IP Verse

Portable Blowing Device

Patent No. US11187241 (titled "Portable Blowing Device") was filed by Shenzhen Lanhe Technologies Co Ltd on Jul 15, 2021.

What is this patent about?

’241 is related to the field of portable cooling devices, specifically neck fans. These devices aim to provide personal cooling in a hands-free manner, addressing the limitations of traditional hand-held fans. Existing neck fan designs often suffer from weak airflow due to dispersed air channels, resulting in poor cooling performance and a diminished user experience. The patent seeks to improve the cooling efficiency of portable blowing devices.

The underlying idea behind ’241 is to enhance airflow concentration in a portable fan by introducing a wind shield within the air channel. This shield creates a smaller sub-air channel , forcing the airflow generated by the fan to compress and accelerate before exiting through air outlets. By reducing the volume of the air passage, the invention ensures a more focused and powerful stream of air, leading to improved cooling.

The claims of ’241 focus on a portable blowing device with a body designed to be worn around the neck. The key elements include a fan within the body, an air channel extending along the body's length, and a wind shield positioned within the channel. This wind shield divides the channel into a sub-air channel and a receiving cavity. Air outlets are present to allow airflow from the sub-air channel to exit the device. Claim 20 further specifies the inclusion of a guide vane within the sub-air channel.

In practice, the fan draws air into the device, and the wind shield directs this airflow into the narrower sub-air channel. The guide vane, if present, further optimizes the airflow within this channel. As the air passes through the constricted space, its velocity increases, resulting in a stronger and more directed stream of air exiting through the air outlets. This concentrated airflow provides a more effective cooling effect on the user's neck.

This design differentiates itself from prior approaches by actively shaping and compressing the airflow. Instead of simply blowing air through a large, unconstrained channel, the wind shield and sub-air channel work together to focus the airflow. The addition of a guide vane provides further control over the airflow's direction and intensity. This airflow management is the key to achieving improved cooling performance in a compact, portable form factor.

How does this patent fit in bigger picture?

Technical landscape at the time

In the early 2020s when ’241 was filed, portable personal cooling devices were becoming increasingly common, at a time when miniaturization of components and battery technology allowed for more compact and wearable designs. At this time, systems commonly relied on small axial or centrifugal fans to generate airflow, and hardware or software constraints made precise control of airflow direction and intensity non-trivial.

Novelty and Inventive Step

The examiner approved the application because the prior art of record, specifically Lee, failed to teach the combination of features recited in claim 1, which includes air inlets on both the inner and outer side walls of the portable blowing device. The examiner stated that Lee only teaches air inlets on an end wall. Because the dependent claims contained the limitations of claim 1, they were also deemed allowable.

Claims

There are 20 claims in total. Claims 1 and 20 are independent. The independent claims are directed to a portable blowing device designed to be hung around a person's neck, featuring a body, a fan, and a channel with a wind shield to direct airflow. The dependent claims generally add specific features and configurations to the portable blowing device described in the independent claims.

Key Claim Terms New

Definitions of key terms used in the patent claims.

Term (Source)Support for SpecificationInterpretation
Air outlets
(Claim 1, Claim 20)		“An existing neck fan generally comprises a support for resting on the neck of a human body and a fan located in the support. An air channel corresponding to the fan is arranged in the support, air outlets communicating with the outside are arranged on a side wall of the air channel, and airflow generated by the fan enters the air channel and then is blown out from the air outlets, thereby cooling the neck of the human body.”Openings in the body of the portable blowing device that allow air to exit from the sub-air channel to the outside.
Inner air inlet
(Claim 1)		“The body comprises a connector and a first support and a second support respectively connected to two ends of the connector. The first support and the second support each comprise an outer side wall away from the neck of the human body and an inner side wall close to the neck of the human body.”An opening defined by the inner side wall of the body through which air enters the channel.
Outer air inlet
(Claim 1)		“The body comprises a connector and a first support and a second support respectively connected to two ends of the connector. The first support and the second support each comprise an outer side wall away from the neck of the human body and an inner side wall close to the neck of the human body.”An opening defined by the outer side wall of the body through which air enters the channel.
Sub-air channel
(Claim 1, Claim 20)		“By arranging a wind shield in an air channel of a support, a sub-air channel with a reduced volume is formed in the air channel. Airflow generated by the fan enters the sub-air channel and then is blown out from air outlets. Due to the volume of the sub-air channel is reduced compared to the air channel, the airflow generated by the fan is concentrated after entering the sub-air channel, and the airflow blown out from the air outlets is strengthened, so that the cooling effect and the user experience are improved.”A portion of the air channel formed by the wind shield, through which airflow generated by the fan passes before exiting the air outlets.
Wind shield
(Claim 1, Claim 20)		“By arranging a wind shield in an air channel of a support, a sub-air channel with a reduced volume is formed in the air channel. According to the portable blowing device provided in the present disclosure, the wind shield is arranged in the air channel of the support to make a portion of the air channel to form a sub-air channel which has a reduced cross-sectional area and therefore a reduced volume.”A component positioned within an air channel of the portable blowing device that divides the channel into a sub-air channel and a receiving cavity or is connected with an inner surface of the side wall so that a sub-air channel is formed between the wind shield and the side wall.

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US11187241

SHENZHEN LANHE TECHNOLOGIES CO LTD
Application Number
US17376198
Filing Date
Jul 15, 2021
Status
Granted
Expiry Date
May 8, 2041
External Links
Slate, USPTO, Google Patents