Patent Publication Number: US-2003235501-A1

Title: Combination box fan and packaging assembly

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD  
       [0001] The invention relates to fans, and more particularly to a box fan assembly having final assembly parts that are self-contained and other features that make the assembly conducive to shrink-wrap packaging, or other forms of low cost packaging.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002] Box fans have traditionally been an effective way to provide climate control within a living space. In recent years, manufacturers have found ways to design and manufacture these types of fans at low costs due to technological advancements in manufacturing, materials and packaging. These types of fans have become extremely popular over the recent years due to their extremely low cost to the consumer. During the summer months, box fans provide a very low cost solution to keep air circulating within a living space, and hence, help keep temperatures from reaching uncomfortable, and sometimes dangerous, levels.  
       [0003] Due to their increasing popularity and low cost, these types of box fans have become high volume consumer products. High volume products, especially low cost products, always challenge manufacturers to find ways to reduce manufacturing and material costs in order to increase or maintain profit margins, especially when margins are low. Because of the typically high volume of sales of these types of products, reduction of just a few cents in manufacturing or product cost can translate into significant increases in profit. Some of these reductions can also be translated into further reduced prices to the consumer.  
       [0004] One of the most expensive portions of product cost for these types of low-cost products is attributable to product packaging. The most popular method of packaging box fans is to place them within a corrugated cardboard or paper box. The box may include additional cardboard, foam, or plastic braces or supports that are designed to secure or support the box fan within the box. The box typically has printed indicia on several of its outside surfaces, sometimes in several colors, indicating product names, marketing information, technical specifications and other product or manufacturer information. All of these features of box packaging make it an expensive choice for packaging, especially for packaging high-volume low-cost consumer products.  
       [0005] Another method of packaging is plastic form packaging. This type of packaging typically involves packaging a product between two thermo-formed or vacuum-formed plastic package halves that are formed to fit the contour of the product. The package halves are typically welded together to form a peripheral seam that seals the package. Printed material can be printed on a paper or cardboard substrate and inserted between the package halves to provide product and marketing information. Although this type of packaging reduces cost associated with printing, it typically requires customized tooling to form the contoured packaging. Because of the tooling requirement, this type of packaging can be relatively expensive, especially for packaging high-volume low-cost consumer products.  
       [0006] One of the least expensive packaging methods is shrink-wrap packaging. In this type of packaging, the product is wrapped with a thin film of shrinkable plastic material. After the product is wrapped, the shrink-wrap is exposed to heat, which causes the shrink-wrap to shrink and conform to the product. Product and marketing material can be printed on a paper or cardboard substrate and inserted between the shrink-wrap and product prior to shrinking the shrink-wrap. Shrink-wrap packaging is a very low cost method of packaging. One of the drawbacks to shrink-wrapping, however, is the lack of product protection from damage. This is especially true when the product is less robust or of a shape that includes appendages, protrusions, or other potentially fragile components. Box fans typically include appendages such as handles, floor supports or feet, control knobs, power cords and the like, which make it a product that is less conducive to shrink-wrap packaging methods. These appendages also make the box fans less conducive to shipping, storage, and stacking on pallets and store shelves due to their dimensional complexity. This can also significantly reduce the volume of product that can be displayed on store shelves, or shipped in a single shipping unit, such as a pallet or other container. Therefore, a simple geometrically-shaped product having no appendages or protrusions would be an ideal candidate for shrink-wrap packaging and would provide all of the shipping, storage and cost savings benefits associated with this type of packaging.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0007] A combination portable fan and packaging assembly comprising a fan including a fan housing having a peripheral shroud portion and two grill portions each disposed adjacent the shroud portion. The shroud portion and the grill portions define an interior region of the fan housing. The shroud portion defines an outer shroud surface and the two grill portions each define an outer grill surface, the outer shroud surface and the outer grill surfaces together defining an exterior boundary surface of the fan housing. A film of packaging material is disposed over the exterior boundary surface of the fan housing, wherein the exterior boundary surface defines the outermost extent of the fan within the packaging material.  
       [0008] In another aspect, a fan assembly conducive to packaging with a surrounding film layer of packaging material is provided. The assembly comprises a fan housing having a peripheral shroud portion and two grill portions each disposed adjacent the shroud portion. The shroud portion and the grill portions define an interior region of the fan housing. The peripheral shroud portion has an outer shroud surface and the two grill portions each have an outer grill surface, the outer surfaces defining an exterior boundary surface of the fan housing. The exterior boundary surface defines a geometric extent of the fan. A motorized blade assembly is disposed within the interior region of the fan housing and includes a fan motor having a motor housing and a control actuator disposed adjacent an outer surface of the motor housing. The fan motor is disposed within the interior region of the fan housing such that the control actuator is recessed from the exterior boundary surface of the fan housing so that it does not breach the geometric extent of the fan.  
       [0009] In yet another aspect, a portable fan assembly conducive to packaging with a surrounding film layer of packaging material is provided wherein the assembly includes a fan housing having an interior region and an exterior boundary surface defined by an outer peripheral housing surface and two grill surfaces of the fan housing. The fan housing includes a compartment that is recessed from the exterior boundary surface. The compartment is adapted to accommodate at least one appendage of the fan assembly such that the appendage does not substantially protrude beyond the exterior boundary surface of the fan housing.  
       [0010] In yet another aspect, a portable fan having self-contained packaging capability is provided. The fan includes a fan housing defining an interior region and an exterior boundary surface. The exterior boundary surface defines the geometric extent of the fan. A motorized blade assembly is disposed within the interior region of the fan housing. The fan also includes at least one removable appendage, wherein the fan housing is adapted to provide storage of the removable appendage within the geometric extent of the fan in a packaged state.  
       [0011] These and other aspects will become apparent from a review of the Drawings, Detailed Description and the Claims. 
     
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
     [0012]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a portable fan assembly in accordance with a particular aspect of the present invention.  
     [0013]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the fan assembly shown in FIG. 1 having a portion cut away to expose a fan motor.  
     [0014]FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of a combination portable fan and packaging assembly in accordance with a particular aspect of the present invention wherein a layer of packaging material is disposed over the fan.  
     [0015]FIG. 4 is a plan view of a package containing appendages of the portable fan assembly that can be placed within a compartment within the fan assembly in accordance with a particular aspect of the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
     [0016] While the present invention will be described fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which a particular embodiment is shown, it is to be understood at the outset that persons skilled in the art may modify the invention herein described while still achieving the desired result of this invention. Accordingly, the description which follows is to be understood as an informative disclosure of a specific embodiment under the invention directed to the understanding of persons skilled in the appropriate arts and not as limitations of the present invention.  
     [0017] Referring to FIG. 1, a preferred embodiment in accordance with the present invention includes a portable fan, or fan assembly  10  having a fan housing  12 . The fan housing  12  includes a peripheral shroud portion  14  and two grill portions  16  and  18 , each disposed adjacent the shroud portion  14 . The shroud portion  14  and the grill portions  16  and  18  define an interior region  20  of the fan housing  12 . In this particular embodiment, the shroud portion  14  has an outer shroud surface  22  and the two grill portions  16  and  18  each have an outer grill surface  24 . It is to be understood that the shroud portion  14 , as well as the grill portions  16 , may be made up of more than one component and can be of a variety of shapes and sizes. The outer shroud surface  22  and the outer grill surface  24  together define an exterior, or outer, boundary surface  26  of the fan housing  12  that represents the outer boundary of a defined space within which the fan housing  12  is contained, i.e., the spacial limit or geometric extent of the fan housing  12 . In a preferred embodiment, the fan housing is free of any appendages that more than slightly protrude beyond the exterior boundary surface  26  of the fan housing, thereby providing a portable fan that is conducive to packaging with a surrounding film layer of packaging material, such as shrink-wrap packaging. Appendages may include a fixed power cord, a removable power cord, removable supports or feet, a removable control knob, a removable handle, and any other feature of a fan that would extend beyond the geometric extent of the fan housing.  
     [0018] As best shown in FIG. 2, a motorized blade assembly  30  is disposed within the interior region  20  of the fan housing  12 . The fan blade assembly includes a motor  32  having a motor housing  34 , a bladed propeller  36  and a control actuator  38 . The motor  32  is of a design that is particularly suitable for the present invention. In a preferred embodiment as shown in FIGS.  1 - 3 , the motor  32  is disposed within the interior region  20  of the housing  12  such that the control actuator  38  does not extend beyond the exterior boundary surface  26  of the fan housing  12 . The control actuator  38  is disposed within a control cavity, or recess  40 , such that the control actuator  38  does not extend beyond the boundary surface  26  but remains functionally accessible by a user of the fan  10 . The recessed design of the control actuator  38  is further facilitated by the design of the motor housing  34 . The motor housing  34  includes a backplane  42  that is offset from an outermost surface  44  of the fan housing  34 , within which the control actuator  38  is disposed. Additionally, the control actuator  38  includes a control knob  46  that has an offset design, i.e., the control knob  46  has an axis of rotation that is not at the center of the control knob  46 , but rather offset to a side edge of the control knob  46 . In the embodiment shown in FIGS.  1 - 3 , the control knob  46  has a wedge-like shape. By offsetting the control knob  46  from its axis of rotation, the motor  32  can be of a more compact design and the recess  40  can be smaller. To further accommodate this design, control setting indicia  48  can be disposed directly on the grill portion  16 , such as by labeling or molding, thereby further decreasing the manufacturing costs of the motor  32 , which, in turn, decreases the cost of the fan  10 .  
     [0019] In the particular embodiment shown in FIGS.  1 - 3 , the motor housing  34  includes an electrical cord receptacle  49  disposed within the backplane  42  that accepts a plug of a removable electrical power cord. The grill portion  16  includes a receptacle aperture  50  to accommodate access to the receptacle  49 . The grill portion  16  also includes a recessed handle  52  disposed near an edge  53  of the fan housing  12  to facilitate carrying of the fan  10  by a user. These features facilitate ease of packaging the fan with a surrounding film layer of packaging material.  
     [0020] A particular feature that facilitates the self-contained packaging concept is the capability of the fan housing to allow storage of appendages of the fan such that they are contained within the geometric extent of the fan. In a preferred embodiment, a recessed pocket, or compartment  54 , is formed within the grill portion  16  that is adapted to accommodate appendages of the fan  10 . The compartment  54  is shown in FIGS.  1 - 3 . In this embodiment, the compartment  54  can also be formed within the shroud portion  14 . In other fan styles, the compartment can be formed into any portion of the fan housing such that it provides storage that is recessed from the exterior boundary surface of the fan housing. Furthermore, the compartment can be formed into a variety of shapes and sizes. Referring to FIG. 3, the compartment  54  is defined by a recessed surface  55  offset from the outer grill surface  24  by an adjacent sidewall  56 . In a preferred embodiment, the recessed surface  55  and the sidewall  56  include a grill structure or apertures therein to facilitate air flow therethrough. Thus, the compartment  54  does not interfere with air flow from the motorized blade assembly.  
     [0021] As shown in FIG. 4, removable appendages may include removable supports or feet  57  and a removable power cord  58 . In a preferred embodiment, the removable feet  57  and the power cord  58  of FIG. 4 are packaged within a plastic package  60 . The removable feet  56  can be clipped to a bottom edge  62  of the fan housing  12  to help support the fan  10  when it is placed on a surface. In an alternate embodiment, the removable appendages of the fan  10  may also include features such as a removable handle (not shown) that attaches to the fan housing  12 , a removable control knob (not shown), other features of a fan that would normally substantially extend beyond the geometric extent of the fan housing. The removability of these features, and storage within the compartment, provides an appendage-free housing that is conducive to packaging with a surrounding film layer of packaging material, such as shrink-wrap packaging.  
     [0022] The combination compartment  54  and the drop-in plastic package  60  accommodates more functional packaging and reduces packaging costs. As shown in the embodiment of FIGS.  1 - 3 , the package  60  is placed within the compartment  54  during the packaging process. As shown in FIG. 3, a layer of packaging material  70 , such as shrink-wrap film, is disposed around the fan  10 . If shrink-wrap type packaging material is utilized, heat is applied to the film which causes the shrink-wrap to shrink and conform to the exterior boundary surface  26  of the fan  10 . Because the fan  10  of the present invention is substantially free of appendages in a prepackaged state, it is conducive to this type of self-contained packaging. As shown in the embodiment of FIG. 3, the layer of packaging material  70  holds the plastic package  60  within the compartment  54 . Product and marketing material can be printed on a paper or cardboard substrate (not shown) and inserted between the shrink-wrap and the exterior boundary surface  26  of the fan  10  prior to shrinking the shrink-wrap. It should be noted that the plastic package  60 , or one or more appendages of the fan if such is the case, may slightly protrude beyond the exterior boundary surface of the fan housing. As shown in FIG. 3, the plastic package  60  slightly protrudes beyond the exterior boundary surface of the fan housing. This occurrence does not adversely affect the principle of the present invention, as long as a majority portion of the plastic package is recessed from the exterior boundary surface. It is to be understood that he plastic package  60 , or one or more appendages of the fan contained within the compartment  54 , are not considered part of the fan when the fan is in a packaged state.  
     [0023] When a consumer removes the fan  10  from the packaging material  70 , the package  60  can be removed and, in turn, the appendages of the fan  10  can be removed from the package  60 . The appendages can then be attached to the fan  10  by the consumer to allow use of the fan  10  in a fully-assembled state.  
     [0024] It is to be understood that although the preferred embodiment depicts the appendages packaged within the package  60 , they could also be directly placed within the compartment  54  without being in a package. Additionally, the fan  10  could be designed such that the power cord  58  is wired directly to the motor  32  and extends into the compartment  54  without substantially protruding beyond the exterior boundary surface  26  of the fan  10 . It is also to be understood that although the preferred embodiment depicts a box-type fan, the invention is applicable to other types of portable fans that could effectively be packaged in accordance with the present invention.  
     [0025] It is also to be understood that the compartment  54  could be supplied with a cover (not shown) that can be removably placed over the compartment  54  to contain the appendages of the fan  10 . In this type of arrangement, it is contemplated that the fan  10  could be a self-contained package that does not require a layer of packaging material.  
     [0026] It is contemplated that all types of fan features can be designed in accordance with the principles of the present invention. Many types of features can be designed within the fan such that they are recessed from an exterior boundary surface of the fan. Furthermore, many types of features can be designed to be removably attachable to the fan such that they can be stored within a compartment, pocket, recess or within the fan housing such that they are contained within the geometric extent of the fan. By designing these types of features, the geometric extent of the fan can be defined to provide a simple geometrically-shaped product conducive to film packaging or self-contained packaging, which would provide all of the shipping, storage and cost savings benefits associated therewith.  
     [0027] While one or more specific embodiments have been illustrated and described, numerous modifications may come to mind without significantly departing from the spirit of the invention, and the scope of protection is only limited by the scope of the accompanying Claims.