Patent Publication Number: US-11378100-B2

Title: Oscillating portable fan with removable grille

Description:
FIELD AND BACKGROUND OF THE SUBJECT TECHNOLOGY 
     The subject technology relates to portable electric fans for ventilation, placeable on a tabletop or floor surface, for example. 
     SUMMARY OF THE SUBJECT TECHNOLOGY 
     According to an aspect of the subject technology, an electric fan comprises a fan portion, a base portion, and a telescoping mast having a first end and a second end, the mast hingedly attached to the fan portion at the first end and hingedly attached to the base portion at the second end. The fan portion comprises a fan housing having a front opening, an electric fan motor disposed within the fan housing, fan blades attached to a spindle of the fan motor; and a removable grille disposed in the front opening of the fan housing. The grille and front opening are configured and disposed to be engageable in a first position in which the grille is retained in the front opening and is manually rotatable from the first position to a second position in which the grille is released from the front opening. In an embodiment, slots are disposed on a periphery of the grille, and are configured to engage with corresponding tabs disposed on a periphery of the front opening, to retain the grille in the first position, and to release the grille when it is rotated into the second position. 
     To prevent inadvertent release of the grille from the fan portion, a latch mechanism is provided, which is configured and disposed to lock the grille in the first position until the latch is manually actuated to release. In an embodiment the latch mechanism comprises a button and a latch configured and disposed to release the lock when the button is depressed, permitting manual rotation to the second (released) position. The electric fan further comprises a rechargeable battery power source for the electric fan motor, and at least one user-operable button and electronic circuitry for controlling and selectively powering the electric fan motor from the battery power source. 
     According to a further aspect of the subject technology, the base portion of the electric fan comprises a base housing and a base floor having feet disposed to contact an underlying surface, the floor being rotatably retained to the remainder of the base portion. In an embodiment, the floor is rotatably retained by a flanged hub attached to the remainder of the base portion. 
     According to a further aspect of the subject technology the base portion further comprises an oscillating mechanism disposed within the base housing, the oscillating mechanism comprising an electric base motor, the electric fan further comprising at least one user-operable button and electronic circuitry for controlling and selectively powering the electric base motor from the battery power source. In an embodiment, the oscillating mechanism further comprises a pinion disposed on a spindle of the electric fan motor and the floor comprises an annular gear, the pinion engaged with the annular gear, such that when the electric base motor is powered to turn the pinion, the remainder of the base portion, and the mast, and the fan portion, are turned with respect to the floor. Advantageously, the floor is rotatably retained to the remainder of the base portion by a flanged hub attached to the remainder of the base portion. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a front elevation view of an electric fan according to an embodiment. 
         FIG. 2  is a front perspective view of an electric fan according to an embodiment. 
         FIG. 3  is front detail view of the fan portion having a removable grille and latch button according to an embodiment. 
         FIG. 4  is a detail view of the fan portion with the grille removed, showing the disposition of a latch in a gap between two tabs. 
         FIG. 5  is a detail view of the rear face of the removable grille, showing the disposition of the latch mechanism. 
         FIG. 6  is a detail perspective view of the rear face of the removable grille, showing the disposition of the latch mechanism and a locking slot on the periphery of the grille. 
         FIG. 7  is view of the grille latch mechanism. 
         FIG. 8  is an edge view of the removable grille, showing the disposition of the latch mechanism and locking slots on the periphery of the grille. 
         FIG. 9  is a cross section view of the fan portion. 
         FIG. 10  is a perspective view of the base portion. 
         FIG. 11  is a perspective view of the base portion with the housing removed, showing the disposition of internal components of the base portion according to an embodiment. 
         FIG. 12  is a perspective view of the base portion with the housing and most internal components removed, showing the disposition of the internal platform and motor. 
         FIG. 13  is a perspective view of the floor of the base portion, showing the disposition of the angular gear and pinion. 
         FIG. 14  is a plan view of the floor of the base portion, showing the disposition of the angular gear. 
         FIG. 15  is a cross-sectional view of the base portion along a plane through the motor, motor spindle and pinion. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE SUBJECT TECHNOLOGY 
     According to non-limiting aspects of the subject technology,  FIGS. 1-15  show an embodiment of an electric fan  1  which is foldable to a compact configuration; which can be selectively powered to oscillate to distribute fan motive power in different directions; which is rechargeable; and which can operate by a remote-control transmitter. 
     According to an aspect of the subject technology, electric fan  1  comprises fan portion  10  and base portion  50 . Fan portion  10  is disposed at the end of telescoping mast  20 , which is hingedly attached to fan portion  10  at one end and base portion  50  at the other end. Mast  20  comprises nested tubes which are configured and disposed to expand and contract telescopically by manual operation by the user, so that fan portion  20  can be supported on base portion  50  at a height desired by the user. Due to the hinged connection of mast  20  to fan portion  10  and base portion  50 , fan  1  is collapsible by contracting mast  20  to its shortest configuration and folding fan portion  10  to be disposed on base portion  50 . 
     According to another aspect of the subject technology, as best seen in  FIGS. 3-9 , fan portion  10  comprises fan housing  14  which houses an electric fan motor  12 , fan blades  11  driven by the fan motor  12  when the motor is actuated, and removable front grille  13  disposed in a front-facing opening of fan housing  14 . Grille  13  has slots  15  on the periphery thereof which interlock with mating tabs in the periphery of the front opening of fan housing  14 , by which engagement, grille  13  is held in place in the front-facing opening of fan housing  14 . Alternatively, tabs are disposed on the periphery of grille  13  and corresponding slots are disposed on the periphery of the front opening of fan housing  14 . In either case, the tabs and slots are configured so that by rotating the grille  13  slightly to a non-interlocked release position, for example by about 5 degrees, the engagement is released and grille  13  may be manually removed from fan housing  14 . 
     In a locked position of the grille  13 , as shown for example in  FIGS. 3-4 and 9 , grille  13  is constrained from rotating to the non-interlocked release position by a manual button-operated latch mechanism disposed at a periphery of grille  13 , comprising latch button  30  and latch  31  immovably attached to latch button  30  by, for example, a screw or rivet. Latch button  30  and latch  31  are assembled through a through-going hole disposed near the periphery of grille  13 , and a coil spring  32  is disposed with the button  30  to be compressed when button  30  is manually pressed, and to exert a restoring force to restore button  30  and latch  31  to their original position when the pressure is removed. Latch  31  is constrained by latch guide  37 , which may be integrally formed with grille  13 , to constrain its movement to a perpendicular direction with respect to grille  13 . Latch  31  has a tab  33  disposed at the top edge thereof, which in the locked position is trapped in a gap between a pair of tabs  34  on the periphery of the opening of housing  14 , preventing grille  13  from rotating unless button  30  is pressed inward. When button  30  is manually pressed inward, latch  31  is also pressed inward so that latch tab  33  is beyond the pair of tabs  34 , freeing latch  31  from the gap and permitting rotation of grille  13  to a removable position as previously described. Latch tab  33  has a ramped profile  36  on a corner thereof, counter the direction of the unlocking rotation. In an embodiment, when the user replaces grille  13  in the front-facing opening of housing  14 , grille  13  can be manually rotated back into its locked position, during which rotation the encounter of a tab  34  with the profile  36  will cause the button  30  and latch  31  to be depressed without an need for the user to apply pressure to button  30 , until latch tab  3  passes the tab  34  and enters the gap between tabs  34 , at which point the spring  32  will restore button  30  and latch  31  to their original position, in which tab  33  is trapped in the gap thereby preventing rotation of grille  13  until button  30  is manually depressed again. 
     According to another aspect of the subject technology, base portion  50  of electric fan  1  comprises base housing  51  which houses the other components of base portion  50 . Base portion  50  has upper surface  52  and sidewall  53 . In an embodiment, sidewall  53  is cylindrical and is open at the bottom. Floor  68  of base portion  50  is disposed at the bottom of base housing  51 , but in an embodiment, floor  68  is not fixedly attached to housing  51 , as will be explained hereafter. Channel  54  is formed in upper surface  52  for receiving mast  20  in the mast&#39;s retracted and folded configuration, when fan  1  is in the fully or partially folded state. Upper surface  52  has openings for button covers  61  and LEDs  62 . At one end of channel  54 , openings  59  are formed in housing  51  to receive portions of a base hinge subassembly that hingedly connects mast  20  to base portion  50 . In an embodiment, upper surface  52  has a recess  56  to receive and store remote-control transmitter  5 . In an embodiment, a lip  55  is formed around the circumference of upper surface  52 , and fan housing  14  is formed with an edge that mates neatly with lip  55  when the fan is in the folded and closed position. 
     Turning now to the internal components of base portion  50 , internal platform  65  is disposed within housing  51  and is attached to housing  51  with, for example, screws or rivets. Platform  65  has an opening  74  for base motor  66 . Printed circuit board (“PCB”)  60  is attached to the upper surface of platform  65  and bears electronic components, circuitry, wires and traces for powering and operating all functions of the fan  1 ; buttons for changing the operational state of the fan  1  manually; and LEDs  62  driven by the circuitry to indicate the operational state of the fan  1 . Button covers  61  are disposed over the buttons and extend through openings in housing  51 . In an embodiment, the electronic circuitry includes a remote-control receiver, and the electronic circuitry is configured to receive signals from the remote-control transmitter  5  and change operating modes of the fan in response to the signals. The remote-control transmitter  5  and receiver may employ any suitable technology for transmitting and receiving remote-control signals, such as infrared and radio frequency, as non-limiting examples. The buttons and remote-control transmitter  5  (having its own buttons, not shown) are operable by the user to change the operating modes of the electric fan, exemplary modes being Power On/Off, Swing (i.e. oscillation) On/Off, Fan Speed Low, Fan Speed Medium, Fan Speed High. Weights  64  may be disposed within base portion  50 , for example on platform  65 , to lower the center of gravity of fan  1  and thereby stabilize it. 
     Rechargeable battery  63  is disposed within housing  51  and is operably connected to PCB  60  for powering the components of fan  1 . Battery  63  is rechargeable through port  57  disposed at sidewall  53 . Wires for carrying electrical current extend from PCB  60  to base motor  66  and (through mast  20 ) to the fan motor in fan portion  10 . 
     In an embodiment, base portion  50  includes an oscillating mechanism to turn the fan  1  in a reciprocating and oscillating pattern, under the control of the electronic circuitry, which can be turned on and off by operation of a button and/or remote-control transmitter  5 . In an embodiment, the oscillating mechanism turns the entire fan  1  with respect to floor  68 , which remains stationary in contact with the underlying surface. In this embodiment, floor  68  is not immovably fixed (with screws, for example) to the remainder of base portion  50 . Rather, floor  68  is rotatably retained to the remainder of base portion  50  by hub  71 , which is fixed with screws for example to internal platform  65 , and is disposed within a circular opening  58  in floor  68 , and rotatably retains floor  68  to the remainder of base portion  50  with a flange  76  of hub  71 . In this embodiment, base portion  50  may turn about floor  68  with respect to the remainder of base portion  50 . 
     In an embodiment, the oscillating mechanism comprises an annular gear formed in base portion  50 , which in a further embodiment is partial annular gear  69  formed in floor  68  between two stops  70 . Pinion  67  is engaged with annular gear  69  and is disposed on the shaft of electric motor  66 . Motor  66  is disposed on the upper surface  73  of platform  65  and is fixedly connected to platform  65  or housing  51 , or both. Motor  66 , or at least the shaft of motor  66 , extends through an opening in platform  65 , so that pinion  67  is disposed below platform  65  and is in engagement with annular gear  69 . When oscillation is selected by operation of the buttons or remote-control transmitter  5 , motor  66  is selectively energized from battery  63  under the control of the electronic circuitry to turn pinion  67 , which by its engagement with stationary floor  68  and its annular gear  69 , turns the remainder of base portion  50  (i.e., excluding floor  68 ) and thereby turns the mast  20  and fan portion  10  which is connected to base portion  50  via mast  20 . 
     While specific embodiments of the subject technology have been shown and described in detail to illustrate the application of the principles of the subject technology, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles. It will also be understood that the present subject technology includes any combination of the features and elements disclosed herein and any combination of equivalent features. The exemplary embodiments shown herein are presented for the purposes of illustration only and are not meant to limit the scope of the subject technology.