Patent Publication Number: US-8118541-B2

Title: Multi-functional air circulation system

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims the priority benefit of Taiwan application serial No. 97116706 filed on May 6, 2008, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to a multi-functional air circulation system, particularly to one having its main engine and its bottom base differently assembled, so that it can be used as a fan only or a fan with additional functions, such as dispersing fragrance, getting rid of bugs, filtering off impurities in air and humidifying air. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     As disclosed in a Taiwan patent No. 366963 “MULTI-FUNCTIONAL ELECTRIC FAN”, the conventional fan includes a left and a right positioning base provided in a lower cover of a main body, with the left positioning base installed with a motor for forcing a driving mechanism to keep a driving rack moving up and down. The lower cover of the main body is provided with a base located at its bottom for pivotally connected with a linking rod. An upper cover is located above the lower cover of the main body, provided with a motor hood groove, a linking rod groove for fitting the linking rod, a rack hole for the driving rack to pass through, and an essence groove used for containing essence. The top of the driving rack can be pivotally fixed with an ear of a rear fan covering. The linking rod has its front end pivotally fixed at a center of a lower portion of the rear fan covering. A motor is installed in a motor hood that is positioned on the rear fan covering. Located in front of the rear fan covering is a front fan covering, and a fan is installed between the front fan covering and the rear fan covering. 
     However, as the essence groove is additionally installed in the upper cover of the main body and the fan must be driven by the additional driving rod, the conventional fan is obviously composed of complicated components, posing a high manufacturing cost. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     One object of this invention is to offer a multi-functional air circulation system able to disperse fragrance, to get rid of bugs, to filter off impurities in air, and to humidify air. 
     Another object of this invention is to offer a multi-functional air circulation system to work merely as a fan. 
     The main characteristics of the invention are a bottom base, a flow-splitting base, a filter and a main engine. The bottom base is provided with a lower flow-guiding surface formed in its bottom, an annular groove formed around the center of the lower flow-guiding surface for containing aromatic, an upper cap sealed on the annular groove, and a net employed to contain an absorptive paper to keep air humidified. The flow-splitting base is positioned on the bottom base, provided with an inner flow-guiding surface able to rush air flow generated by a blade member down to the bottom base. The filter is positioned in an exit of the inner flow-guiding surface, composed of two filter bases. A space is formed between the filter bases, used to accommodate environmental improving agents, such as aromatic powder, active carbon powder or blocks. The main engine mainly includes a motor having its shaft fixed with a blade member, and a control system. The motor is covered by a shade, through which air is sucked in after initiating the blade member and then, orderly blown through a front shell, the flow-splitting base, the lower flow-guiding surface and annular exits of the flow-splitting base to disperse in a room. Moreover, a rear shell of the main engine can be provided with a long groove employed to engage with a positioning knob of the bottom base, so that the main engine can work independently as merely a fan. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
       This invention is better understood by referring to the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is an exploded perspective view of a first preferred embodiment of a multi-functional air circulation system in the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a partially exploded perspective view of the first preferred embodiment of a multi-functional air circulation system in the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a top view of the first preferred embodiment of a multi-functional air circulation system in the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view of the line A-A in  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a side perspective view of the first preferred embodiment of a multi-functional air circulation system in the present invention; 
         FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view of the line B-B in  FIG. 5 ; 
         FIG. 7  is a partially exploded perspective view of a second preferred embodiment of a multi-functional air circulation system in the present invention, showing how its main engine is assembled to work independently; 
         FIG. 8  is a front perspective view of the second preferred embodiment of a multi-functional air circulation system in the present invention, showing its main engine being independently operated; 
         FIG. 9  is a cross-sectional view of the line C-C in  FIG. 8 ; 
         FIG. 10  is a side perspective view of the second preferred embodiment of a multi-functional air circulation system in the present invention, showing its main engine being independently operated in diverse positions. 
         FIG. 11  is an exploded perspective view of a third preferred embodiment of a multi-functional air circulation system in the present invention; 
         FIG. 12  is a partial exploded perspective view of the third preferred embodiment in the present invention; 
         FIG. 13  is a front view of the third preferred embodiment in the present invention, showing it used in an independent way; and, 
         FIG. 14  is a cross-sectional view of the line D-D in  FIG. 13 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     As shown in  FIGS. 1˜6 , a first preferred embodiment of a multi-functional air circulation system in the present invention includes a bottom base  1 , a flow-splitting base  2 , a filter  3  and a main engine  4 . 
     The bottom base  1  is provided with a lower flow-guiding surface  10  formed in its bottom, an annular groove  11  formed around the center of the lower flow-guiding surface  10  for containing a liquid or solid aromatic, an upper cap  12  sealed on the annular groove  11 , and an annular wall  13  extending upward around the circumference of the lower flow-guiding surface  10 . A plurality of holes  120  are densely bored in the upper cap  12 , employed to enable the flavor of the aromatic contained in the annular groove  11  carried by air flow to disperse in a room. The annular wall  13  is provided with plural locking holes  131  bored near an edge of an upper annular wall  130 . 
     Next, as shown in  FIGS. 4 and 6 , positioned on the lower flow-guiding surface  10  is a net  14  provided with a plurality of meshes, which can be formed in a same or different shapes, with their number depending on practical requirement and unnecessary to be so dense. The net  14  is provided with an annular slope  140 , an annular surface  141  horizontally extending outward around a bottom circumference of the annular slope  140 , and an annular upward wall  142  extending up around an outer edge of the annular surface  141 , used to accommodate an absorptive paper  143  thereon. Thus, as described above, the net  14  is directly laid on the lower flow-guiding surface  10 , with the absorptive paper  143  properly resting in a space  15  formed between it and the annular wall  13  of the base  1 . When air flow passes through the absorptive paper  143 , it can be humidified by water contained in the absorptive paper  143  to enter a room through exits  22  of the flow-splitting base  2 , creating a humid circulation. 
     Moreover, as shown in  FIGS. 1 ,  4  and  6 , the bottom base  1  is also provided with a positioning knob  16  fixed on its bottom by bolting members  160 , and a bottom groove  17  having its circumference attached with plural anti-slipping pads  170  for preventing the fan from moving about. 
     The flow-splitting base  2  is positioned on the bottom base  1 , as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 6 , including an annular wall  20  provided with a plurality of locking projections  200  for locking with the locking holes  130  of annular wall  13  of the bottom base  1 , enabling it quickly and tightly assembled with or easily disassembled from the bottom base  1  without any tools, as shown in  FIGS. 2 ,  4  and  5 . An inner flow-guiding surface  21  is as well provided in the flow-splitting base  2 , with its diameter gradually shrunk downwards to keep air flow generated by blades of the main engine  4  passing therein to be more concentrated, so that the air flow can be effectively split while flowing through the lower flow-guiding surface  10  of the bottom base  1 . 
     And, as shown in  FIGS. 1 ,  4  and  6 , the inner flow-guiding surface  21  is provided with plural thin notches  210  vertically cut equidistantly spaced apart around its bottom edge for appropriately locking with the filter  3  with elastically, and a plurality of inward projections  211  formed around its bottom inner edge. Further, plural annular exits  22  are closely formed in the annular wall  20 . 
     The filter  3  is positioned in an exit of the inner flow-guiding surface  21 , as shown in  FIGS. 1 ,  4  and  6 , composed of two filter bases  30  and  31  respectively provided with a plurality of meshes  32 . The filter base  30  is provided with plural long grooves  301  formed around its circumferential wall  300  for locking with the projections  211  of the inner flow-guiding surface  21  to keep the filter  3  fixed in the exit of the inner flow-guiding surface  21 , and plural projections  302  formed around the circumferential wall  300  as well. The filter base  31  is provided with plural small grooves  311  formed around its circumferential wall  310  to be locked with the projections  302  of the filter base  30 . Thus, as shown in  FIGS. 4 and 6 , after having the two filter bases  30  and  31  combined together, a space  33  is formed between them for accommodating environmentally improving agents, such as aromatic powder, active carbon powder or blocks etc. The filter base  30  is provided with a separating plate  303  formed on its top. Each of the filter bases  30  and  31  is provided with a through hole  34  bored at their center for fitting with the upper cap  12  of the bottom base  1 , so that air flow can be split by the separating plate  303  after flowing through the inner flow-guiding surface  21 , with a large quantity of air rushing to the annular groove  11  to filtrate its impurities and bring aromatic smell into a room. 
     The main engine  4  mainly includes a motor  40 , a blade member  41  fixed with a shaft of the motor  40 , and a control system  42 . As shown in  FIGS. 4 and 6 , the motor  40  and the blade member  41  are installed in a rear shell  43 . The rear shell  43  includes plural inner-threaded posts  430 . The shade also includes a front shell  44  provided with plural inner-threaded posts  440  corresponding to the inner-threaded posts  430  of the rear shell  43 . With a bolting member  160  fitted in each corresponding inner-threaded post  430  or  440 , the rear shell  43  and the front shell  44  are fixed together. Of course, the rear shell  43  and the front shell  44  can be integrally manufactured as a whole. In addition, an ornamental shell  45  is fixed together with the front shell  44  for beautification. The rear shell  43  and the ornamental shell  46  are respectively provided with plural holes  46 . In operation, as the blade member  41  is driven to rotate, air is to be orderly sucked through the rear shell  43 , the front shell  44 , the ornamental shell  45 , the flow-splitting base  2  and the bottom base  1  to enter a room. 
     Moreover, as shown in  FIG. 4 , when the blade member  41  of the main engine  4  is initiated to rotate, air in a room will be sucked into the fan through the holes  46  to form an air flow (A), which is to flow through the inner flow-guiding surface  21  of the flow-splitting base  2  to get concentrated and rush down into the bottom base  1 . By the time, if an environmental improving agent is laid in the bottom base  1 , its fragrance is to be carried by the air flow (A) to flow along the flow-guiding surface  10  of the bottom base  1  and then, through the exits  22  of the flow-splitting base  2  to disperse in a room, achieving an air improved circulation. 
     Next, as shown in  FIGS. 7˜10 , a second preferred embodiment of a multi-functional air circulation system in the present invention has the same components as the first one does, except that the rear shell  43  of the main engine  4  is additionally provided with a long sliding groove  432 , and a fitting hole  433  bored at one end of the long sliding groove  432 . Thus, the positioning knob  16  of the bottom base  1  can be inserted in the fitting hole  433  to move along the long sliding groove  432 , as shown in  FIGS. 8˜10 , so that the main engine  4  can work independently as a circulation tool. 
     Next,  FIGS. 11-14  show a third preferred embodiment of a multi-functional air circulation system, which is modified from the first and the second preferred embodiment illustrated in  FIGS. 1-10 , having almost the same structure as the first and the second preferred embodiment, except some different structures described below. 
     The filter  3  is combined with the exit of the inner flow-guiding surface  21  of the flow-splitting base  2 , consisting of two filter bases  30  and  31  which are provided with meshes  32 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 11 , the filter base  30  is provided with a fitting annular wall  301 A on the circumferential wall  300  to combine with locking projections  211  of the inner glow guiding surface  21  so that the filter base  30  may be fixed tightly in the exit of the inner flow-guiding surface  21 , as shown in  FIG. 14 . Further, the filter base  30  is provided with an annular combining projection  304  inside the circumferential wall  300  to combine with an annular fitting projection  311 A provided outside the circumferential wall  310  of the filter base  31 . Therefore, as shown in  FIG. 14 , a space  33  may be formed between the two filter bases  30  and  31  so that environmental improving agents, such as aromatic powder, or dehumidifying agent or active carbon powder (or blocks) may be filled therein. 
     Next, as shown in  FIGS. 11 ,  12  and  14 , the filter base  30  is further provided with a position knob  305  to fit movably in a long sliding groove  432  provided in the rear shell  43  of the main engine  4 , and also provided with a hole  433  of a large diameter at the inner end of the long sliding groove  432 . 
     The bottom base  1  is provided with a position knob  16 , which is fixed at the bottom of the bottom base  1  by a bolting member  160 , and a recess  17  is provided in the bottom of the bottom base  1 . Then, the position knob  16  or  305  slides from the hole  433  into the long sliding groove  432  or vice versa, as shown in  FIGS. 8-10 , or  13  and  14 , so the bottom base  1  and the main engine  4  can be combined together in various ways, enabling the main engine  4  with the motor and the fan to be used independently. 
     The advantages of the invention are described as can be seen from the foresaid description. 
     With the main engine  4 , the flow-splitting base  2  and the bottom base  1  combined together, and with aromatic, active carbon or other fragrant-smelling agents laid in the flow-splitting base  2  or the bottom base  1 , the multi-functional fan can generate a fresh and aromatic air circulation. Or, with the main engine  4  combined with the bottom base  1 , the multi-functional fan can merely work as a fan. 
     While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been described above, it will be recognized and understood that various modifications may be made therein and the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications that may fall within the spirit and scope of the invention.