IP Verse

Neck Fan

Patent No. US11661947 (titled "Neck Fan") was filed by Shenzhen Jisu Technology Co Ltd on Sep 10, 2021.

What is this patent about?

’947 is related to the field of personal cooling devices, specifically neck fans. The background acknowledges the increasing demand for convenient, hands-free cooling solutions for outdoor activities, sports, and office environments. Existing neck fan designs suffer from safety issues (hair entanglement) and uncomfortable, concentrated airflow.

The underlying idea behind ’947 is to improve the safety and comfort of neck fans by using multiple enclosed fan assemblies within a partitioned, arc-shaped housing. This design aims to prevent hair from getting caught in the fan blades while also distributing airflow more evenly and reducing noise.

The claims of ’947 focus on a neck fan with an arc-shaped housing designed to hang around the user's neck. The housing is divided into two parts, each containing an accommodating space with air inlets and outlets. A partition within each space divides it into two accommodating parts. Multiple fan assemblies are positioned within these parts to direct airflow.

In practice, the arc-shaped housing sits comfortably around the neck, with the first and second parts positioned on either side. Air is drawn in through inlets on both the inner and outer walls of the housing and directed by the fan assemblies through the partitioned spaces. The multiple air outlets, arranged along the housing's extension, then deliver a dispersed and gentle breeze to the user's face and neck.

This design differentiates itself from prior neck fans by enclosing the fan blades for safety and using multiple, partitioned air ducts to reduce concentrated airflow and noise. The strategic placement of air inlets and outlets, along with the internal partitions, optimizes airflow efficiency and user comfort. The use of turbine fan blades further contributes to noise reduction and safety.

How does this patent fit in bigger picture?

Technical landscape at the time

In the late 2010s when '947 was filed, portable electronic devices were at a point when battery life and thermal management were significant design considerations. At a time when miniaturization of components was common, efficiently dissipating heat from densely packed electronics was typically implemented using heat sinks and small fans. When systems commonly relied on relatively simple fan designs, achieving both effective cooling and user comfort in wearable devices was non-trivial.

Novelty and Inventive Step

The examiner considered US20220235786, which discloses a neck fan with fan assemblies that pull air into the casing, to be the closest prior art. However, the examiner determined that the current application was allowable because the prior art only disclosed one air inlet, unlike the current application which has a turbine pulling air into the casing from two air inlets on both sides of the turbine assembly. The examiner considered the structure of “the air inlets are defined in each of the inner wall and the outer wall" to be the allowable subject matter.

Claims

There are 18 claims in total. Claims 1 and 17 are independent, focusing on a neck fan with a housing configured to hang around a user's neck and including fan assemblies to direct airflow. The dependent claims elaborate on specific features and configurations of the neck fan, such as the arrangement of air outlets, fan assemblies, covers, and electronic components.

Key Claim Terms New

Definitions of key terms used in the patent claims.

Term (Source)Support for SpecificationInterpretation
Accommodating space
(Claim 1, Claim 17)		“Referring to FIGS. 1-2, ”A space within the first and second parts of the arc-shaped housing, surrounded by sidewalls, where the fan assemblies are located and through which air flows.
Air inlets
(Claim 1, Claim 17)		“Referring to FIGS. 1-2, ”Openings defined in the inner and outer walls of the sidewalls of the first and second parts of the housing, allowing air to enter the accommodating space.
Arc-shaped housing
(Claim 1)		“Referring to FIGS. 1-2, ”A housing shaped like an arc, designed to be worn around a user's neck. It has two parts that sit on opposite sides of the neck, each with sidewalls forming an accommodating space, and air inlets and outlets.
Fan assemblies
(Claim 1, Claim 17)		“Referring to FIGS. 1-2, ”Multiple fan units housed within the accommodating space, designed to draw air in through the air inlets and expel it through the air outlets.
Partition
(Claim 1, Claim 17)		“Referring to FIGS. 1-2, ”A structure within the accommodating space that divides it into two parts arranged along the extension direction of the housing.

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US11661947

SHENZHEN JISU TECHNOLOGY CO LTD
Application Number
US17471178
Filing Date
Sep 10, 2021
Status
Granted
Expiry Date
Nov 13, 2040
External Links
Slate, USPTO, Google Patents