Patent Publication Number: US-2005129389-A1

Title: Heat fan

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      Typically electric fans have been used to circulate air flow for cooling otherwise ambient environments. Other heaters have been used to provide supplementary heat in various areas by forcing air flow through heating elements wherein the air is warm by the heater as it is forces to move through the heaing element by the fan. It is difficult to provide such constructions which are usage with fans that can oscillate, which are more useful in providing air circulation than stationary fans or blowers. Some electrically heated devices have been used to heat areas by placing a swivel fan in front of the heated element but this results in limited air circulation throughout the area. The construction fo the present invention of heat fan provides cost effective circulation of heated air which is usable in many different environmental areas. It has enhanced heating and air circulation capabilities which is usable in almost any ambient environment.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      Temperature control by used of a unique heated fan is a primary advantage of the present invention. Control of air flow and temperature of the surrounding environment is made possible. Operation of the fan will gradually increase the temperature of surrounding air to reach the desirable temperature. Its unique construction and function is possible because of the particular designing of the fan and hub which allows the delivering of electrical current through sealed metal ballbearings to heating elements at least partially embedded in the fan blades.  
      The fan can rotate and deliver electric current to the heating elements at the same time. The advantage of delivering electric current through the metal ball bearings to the heating elements on the rotating embedded blades is one of the principles of this invention. This method is particularly advanced in its simplicity, cost and effectiveness. It should be noted that this invention is based on the principal of using a ball bearing sealed wheel or otherwise to act as a electricity conductive member to supply to the heating element embedded on the blade thus warming the blade creating hotter air exhaustive. Proper safety precautions have been adhered to in this design as required by Underwriter&#39;s Laboratory. This fan may be used for all seasons by adjusting the control device deactivating the heating element when not necessary, thus enabling the fan to be used as a regular fan. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       FIG. 1  An perspective illustration of an electric fan constructed in accordance with the present invention;  
       FIG. 2  An assembly view of the housing cover, sealed bearing construction and rlrvtrivsl flow path of an embodiment of the present invention;  
       FIG. 3 A  front plan view of an embodiment of a fan of the present invention showing the positioning of heating elements embedded therein;  
       FIG. 4 A  side cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the present invention showing the flow path of electrical current through the hub construction to supply electrical current to the heating element embedded in the fan blades;  
       FIG. 5 A  perspective illustration of an embodiment of the rotatable center hub with blade mounting locations;  
       FIG. 6 A  front plan view of an embodiment of the construction of the fan blade and center hub showing current flow paths therethrough;  
       FIG. 7 A  perspective illustration of the electrical line, tubular conductor and ball bearing usable for establishing a current flow delivery path;  
       FIG. 8 A  schematic illustration of an embodiment of the control panel of the present invention;  
       FIG. 9 A  perspective illustration of a fan made in accordance with the present invention showing the flow of colder air toward the rotating fan and the flow of warmer air away away therefrom;  
       FIG. 10 a  schematic illustration of the electrical system of an embodiment of the present invention;  
       FIG. 11  is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the fan blade and heating element of an embodiment of the present invention showing the heating element at least partially embedded into the slot defined in the fan blade surface; and  
       FIG. 12  is a front view of an embodiment of the fan of the present invention showing positioning of the brackets with bow springs that retain the heating element embedded within the fan blade. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS  
      The present invention provides a unique configuration for a rotatable heating fan  1  which is controlled by a panel board  2  including a plurality of selection buttons for operation thereof Each heating fan includes a plurality of fan blades  3  preferably made of aluminum.  
      Each fan  1  is constructed with a center hub  4  preferably of ceramic material to facilitate electrical insulation of the components contained therewith. A drive motor  80  is included mounted within a motor housing  6  with a driveshaft  82  extending outwardly therefrom and secured to the fan hub  4  to facilitate rotational driving of fan  1 . The motor housing  6  preferably includes an opening therein with a housing cover plate or mounting plate  5  extending thereof Said driveshaft  82  preferably extends through said mounting plate  5  as best shown in  FIG. 2 . Electrical conductors or collets are mounted in the mounting plate  5  for conducting electrical current flow therethrough. Preferably the present invention will include a first insulating collet or electrical conductor  10  and a second insulating collet or electrical conductor  11  electrically insulated from one another. Also includes can be a tighteneing collet log  9 . Preferably the the insulated conducting collets or posts can include vinyl coating  8  thereon for electrical insulation thereof The first electrical conductor  10  preferably includes a first ball bearing  66  secured thereto and adapted to be rotatable therewith. Similarly, the second electrical conductor  11  preferably includes a second ball bearing  66  secured thereto and adapted to be rotatable therewith. Electrically conducting lines  12  extend to each individual electrical conductor  10  and  11 . Electrical supply lines provide a source of electrical current to the electrically conducting lines  12 . The conductive posts are generally refered to as reference numeral  17 .  
      Each fan  1  defines a slot  84  extending over the surface of each fan blade  3  or at least over a portion thereof. These slots  84  are designed to receive a heating element  20  embedded therein or extending at least partially therein as shown best in  FIG. 11 . Brackets  78  are mounted in the fan blades  3  adjacent said slots  84  and extend over the adjacent heating element  20  for facilitating retaining thereof within slots  84 . These brackets  78  can preferably be flexibly resilient and configured as bows springs or flat springs as shown best in  FIG. 11 . With this construction, cool air  40  drawn adjacent to fan  1  will be expelled therefrom as hotter air  50 .  
      An important characteristic of the present invention is in the internal construction of the hub  4  which facilitates maintaining electrical connection with the power source during rotation of the fan  1 . This capability is made possible by a unique construction. Each of the first electrical conductor  10  and  11  will include a ball bearing  66  and  68  mounted thereon respectively. The hub  4  includes a first ring  70  and a second ring  72  mounted therewith electrically insurated from one another. The first ball bearing  66  is maintained in electrical contact with first ring  70  during fan rotation and the second ball bearing  68  is maintained in electrical contact with the second ring  72  during fan rotation. Each heating element  20  includes two ends  23  defined thereon. First ring  70  is electrically connected to each of the first heating ends  74  of each heating element  20  of each fan blade  3 . Second ring  72  is electrically connected to each of the second heating ends  76  of each heating element  20  of each fan blade  3 . As the fan is powered for rotation contact is maintained between each conducting ball bearing and the immediately adjacent ring. In this manner electrical current flow is maintained through all of the heating elements  20  located on each fan blade  3  during rotation of fan  1 . This construction is best shown in  FIG. 4  where each bearing  66  and  68  is shown extending outwardly from the mounting plate at a different length to facilitate abutment thereof with respect to the immediately adjacent ring for maintaince of electrical contact therewith. The hub  4  can include a rubber or ceramic insulating liner to facilitate electrical insulation of the rings mounted therewithin. Preferably a rubber-type insulation will be used preferably with a silicone component. A silicone based rubber-type material found to be useful for this purpose is a two part curable material commonly known as QSI available through SET Silicone and Epoxy Technology of Long Island, N.Y.  
      Connecting means  21  is used to mount the individual fan blade  3  as shown in  FIG. 3 . conductive springs  23   a  can be included on the ends  23  of the heating elements  20 . The conductive path is shown as reference  21  in  FIG. 3  and  6 . In  FIG. 8  plug  31  is used to connect to a main source of electrical power.  FIG. 8  also shows the various options  25 ,  26 ,  27 ,  28  and  29  for the selection buttons of the panel board  2 .