Patent Publication Number: US-2011070084-A1

Title: Electric fan capable to modify angle of air supply

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     Disclosed herein is an electric fan, particularly an electric fan capable to modify angle of air supply. 
     BACKGROUND 
     At present, general electric fans in the market have the oscillating function achieved by an oscillating motor for driving its upper shell. The common electric fans only rotate at a fixed angle. It is inconvenient that the angle of air supply cannot be modified as people&#39;s requirement. 
     Therefore there remains a need in the art for an electric fan capable of modifying the angle of air supply as desired. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Disclosed herein is an electric fan capable of modifying angle of air supply. 
     In one embodiment, an electric fan can comprise: an oscillating motor configured to drive an upper shell to rotate; a fan motor connected with blades of the electric fan; a control unit mounted with the oscillating motor configured to modify an oscillating angle of the electric fan by changing an interval of positive and negative rotation of the oscillating motor; a control panel connected with the control unit configured to operate the electric fan; and a transformer unit configured to connect supply power to the control unit, the oscillating motor, the control panel, and the fan motor. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Refer now to the figures, which are exemplary, not limiting, and wherein like elements are number alike. 
         FIG. 1  is a wiring diagram for one embodiment of an electric fan. 
         FIG. 2  is a circuit schematic diagram for one embodiment of an electric fan. 
         FIG. 3  is a logic diagram of one embodiment of controlling angle of air supply of an electric fan. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     An electric fan capable to modify angle of air supply can comprise an oscillating motor for driving upper shell to rotate and a fan motor connecting with blades of the electric fan. The fan can also comprise: a control unit connected with the oscillating motor, a control panel connected with the control unit, and a transformer unit connected with power. The control unit can control the interval of positive and negative rotation angle of the oscillating motor for modifying the oscillating angle of the electric fan. The control panel can provide functions of operating the electric fan. The transformer unit can be responsible for supplying power to the control unit, the oscillating motor, the control panel, and the fan motor. 
     The oscillating motor can be a kind of single-phase motor having a capacitor connected between the positive and negative windings, wherein the positive and negative windings are both provided with a public output terminal L. The control unit can have two output terminals: a first-output terminal DJ 1  connected with the input terminal N of positive winding provided with the oscillating motor, a second-output terminal DJ 2  connected with the input terminal N of negative winding provided with the oscillating motor. Moreover, the control unit can control the alternate output of the first-output terminal DJ 1  and second output terminal DJ 2 . 
     The advantageous effect of the present fan includes being able to adjust the angle of air supply by controlling the interval of positive and negative rotation of oscillating motor. Therefore, providing the advantage of obtaining conveniently different angle of air supply and flexible usage. 
     In reference to  FIG. 1 , an electric fan capable to modify angle of air supply comprises an oscillating motor  1  for driving upper shell to rotate and a fan motor  5  connecting with blades of the electric fan. The electric fan also comprises: a control unit  2  connected with the oscillating motor  1 , a control panel  3  connected with the control unit  2  and a transformer unit  4  that can be connected with a power supply. The control unit  2  controls the interval of positive and negative rotation angle of the oscillating motor  1  for modifying the oscillating angle of the electric fan, the control panel  3  provides functions of operating the electric fan, and the transformer unit  4  is responsible for supplying power to the control unit  2 , the oscillating motor  1 , the oscillating control panel  3 , and the fan motor  5 . 
     In some embodiments, the oscillating motor  1  can be single-phase motor comprising a capacitor connected between the positive and negative windings, wherein the positive and negative windings are both provided with a public output terminal L. The control unit  2  can have output terminals (e.g., two output terminals): a first-output terminal DJ 1  connected with the input terminal N of positive winding provided with the oscillating motor  1 , and a second-output terminal DJ 2  connected with the input terminal N of negative winding provided with the oscillating motor  1 . 
     The control unit is configured to control the alternate output of the first-output terminal DJ 1  and second-output terminal DJ 2 . Therefore, modifying the output of the first-output terminal DJ 1  or the second-output terminal DJ 2 , more specifically, modifying the wiring of positive and negative windings, can alternate positive and negative rotation of the oscillating motor  1 . The output of the first-output terminal DJ 1  leads oscillating motor  1  to rotate in a positive direction through positive winding. On the contrary, the output of the second-output terminal DJ 2  leads oscillating motor  1  to rotate in negative direction through negative winding. Thus, by controlling the interval of positive and negative rotation of the oscillating motor  1 , the oscillating interval and angle can be controlled. The more interval of positive and negative rotation is set, the more oscillating angle is obtained; on the other hand, the less interval of positive and negative rotation is set, the less oscillating angle is obtained. Applying this method, the fan can be operated conveniently and utilized effectively. 
     As an optimal solution, the control unit  2  connects with fan motor  5  through its high speed output terminal HIGH and low speed output terminal LOW. Applying this connection method, the electric fan can generate strong or weak wind by changing high speed output or low speed output of the fan motor  5 . 
     The control panel  3  comprises: a TIMER button  31 , an OSC button  32  and/or an ON/SP/OFF button  33 , all of which connect with the control unit  2 . The TIMER button  31  is used to control the working time, the OSC button  32  controls oscillating mode of the electric fan, and the ON/SP/OFF button  33  determines power (on or off) and the volume of air supply. 
     When in use, the TIMER button  31  is responsible for timing and the time can be set at, for example, one hour, two hours, or four hours; the OSC button  32  turns on or off the oscillating function of the electric fan and controls the oscillating angle of the electric fan; the ON/SP/OFF button  33  is responsible for power (on or off) and controlling the speed of the fan motor  5  to change the volume of air supply. 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , the positive and negative rotation of the oscillating motor  1  (see  FIG. 1 ) can be controlled by all kinds of circuits. An optimal solution is achieved by an integrated circuit (IC), e.g., SN8P2501A/B, provided with the control unit  2 . 
     The specific pin conducting of the IC SN8P2501A/B is as follows:
         pin VDD is connected with transformer unit  82 ;   pin VSS is connected with earth (ground);   pin P0.0/INT0 is connected with the first output terminal DJ 1 ;   pin XOUT/P1.2 is connected with the second output terminal DJ 2 ;   pin P1.0 is connected with the output terminals HIGH;   pin XIN/P1.3 is connected with the output terminals LOW;   pin P2.3 is connected with the TIMER button  31 ;   pin 2.4 is connected with the ON/SP/OFF button  33 ; and   pin 2.5 is connected with the OSC button  32 .       

     For easy use, the fan can be equipped with all kinds of status indicator lights to indicate corresponding working status. For example, control panel  3  can be equipped with a Speed Status Indicator Light  34 , an Oscillating Mode Indicator Light  35 , an Oscillating Range Indicator Light  36 , and/or a Timer Indicator Light  37 . More specifically, indicator lights can be connected with each circuit which has a switch. If the switches work properly, corresponding indicator light(s) can light as expected. 
     Referring to  FIG. 3 , oscillating (OS) module in the IC SN8P2501A/B can be set to control the oscillating motor  1 . The working procedure is as: the output interval between the first-output terminal DJ 1  and the second-output terminal DJ 2  is represented as T. If the output generated by the first-output terminal DJ 1  and the second-output terminal DJ 2  switches continuously, the oscillating motor  1  rotates in positive and negative direction according to corresponding output. If T is set as one second, it can achieve better effect. 
     For example, the cycle T of rotation can be, for example, set as four seconds, six seconds, and/or eight seconds, by the IC SN8P2501A/B; the OSC button  32  in the control panel  3  is adjusted at the same time, the oscillating motor  1  is able to achieve the desired oscillating angle, e.g., an angle of 60 degree, 90 degree, and/or 120 degree. 
     An electric fan capable to modify angle of air supply can comprise an oscillating motor which drives upper shell to rotate, and a fan motor which connects to the blades of the electric fan. The electric fan can also comprise: a control unit which connects with the oscillating motor to determine the oscillating angle of the electric fan, a control panel which connects the control unit for operating the electric fan, and a transformer unit which connects power and supply power to each unit. The fan is capable to modify angle of air supply by controlling the interval of positive and negative rotation of the oscillating motor. The presently provided is a method of modifying the positive and negative rotation of oscillating motor to conveniently supply air in different angles. 
     It is understood that the invention herein disclosed has been described by means of specific embodiments and the invention is not to be limited to the details given here. Therefore, numerous modifications and variations could be made thereto by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention set forth in the claims.