Fan

RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001]This application is a continuation of U.S. Design Patent Application Ser. No. 29/937,498, filed on Apr. 15, 2024, titled “FAN,” and U.S. Design Patent Application Ser. No. 29/938,352, filed on Apr. 19, 2024, titled “FAN,” and claims the benefit under 35 U.S. C. § 119(e) of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 63/726,185, filed on Nov. 27, 2024, titled “FAN,” the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference herein.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002]The present invention relates to air-moving devices, and more particularly, to electric fans having a housing freely supported by a base such that the housing is manually repositionable in orientation relative to the base to direct airflow.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003]Air-moving devices, namely fans, are widely used to provide localized cooling/heating and to circulate air within residential and commercial environments. Many conventional personal fans include a fan head or housing supported on a base by a pivot joint, yoke, hinge, or other articulation mechanism that permits the fan head to be tilted relative to the base. In addition, some fans incorporate oscillation mechanisms to sweep airflow through a range of directions. While these arrangements can provide adjustability, they commonly rely on multiple mechanical components (e.g., brackets, pivots, knuckles, detents, springs, fasteners, and associated housings) that add part count, cost, assembly complexity, and potential points of wear, looseness, noise, or failure over time. Such mechanisms can also increase the overall footprint or visual bulk of the fan, which may be undesirable in personal-space applications such as desktops, nightstands, and countertops.

[0004]Further, in many designs the adjustment range is constrained to a single tilt axis, and the user may need to reposition the entire fan to achieve lateral aiming. Even where multi-axis adjustment is provided, the use of dedicated joints and linkages can require more space, can be less intuitive to manipulate, and may not securely hold the selected aiming position without additional locking or detent structures. Additionally, conventional configurations may place user controls in locations that become difficult to access when the fan head is tilted or positioned near adjacent objects, and an improperly tilted fan head can partially obstruct airflow intake openings, degrading performance and increasing noise.

[0005]Accordingly, there remains a need for improved fan constructions that provide stable support while enabling convenient, multi-directional manual aiming of airflow with reduced mechanical complexity. There is also a need for fan designs that facilitate intuitive repositioning of the fan housing relative to a base, maintain access to user controls, and reduce the likelihood of airflow blockage during operation, while being suitable for compact, portable, consumer-friendly implementations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0006]The present invention relates generally to portable air-moving appliances and, more particularly, to a fan having a blower assembly disposed within a housing and a support base configured to support the housing in a manner that enables convenient manual repositioning of the housing to direct airflow. In various examples, the fan includes a housing defining an internal cavity and having an intake region (air inlet) through which air is received into the housing and an outlet region (air outlet) through which air is expelled from the housing. A blower assembly is positioned within the internal cavity and includes an electric motor and one or more blades (e.g., an impeller) coupled to the motor and rotatable about a rotational axis. During operation, the motor rotates the blades to draw ambient air into the housing through the intake region and expel a conditioned flow of air through the outlet region, thereby generating a directed airflow stream for user comfort and/or room air circulation.

[0007]A key aspect of the disclosed fan is the configuration of the base and its cooperation with the housing. In particular, the fan includes a base having a support surface configured to support the housing in an operating position on the base such that the housing is freely supported by the base and is manually repositionable in orientation relative to the base while remaining supported by the base. In this manner, the housing is not required to be fixedly secured to the base by hinges, pivot joints, or other dedicated articulation mechanisms in order to achieve directional adjustability. Instead, the base provides a supporting interface that allows the user to manually change the orientation of the housing relative to the base (such as to aim the outlet region in different directions) by repositioning the housing between a plurality of orientations.

[0008]In some implementations, the base may be configured such that it supports a lower exterior surface region of the housing on the support surface in the operating position, with the housing being manually movable between multiple orientations relative to the base while the housing remains seated and supported. The ability to reposition the housing while supported permits the user to readily adjust airflow direction without relocating the entire fan or manipulating a separate oscillation mechanism. The disclosed arrangement also permits the housing to be oriented to suit differing use environments, including desktop use, bedside use, countertop use, or other personal-space placements, and allows the user to quickly direct airflow toward the user, away from the user, upward, downward, or laterally depending on preference and room conditions.

[0009]The invention further provides methods for operating such a fan. In one example method, a user positions the housing on the base such that a lower exterior surface region of the housing is freely supported by a support surface of the base in an operating position. While the housing remains freely supported by the base, the user manually repositions the housing relative to the base between a plurality of orientations, thereby selecting a desired airflow direction. The user then operates a motor within the internal cavity of the housing to rotate one or more blades disposed in the internal cavity, which draws air into the housing through an air inlet and expels air from the housing through an air outlet while the housing is in at least one selected orientation. In this way, the fan can be operated to deliver airflow in a user-selected direction, and the direction can be changed on demand by further manual repositioning of the housing relative to the base while the housing remains supported.

[0010]Other devices, apparatus, systems, methods, features and advantages of the invention are or will become apparent to one with skill in the art upon examination of the following figures and detailed description. It is intended that all such additional systems, methods, features and advantages be included within this description, and be within the scope of the invention, and be protected by the accompanying claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0011]The invention can be better understood by referring to the following figures. The components in the figures are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principles of the invention. In the figures, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the different views.

[0012]FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of one example of the fan of the present invention.

[0013]FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the fan of FIG. 1.

[0014]FIG. 3 is a front view of the fan of FIG. 1.

[0015]FIG. 4 is a rear view of the fan of FIG. 1.

[0016]FIG. 5 is a right side view of the fan of FIG. 1.

[0017]FIG. 6 is a left side view of the fan of FIG. 1.

[0018]FIG. 7 is a top view of the fan of FIG. 1.

[0019]FIG. 8 is a bottom view of the fan of FIG. 1.

[0020]FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the fan housing of FIG. 1 detached or unsupported by the base.

[0021]FIG. 10 is an exploded view of the fan of FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0022]In this disclosure, all “aspects,” “examples,” “embodiments,” and “implementations” described are considered to be non-limiting and non-exclusive. Accordingly, the fact that a specific “aspect,” “example,” “embodiment,” or “implementation” is explicitly described herein does not exclude other “aspects,” “examples,” “embodiments,” and “implementations” from the scope of the present disclosure even if not explicitly described. In this disclosure, the terms “aspect,” “example,” “embodiment,” and “implementation” are used interchangeably (i.e., are considered to have interchangeable meanings).

[0023]Further, in this application, the terms “substantially,” “proximate,” “approximately,” or “about,” when modifying a specified numerical value, may be taken to encompass a range of values that include +/−10% of such numerical value. Further, terms such as “communicate,” and “in . . . communication with,” or “interfaces” or “interfaces with” (for example, a first component “communicates with” or “is in communication with” a second component) are used herein to indicate a structural, functional, mechanical, electrical, signal, optical, magnetic, electromagnetic, ionic or fluidic relationship between two or more components or elements. As such, the fact that one component is said to communicate or interface with a second component is not intended to exclude the possibility that additional components may be present between, and/or operatively associated or engaged with, the first and second components.

[0024]For purposes of reference and description, the fan 100 of the present invention is considered to have a horizontal x-axis (x), vertical y-axis (y) and a width z-axis (z), as shown in FIG. 1 along which the components of the fan 100 are positioned relative to each other. Terms such as “axial” and “axially” are assumed to refer to the respective axis or to a direction parallel to the device axis, unless indicated otherwise or the context dictates otherwise. For convenience, movement relative to a device axis may alternatively encompass movement relative to an axis that is parallel to the device axis that is specifically illustrated in FIG. 1, unless the context dictates otherwise. Thus, a linear translation “along the device axis z” is not limited to translation directly on (coincident with) the device axis z, but also encompasses translation parallel to the device axis z, depending on the context. Similarly, rotation “about the device axis y” also encompasses rotation about an axis that is parallel to the device axis y, depending on the context.

[0025]Further, the fan 100 of the present invention is also considered to have a height (h), length (l) and width (w), as also most notably shown by arrows in FIG. 1. It should be understood that the height (h), length (l) and width (w) directions also applies to all internal components of fan 100.

[0026]As illustrated and discussed in the following, examples of an electric fan 100 are provided. In the examples, the fan 100 is a portable, free-standing fan. “Portable” being defined as having the ability to be carried or moved with ease. “Free standing” being defined as having the ability to remain stable and upright without external restraints. It should further be understood that the term “fan” may be interchangeably used with the terms “air blower, “air circulator” or any other term that refers to an apparatus that creates a current of air for cooling, heating, air circulation, and/or comfort conditioning of a user or of a localized environment.

[0027]FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of one example of the fan 100 of the present invention. In general, fan 100 comprises a housing 102 that is substantially spherical or circular in shape and at least a blower assembly 106. Blower assembly 106 comprises at least a motor 204 and one or more blades or impellers 108. Fan 100 further comprises a base 104 configured as a base ring that freely supports housing 102 while allowing housing 102 to be manually tilted and rotated relative to base 104 to direct airflow. In other words, base 104 is configured to support housing 102 in a non-fixed manner such that, while housing 102 is supported by base 104, housing 102 is manually repositionable between a plurality of orientations relative to base 104. In an example, base 104 is a ring-shaped support member having an open center 902 to at least partially receive a lower exterior surface region of housing 102 within the open center 902. The housing 102 is not mechanically locked, latched, or permanently affixed to base 104, but is instead freely supported by gravity and by contact between an exterior surface region of housing 102 and a surface of base 104. In this manner, housing 102 can be moved to different orientations (e.g., multi-axis repositioning) relative to base 104 during use and can also be fully separated and detached from base 104, for example for transport, cleaning, storage, or use in a different supporting base.

[0028]Housing 102 defines an internal cavity in which blower assembly 106 (namely, the motor 204 and one or more blades 108) and associated electrical and structural components are received or positioned. Housing 102 may be formed as a generally hollow shell having a front portion 1002 and a rear portion 1004 that are joined together along a seam, for example via fasteners, snap-fit engagement features, adhesive, welding, or any other suitable joining technique known in the art. The front portion 1002 of housing 102 may support a front grille or shroud having a plurality of openings or louvers through which air is discharged or expelled during operation. The grille or shroud openings may define an outlet region through which air is expelled and may be sized and spaced to satisfy applicable safety standards, for example to prevent insertion of a user's finger, and may be arranged in a radial, concentric, or other decorative pattern to provide both functional airflow and an aesthetically pleasing appearance. The rear portion 1004 of the housing 102 may include a rear grille or air intake region through which air is received, which may similarly include a pattern of apertures, slots, or vents sized (and also spaced to satisfy applicable safety standards) configured to permit air to be drawn into the housing 102 by the rotating blades 108. Rear grille openings of rear portion 1004 may be arranged in a continuing radial, concentric, or other decorative pattern from the front grille/shroud openings of front portion 1002.

[0029]Within housing 102, motor 204 may be supported by one or more internal mounts such that motor 204 is positioned generally at or near a central portion of the housing cavity, with the motor drive shaft 1012 extending along (i.e., being coaxial with) a rotational axis (along axis z) of the blades 108, wherein the rotational axis of blades 108 passes through the geometric center of the housing 102 to provide a substantially symmetric placement of the blower assembly 106 relative to the housing 102 and thereby promote balanced operation (e.g., reduced vibration and noise) during rotation. In another example, the rotational axis of blades 108 is positioned proximate to, the geometric center of housing 102.

[0030]The motor 204 may be a compact electric motor, such as a shaded-pole motor, a permanent split capacitor (PSC) motor, a brushless DC (BLDC) motor, or another type of motor suitable for operating and driving fan blades 108. Motor 204 may be selected to provide sufficient torque to drive fan blades 108 at multiple speeds with low noise and high efficiency, and may be thermally coupled to the housing via conductive paths or vents to dissipate heat generated during operation.

[0031]A plurality of fan blades 108 is mounted to the motor shaft 1012 inside housing 102. In one example, fan blades 108 are part of an axial-flow impeller having a hub 1018 that mounts to the motor shaft 1012 and a plurality of blades 108 that extend radially outward from the hub 1018. Each blade 108 may have a curved, twisted, or airfoil-shaped profile configured to impart energy to the air as the blades 108 rotate, thereby creating a flow of air from the rear intake region 1004 or air inlet toward the front outlet region 1002 or air outlet of housing 102. In some implementations, the fan blades 108 may be formed integrally with the hub 1018 as a single molded component, such as an injection-molded plastic impeller, whereas in other implementations, the blades 108 may be separate components attached to the hub 1018 by fasteners or other mechanical connections.

[0032]Housing 102 further includes internal structures that guide and condition the airflow. For example, a stationary shroud 110 may extend around the circumference of the impeller to reduce tip leakage, increase efficiency, and channel the air in a predominantly axial direction along axis z. The shroud 110 may have a cylindrical or curved inner surface closely spaced from the tips of the fan blades, defining a narrow tip clearance that reduces recirculation and improves performance. Additional flow-directing vanes, diffusers, or guide ribs may be provided downstream of the fan blades to straighten the airflow, reduce swirl, and direct the air toward one or more outlet openings in the front grille of front portion 1002. These flow structures can be formed integrally with the housing 102 or as separate pieces mounted inside housing 102.

[0033]FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of fan 100. A controller or control interface 202 comprising a switch knob 1006, switch retaining plate 1008 and power switch 1010 is positioned on the rear or rear portion 1004 of housing 102 and is configured to provide a plurality of fan speeds and, in some embodiments, additional operating modes. The controller 202 may include one or more mechanical switches, such as a rotary knob switch 1006 that can be rotated by a user to select between an off position and multiple speed positions (e.g., low, medium, high), or may include push buttons, touch-sensitive pads, slider controls, or a combination thereof. While the controller 202 is shown being positioned on the rear region of housing 102, controller 202 may be located on any convenient portion of housing 102, such as on a top region, a side region, or bottom region, in order to provide intuitive access when fan 100 is placed on a supporting surface. In some implementations, the controller 202 may be integrated with a lighted ring, illuminated icons, or other visual indicators that provide feedback to the user regarding the selected speed setting, power status, or operating mode. The controller 202 is operatively connected to the internal control circuitry and to the motor 204 to selectively apply electrical power to the motor 204 at different voltage levels or duty cycles corresponding to the respective speed settings.

[0034]FIGS. 3 and 4 are front and rear views of fan 100 and FIGS. 7 and 8 are top and bottom views of fan 100. As illustrated, although housing 102 is generally described and shown herein as “spherical,” it will be understood that the external envelope of housing 102 may be substantially spherical rather than a perfect geometric sphere. For example, in the illustrated configuration, housing 102 may include a generally arcuate, circumferential sidewall region that approximates a spherical surface (e.g., a band or belt region having a substantially constant radius of curvature relative to a nominal sphere), while also including opposed front and rear face portions that are substantially flat (i.e., planar or near-planar, or having a radius of curvature substantially larger than that of the arcuate sidewall region). Stated differently, housing 102 may be considered a “truncated sphere” or “spherical body with flattened poles,” where the overall housing 102 still presents a compact, rounded form factor and a substantially symmetric mass distribution, but provides generally planar regions that are well-suited for mounting or integrating functional structures such as a front outlet grille, a rear inlet grille, a control interface, decorative covers, branding elements, fastener bosses, and/or internal support frames without requiring those structures to conform to a continuously curved spherical surface.

[0035]In this same regard, the term “substantially spherical” as applied to housing 102 is intended to encompass housings that are spherical, spheroidal, partially spherical, or otherwise rounded in a manner that provides a curved outer surface region capable of being cradled by the base 104 while remaining repositionable relative thereto. For instance, even where the front and rear portions of housing 102 are substantially flat, an intermediate and/or lower portion of housing 102 may define a convex, smoothly curved outer bearing surface having a curvature selected to matingly engage (or generally conform to) the support surface of base 104. In such examples, the base 104 may contact housing 102 along an annular contact band located on the curved bearing surface, thereby distributing support loads over a relatively broad area (as opposed to point contact), improving stability and perceived “smoothness” during manual repositioning, and reducing localized wear, squeak, or chatter that might otherwise occur if the base 104 were to engage sharp edges, corners, or highly faceted surfaces.

[0036]In other examples, housing 102 need not be substantially spherical over its entire exterior. Instead, housing 102 may include a bottom portion (or lower peripheral portion) that is spherical or otherwise curved (such as a spherical segment, arcuate saddle, rounded skirt, or convex rocker surface) specifically configured to be properly supported or cradled on the base 104 and to permit housing 102 to be manually tilted and/or rotated relative to the base 104 in a controlled manner. In such implementations, one or more upper portions of the housing 102 (including, optionally, the top, front and/or rear portions) may be non-spherical, for example being generally planar, cylindrical, frustoconical, ovoid, or otherwise contoured for packaging, aesthetics, or airflow management, while the curved bottom portion provides the functional cradle interface that cooperates with the base 104 to (i) maintain stable support under gravity and operational vibration, (ii) enable multi-axis manual repositioning, and (iii) allow housing 102 to be lifted from, and freely detached from, the base ring 104 when desired.

[0037]FIGS. 5 and 6 are right and left views of fan 100. Housing 102 may further include a mechanical stop 502 in the form of a rearwardly projecting portion (e.g., a protrusion, standoff, bumper or fin) that extends outwardly from a rear portion of housing 102 by a predetermined distance. In the illustrated configuration, this rearwardly projecting portion 502 is positioned and dimensioned such that, as the housing 102 is manually tilted rearward relative to base 104, the rearwardly projecting portion 502 mechanically interferes with the base 104. Stated differently, the rearwardly projecting portion 502 functions as a tilt-stop or anti-occlusion feature that defines a maximum tilt angle of housing 102 when housing 102 is supported in the base 104, thereby maintaining a clearance gap adjacent the rear intake opening so that intake airflow is not materially restricted during operation, even if a user attempts to position the housing 102 onto its back.

[0038]In some examples, the rearwardly projecting portion 502 additionally (or alternatively) provides an ergonomic and protective function with respect to the power cord 1014 and controller 202 positioned on the rear portion of housing 102. For example, where the controller 202 is located on the rear of housing 102, the rearwardly projecting portion 502 may be located adjacent to, above, below, or around the control interface so that the controller 202 remains accessible to the user throughout an intended range of tilt positions and is not pressed directly against a tabletop, wall, bedding, or other adjacent surface. In this manner, the rearwardly projecting portion 502 can prevent inadvertent actuation of controls, prevent scuffing or impact damage to control or power components, and preserve user access (including finger clearance) to the controls in the rearward-tilted condition. In certain examples, the rearwardly projecting portion 502 may be formed as a rigid part of the housing 102 (e.g., integrally molded with a rear shell), or may include a compliant or resilient contact element (e.g., an elastomeric bumper or overmold) that softly engages the base 104 and/or support surface to reduce noise, reduce vibration transmission, and provide a controlled “stop” feel when the maximum rearward tilt position is reached.

[0039]FIG. 9 is a perspective view of housing 102 detached or unsupported by base 104. The base 104 is configured to freely support housing 102 and to provide a stable footprint on a support surface. In the illustrated implementation, base 104 is a base ring having an open center 902, such that when fan 100 is assembled, the lower portion of housing 102 is received in the open center of the base 104. Base includes a top surface 904, inner top surface 906, outer top surface 908, outer surface 910 and inner surface 912. When assembled, lower portion of housing 102 bears against the top surface 904, or more particularly, the inner top surface 906 of the base 104. The base 104 may have a generally circular outer surface 910 and a generally circular or elliptical inner opening 902 sized to receive the substantially spherical housing 102. The inner top surface 906 of base 104 may be angled or contoured, for example having a concave curvature corresponding to the curvature of the spherical housing 102, so that the housing 102 contacts the base ring 104 along a contact band or contact region that encircles a portion of the sphere. By conforming the inner top surface 906 to the outer spherical surface of housing 102, base 104 provides a cradle-like support that stabilizes housing 102 while still allowing rotational movement of housing 102.

[0040]In some examples, top surface 904 or inner top surface 904 of base 104 includes a semi-frictional lining or insert. For example, a ring-shaped insert of elastomeric material, such as rubber, silicone, thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), or another high-friction material, may be attached to or overmolded onto the top surface 904 or inner top surface 906 of base 104. This insert increases the friction coefficient between base 104 and housing 102, preventing housing 102 from sliding out of position under its own weight or under the reaction forces generated by the rotating fan blades 108, while still permitting the user to intentionally tilt or rotate housing 102 by applying manual force. The frictional lining may be continuous or segmented, may have a smooth or textured surface, and may be configured to provide a controlled range of movement such that once the user releases the housing 102, the housing 102 remains in the selected orientation without drifting. In one example, the geometry of the base 104 and housing 102 is selected such that the fan 100 allows a tilting or re-positioning of the housing 102 while maintaining at least three points of contact between base 104 and housing 102, and the underlying support surface to preserve stability.

[0041]Base 104 itself may be formed from a rigid material such as molded plastic, metal, or a composite material. To further enhance stability, base 104 may have a lower center of gravity than housing 102, for example by incorporating denser materials in a lower portion of the base or by providing a weight insert positioned near the bottom of base 104. Base 104 may include one or more feet, pads, or anti-skid elements on its bottom surface, such as rubber feet or textured pads, which increase friction between base 104 and the supporting surface and reduce the likelihood of unintended sliding. The bottom surface of base 104 may be generally planar to rest stably on a flat horizontal surface, or may include slight curvature or chamfered edges that visually lighten the appearance while still providing adequate stability.

[0042]As noted above, base 104 freely supports housing 102 in the sense that housing 102 is not permanently or rigidly fixed to base 104, but rests in and is repositionable within base 104 under the influence of gravity and user-applied forces. In some examples, base 104 defines an open top through which housing 102 is inserted during assembly. The diameter of the open top or open center 902 is smaller than the maximum diameter of housing 102 so that, once housing 102 is lowered into base 104, housing 102 cannot fall through the open top or open center 902 but instead rests on the top surface 904 or inner top surface 906 of base 104. In other words, the open top or open center 902 has a maximum transverse dimension smaller than a maximum transverse dimension of housing 102 such that housing 102 is inhibited from passing through the open center 902 when freely supported by base 104.

[0043]The interaction between housing 102 and base 104 allows the user to manually tilt and rotate the fan 100 to direct airflow as desired. For example, the user can grasp an accessible region of housing 102, such as the top or side housing surfaces, and pivot the housing 102 about multiple axes relative to base 104. The cradle-like engagement between housing 102 and base 104 permits compound motion, including a 360-degree rotation about a generally vertical axis y and a substantial range of tilt about one or more horizontal axes x and/or z. As a result, the user can orient housing 102 in virtually any direction within a hemispherical envelope around base 104, thereby providing multi-directional airflow. This adjustability allows the user to direct the air stream toward their face, torso, or another targeted region, or to aim the air stream upward or sideways to promote broader room air circulation.

[0044]Because housing 102 is freely supported and not mechanically tethered to base 104 by hinges, linkages, or rigid pivots, housing 102 can be completely detached from base 104 if desired. For instance, the user may lift housing 102 vertically upward relative to base 104, such that the housing 102 is no longer in contact with base 104. Once detached, housing 102 can be carried separately from the base 104, which can be advantageous for cleaning the housing 102 and base 104 independently, transporting the fan 100 between locations, or storing the components in a compact arrangement. This free detachment also allows housing 102 to be supported on alternative structures or surfaces, such as a cradle integrated into furniture, another accessory ring, or an aftermarket bracket, without modifying the basic design of housing 102.

[0045]FIG. 10 is an exploded view of fan 100. In general, FIG. 10 shows housing 102 having a front portion 1002, a rear portion 1004, a blower assembly 106 comprising a motor 204 for driving one or more blades 108 via a motor shaft 1012 positioned within housing 102, and a controller 202 comprising a switch knob 1006, switch retaining plate 1008 and power switch 1010 positioned on the rear of rear portion 1004. Also shown in FIG. 10 is power cord 1014 and power cord strain relief 1016 also positioned on the rear of rear portion 1004.

[0046]Fan 100 may be powered in a variety of ways. In the illustrated example, fan 100 is powered by an electric plug-in system in which an electrical power cord 1014 extends from housing 102 and terminates in a plug configured for connection to a standard AC mains outlet. Cord 1014 may exit housing 102 through a strain-relief grommet 1016 to prevent undue stress on the electrical connections and to minimize the risk of cord damage where it meets housing 102. Power cord 1014 may have a length sufficient to reach nearby outlets while allowing flexible placement of fan 100 on a support surface, and may be routed through or alongside the base 104 when fan 100 is in use, for example passing through a cutout, slot, or channel in the base 104 to avoid interference with the base's contact with the support surface. In some examples, cord storage features may be provided, such as hooks, recesses, or channels along the base 104 or housing 102, allowing the user to wrap or stow excess cord when not needed.

[0047]In another example, fan 100 may be powered by an internal or removable battery, allowing fan 100 to operate in a cordless mode. In a battery-powered configuration, a battery compartment may be defined within the housing 102, accessible via a removable cover, and configured to receive one or more rechargeable or disposable battery cells. Alternatively, a rechargeable battery pack may be integrated into housing 102 and electrically coupled to the control circuitry and motor. A charging port, such as a USB port or other DC power connector, may be provided on housing 102 to permit recharging of the battery pack from an external power source. The control circuitry may manage battery charging and discharging, and may optionally provide low-battery indication to the user via the controller 202. In some implementations, fan 100 may support both AC mains operation and battery operation, for example being usable on battery power when disconnected from the mains and capable of recharging the battery when plugged in.

[0048]Fan 100 can operate at a single fixed speed or at various speeds, depending on the configuration of the controller 202 and control circuitry. In a multi-speed configuration, the control circuitry may apply different voltage levels or different pulse-width modulation (PWM) duty cycles to the motor, corresponding to low, medium, and high speed settings. The design of the housing 102, internal airflow path, and base 104 is such that fan 100 remains stable and quiet across the operating speed range. For example, the frictional engagement between housing 102 and base 104 may be tuned to resist vibration-induced movement, and the center of mass of fan 100 may be positioned low enough relative to the contact points with the base 104 to prevent rocking or tipping.

[0049]In some examples, a remote control may be provided for being in signal communication with fan 100. The remote control may be configured to send wireless signals, such as infrared (IR) signals or radio frequency (RF) signals, to a receiver within housing 102. The remote control may include user-actuated buttons for power on/off, speed selection, timer adjustment, light control, and other functions. The fan 100 may thus be operated from a distance without requiring the user to physically reach the controller 202 on the housing 102, which can be particularly convenient when fan 100 is placed on a location slightly out of reach. The remote control may be sized to be handheld and may include a housing shape and button layout designed for intuitive use.

[0050]In operation, a user places base 104 on a generally horizontal support surface, such as a desk or nightstand, such that base 104 rests stably via its bottom surface or via feet or pads. The user then positions housing 102 in the open center 902 of base 104, allowing the lower portion of the housing 102 to rest against and be cradled by the top surface 904 or inner top surface 906 of base 104. The user may adjust the orientation of housing 102 by manually tilting and rotating housing 102 to a desired position, for example aiming the front outlet grille generally toward the user. Once oriented, the frictional engagement between housing 102 and base 104 maintains the housing 102 in the selected orientation.

[0051]Accordingly, a method of operating fan 100 is also provided. The method comprises positioning housing 102 on base 104 such that a lower exterior surface region of housing 102 is freely supported by a top support surface of base 104 in an operating position. While the housing 102 remains freely supported by base 104, a user may manually reposition the housing 102 relative to base 104 between a plurality of orientations (e.g., tilting and/or rotating orientations). The motor 204 positioned within an internal cavity of housing 102 may be operated to rotate one or more blades 108 also positioned in the internal cavity to draw air into housing 102 through an air inlet and expel air from the housing 102 through an air outlet while the housing 102 is in at least one of the plurality of orientations.

[0052]When the user actuates the controller 202 to turn the fan 100 on and select a speed, the control circuitry supplies power to the motor 204, causing the fan blades 108 to rotate. Air is drawn into the housing 102 through the rear intake portion 1004, accelerated by the rotating blades 108, guided by the internal shroud 110 and flow-directing structures, and discharged through the front outlet grille 1002 as a generally coherent air stream. Because housing 102 can be tilted and rotated relative to base 104, the direction of the discharged air stream can be readily adjusted to meet the user's preferences. The spherical form factor of housing 102 also contributes to uniform aesthetics from different viewing angles, making fan 100 visually appealing even when oriented in different directions.

[0053]The controller or controller 202 for the fan 100 disclosed herein may be one or more modules, control units, components, or the like configured for controlling, monitoring, analyzing and/or timing the operations of various devices or components of the fan 100, as well as controlling or executing one or more steps of any of the methods disclosed herein In addition to the components of fan 100 described above, the fan 100 may include alternative electrical power (voltage) sources, timing controllers, fuses, clocks, processors, integrated circuits, logic circuits, memories, databases, etc. One or more modules of the controller 202 may be, or be embodied in, one or more devices located outside or separate from the fan 100, for example, a computer workstation, desktop computer, laptop computer, portable computer, tablet computer, handheld computer, mobile computing device, personal digital assistant (PDA), smartphone, remote control, etc. One or more modules of the controller 202 may communicate with one or more other modules via one or more busses or other types of communication lines or wireless links, as appreciated by persons skilled in the art.

[0054]In the illustrated implementation, the controller 202 may include one or more electronics-based processors, which may be representative of a main electronic processor providing overall control, and one or more electronic processors configured for dedicated control operations or specific signal processing tasks (e.g., a graphics processing unit or GPU, a digital signal processor or DSP, an application-specific integrated circuit or ASIC, a field-programmable gate array or FPGA, etc.). The controller 202 also includes one or more memories (volatile and/or non-volatile types, e.g. RAM and/or ROM) for storing data and/or software. Stored data may be organized, for example, in one or more databases or look-up tables. The controller 202 may also include one or more device drivers for controlling one or more types of user interface devices and providing an interface between the user interface devices and components of the controller communicating with the user interface devices. Such user interface devices may include user input devices (e.g., buttons, switches, keyboard, keypad, touch screen, mouse, joystick, trackball, and the like) and user output devices (e.g., display screen, printer, visual indicators or alerts, audible indicators or alerts, and the like). In various implementations, the controller 202 may be considered as including one or more of the user input devices and/or user output devices, or at least as communicating with them.

[0055]In some implementations, the controller 202 may also include one or more types of computer programs or software contained in memory and/or on one or more types of non-transitory (or tangible) computer-readable media. One or more devices of the controller 202 may be configured to receive and read (and optionally write to) the computer-readable media. The computer programs or software may contain non-transitory instructions (e.g., logic instructions) for controlling or performing various operations of the fan. The computer programs or software may include system software and application software. System software may include an operating system for controlling and managing various functions of the controller, including interaction between hardware and application software. In particular, the operating system may provide a graphical user interface (GUI) displayable via a user output device, and with which a user may interact with the use of a user input device. Application software may include software configured to control or execute various operations of the fan, and/or some or all of the steps of any of the methods disclosed herein.

[0056]It will be understood that one or more of the processes, sub-processes, and process steps described herein may be performed by hardware, firmware, software, or a combination of two or more of the foregoing, on one or more electronic or digitally-controlled devices. The software may reside in a software memory (not shown) in a suitable electronic processing component or system such as, for example, the system controller. The software memory may include an ordered listing of executable instructions for implementing logical functions (that is, “logic” that may be implemented in digital form such as digital circuitry or source code, or in analog form such as an analog source such as an analog electrical, sound, or video signal). The instructions may be executed within a processing module, which includes, for example, one or more microprocessors, general purpose processors, combinations of processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate array (FPGAs), etc. Further, the schematic diagrams describe a logical division of functions having physical (hardware and/or software) implementations that are not limited by architecture or the physical layout of the functions. The examples of systems described herein may be implemented in a variety of configurations and operate as hardware/software components in a single hardware/software unit, or in separate hardware/software units.

[0057]The executable instructions may be implemented as a computer program product having instructions stored therein which, when executed by a processing module of an electronic system (e.g., the system controller), direct the electronic system to carry out the instructions. The computer program product may be selectively embodied in any non-transitory computer-readable storage medium for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device, such as an electronic computer-based system, processor-containing system, or other system that may selectively fetch the instructions from the instruction execution system, apparatus, or device and execute the instructions. In the context of this disclosure, a computer-readable storage medium is any non-transitory means that may store the program for use by or in connection with the instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium may selectively be, for example, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus, or device. A non-exhaustive list of more specific examples of non-transitory computer readable media include: an electrical connection having one or more wires (electronic); a portable computer diskette (magnetic); a random access memory (electronic); a read-only memory (electronic); an erasable programmable read only memory such as, for example, flash memory (electronic); a compact disc memory such as, for example, CD-ROM, CD-R, CD-RW (optical); and digital versatile disc memory, i.e., DVD (optical). Note that the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium may even be paper or another suitable medium upon which the program is printed, as the program may be electronically captured via, for instance, optical scanning of the paper or other medium, then compiled, interpreted, or otherwise processed in a suitable manner if necessary, and then stored in a computer memory or machine memory.

[0058]It will also be understood that the term “in signal communication” or “in electrical communication” as used herein means that two or more systems, devices, components, modules, or sub-modules are capable of communicating with each other via signals that travel over some type of signal path. The signals may be communication, power, data, or energy signals, which may communicate information, power, or energy from a first system, device, component, module, or sub-module to a second system, device, component, module, or sub-module along a signal path between the first and second system, device, component, module, or sub-module. The signal paths may include physical, electrical, magnetic, electromagnetic, electrochemical, optical, wired, or wireless connections. The signal paths may also include additional systems, devices, components, modules, or sub-modules between the first and second system, device, component, module, or sub-module.

[0059]Further, it will be understood that terms such as “communicate” and “in . . . communication with” (for example, a first component “communicates with” or “is in communication with” a second component) are used herein to indicate a structural, functional, mechanical, electrical, signal, optical, magnetic, electromagnetic, ionic or fluidic relationship between two or more components or elements. As such, the fact that one component is said to communicate with a second component is not intended to exclude the possibility that additional components may be present between, and/or operatively associated or engaged with, the first and second components.

[0060]It will be understood that various aspects or details of the invention may be changed without departing from the scope of the invention. Furthermore, the foregoing description is for the purpose of illustration only, and not for the purpose of limitation—the invention being defined by the claims.