and solutions to problems are described below with regard to specific embodiments. However, the benefits, advantages, solutions to problems, and any feature(s) that may cause any benefit, advantage, or solution to occur or become more pronounced are not to be construed as a critical, required, or essential feature of any or all the claims.

show front and rear perspective views of a fan assemblyaccording to one or more embodiments, andshow front and rear views of a fan assemblyaccording to one or more embodiments.shows a side cross-sectional view of the fan assemblyaccording to one or more embodiments. As shown in, the fan assemblydefines up and down vertical directions, right and left lateral directions, and front and rear axial directions. Below, the front direction alternatively may be referred to as a forward direction. Referring to, the fan assemblyincludes a motor. According to one or more embodiments, the motormay be a brushed motor, a brushless motor, or other motors known for use in fans. As shown, the motormay be partially disposed within a motor housing, and a rear-most portion of the motormay be disposed within a rear capof the fan assembly. Alternatively, the motormay be fully enclosed in the motor housing. According to one or more embodiments, the motor housingand/or the rear capmay be water-proof and/or dust-proof. The motorincludes an output shaftthat rotates about a rotation axis when actuated. According to one or more embodiments, the output shaftextends from the motorin a forward direction. A fan hubis fixed to the output shaftsuch that the fan hubrotates with the output shaftwhen the motoris actuated and the output shaftis thereby rotated. A plurality of fan bladesextend radially outward from the fan hub. Whileshow the fan assemblyhaving five fan blades, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The fan bladesare fixed to the fan hubsuch that rotation of the fan hubresults in a rotation of the fan blades, and the rotation of the fan bladesgenerates airflow in the forward direction. According to one or more embodiments, the fan bladesare formed integrally with the fan hub. Alternatively, the fan bladesmay be attached to the fan hub. The frontmost portion of the output shaftmay be rotatably supported by a retaining structurethat extends to a front capof the fan assembly. The motor, the output shaft, the fan hub, and the fan bladesmay be collectively referred to as a fan of the fan assembly.

As shown in, a fan shroudis disposed around the fan blades. The fan shroudsurrounds the fan bladesto direct airflow from a rear of the fan assemblyto a front of the fan assembly. The fan shroudis open at a front end and a rear end. A more detailed explanation of the fan shroudwill be set forth later. According to one or more embodiments, a front grillis disposed on a front side of the fan shroudand a rear grillis disposed on a rear side of the fan shroud. The front grilland the rear grillallow airflow to pass therethrough while preventing users from coming in contact with the fan blades, and further prevents larger objects and debris that may damage the fan bladesand/or injure users from entering the fan blades. According to one or more embodiments, the front grilland/or the rear grillmay be structured as a plurality of concentric circular wire structures and a plurality of radial wire structures connecting the circular wire structures. According to one or more embodiments, ends of some of the plurality of radial wire structures of the front grillare secured to an inner surface of the fan shroud. According to one or more embodiments, a front capmay be disposed at a center portion of the front grill, and a rear capmay be disposed at a center portion of the rear grill. The front capmay cover only the fan hubor a portion thereof such that airflow from the fan bladesis not blocked thereby. The rear capmay cover a rear of the motorso as to not block or minimally block airflow intake through the rear of the fan assembly. The motormay be supported on the rear grillthrough the rear capand may be supported on the front grillthrough the front cap, the retaining structure, and the output shaftof the motor. The rear grillmay extend forward from rear end of the fan shroudat a portion surrounding the rear capto provide support and rigidity to the rear capthat supports a portion of the motor.

According to one or more embodiments, the fan assemblyincludes a standthat includes a pair of floor support portions, and a pair of right vertical portionsand a pair of left vertical portionsthat extend upward from the floor support portions. The pair of right vertical portionsare joined at upper ends thereof to a battery receptacle assembly, and the pair of left vertical portionsare joined at upper ends thereof to a rotation lock assembly. Specifically, the upper ends of the pair of left vertical portionsmay be inserted into and secured to support securing structuresof the rotation lock assemblydisposed on front and rear sides of a main bodyof the rotation lock assembly. The main bodyof the rotation lock assemblyis secured to a left side of the fan shroud, and a rotation lock dialis disposed on an end surface of the main body. The upper ends of the pair of right vertical portionsmay be inserted into and secured to the battery receptacle assembly. The battery receptacle assemblyis secured to a right side of the fan shroud. According to one or more embodiments, a cross-beamextends between the pair of floor support portionsto provide rigidity to the stand. The ends of the cross-beammay be fixed to upper surfaces of the floor support portions.

According to one or more embodiments, the fan shroudmay rotate with respect to the standabout a lateral axis including the left and right directions, allowing the fan to be angled upwards and downwards. The standmay further include a pair of wheelsthat are connected via a wheel shaft that is rotatably disposed proximate to the junction of the floor support portionsand the right vertical portions. According to one or more embodiments, elbow supportsmay be disposed at the transitions between the floor support portionsand the left vertical portionssuch that, when the fan assemblyis sitting on the ground, the fan assemblymakes contact with the ground at the elbow supportsand the wheels. According to one or more embodiments, the elbow supportmay be formed of a material that is softer, that is more elastic, and/or that is able to grip the ground compared to the material that makes up the floor support portions. According to one or more embodiments, the floor support portions, the right vertical portions, and the left vertical portionsare formed of metal, and the elbow supportsis formed of plastic and/or rubber.

Additionally, a handle, which will be described in further detail later, is disposed at a top left portion of the fan shroud. When a user lifts the fan assemblyvia the handle, the elbow supportsare lifted off the ground such that only the wheelscontact the ground, and the wheelsallow a user to pull the fan assemblyin the left direction or push the fan assemblyin the right direction. The fan assemblymay further include weights (not shown) on the floor support portionsto anchor the fan assembly. The weights may be sleeve-shaped.

As shown in, each of the fan bladeshave a leading edgeand a trailing edge, and there is a minimum distance Dmin in the axial directions between the leading edgeof the fan bladesand the frontmost portion of the rear grill. While keeping the minimum distance Dmin is generally desirable in forming a more compact fan assembly, Applicant has discovered that, when the minimum distance Dmin is 10% or greater than the fan diameter Df, there is a significant reduction in fan noise. The fan diameter Df is defined as a diameter of the fan, which may be determined as a diameter of a circle that includes the radial tips of each of the fan blades. According to one or more embodiments, a ratio between the minimum distance Dmin and the fan diameter Df is 10% or greater. According to one or more embodiments, a ratio between the minimum distance Dmin and the fan diameter Df is between 10% and 18%. According to one or more embodiments, a ratio between the minimum distance Dmin and the fan Fd diameter is between 15% and 18%. According to one or more embodiments, a ratio between the minimum distance Dmin and the fan diameter Df is between 16% and 17%. According to one or more embodiments, the minimum distance Dmin is greater than a minimum axial distance between the trailing edgeof the fan bladesand the front grill. According to one or more embodiments, the minimum distance Dmin is greater than a minimum axial distance between the leading edgeof the fan bladesand the front grill.

shows a handleof a fan assemblyin a lowered position according to one or more embodiments, andshows a handleof a fan assemblyin a raised position according to one or more embodiments. The handlemay be disposed at a top left portion of the fan shroudof the fan assembly. The handleincludes a baseand a rotating handle structure. The baseincludes a pair of attachment portionsthat are attached to an outer surface of the fan shroudand a first gripping portionextending between the attachment portions. There is a gap between the first gripping portionand the fan shroudsuch that a user can grip the first gripping portionto lift and/or pull and/or push the fan assembly. The basefurther includes first hinge portions. The rotating handle structureincludes second hinge portionsthat are rotatably attached to the first hinge portionsof the base. The rotating handle structurefurther includes a second gripping portionand extension structuresthat extend from the second hinge portionsto the second gripping portion. The second gripping portionmay include a molded gripthat is formed of a material that is softer and/or more elastic than the remainder of the second gripping portionto enable easier gripping of the second gripping portion. The rotating handle structureis structured such that the user may grip the second gripping portionand pull the rotating handle structurewhich rotates the rotating handle structurewith respect to the base, and the user can lift and/or pull and/or push the fan assemblyvia the rotating handle structureto move the fan assembly.

shows a detent structure of a handleof a fan assemblyaccording to one or more embodiments. According to one or more embodiments, the rotating handle structureincludes a riband the baseincludes a detent slot. As the rotating handle structurerotates from the lowered position shown into the raised position shown in, the ribis pressed into the detent slotto retain the rotating handle structurein the raised position. The ribmay be removed from the detent slotby the user rotating the rotating handle structurewith increased force.

shows a rotation lock assemblyaccording to one or more embodiments. The rotation lock assemblyincludes securing structuresinto which upper ends of the pair of left vertical portionsmay be inserted to secure the left vertical portionsto the support securing structures. The main bodyof the rotation lock assemblyis secured to a left side of the fan shroud, and a rotation lock dialis disposed on an end surface of the main body. The main bodymay be divided into two parts with a friction platetherebetween. The rotation lock dialis fixed to a pinwith a threaded portionthat is screwed into a nutfixed to the fan shroud. When the rotation lock dialis rotated in a first direction, e.g., clockwise, the threaded portionof the pinis screwed into the nut, which compresses the two parts of the main bodyonto the friction plateand locks rotation of the fan shroudabout the stand. When the rotation lock dialis rotated in a second direction, e.g., counterclockwise, the threaded portionof the pinis screwed out of the nut, which unlocks rotation of the fan shroudabout the stand.

shows a front perspective view of a battery receptacle assemblyof a fan assemblyaccording to one or more embodiments, andshows a side view of a battery receptacle assemblyof a fan assemblyaccording to one or more embodiments. The battery receptacle assemblymay include an upper portion, a lower portion, and a bridge portionbetween the upper portionand the lower portion. The upper portionincludes an upper housingon which a speed control dialis disposed. According to one or more embodiments, the speed control dialmay be rotated to turn the fan assemblyon and off and to adjust a rotational speed of the motorand the fan bladesto adjust an air flow rate through the fan assembly. According to one or more embodiments, the upper housingincludes a printed circuit board assembly that may include circuitry to sense the rotational position of the speed control dialand control the rotational speed of the motorand the fan blades. Additionally, upper ends of the right vertical equations 151 may be inserted into and fixed to the upper housing.

According to one or more embodiments, the battery receptacle assemblyincludes a lower portionbelow the upper portion, and a bridge portionextending between the upper portionand the lower portion. The pair of right vertical portionsmay be partially exposed on an outer side of the bridge portion. The lower portionincludes a battery receptacle, a wallon each side of the battery receptacle, and a lower housingthat includes an electrical plug receptaclebelow the battery receptacle. The electrical plug receptacleis configured to accept an electrical plug to provide power to the motorwhen one end of an electrical wire is plugged into the electrical plug receptacleand the other end of the electrical wire is plugged into an electric outlet. The pair of right vertical portionsmay pass through each of the walls. According to one or more embodiments, the battery receptacleincludes a guide rail portionthat accepts a slidable battery pack, and terminalsthat electrically connect to corresponding terminals on the battery pack. Thus, the battery pack may provide power to the fan assemblythrough the terminals. A printed circuit board assembly may be disposed in the lower portionand connected to the terminal. Additionally, a wire may connect the printed circuit board to the motorto drive the motorwhen a battery pack is disposed on the battery receptacle. For example, the electrical wire may be attached to a back of the rear grill. According to one or more embodiments, the electrical plug receptacleis positioned directly below the battery receptaclesuch that only one of the battery pack and the electrical plug can be connected at one time.

When power is provided to the motorfrom the battery pack on the battery receptacleor from the electrical plug on the electrical plug receptacle, the fan bladesrotate to generate airflow from the rear side of the fan assemblyto the front side of the fan assembly. As such, the fan shroudwill be described in airflow order from the rear end thereof to the front end thereof. According to one or more embodiments, the fan shroudmay include a rear lipat a rearmost end of the fan shroud, a converging sectionextending forward from the rear lipthat gradually decreases in diameter towards the front, a constant diameter sectionextending forward from the converging section, and a front lipat a frontmost end of the fan shroud. As shown in, the converging sectionmay have a curved profile from the rear lipto the constant diameter section. The front and rear lips,may provide stiffness to the front and rear ends of the fan shroudand may further blunt the front and rear ends of the fan shroudso that they do not injure a user. Both the inner and outer diameters of the fan shrouddecrease in diameter in the converging sectionin the forward direction.

As shown in, the fan bladesmay be disposed within the constant diameter sectionof the fan shroud. Thus, rotation of the fan bladespulls airflow from a rear of the fan shroudthrough the converging sectionto the constant diameter section, and the airflow through the constant diameter sectionexits a front of the fan shroud. The decrease in diameter in the airflow direction via the converging sectionprovides improvement in performance.

shows a front perspective view of a fan assemblyaccording to one or more embodiments, andshows a side cross-sectional view of a fan assemblyaccording to one or more embodiments. The fan assemblyshown inare similar to that shown in. Thus, the descriptions of the portions that are similar are not repeated.]

As explained above with reference to, the battery receptacle assemblyhas a lower portionthat includes a battery receptacle.shows a slidable battery packdisposed in the battery receptacle.

In the fan assemblyshown in, the ends of some of the plurality of radial wire structures of the front grillare secured to an inner surface of the fan shroud. In contrast, according to one or more embodiments, the fan assemblyshown inincludes grill securing bracketsthat secure the outermost circular wire structure of the plurality of concentric circular wire structures of the front grillto an inner surface of the fan shroud.

In the fan assemblyshown in, the frontmost portion of the output shaftmay be rotatably supported by a retaining structurethat extends to a front capof the fan assembly. In contrast, according to one or more embodiments, the fan assemblyshown inincludes a shaft securing structurethat secures the frontmost portion of the output shaftto the fan hubwithout extending to the front cap.

In the fan assemblyshown in, the motor housinghas a constant diameter from a front end thereof to a rear end thereof. In contrast, according to one or more embodiments, the fan assemblyshown inincludes a motor housingthat increases in diameter from a front end to a rear end such that the motor housinghas a larger diameter than the motor housing. As such, the fan assemblyshown inhas a rear capthat is significantly larger in diameter than the rear capshown in. The larger rear capprovides more support for the motor.

This written description uses examples to disclose the invention, including the best mode, and also to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the invention, including making and using any devices or systems and performing any incorporated methods. The patentable scope of the invention is defined by the claims, and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they include structural elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from the literal language of the claims.