Air circulator and air cleaner including air circulator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022010799-A1
Application number	US-202117371706-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 9, 2021
Priority date	Jul 10, 2020
Publication date	Jan 13, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

An air circulator includes a housing having a first inlet and a first outlet, an oblique-flow fan disposed in the housing, and a motor rotating the oblique-flow fan. An outer wall of the housing includes a first outer wall extending in a front-rear direction and a second outer wall having the first inlet and extending from an edge of the first inlet towards the first outer wall to be enlarged in a radially outward direction. An outer surface of the second outer wall comprises a first surface that extends towards the first outer wall to be rounded outwards, and forms a surface continuous with an outer surface of the first outer wall, thus guiding air flowing along an outside of the first inlet so that the air flows forwards along the outer surface of the first outer wall.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An air circulator comprising:
a housing having a first inlet and a first outlet formed thereof, and including an outer wall; an oblique-flow fan disposed in the housing to suction air through the first inlet and then discharge the air through the first outlet to a front of the housing; and a motor rotating the oblique-flow fan, wherein the outer wall of the housing comprises: a first outer wall extending in a front-rear direction, the first outlet being formed on a front portion thereof; and a second outer wall having the first inlet formed in a rear portion thereof, and extending from an edge of the first inlet towards the first outer wall to be enlarged in a radially outward direction, wherein an outer surface of the second outer wall comprises a first surface that extends towards the first outer wall to be rounded outwards, and forms a surface continuous with an outer surface of the first outer wall, thus guiding air flowing along an outside of the first inlet so that the air flows forwards along the outer surface of the first outer wall.

2 . The air circulator of claim 1 , wherein the outer surface of the first outer wall is formed to have a cylindrical shape.

3 . The air circulator of claim 2 , wherein the outer surface of the first outer wall is formed to be parallel to a rotating shaft of the oblique-flow fan in the front-rear direction.

4 . The air circulator of claim 1 , wherein the outer surface of the first outer wall and the outer surface of the second outer wall form a continuous surface in a circumferential direction to be shielded from outside.

5 . The air circulator of claim 1 , wherein the first surface is formed to be rounded at a connecting portion between the outer surface of the first outer wall and the outer surface of the second outer wall.

6 . The air circulator of claim 1 , wherein the outer surface of the second outer wall comprises a second surface that extends from the edge of the first inlet towards the first surface so that a slope of a longitudinal section is constant.

7 . The air circulator of claim 1 , wherein the first outer wall and the second outer wall are detachably coupled to each other.

8 . The air circulator of claim 1 , further comprising:
a motor base disposed in a center of the rear portion of the second outer wall to be spaced apart from the second outer wall and form the first inlet between the motor base and the second outer wall, and disposed in back of the motor to support the motor.

9 . The air circulator of claim 1 , further comprising:
an outer grill including a plurality of partition walls that are spaced apart from each other to form a plurality of vent holes therebetween, and disposed in the first inlet, wherein the second outer wall extends from an edge of the outer grill towards the first outer wall to be gradually enlarged in a radially outward direction, and wherein the plurality of partition walls comprise a plurality of outer partition walls disposed adjacent to the edge of the outer grill and ends of the plurality of outer partition walls are inclined towards the outer surface of the second outer wall.

10 . The air circulator of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of outer partition walls is rounded such that the ends thereof of the plurality of outer partition walls form a continuous inclined surface with the outer surface of the second outer wall.

11 . The air circulator of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of outer partition walls comprises a plurality of inner partition walls that are disposed inside the outer partition walls and ends of the plurality of inner partition walls are positioned on a same plane each other .

12 . The air circulator of claim 1 , wherein the oblique-flow fan comprises:
a hub disposed in front of the motor, and connected at a center to an output shaft of the motor; a shroud disposed in back of the hub to be spaced apart therefrom, and having an inlet formed in a central portion thereof to suction air; and a plurality of blades disposed between the hub and the shroud.

13 . The air circulator of claim 12 , wherein the hub and the shroud extend towards the front to be gradually enlarged in the radially outward direction, and face the second outer wall.

14 . The air circulator of claim 12 , wherein each of the blades extends from the shroud to the hub to be inclined forwards.

15 . The air circulator of claim 12 , wherein a diameter (w 1 ) of the first inlet is formed to be larger than a diameter (w 2 ′) of an inner circumferential end of the shroud and smaller than a diameter (w 2 ) of an outer circumferential end of the shroud.

16 . The air circulator of claim 1 , further comprising:
a guide vane device installed along a circumference of the first outer wall between the first outer wall and the oblique-flow fan, and guiding air, discharged from the oblique-flow fan, to the front of the housing.

17 . An air cleaner comprising the air circulator described in claim 1 , the air cleaner comprising:
a blowing device comprising a blowing fan generating air flow, and a second outlet through which air passing through the blowing fan is discharged, wherein the air circulator is movably disposed on a side of the blowing device, and wherein the second outer wall guides air, discharged from the second outlet and flowing along an outside of the first inlet, so that the air flows to a front of the air circulator along an outer surface of the first outer wall.

18 . The air cleaner of claim 17 , wherein a diameter (w 1 ) of the first inlet is smaller than a diameter (w 4 ) of the second outlet.

19 . The air cleaner of claim 18 , wherein the second outlet is formed on an upper surface of the blowing device in a circumferential direction, and the air circulator is disposed above the second outlet such that the second outer wall faces the second outlet.

20 . The air cleaner of claim 19 , wherein, if the air circulator is positioned at a first position where the air circulator lies down, the first outer wall is disposed to extend long along a direction where air is discharged from the second outlet, and the second outer wall is disposed above the second outlet to be spaced apart therefrom and obliquely faces the second outlet.

21 . The air cleaner of claim 19 , wherein, if the air circulator is positioned at a second position where the air circulator is erected, the first outer wall is disposed to extend long along a predetermined airflow direction, and at least a portion of the second outer wall is disposed towards the first outer wall to be gradually enlarged along a direction where the second outlet discharges air.

22 . An air cleaner comprising:
a blowing device comprising a blowing fan generating air flow, and a second outlet through which air passing through the blowing fan is discharged; and an air circulator movably disposed on a side of the blowing device, wherein the air circulator comprises: a housing having a first inlet and a first outlet formed thereof, and including an outer wall; a circulation fan disposed in the housing to suction air through the first inlet and then discharge the air through the first outlet to a front of the housing; and a motor rotating the circulation fan, wherein an outer wall of the housing comprises: a first outer wall extending in a front-rear direction, the first outlet being formed on a front portion thereof; and a second outer wall having the first inlet formed in a rear por

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Park Joonmin
• Yang Taeman
• Chung Choonmyun

Classifications

• F24F13/065

  formed as cylindrical or spherical bodies which are rotatable · CPC title

• F04D29/703

  specially for fans, e.g. fan guards · CPC title

• F04D29/4253

  with axial entry and discharge · CPC title

• F04D25/105

  by changing rotor axis direction, e.g. oscillating fans (interconnecting rotary motion and oscillating motion F16H) · CPC title

• F04D17/06

  Helico-centrifugal pumps · CPC title