Patent Publication Number: US-2012024503-A1

Title: Enhanced Hand Operated Personal Cooling Fan

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to the situation where a person or persons may become personally over heated because of their activity or their immediate environment or their situation in a mechanically cooled or “air conditioned” environment where that air conditioning system has suddenly failed and temporary relief is required as soon as possible with minimum preparation and difficulty. This invention might be compared to emergency lighting where electricity has failed. In a non-emergency or non-failure situation the invention pertains to providing relief from environmental personal overheating with also two other distinct enhancements. Those enhanced capabilities are advertising a team identity or other message and creating a celebratory noise. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention pertains generally to a hand held and hand operated personal portable cooling fan with the capability to spray a mist of cooling water by means of a hand operated intergal pump to aid in the cooling process. 
     The various drawings and specifications herein will describe and illustrate a new and unique apparatus to aid persons who may become overheated in various environments. The invention is easy to use, requires no power source or batteries and can be configured to also be an advertising sign and noise making device simultaneously while being practiced as a personal cooling fan apparatus. 
     The object of the invention is to create a simplistic and dependable personal cooling source to be stored and maintained and made available to persons subject to possible overheating due to failed “air-conditioning” in a confined environment and also provide a similar personal cooling source for persons attending a sports event or similar event where personal overheating may be a concern. 
     DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART 
     Contemporary lifestyles include being in environments which are mechanically cooled or “air conditioned”. If these air conditioning systems fail in certain environments there are often not adequate means, such as opening a window or relocating to a less hot location, to prevent persons from overheating while repairs can be made to the mechanical cooling system. Examples of such environments are funeral homes, taxi cabs, hotels, air planes, trains, shopping malls and so on . . . . 
     Also, other environments may not be suitable to “air condition” and persons could become overheated by the natural hot air in these environments. Examples are theme parks, outdoor shopping venues, an unenclosed sports stadium, golf courses, picnic groves, parade routes, horse shows, and so on . . . . 
     There is a ready need for a simple device to relieve an overheated person; an apparatus which is simple to operate, easily portable and storable, does not require charging or fresh batteries and is relatively low cost. Such a device could be maintained in relatively large quantities for emergency use by patrons in an environment susceptible to overheating conditions; or such a device could be made available to individuals as a convenience by either on-site of off-site vendors in situations or venues where overheating may be encountered. 
     Further, in a sporting event venue or a parade route or political rally or similar event, overheating may or may not be a concern; however hand clapping as a means of celebrating or signaling is a common activity. Often in such circumstances specialized portable hand held devices are used to enhance hand clapping activity. A need exists for a simple device that can be struck with the hand in the manor of the traditional tambourine which would enhance and amplify traditional hand clapping activity. 
     Further, in an environment and situation as described above; a sporting event or parade or political rally; a need exists to advertise ones political association or candidate preference or school association or organization or other message. Current art is a portable sign utilizing a handle to facilitate waving and carrying. Also hats with surfaces on which advertisements can be displayed. 
    
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       These and other features of the drawings will become more apparent and the present invention will be better understood upon consideration of the following description and the accompanying drawings wherein: 
       The accompanying drawings illustrate the present invention. In such drawings  FIG. 1  depicts a perspective view of a first embodiment of the invention indicated by numeral  1 . The water bottle is assumed transparent and generally full of water. Numeral  2  is a traditional spray bottle mechanism and is not part of the invention. Numeral  4  is the single blade of the hand operated fan. Numeral  5  depicts in broken lines an advertisement presented upon the fan blade. Numeral  6  is the spray/mist nozzle; numeral  7  indicates the nozzle attaching bracket and numeral  8  the water conveying hose from the pump,  2 , to the nozzle,  6 . Neither numeral  6  nor  7  nor  8  are part of the invention. 
         FIG. 2  illustrates by numeral  9  a front view of a first embodiment of the invention. The rear view is not illustrated but is similar but opposite. Numeral  10  illustrates a left side view of a first embodiment of the invention and numeral  11  illustrates a right side view. 
         FIG. 3  depicts a perspective view of a second embodiment of the intervention indicated by the numeral  12 . Numeral  13  points to the handle of the second embodiment of the invention which is also the water bottle and water reservoir, of the invention, which contains water for the misting spray. The mist water is pumped, by practising the squeeze handle  14  of the pump mechanism, via tube  20  through the nozzle  21 . Numeral  15  indicates a threaded collar which threads onto the mouth, numeral  32  of  FIG. 4 , of the handle/water/bottle reservoir  13  to join the fan  16  assembly of the invention to the handle of the invention. Numeral  17  indicates the area of the fan blade which houses the fitting, numeral  29  of  FIG. 4 ; which joins the handle  13  and blade  16  assemblies. Numeral  5  indicates by broken lines advertising with may be presented on the fan blade  16 . 
         FIG. 4  depicts a generally detailed section front view section cut through the center of the invention top to bottom, numeral  22 . A left side view similar section is numeral  24 . Numeral  23  illustrates a right side view of the second embodiment of the invention. The front section  22  and the side section  24  illustrate how tube  31  from the pump is coupled, leak-free, with tube  20  which carries mist water to the nozzle  21 . These sections illustrate how tube  20  is held firmly by rubber fittings  30  and  19 , but not so firmly as to not allow tube  20  to be rotated by minimum force in order to alter the direction of the spray mist nozzle  21  in a 360 degree planar rotation. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF TWO EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION 
     The embodiment of the invention described herein is not intended to be exhaustive nor to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Rather, the embodiments selected for the description have been chosen to enable one skilled in the art to practise the invention. 
     With reference first to  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 : numeral  1  generally indicates a hand held hand operated single blade fan  4  with a water bottle  3  attached. Fan blade  4  has an advertisement  5  illustrated upon the broad smooth portion in broken lines. 
     Generally the blade  4  may be manufactured of any material capable of allowing the water bottle  3  to be press fit and/or glued in place as illustrated in  FIG. 1 . The blade material should be sturdy enough to withstand being struck with ones hand to produce the stimulated hand clapping action claimed by the invention and also be manufactured of a material capable of producing a loud noise when struck to produce the simulated hand clapping noise of the invention 1½ inch thick polystyrene sheet goods cut to shape is a possible suitable material for manufacturing the blade  16 . 
     Referring still to  FIG. 1  and FIG.  2 ., a pump mechanism  2  attached to the water bottle is a traditional pump and not part of this invention. Hose  8  conveys pumped water to nozzle  6  which converts the water to a spray mist. Detaching the sprayer from the bottle in the traditional manner allows refilling. Hose  8 , nozzle  6  and pump  2  are not apart of the invention. Bracket  7  locates and secures the hose  8  and  6  nozzle assembly as illustrated in  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 . 
     With reference to  FIG. 3  and  FIG. 4 ; numeral  12  generally indicates another embodiment of the invention herein referred to as a second embodiment of the invention. Generally numeral  12  indicates a water container  13  with a hand operated single blade fan attached to it. 
     The fan blade  16  in this embodiment is manufactured to allow a hollow structure  16  through which a water conveying tube  20  fitted with a mist creating nozzle  21  can be routed to the top of the fan blade  16 . An advertisement  5  can be presented on the blade  16 . The water container  13  which is also the handle of the invention by which it is practiced contains a pump  25  hand operated by squeezing handle lever  14 . This pump forces water up tube  20  to and through mist creating nozzle  21 . 
     Referring still to  FIG. 3  and  FIG. 4  numeral  15  indicates a rotatable circular threaded collar. Compatible threads  32  are manufactured into the opening or mouth  32  of the water bottle  13  which is also the handle  13  and the reservoir  13  of the invention. When these threads around the circular mouth  32  of the handle/water bottle/reservoir  13  are fully engaged with the compatible threads of the circular collar  15  of the fan blade assembly  16  then the fan blade  16  assembly is attached to the handle  13  assembly. When disengaged completely collar  15  allows the water bottle assembly  13  to be separated from the fan  16  which allows the water bottle/handle/reservoir to be filled with water for the mist created by nozzle  21 . When attaching the blade  16  to the water bottle  13  by means of collar  15 , at the same time water tube  31  from the pump mechanism is joined to tube  20  by means of being leak-free contained in rubber fitting  30  which is further fitted into fitting  29 . 
     Fitting  29  is glued permanently into blade  16  after first being inserted through collar  15  to facilitate collar  15  being held captively to be in position to secure fitting  29  to the handle assembly  13  to join the blade  16  assembly with the handle  13  assembly. 
     Rubber fitting  30  also serves as a seal between water bottle opening  32  and the fan blade  16  assembly. Also, rubber fitting  30  in unison with rubber fitting  19  hold water tube  20  firmly in place; but not so firmly so not to allow water tube  20  to be moved in a 360 degree rotation to redirect the nozzle  21  360 degrees in a plane. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 3  which generally illustrates the two embodiments of this invention chosen to be described. The practising of each embodiment is generally the same. That is: after filling the respective reservoirs with water the invention is held with one hand by numeral  1  of  FIG. 1  or  13  of  FIG. 3 . Then to practise the invention the blade of the invention, either  16  or  3 , is moved in a back and forth motion to create moving air which when moving across skin creates a cooling effect. With the same hand, the pump  2  or  14 , can be operated causing misting water to emit from the nozzle  21  or  6  to further cool skin. 
     If desired the blade  4  or  16  of the fan can be struck with the other hand to create a noise to simulate hand clapping. 
     If desired an advertisement can be present on the blade  4  or  16  of the fan. 
     An apparatus for cooling a person compromising: 
     A single hand operated fan blade. Not part of the invention. 
     A nozzle attached to said fan blade which causes water to exit said nozzle in a mist form. Not part of the invention. 
     A fillable water reservoir attached to said fan blade which also acts like the handle of the invention; not part of the invention. 
     A conduit to carry water from said reservoir to said nozzle; not part of the invention. 
     A hand operated water pump contained in said water reservoir attached to said fan blade to force water from said reservoir via said conduit through said nozzle; not part of invention.