KR20190025444A - Flow generator - Google Patents

Abstract

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a flow generating device comprises: a fan generating a first air flow and a second air flow that flow to become close to each other in a vertical direction; a fan housing accommodating the fan; a cover arranged to surround the fan and the fan housing; and a protruding apparatus guiding a selective coupling of the cover and the fan housing. The protruding apparatus can restrict or release the cover and the fan housing in a circumferential direction by first operation, and restrict or release the cover and the fan housing in a vertical direction by second operation.

Description

Flow generator [0001]

An embodiment of the invention relates to a flow generating device.

Generally, a flow generating device is understood as a device for driving a fan to generate an air flow and blowing the generated air flow to a position desired by a user. It is usually called "fan". Such a flow generating device is mainly disposed in an indoor space such as a home or office, and can be used to provide a cool and pleasant feeling to a user in hot weather such as summer.

With respect to this flow generating device, the following prior art description has been proposed in the past.

[Prior Art 1]

1. Public number (public date): 10-2012-0049182 (May 16, 2012)

2. Name of invention: Axial fan

[Prior Art 2]

1. Public number (public date): 10-2008-0087365 (October 1, 2008)

2. Name of invention: Fan

The apparatus according to the prior arts 1 and 2 includes a support placed on the ground, a leg extending upward from the support, and a fan coupled to the upper side of the leg. The fan is constituted by an axial flow fan. When the fan is driven, air is sucked from the rear of the apparatus toward the fan, and the sucked air is discharged to the front of the apparatus through the fan.

According to the prior arts 1 and 2, the fan is exposed to the outside. The device according to the prior art 2 includes a safety cover which surrounds the outside of the fan for safety reasons, but there is still a fear that the user's finger passes through the safety cover and touches the fan. When the amount of dust in the space in which the device is placed is large, the dust is accumulated on the fan through the safety cover, and the device easily becomes dirty.

In addition, according to the apparatuses according to the prior art documents 1 and 2, since the air flow is generated and supplied to the user, when the apparatus is used in a space with a high degree of contamination, the user's health may be deteriorated.

In an environment where the temperature of the installation space is somewhat low as in the winter, the use of the device according to the prior arts 1 and 2 is not necessary and the device should be stored until the summer of the next year. Therefore, there is a problem that the usability of the apparatus is deteriorated.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a flow generating device capable of discharging harmonized or purified air in order to solve the above problems.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a flow generating device that can combine the processed air discharged from the upper module and the lower module.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a flow generating device that is easy to assemble or disassemble for the purpose of maintenance such as cleaning.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a flow generating device capable of easily releasing an electrical connection when a module is separated.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a flow generating device in which the fan is not exposed to the outside.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a flow generating device in which air sucked in the upper part and lower part can be discharged together through the center part.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a flow generating device in which an upper module and a lower module rotate together so that air can be discharged in various directions.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a flow generating device which is clean and cosmetically clean without dust accumulation in the fan as the area of the fan for flowing the air inside is minimized.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a flow generating apparatus comprising: a fan generating a first air flow and a second air flow which flow in a vertical direction; A fan housing for receiving the fan; A cover disposed to surround the fan and the fan housing; And a latching mechanism for guiding the selective engagement of the cover and the fan housing, wherein the latching mechanism is capable of restraining or releasing the cover and the fan housing in the circumferential direction by a first operation, And the cover and the fan housing can be constrained or released in the vertical direction.

In addition, the latching mechanism may include: a first latching mechanism for guiding the first operation;

And a second latching mechanism for guiding the second operation, wherein the first latching mechanism comprises: a latch receiving portion provided on the cover; A first latch inserted into the latch receiving portion; And a second latch movably coupled to the fan housing, wherein the second latch moves up and down to be constrained or released to the latch receiving portion.

The first latching mechanism may further include a latching protrusion protruding from the latch receiving portion, and the first latching operation may include a first latching operation in which the latching latch is engaged with the latching latch; And a first releasing operation in which engagement of the second latch and the engaging projection is released.

The second engagement mechanism may include: a hook protruding from one surface of the fan housing; And a hook coupling portion provided on the cover in a shape corresponding to the hook.

Further, the hook has a shape bent in one direction. At least one of the cover and the fan housing is slidably inserted in the circumferential direction of the hook and the hook coupling portion.

Further, the second operation may include: a second latching operation in which the hook engaging portion is engaged with the hook; And a second releasing operation in which the hook engaging portion is away from the hook.

The fan, the fan housing and the cover may include an upper fan, an upper fan housing and an upper cover for guiding the first air flow, a lower fan for guiding the second air flow, a lower fan housing, and a lower cover, And the latching mechanism includes an upper latch mechanism for restraining or releasing the upper cover and the upper fan housing; And a lower engaging mechanism for restraining or releasing the lower cover and the lower fan housing.

In addition, the latching mechanism includes a contact portion capable of performing electrical disconnection according to the constraint or release of the cover and the fan housing.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of separating a flow generating device according to an embodiment of the present invention, comprising: a first module including an upper cover; A second module coupled to the first module, the second module including a fan and a fan housing to receive the fan; And a third module coupled to the second module and including a base disposed on a ground, a leg extending from the base, and a lower cover coupled with the leg, the flow generating device comprising: A first separation step of separating the first module from the second module; And a second separating step of separating the second module from the third module, wherein in the first separating step and the second separating step, the first engaging mechanism for restricting the circumferential direction between the modules is pressed in the vertical direction And the second engagement mechanism for restricting the upward and downward directions between the modules releases the restraint by rotation.

In addition, the first separating step may include pressing the first engaging mechanism to release the circumferential restraint of the upper cover and the upper fan housing; And releasing the vertical restraint of the upper cover and the upper fan housing by the second engagement mechanism by the circumferential rotation of the upper cover.

Also, the upper cover is separated upward to expose the upper fan and the upper fan housing to the outside.

In addition, the second separation step includes pressing the first engagement mechanism to release the circumferential constraint of the lower cover and the lower fan housing.

The direction in which the first engaging mechanism is pressed in the first separating step is opposite to the direction in which the first engaging mechanism is pressed in the second separating step.

The second separating step may further include releasing the vertical restraint of the lower cover and the lower fan housing by the second engagement mechanism by the circumferential rotation of the lower fan housing.

Further, when at least one of the first latching mechanism and the second latching mechanism releases the restraint, the module is electrically disconnected.

According to the present invention, since the air flow can be generated by driving the fans provided in the upper module and the lower module, the amount of air discharged to the user can be increased.

According to the present invention, air is sucked in the upper and lower portions of the main body, respectively, so that the ventilation capacity can be increased.

According to the present invention, since the module can be divided into three modules and assembled or disassembled, the difficulty of assembling or disassembling can be simplified, and the controllability such as cleaning can be improved.

According to the present invention, when the module for disassembly is disconnected, the contact for electrical connection is disconnected, so that the risk of accident due to the operation of the internal structure can be prevented. That is, the safety of the user is secured.

According to the present invention, the air that rotates in the circumferential direction while passing through the fan can be easily discharged in the radial direction by the air guide device, so that the discharged air can be concentrated.

According to the present invention, since the upper module and the lower module can discharge air while rotating, air can be discharged in various directions.

According to the present invention, dust is not accumulated in the fan inside the flow generating device, and the aesthetic effect is clean.

1 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a flow generation device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II 'of FIG.
3 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the upper module and the lower module according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
4 is an exploded perspective view showing a configuration of an upper module according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
5 is a view showing a configuration of an upper fan housing and an upper fan according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
6 is a perspective view showing a configuration of an upper fan housing according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
7 is a bottom perspective view showing the configuration of the upper fan housing according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 8 is a view showing a state where the upper cover and the upper fan housing are coupled according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
9 and 10 are views showing the structure and operation of the first engagement mechanism of the upper cover according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
11 and 12 are views showing the configuration and operation of the second engagement mechanism of the upper cover according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
13 is an exploded perspective view showing a configuration of a lower module according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 14 is a view showing a configuration of a lower fan housing and a lower fan according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG.
15 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a lower fan housing according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
16 is a bottom perspective view showing a configuration of a lower fan housing according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
17 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the upper orifice and the lower fan according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
18 is a bottom perspective view showing the configuration of the upper orifice and the lower fan according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
19 is a perspective view showing a state where a rotary motor is installed in an upper orifice according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
20 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a heater assembly according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
21 is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of the base according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
FIGS. 22 and 23 are views showing how the air passing through the fan is discharged from the upper module according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 24 and FIG. 25 are views showing how the air passing through the fan is discharged from the lower module according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG.
26 is a view showing a flow of air discharged from an upper module and a lower module according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
27 is a sectional view showing a fixed portion F and a rotated portion R of the flow generating device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
28 is a view showing a connection part for assembling and disassembling the flow generating device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
29 and 30 are views showing a disassembly method of the flow generating device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

The present invention will become more apparent by describing in detail preferred embodiments of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood that the embodiments described herein are illustrated by way of example for purposes of clarity of understanding and that the present invention may be embodied with various modifications and alterations. Also, for ease of understanding of the invention, the appended drawings are not drawn to scale, but the dimensions of some of the components may be exaggerated.

(Embodiment 1)

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a flow generating device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line I-I 'of FIG.

[main body]

1 and 2, the flow generating device 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention is provided with suction portions 21 and 23 for sucking air and discharge portions 25 and 27 for discharging air The body 20 is included.

[First and second suction portions]

The suction units 21 and 23 include a first suction unit 21 provided at an upper portion of the main body 20 and a second suction unit 23 provided at a lower portion of the main body 20. The air sucked through the first suction unit 21 flows downward and can be discharged to the center of the main body 21. [ The air sucked through the second suction unit 23 flows upward and can be discharged to the center of the main body 21. [ The " central portion " of the main body 21 may mean a central portion with respect to the vertical direction of the main body 21. [

The first suction unit 21 may be referred to as an upper suction unit and the second suction unit 23 may be referred to as a lower suction unit.

[First and second discharging portions]

The discharge portions 25 and 27 may be disposed at a central portion of the main body 20. The discharge portions 25 and 27 are provided with a first discharge portion 25 through which the air sucked by the first suction portion 21 is discharged and a second discharge portion 25 through which the air sucked by the second suction portion 23 is discharged. And a discharge portion 27 is included. The first discharge portion 25 is located above the second discharge portion 27.

The first discharging portion 25 discharges air in a direction toward the second discharging portion 27 and the second discharging portion 27 discharges air in a direction toward the first discharging portion 25 Can be discharged. In other words, the first air flow discharged from the first discharge portion 25 and the second air flow discharged from the second discharge portion 27 can flow to be close to each other.

The air discharged from the first discharging portion 25 and the air discharged from the second discharging portion 27 can flow laterally or radially of the main body 20. The flow path through which the air discharged from the first discharge portion 25 flows is referred to as a "first discharge flow path 26" and the flow path through which the air discharged from the second discharge portion 27 flows is referred to as " Discharge duct 28 ". The first and second discharge passages 26 and 28 may be collectively called a " discharge passage ".

The first discharge portion 25 may be referred to as an upper discharge portion, and the second discharge portion 27 may be referred to as a lower discharge portion.

[Direction Definition]

Define the direction. 1 and 2, the longitudinal direction may be referred to as "axial direction" or "vertical direction", and the lateral direction perpendicular to the axial direction may be referred to as "radial direction".

[Leg]

The flow generating device 10 further includes a leg 30 provided below the main body 20. The legs 30 may extend downward from the body 20 and be coupled to the base 50. The base 50 serves to support the main body 20 and the legs 30 on the ground.

The leg 30 includes a leg body 31 coupled to the base 50 and extending upwardly. The leg 30 further includes leg extensions 33 and 35 extending upward from the leg body 31. A first leg extension 33 extending in one direction from the leg body 31 and a second leg extension 35 extending in the other direction from the leg body 31 are formed in the leg extensions 33, ). The first and second leg extensions 33 and 35 may be coupled to the lower portion of the main body 20.

For example, the leg body 31 and the first and second leg extensions 33 and 35 may have a "Y" shape. However, the shape of the leg body 30 and the first and second leg extensions 33 and 35 may not be limited thereto.

For example, the leg extensions may be comprised of three or more. Further, the leg extension part may constitute a trivet-type base.

As another example, the leg extension portion may be omitted and only a straight leg body may be provided.

As another example, the leg body may be omitted, and a plurality of leg extensions may extend upwardly from the base.

≪ Configuration of upper module >

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a configuration of an upper module and a lower module according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a configuration of an upper module according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the main body 20 according to the embodiment of the present invention includes an upper module 100 and a lower module 200 provided below the upper module 100. The upper module 100 and the lower module 200 may be vertically stacked.

[Top Fan and Top Fan Housing]

The upper module 100 includes an upper fan 130 for generating an air flow and an upper fan housing 150 having the upper fan 130 installed therein.

The upper fan 130 may include a centrifugal fan that sucks air in an axial direction and discharges the air in a radial direction. For example, the upper fan 130 may include a sirocco fan.

The upper fan housing 150 supports a lower side of the upper fan 130 and includes a guide structure for guiding the air flow generated by the rotation of the upper fan 130 to the first discharge portion 25 can do.

[First Air Treatment Apparatus]

The upper fan housing 150 may be provided with a first air treatment device that operates to harmonize or purify the air flowing through the upper module 100. For example, the first air treatment apparatus may include an ionizer 179 capable of removing airborne microorganisms from the air to be inhaled.

The ionizer 179 may be installed in the ionizer mounting portion 168 of the upper fan housing 150. The ionizer mounting portion 168 is provided in the guide wall 153. The ionizer 179 may be installed in the ionizer mounting portion 168 to be exposed to the first fan flow path 138a. Accordingly, the ionizer 179 acts on air passing through the upper fan 130 to perform the sterilizing function.

[Upper motor]

The upper module 100 further includes an upper motor 170 connected to the upper fan 130 to provide a driving force. An upper motor shaft 171 is provided on the upper motor 170. The upper motor shaft 171 may extend upward from the upper motor 170. The upper motor 170 is disposed below the upper fan housing 150 and the upper motor shaft 171 may be disposed to pass through the upper fan housing 150 and the upper fan 130. have.

[Locking section]

The upper module 100 further includes an upper locking portion 175 coupled to the upper motor shaft 171. The upper locking part 175 is disposed on the upper side of the hub 131a of the upper fan 130 and guides the upper motor 170 to be fixed to the upper fan 130. [

The upper locking part 175 may provide a fixing force to fix the upper motor 170 to the upper fan 130 through rotation in one direction, May be released.

[Top cover]

The upper module 100 further includes an upper cover 120 disposed to surround the upper fan 130 and the upper fan housing 150. In detail, the upper cover 120 includes a cover inlet 121 through which the air sucked through the first suction unit 21 flows, forming an opened upper end. The upper cover 120 further includes a cover discharge unit 125 having an opened lower end. The air that has passed through the upper fan 130 can flow into the first discharge passage 26 through the cover discharge portion 125.

The size of the cover discharging part 125 may be larger than the size of the cover inflow part 121. Accordingly, the upper cover 120 may have a truncated conical shape with an upper end and a lower end opened. With this configuration, the air that has passed through the upper fan 130 can be easily discharged through the first discharge portion 25 while flowing to gradually expand in the circumferential direction.

[Display cover]

The upper module 100 further includes a display cover 110 that is seated on the upper cover 120. The display cover 110 includes a cover grill 112 forming an air flow path. The air sucked through the first suction unit 21 can flow downward through the open space of the cover grill 112.

[First Prefilter]

The upper module 100 further includes a first pre-filter 105 supported by the display cover 110. The first pre-filter 105 may include a filter frame 106 and a filter member 107 coupled to the filter frame 106. The foreign matter in the air sucked through the first suction unit (21) can be filtered by the first pre-filter (105).

[Top cover and top cover supporting part]

The upper module 100 further includes a top cover supporting part 103 coupled to an upper side of the display cover 110 and a top cover 101 placed on the top side of the top cover supporting part 103. The top cover supporting part 103 may protrude above the display cover 110. It can be understood that the space between the top cover supporting portion 103 and the display cover 110 forms the first suction portion 21. [

The central portion of the top cover supporting portion 103 is coupled to a central portion of the display cover 110 and the bottom surface of the top cover supporting portion 103 is extended radially outwardly from the central portion of the top cover supporting portion 103 . The air sucked through the first suction portion 21 is guided to the cover grill 112 side of the display cover 110 along the bottom surface of the top cover supporting portion 103 Can be guided.

An upper part of the top cover 101 may be provided with an input unit for inputting commands by the user. A display PCB may be installed inside the top cover 101.

[Upper air guide]

The upper module 100 includes an upper air guide 180 provided below the upper fan housing 150 to guide the air having passed through the upper fan housing 150 to the first discharge passage 26, . The upper air guide 180 is configured to support the upper fan housing 150. The upper fan housing 150 includes a first guide engaging portion 151b (see FIG. 6) coupled to the upper air guide 180. The predetermined fastening member can be fastened to the first housing coupling portion 183 of the upper air guide 180 through the first guide coupling portion 151b.

The upper air guide 180 has a hollow plate shape. In detail, the upper air guide 180 includes a central portion 180a into which the upper motor 170 is inserted, a rim portion 180b that forms an outer peripheral surface of the upper air guide 180, And a guide extension 180c extending in the outer radial direction toward the rim 180b.

The guide extension 180c may extend downwardly or downwardly from the central portion 180a toward the rim 180b. According to this configuration, the air discharged downward from the upper fan housing 150 can be easily flowed outwardly of the main body 20.

[Detailed configuration of upper fan]

FIG. 5 is a view illustrating the configuration of an upper fan housing and an upper fan according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 6 is a perspective view illustrating a configuration of an upper fan housing according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. Is a bottom perspective view showing the structure of the upper fan housing according to an example.

5 to 7, an upper module 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an upper fan 130 for generating an air flow and a lower fan 130 for supporting the upper fan 130, And an upper fan housing 150 surrounding at least a portion of the outer circumferential surface.

The upper fan 130 may have a generally cylindrical shape. In detail, the upper fan 130 includes a main plate 131 to which a plurality of blades 133 are coupled, and a hub 131a provided at a central portion of the main plate 131 and protruding upward. The upper motor shaft 171 may be coupled to the hub 131a. The plurality of blades 133 may be spaced apart from each other in the circumferential direction of the main plate 131.

The upper fan 130 further includes a side plate 135 provided on the upper side of the plurality of blades 133. The side plate portion 135 functions to fix the plurality of blades 133. The lower ends of the plurality of blades 133 may be coupled to the main plate 131 and the upper ends thereof may be coupled to the side plate portions 135.

[Housing Plate of Top Fan Housing]

The upper fan housing 150 is provided with a housing plate 151 for supporting the lower side of the upper fan 130 and a hub 131a of the upper fan 130 at the center of the housing plate 151 And a hub seating portion 152 for supporting the hub. The hub seating part 152 may protrude upward from the housing plate 151 corresponding to the shape of the hub 131a.

[Guide wall]

The upper fan housing 150 further includes a guide wall 153 protruding upward from the housing plate 151 and disposed to surround at least a part of the outer circumferential surface of the upper fan 130. The guide wall 153 may extend roundly in the circumferential direction on the upper surface of the housing plate 151.

[First fan flow path]

A first fan flow path 138a through which the air having passed through the upper fan 130 flows is formed between the guide wall 153 and at least a part of the outer peripheral surface of the upper fan 130. [ The first fan flow path 138a may be understood as an air flow path that flows in the circumferential direction. That is, the air introduced in the axial direction of the upper fan 130 is discharged in the radial direction of the upper fan 130 and guided by the guide wall 153 to be guided along the first fan flow path 138a in the circumferential direction As shown in Fig.

The cross-sectional area of the first fan flow path 138a may be increased in the direction of rotation of the air. That is, the first fan flow path 138a may have a spiral shape. This can be called "spiral flow". By this flow, the flow resistance of air passing through the upper fan 130 is reduced, and the noise generated from the upper fan 130 can be reduced.

[First inclined portion]

The guide wall 153 includes a first inclined portion 154 extending downward from the upper end of the guide wall 153 toward the housing plate 151. At this time, one side of the guide wall 153 may be farther from the upper fan 130 than the other side located on the opposite side of the one side.

The direction of the downward slope may correspond to the air flow direction in the first fan flow path 138a.

The angle between the first inclined portion 154 and the housing plate 151 may be greater than 0 degrees and less than 60 degrees.

The first inclined portion 154 can have the effect of gradually increasing the cross sectional area of the air flowing in the direction of air flow.

The first inclined portion 154 may be formed in a shape corresponding to the inner surface of the upper cover 120. With this configuration, the first inclined portion 154 can extend in the circumferential direction without interfering with the upper cover 120.

[Second fan flow path]

The first fan flow path 138a is formed between a part of the outer circumferential surface of the upper fan 130 and an inner circumferential surface of the upper cover 120 in a state where the upper cover 120 is coupled to the upper fan housing 150. [ And a second fan flow path 138b positioned on the downstream side may be formed. The second fan flow path 138b may extend in a circumferential direction in which air flows from the first fan flow path 138a. Therefore, the air passing through the first fan flow path 138a can flow through the second fan flow path 138b.

Sectional area of the second fan flow path 138b may be larger than a flow cross-sectional area of the first fan flow path 138a. Accordingly, since the flow cross-sectional area increases as the air flows from the first fan passage 138a to the second fan passage 138b, the flow resistance of the air passing through the upper fan 130 is reduced, The noise generated from the fan 130 can be reduced.

[Second inclined portion]

The guide wall 153 includes a second inclined portion 156 extending downward from the upper end of the guide wall 153 toward the housing plate 151. The direction of the downward slope may correspond to the air flow direction in the second fan flow path 138b. The second inclined portion 156 may be referred to as a cut-off.

The angle between the second inclined portion 156 and the housing plate 151 may be greater than 0 degrees and less than 60 degrees.

The second inclined portion 154 has the effect of gradually increasing the cross-sectional area of the air with respect to the flow direction of the air.

The second inclined portion 156 is advantageous in that the flow of the air rotating in the circumferential direction collides with the other end of the guide wall 153 to disperse impact applied thereto and noise generated thereby can be reduced The first inclined portion 154 and the second inclined portion 156 form both side ends of the guide wall 153. [ The first inclined portion 154 is provided between the first fan flow path 138a and the second fan flow path 138b and the second inclined portion 156 is provided between the second fan flow path 138a and the second fan flow path 138b. 138b and the flow guide portion 160. The flow guide portions 160, In this manner, the first and second slopes 154 and 156 are provided in the boundary region where the air flow is switched, thereby improving the flow performance of the air.

[Flow guide portion]

The upper fan housing 150 further includes a flow guide part 160 for guiding the flow of air passing through the second fan flow path 138b. The flow guide part 160 protrudes upward from the upper surface of the housing plate 151.

The flow guide part 160 may be disposed on the outer surface of the guide wall 153. Due to the arrangement of the flow guide part 160, air flowing in the circumferential direction while passing through the first and second fan flow paths 138a and 138b can easily flow into the flow guide part 160 . The flow guide portion 160 includes a guide body 161 extending downward in a direction of air flow, that is, in a circumferential direction. That is, the guide body 161 includes a round surface or an inclined surface.

An air flow path is formed in the flow guide portion 160. In detail, an inlet portion 165 through which the air passed through the second fan flow path 138b flows is formed at the front end of the flow guide portion 160 with reference to the air flow direction. The inflow portion 165 can be understood as an open space portion. The guide body 161 may extend downward from the inlet 165 toward the upper surface of the housing plate 151.

[Cutting section]

In the housing plate 151, a cutout 151a is formed. The cutout 151a is understood as a portion formed at least a part of the housing plate 151 penetrating in the vertical direction. The inlet 165 may be located above the cutout 151a.

The inflow portion 165 may define the first discharge portion 25 together with the cut-out portion 151a. The first discharging portion 25 discharges air flowing on the upper side of the housing plate 151, that is, air flowing in the first and second fan flow paths 138a and 138b to the lower side of the housing plate 151 It can be understood as an outlet for discharging. Therefore, the air that has flowed through the second fan flow path 138b can flow to the lower side of the housing plate 151 through the first discharge portion 25. [

[First Discharge Guide Portion]

A first discharge guide portion 158 for radially guiding the air flow discharged through the first discharge portion 25 is provided on the bottom surface of the housing plate 151. The first discharge guide portion 158 protrudes downward from the bottom surface of the housing plate 151 and may extend radially outward from the center of the housing plate 151. The first discharge guide portion 158 may be disposed on the outlet side of the first discharge portion 25.

The housing plate 151 is formed with a plate depression 158a which is depressed downward. The protruding shape of the first discharge guide portion 158 can be realized by the plate depression 158a. For example, the first discharge guide portion 158 can be formed by a method of forming a depression 158a of the housing plate 151 by depressing a part of the housing plate 151 downward.

The first discharge guide part 158 may be curved in both directions so that flow loss of the air discharged through the first discharge part 25 is minimized and the flow path is switched.

The air flow discharged through the first discharge portion 25 has a rotating property. When the first discharge guide portion 158 is contacted with the first discharge guide portion 158, the first discharge guide portion 158 turns in the radial direction Can be discharged. Of course, together with the first discharge guide portion 158, the upper air guide 180 can also guide the air flow in the radial direction.

According to this configuration, the air sucked downward toward the upper fan 130 through the first suction portion 21 is guided in the circumferential direction and discharged through the first discharge portion 25 with a rotational force. The discharged air can be guided by the first discharge guide portion 158 and the upper air guide 180 and can be easily discharged in the radial direction through the first discharge passage 26.

[First latch mechanism of upper cover, latch assembly]

FIG. 8 is a view showing a combined state of the upper cover and the upper fan housing according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and FIGS. 9 and 10 are views showing the structure of the first engagement mechanism of the upper cover according to the first embodiment of the present invention And FIGS. 11 and 12 are views showing the structure and operation of the second engagement mechanism of the upper cover according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIGS. 8, 9 and 10, the upper cover 120 according to the first embodiment of the present invention may be detachably installed in the flow generating device 10. [0040] As shown in FIG. In detail, the upper module 100 may include an engagement mechanism that can selectively engage the upper cover 120 in the circumferential direction and the up-and-down direction with respect to the upper fan housing 150.

The latching mechanism includes latch assemblies 177a and 177b, a hook 157b, and a hook engaging portion 127. [ Here, the latch assemblies 177a and 177b are called a first latching mechanism, and the hooks 157b and 127 are called second latching mechanisms.

First, the first latching mechanism will be described in detail.

The upper fan housing 150 is provided with a latch engaging portion 157a to which the latch assemblies 177a and 177b are coupled. The latch engaging portion 157a is provided at the rim of the housing plate 151 and may protrude upward from the upper surface of the housing plate 151. [

The latch assemblies 177a and 177b include a first latch 177a inserted into the upper cover 120 and a second latch 177b movably coupled to the latch engaging portion 157a. The first and second latches 177a and 177b may be coupled by an elastic member. The second latch 177b is understood to be a latch operated by a user and may be called a " latch switch ".

[Latch accommodating portion]

The upper cover 120 includes a latch receiving portion 128 into which the first latch 177a is inserted. The latch receiving portion 128 may be provided on an inner circumferential surface of the upper cover 120 and may have an opened lower end into which the first latch 177a can be inserted.

[Locking]

The upper cover 120 is provided with a latching protrusion 128a for latching the second latch 177b. The latch protrusion 128a may protrude downward from the lower portion of the latch receiving portion 128. [ For example, the latch protrusion 128a may be provided on the lower edge side of the latch receiving portion 128.

[Latch Depression]

The second latch 177b is provided with a latch depression 177c. The latch depression 177c is configured to be depressed downward from the top of the second latch 177b. When the second latch 177b moves upward, the latch protrusion 128a may be inserted into the latch recess 177c to be engaged. When the latch protrusion 128a is inserted, the second latch 177b is elastically deformed to guide the latch protrusion 128a into the latch recess 177c. When the insertion of the latching protrusion 128a is completed, the second latch 177b may be restored and engaged with the latching protrusion 128a.

[Operation of Latch Assembly]

When the second latch 177b is pressed once, it is engaged with the latch protrusion 128a. If the second latch 177b is pressed again, latching with the latch protrusion 128a can be released.

In detail, when the user presses the lower portion of the second latch 177b to move the second latch 177b upward, the second latch 177b can be engaged with the latching protrusion 128a. At this time, the second latch 177b is inserted into the upper fan housing 150, that is, protruded upward from the housing plate 151. Therefore, the movement of the upper cover 120 in the circumferential direction can be prevented.

That is, since the latch assemblies 177a and 177b are constrained or released in the vertical direction, the upper cover 120 can be fixed so as not to move in the circumferential direction.

In this state, when the second latch 177b is pressed again, the second latch 177b is released from engagement with the latch projection 128a and moves downward due to the restoring force of the elastic member, And is projected to the lower side of the plate 151. In addition, the upper cover 120 may be detachable from the flow generating device 10. [ (The first module to be described later is separated from the second and third modules)

In this state, the power applied to the flow generating device 10 can be cut off. Therefore, even if the upper cover is detached during operation of the flow generating device 10, the driving of the upper fan 130 is stopped and the stability of use can be improved. In this regard, a detailed description of electrical connection and disconnection will be given later.

Also, since the upper cover 120 can be separated or coupled to the flow generating device 10 by a simple operation of the second latch 177b, ease of use can be improved.

[Second fastening mechanism of upper cover]

11 and 12, in the upper module 100, the upper cover 120 is moved in the circumferential direction with respect to the upper fan housing 150 so that the upper cover 120 can be selectively engaged in the vertical direction A second latching mechanism may be included.

The second engaging mechanism may include a hook 157b and a hook engaging portion 157b.

The hook 157b may protrude from the upper surface of the housing plate 151 and bend in one direction, for example, in the shape of "A". The upper cover 120 is provided with a hook engagement portion 127 having a shape corresponding to the hook 157b. The hook coupling part 127 may be disposed on the inner circumferential surface of the upper cover 120 and may be disposed on the upper surface of the housing plate 151.

That is, the upper cover 120 can slide in the circumferential direction until the hook 157 and the hook engaging portion 127 are engaged. The hook coupling part 127 can be inserted between the upper surface of the housing plate 151 and the upper part of the hook 157b in a state where the upper cover 120 and the upper fan housing 150 are engaged. have.

The hook coupling part 127 is formed with a coupling groove 127a and the hook 157b is provided with a hook projection 157c. For example, the coupling groove 127a may be formed to be depressed downward from the upper portion of the hook engagement portion 127, and the hook projection 157c may be formed to protrude downward from the upper bottom surface of the hook 157b. have.

The hook protrusion 157c is inserted into the coupling groove 127a so that the upper cover 120 and the upper fan housing 150 can be stably engaged with each other .

[Operation of Hook and Hook Coupling Portion]

The upper cover 120 may be fitted to the outer side of the upper fan housing 150 to seat the hook coupling 127 on the upper surface of the housing plate 151. When the upper cover 120 is rotated in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction, the hook engaging part 127 rotates while being fitted between the upper surface of the housing plate 151 and the upper part of the hook 157b have. That is, a hook may be formed between the hook 157b and the hook coupling part 127. [

The upper cover 120 can be prevented from being separated upwardly or downwardly from the upper fan housing 150 by such a latching action.

That is, since the hook 157a and the hook coupling portion 127b are constrained or released in the circumferential direction, the upper cover 120 can be fixed so as not to move in the vertical direction. Therefore, the second latching mechanism can be understood as a latching mechanism in the vertical direction of the upper cover 120.

[Effects of the latching mechanism]

As described above, the upper cover 120 is fixed to the upper fan housing (not shown) by the first engaging mechanism that engages the upper cover 120 in the circumferential direction and the second engaging mechanism that engages the upper cover 120 in the up- 150). ≪ / RTI > The upper cover 120 can be easily separated from the upper fan housing 150.

That is, the engagement mechanism can stably guide the selective coupling between the upper cover 120 and the upper fan housing 150.

When the upper cover 120 is separated from the flow generating device 10, the upper fan housing 150 and the upper fan 130 may be exposed to the outside. Then, the exposed upper fan housing 150 and the upper fan 130 can be cleaned.

The upper fan housing 150 and the upper fan 130 may be shielded by the upper cover 120 to prevent a safety accident, .

Since the upper cover 120 can be separated by simply operating the latch assemblies 177a and 177b, the convenience of cleaning the upper fan housing 150 or the upper fan 130 can be improved.

It should be noted that the description of the coupling structure of the upper cover 120 can be applied to the coupling structure of the lower cover 290, which will be described later.

<Configuration of sub-module>

13 is an exploded perspective view showing a configuration of a lower module according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[Lower Fan and Lower Fan Housing]

3 and 8, the lower module 200 according to the embodiment of the present invention includes a lower fan 230 for generating an air flow and a lower fan housing 220 having the lower fan 130 installed therein. . The lower fan 230 may include a centrifugal fan that sucks air in an axial direction and discharges the air in a radial direction. For example, the lower fan 230 may include a sirocco fan.

The lower fan housing 220 is coupled to the upper portion of the lower fan 230 and includes a guide structure for guiding the air flow generated by the rotation of the lower fan 230 to the second discharge portion 27 can do.

[Lower motor]

The lower module 200 further includes a lower motor 236 connected to the lower fan 230 to provide a driving force. A lower motor shaft 236a is provided below the lower motor 236. The lower motor shaft 236a may extend downward from the lower motor 236. [ The lower motor 236 is disposed on the upper side of the lower fan housing 220 and the lower motor shaft 236a can be disposed to pass through the lower fan housing 220 and the lower fan 230. [ have. The lower fan 230 is provided with a shaft coupling portion 234 (see FIG. 13) to which the lower motor shaft 236a is coupled.

[Locking section]

The lower module 200 further includes a lower locking portion 239 coupled to the lower motor shaft 236a. The lower locking portion 239 is disposed below the hub 231a of the lower fan 230 and guides the lower motor 236 to be fixed to the lower fan 230. [

The lower locking portion 239 may provide a fixing force for fixing the lower motor 236 to the lower fan 230 through rotation in one direction and may be fixed to the upper motor 236 through rotation in the other direction. May be released.

[Lower cover]

The lower module 200 further includes a lower cover 290 disposed to surround the lower fan 230 and the lower fan housing 220. In detail, the lower cover 290 includes a cover inflow portion 291a through which the air sucked through the second suction portion 23 flows, forming an opened lower end portion. The lower cover 290 further includes a cover discharge portion 291b having an opened upper end. The air having passed through the lower fan 230 can flow into the second discharge passage 28 through the cover discharge portion 291b.

The size of the cover discharge portion 291b may be larger than that of the cover inflow portion 291a. Accordingly, the lower cover 290 may have a truncated conical shape with an upper end and a lower end opened. With this configuration, the air that has passed through the lower fan 290 can be easily discharged through the second discharge portion 27 while gradually flowing in the circumferential direction.

Further, the lower cover 290 includes an orifice coupling portion 292a and a hook coupling portion 292b. This will be described later.

[Protective member]

The lower module 200 further includes a protection member 294 disposed below the lower cover 290 to block heat generated from the heater assembly 260. The protective member 294 may have a substantially disc shape. The protection member 294 may be made of a steel material that is not burnt by heat. The protection member 294 prevents the heat from being transmitted to the second pre-filter 295, thereby preventing the second pre-filter 295 from being damaged.

[Second Prefilter]

The lower module 200 further includes a second pre-filter 295 provided below the protection member 294. The second pre-filter 295 may include a filter frame 296 and a filter member 297 coupled to the filter frame 296. The foreign matter in the air sucked through the second suction part (23) can be filtered by the second pre-filter (295). It can be understood that the lower space portion of the second pre-filter 295 forms the second suction portion 23.

[Lower air guide]

The lower module 200 further includes a lower air guide 210 provided at an upper side of the lower fan housing 220 for guiding air passing through the lower fan housing 220. The lower air guide 210 has a hollow plate shape. The lower air guide 210 includes a central portion 210a into which the lower motor 236 is inserted, a rim portion 210b that forms an outer peripheral surface of the lower air guide 210, And a guide extension 210c extending in the outer radial direction toward the rim 210b.

The guide extension 210c may extend upwardly or upwardly from the central portion 210a toward the rim 210b. The air discharged upward through the second discharge portion 27 from the lower fan housing 220 is guided to the outer side of the main body 20 and flows into the second discharge passage 28. [ have.

[PCB device]

A plurality of parts can be provided on the upper surface of the guide extension part 210c. The plurality of components includes a PCB device having a main PCB 215 for controlling the flow generating device 10. [ The PCB device further includes a regulator 216 for stably supplying electric power to the flow generating device 10. [ By the regulator 216, even if the voltage or frequency of the input power source changes, a constant voltage power can be supplied to the flow generating device 10.

[Communication module]

The plurality of components further include a communication module. The flow generation device 10 can communicate with an external server through the communication module. For example, the communication module may include a Wi-Fi module.

[LED device]

The plurality of components further includes an LED device. The LED device may constitute a display unit of the flow generating device 10. [

The LED device includes an LED PCB 218 on which LEDs are mounted and an LED cover 219 on the outside of the LED PCB 218 in a radial direction for diffusing light emitted from the LEDs. The LED cover 219 may be referred to as a " diffusion plate ".

The LED cover 219 is integrally coupled to the outer circumferential surface of the upper air guide 180 and the lower air guide 220 along the outer circumference of the upper air guide 180 and the lower air guide 220, can do.

[Combined structure of upper air guide and lower air guide]

The upper air guide 180 and the lower air guide 210 may be coupled to each other. The upper air guide 180 and the lower air guide 210 may be collectively referred to as an " air guide apparatus ". The air guiding device divides the upper module 100 and the lower module 200. In other words, the air guide device can separate the upper module 100 and the lower module 200 from each other. The air guiding device can support the upper module 100 and the lower module 200.

In detail, the lower air guide 210 may be coupled to the lower side of the upper air guide 180. By the engagement of the upper air guide 180 and the lower air guide 210, a motor installation space is formed in the air guide devices 180 and 210. The upper motor 170 and the lower motor 236 can be accommodated in the motor installation space. By such a configuration, space utilization of the apparatus can be improved.

[First engaging mechanism of lower fan housing 220]

The lower fan housing 220 may be detachably installed in the flow generating device 10. Like the upper module 100, the lower module 200 can be selectively coupled to the lower fan housing 220 in a circumferential direction and a vertical direction A latching mechanism may be included.

More specifically, the lower fan housing 220 may be provided with a latch engaging portion 225b (see FIG. 16). Latch assemblies 238a and 238b, which are selectively engaged with the lower cover 290, are coupled to the latch coupling part 225b.

[LATCH ASSEMBLY]

The latch engaging portion 225b is provided at a rim portion of the housing plate 221 and may protrude downward from the lower surface of the housing plate 221. [ The latch engaging portion of the lower fan housing 220 may be provided at a position corresponding to the latch engaging portion 157a of the upper fan housing 150. A detailed description of the latch engaging portion 225b is given in the description of the latch engaging portion 157a of the upper module 100. [

The latch assemblies 238a and 238b include a first latch 238a inserted into the lower cover 290 and a second latch 238b movably coupled to the latch engaging portion. The description of the first and second latches 238a and 238b is based on the description of the first and second latches 177a and 177b of the upper module 100.

The first and second latches 238a and 238b of the lower module 200 are different from the first and second latches 177a and 177b of the upper module 100 in that the second latch 238b is pressed once When the stopper is engaged with the ground stopper and once the stopper is released from the stopper when the stopper is depressed again, the direction in which the stopper is to be pressed and the rotation and fixation are to be performed.

In detail, when the user presses the upper portion of the second latch 238b and moves the second latch 238b downward, the second latch 238b can be hooked to the latch projection. At this time, the second latch 238b is inserted into the lower fan housing 220, that is, protruded to the lower side of the housing plate 221. Accordingly, since the lower fan housing 220 is vertically coupled to the lower cover 290, the lower fan housing 220 can be prevented from rotating in the circumferential direction.

In this state, when the second latch 238b is pressed again, the second latch 238b is released from the engagement with the locking projection and moved upward by the restoring force of the elastic member, and the housing plate 221 As shown in Fig. In addition, the lower fan housing 220 may be detachable from the flow generating device 10. [ (The second module to be described later is separated from the third module) In this state, the power applied to the flow generation device 10 can be cut off.

[Definition of upper and lower latching mechanism]

The latch assemblies 177a and 177b of the upper module 100 may be referred to as an upper latch assembly or an upper first latch mechanism and the latch assemblies 238a and 238b of the lower module 200 may be referred to as a lower latch assembly Or a lower first latching mechanism.

Likewise, the hook 157b of the upper module 100 and the hook engaging portion 127 may be referred to as an upper hook and an upper hook engaging portion or an upper second engaging mechanism, and a hook 225a of the lower module 200 And the hook engagement portion 292b may be referred to as a lower hook and a lower hook engagement portion or a lower second engagement mechanism.

[First Operation and Second Operation]

The first operation by the user to press (press) the second latch 177b of the upper module 100 or the second latch 238b of the lower module 200 is called a first latching operation, Thereafter, the operation of pressing (pressing) again is called a first releasing operation.

The first latching operation can be understood as a pressing operation in which the second latch is engaged with the latching projection and the first latching operation can be understood as a pressing operation in which the latching latch and latching of the second latch are released.

The operation of the user to rotate the upper cover 120 of the upper module 100 or the lower fan housing 220 of the lower module 200 in one direction is called a second engaging operation, Is referred to as a second releasing operation.

The second latching operation can be understood as an operation of engaging the hook and the hook engaging portion, and the second releasing operation can be understood as an operation of releasing the engagement of the hook and hook engaging portion.

[Upper orifice]

The lower module 200 includes an upper orifice 240 provided below the lower fan housing 220 and provided with a driving device for rotating the upper module 100 and a part of the lower module 200, . The upper orifice 240 has an open central portion 240a and may have an annular shape. The central portion 240a may form a flow path of the air sucked through the second suction portion 23. [

[Driving device]

The driving device includes a rotating motor (270) for generating a driving force. For example, the rotary motor 270 may include a step motor that is easily adjustable in the angle of rotation.

The driving device further includes a power transmitting device connected to the rotating motor (270). The power transmission apparatus may include a pinion gear 272 coupled to the rotary motor 270 and a rack gear 276 coupled to the pinion gear 272. The rack gear 276 may have a rounded shape corresponding to the rotational curvatures of the upper module 100 and the lower module 200.

[Lower orifice]

The lower module 200 further includes a lower orifice 280 provided below the upper orifice 240. The lower orifice 280 is coupled to the leg 30. In particular, both sides of the lower orifice 280 may be coupled to the first leg extension 33 and the second leg extension 35. Accordingly, the lower orifice 280 can be understood as a fixed configuration of the lower module 200.

[Racks]

The rack gear 276 may be coupled to the lower orifice 280. The lower orifice 280 has an open central portion 280a and may have an annular shape. The central portion 280a may form a flow path of the air sucked through the second suction portion 23. [ Air that has passed through the central portion 280a of the lower orifice 280 can pass through the central portion 240a of the upper orifice 240. [

[Second Air Treatment Apparatus]

The lower module 200 may further include a second air processing unit that operates to harmonize or purify the air flowing through the lower module 200. The second air processing apparatus may perform a function different from that of the first air processing apparatus. For example, the second air treatment apparatus includes a heater assembly 260 supported by the lower orifice 280 and generating a predetermined heat.

[Heater assembly]

The heater assembly 260 includes a heater 261. The heater 261 is disposed in the open central portion 280a of the lower orifice 240 and can heat the air sucked through the second suction portion 23. For example, the heater 261 may include a PTC heater.

The PTC heater starts to generate heat when electricity is applied to both sides of the PTC heater. When the PTC heater reaches the Curie temperature (Tc) inherent to the PTC heater, the resistance of the PTC heater increases suddenly. Therefore, the PTC heater is advantageous in that the risk of fire is low and the surface temperature is not high.

The heater assembly 260 further includes a heater bracket 263 for supporting both sides of the heater 261. The heater bracket 263 may be coupled to the lower orifice 280.

[roller]

The lower orifice 280 is provided with a roller 278 for guiding the rotation of the upper module 100 and the lower module 200. The rollers 278 are coupled to the rim of the lower orifice 280, and a plurality of rollers 278 may be disposed in the circumferential direction. The roller 278 may contact the bottom surface of the upper orifice 240 to guide rotation or rotation of the upper orifice 240.

[supporter]

The lower module 200 further includes supporters 265 and 267 disposed on the upper side of the heater assembly 260. The supporters 265 and 267 include a first supporter 265 coupled to the upper side of the heater 261 and a second supporter 267 coupled to the upper side of the first supporter 265.

The first supporter 265 separates the heater assembly 260 from the lower fan 230 to prevent heat generated from the heater assembly 260 from adversely affecting other components . The second supporter 267 rotates the upper module 100 and the lower module 200 to form a rotation center. The second supporter 267 is provided with a bearing 275 to guide the movement of the rotating component.

[Lower Fan and Lower Fan Housing]

FIG. 14 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a lower fan housing and a lower fan according to the first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 15 is a perspective view showing the construction of a lower fan housing according to the first embodiment of the present invention, 1 is a bottom perspective view showing a configuration of a lower fan housing according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

Referring to FIG. 3 and FIG. 14 to FIG. 16, a lower module 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a lower fan 230 for generating an air flow, And a lower fan housing 220 surrounding at least a portion of the outer circumferential surface of the lower fan 230.

[Detailed configuration of lower fan]

The lower fan 230 may have a generally cylindrical shape. In detail, the lower fan 230 includes a main plate 231 to which a plurality of blades 233 are coupled, and a hub 231a which is provided at a central portion of the main plate 231 and protrudes upward. The lower motor shaft 236a may be coupled to the hub 231a. The plurality of blades 233 may be spaced apart from each other in the circumferential direction of the main plate 231.

The lower fan 230 further includes a side plate portion 235 provided below the plurality of blades 233. The side plate portion 235 functions to fix the plurality of blades 233. An upper end of the plurality of blades 233 may be coupled to the main plate 231 and a lower end thereof may be coupled to the side plate 235.

[Size difference between upper and lower fans]

The vertical height Ho of the upper cover 120 and the vertical height Ho 'of the lower cover 290 may be substantially the same. With such a configuration, the appearance of the flow generating device 10 can be made compact and the design can be made beautiful.

On the other hand, the vertical height H2 of the lower fan 230 may be smaller than the vertical height H1 of the upper fan 130. In order to compensate for the height of the heater assembly 260 provided only in the lower module 200, the height of the lower fan 230 is relatively small. Therefore, the maximum capacity of the upper fan 130 may be greater than the maximum capacity of the lower fan 230.

For example, when the upper fan 130 and the lower fan 230 are driven at the same rotational speed, the discharge amount of the air discharged from the upper module 100 is smaller than the discharge amount of the air discharged from the lower module 200 Can be many. Therefore, the number of revolutions of the lower fan 230 may be adjusted to be greater than the number of revolutions of the upper fan 130 in order to control the amount of air discharged from the upper module 100 and the lower module 200 to be equal to each other . As a result, the combined air discharged from the upper module 100 and the lower module 200 can be easily discharged in the radial direction without being biased upward or downward.

[Detailed configuration of lower fan housing]

The lower fan housing 220 is provided with a housing plate 221 for supporting the upper side of the lower fan 230 and a lower plate 230 provided at the center of the housing plate 221 and coupled to the hub 231a of the lower fan 230 And a hub seating portion 222 for supporting the hub. The hub seating part 222 may protrude downward from the housing plate 221 in correspondence with the shape of the hub 231a. An axial through hole 222a through which the lower motor shaft 236a passes may be formed in the hub seating part 222. [

The lower fan housing 220 further includes a guide wall 223 protruding downward from the housing plate 221 and disposed to surround at least a part of the outer circumferential surface of the lower fan 230. The guide wall 223 may extend roundly in the circumferential direction on the upper surface of the housing plate 151. The height H2 of the lower fan 230 is smaller than the height H1 of the upper fan 130 so that the height of the guide wall 223 of the lower fan housing 220 is greater than the height H1 of the lower fan housing 150. [ The height of the guide wall 153 may be smaller than the height of the guide wall 153 of FIG.

[First fan flow path]

A first fan flow path 234a through which the air passing through the lower fan 230 flows is formed between the guide wall 223 and at least a part of the outer circumferential surface of the lower fan 230. The first fan flow path 234a can be understood as an air flow path that flows in a circumferential direction. That is, the air introduced in the axial direction of the lower fan 230 is discharged in the radial direction of the lower fan 230 and is guided by the guide wall 223 and is guided along the first fan flow path 234a in the circumferential direction As shown in Fig.

The cross-sectional area of the first fan flow path 234a may be increased in the direction of rotation of the air. That is, the first fan flow path 234a may have a spiral shape. This can be called "spiral flow". By this flow, the flow resistance of air passing through the lower fan 230 is reduced, and the noise generated from the upper fan 230 can be reduced.

[First inclined portion]

The guide wall 223 includes a first inclined portion 224 extending upward from the lower end of the guide wall 223 toward the housing plate 221. The upward sloping direction may correspond to the air flow direction in the first fan flow path 234a. The first inclined portion 224 has the effect of gradually increasing the cross-sectional area of air flowing on the basis of the flow direction of air.

[Second engaging mechanism of lower fan housing]

The lower module 200 may include a lower second engaging mechanism that can selectively move the lower fan housing 220 in the vertical direction by moving the lower cover 290 in the circumferential direction.

The lower second latching mechanism may include a hook 157b and a hook coupling portion 157b. The housing plate 221 includes a hook 225a which is engaged with the lower cover 290. The hooks 225a may have a shape that protrudes from the lower surface of the housing plate 221 and bends in one direction, for example, "A".

The lower cover 290 is provided with a hook coupling portion 292b having a shape corresponding to the hook 225a.

The hook coupling portion 292b may be disposed on the inner circumferential surface of the lower cover 290 and may be engaged with a hook 225a formed on the bottom surface of the housing plate 221. [

That is, the hook 225a of the housing plate 221 can slide in the circumferential direction until it is engaged with the hook engagement portion 292b of the lower cover 290.

The hook coupling portion 292b can be inserted between the bottom surface of the housing plate 221 and the lower portion of the hook 225a in a state where the lower cover 290 and the lower fan housing 220 are coupled have.

The shape and configuration of the hook coupling portion 292b and the hook 225a are the same as those of the hook coupling portion 127 and the hook 157b of the upper module 100, The hook coupling portion 127 and the hook 157b in Fig.

[Difference in operation of latching mechanism between upper module and lower module]

The upper cover 120 slides in the circumferential direction in the upper module 100 while the housing plate 221 that is not the lower cover 290 in the lower module 200, that is, the lower fan housing 220 Can slide in the circumferential direction. This difference is intended to further improve the user's convenience due to the shape of the lower cover 290 having a conical shape so that the sectional area increases toward the upper side.

More specifically, due to the shape of the lower cover 290, when the user disconnects the flow generating device 10, a lower orifice 280 secured from the leg 30, a heater assembly coupled with the lower orifice 280, It is very difficult to take out and separate the lower cover 290 upward in a state in which the upper cover 260 and the upper orifice 240 are fixed and there is inconvenience to release the fastening of the other components.

Accordingly, the lower fan housing 220 is rotated to be separated from the lower cover 290, and the lower fan housing 220 is taken out upward to separate the fan housing 220 from the lower cover 290, thereby further improving the user's convenience. Further, since the flow generating device 10 is located at a lower height than the user, it may be more convenient for the user to sequentially separate the flow generating device 10 from the upper structure to the lower part.

[Operation of Hook and Hook Coupling Portion]

The lower cover 290 may be fitted on the outer side of the lower fan housing 220 so that the hook coupling portion 292b may be coupled to the bottom surface of the housing plate 221. [

When the lower fan housing 220 is rotated clockwise or counterclockwise, the hook coupling portion 292b rotates and is inserted between the bottom of the housing plate 221 and the lower portion of the hook 225a . That is, a hook may be formed between the hook 225a and the hook coupling portion 292b. The lower fan housing 220 can be prevented from being separated upwardly or downwardly from the lower cover 290 by such a latching action.

That is, since the hook 225a and the hook coupling portion 292b are constrained or released in the circumferential direction, the lower cover 290 and the lower fan housing 220 can be fixed so as not to move in the vertical direction. Therefore, the lower second engaging mechanism can be understood as an engagement mechanism in the vertical direction of the lower fan housing 220.

[Effect of lower latch mechanism]

By the lower first engaging mechanism that engages the lower fan housing 220 and the lower cover 290 in the circumferential direction and the lower second engaging mechanism that engages the upper fan housing 220 and the lower cover 290 in the vertical direction, The lower fan housing 290 and the lower fan housing 220 can be stably coupled. Also, the lower fan housing 220 can be easily separated from the lower cover 290.

When the lower fan housing 220 is separated from the flow generating device 10, the lower fan 230 connected to the lower fan housing 220 can be exposed to the outside, The upper air guide 180, the upper fan 130, and the upper fan housing 150, as shown in FIG. Therefore, the cleaning convenience of the separated configuration is improved and the manageability is improved.

[Second fan flow path]

The first fan flow path 234a is formed between a part of the outer circumferential surface of the lower fan 230 and an inner circumferential surface of the lower cover 290 in a state where the lower cover 290 is coupled to the lower fan housing 220. [ And a second fan flow path 234b positioned on the downstream side may be formed. The second fan flow path 234b may extend in a circumferential direction in which air flows from the first fan flow path 234a. Accordingly, the air passing through the first fan flow path 234a can flow through the second fan flow path 234b.

Sectional area of the second fan flow path 234b may be larger than a flow cross-sectional area of the first fan flow path 234a. Accordingly, since the flow cross-sectional area of the air flows from the first fan flow passage 234a to the second fan flow passage 234b, the flow resistance of the air passing through the upper fan 230 is reduced, The noise generated from the fan 230 can be reduced.

[Second inclined portion]

The guide wall 223 includes a second inclined portion 226 extending upward from the lower end of the guide wall 223 toward the housing plate 221. The upward sloping direction may correspond to an air flow direction in the second fan flow path 234b. The second inclined portion 226 may be referred to as a cut-off. With the configuration of the second inclined portion 226, it is possible to have an effect that the cross sectional area of the air gradually increases on the basis of the direction of air flow.

The first inclined portion 224 and the second inclined portion 226 form both side ends of the guide wall 223. The first inclined portion 224 is provided between the first fan flow path 234a and the second fan flow path 234b and the second inclined portion 226 is provided between the second fan flow path 234a and the second fan flow path 234b. 234b and the flow guide portion 227, as shown in FIG. In this manner, the first and second slopes 224 and 226 are provided in the boundary region where the air flow is switched, thereby improving the flow performance of the air.

[Flow guide portion]

The lower fan housing 220 further includes a flow guide part 227 for guiding air passing through the second fan flow path 234b. The flow guide part 227 protrudes downward from the bottom surface of the housing plate 221. The flow guide portion 160 provided in the upper module 100 is referred to as a " first flow guide portion ", and the flow guide portion 227 provided in the lower module 200 is referred to as a & 2 flow guide ".

The flow guide portion 227 may be disposed on the outer surface of the guide wall 223. Due to the arrangement of the flow guide portions 227, air flowing in the circumferential direction while passing through the first and second fan flow paths 234a and 234b can easily flow into the flow guide portion 227 . The flow guide part 227 includes a guide body 228 extending downwardly in a flow direction of the air, that is, in the circumferential direction. That is, the guide body 228 includes a round surface or an inclined surface.

In the flow guide portion 227, an air flow path is formed. In detail, an inlet portion 228a through which the air passed through the second fan flow passage 234b flows is formed at the front end of the flow guide portion 227 with respect to the air flow direction. The inlet 228a can be understood as an open space. The guide body 228 may extend upward from the inlet 228a toward the upper surface of the housing plate 221. [

[Cutting section]

The housing plate 221 is provided with a cutout 221a. The cut-out portion 221a is understood as a portion formed by penetrating at least a part of the housing plate 221 in a vertical direction. The inlet 228a may be located below the cutout 221a.

The inlet 228a may define the second outlet 27 together with the cutout 221a. The second discharging portion 27 discharges the air flowing below the housing plate 221, that is, the air flowing through the first and second fan flow paths 234a and 234b to the upper side of the housing plate 221 It can be understood as an outlet for discharging. Accordingly, the air that has flowed through the second fan flow path 234b can flow to the upper side of the housing plate 221 through the second discharge portion 27. [

[Second Discharge Guide Portion]

The upper surface of the housing plate 221 is provided with a second discharge guide portion 229 for radially guiding the air flow discharged through the second discharge portion 27. The second discharge guide portion 229 protrudes upward from the upper surface of the housing plate 221 and may extend in an outer radial direction from a central portion of the housing plate 221. The second discharge guide portion 229 may be disposed on the outlet side of the second discharge portion 27 and may be located below the first discharge guide portion 158.

The housing plate 221 is formed with a plate depression 229a which is depressed upward. The protruding shape of the second discharge guide portion 229 can be realized by the plate depression 229a. For example, the second discharge guide portion 229 may be formed by recessing a part of the housing plate 221 upward to form the plate depression 229a.

The second discharge guide portion 229 is formed so that the outer circumferential surface of the second discharge guide portion 229 is curved in both directions so as to minimize the flow loss of the air discharged through the second discharge portion 27, .

[Operation of Second Discharge Guide Portion]

The air flow discharged through the second discharge portion 27 has a property of rotating. When the second discharge guide portion 229 is encountered, the second discharge guide portion 229 changes direction in the radial direction Can be discharged. Of course, along with the second discharge guide portion 229, the lower air guide 210 can also guide the air flow in the radial direction.

According to this configuration, the air sucked upward toward the lower fan 230 through the second suction portion 23 is guided in the circumferential direction and discharged through the second discharge portion 27 with a rotational force, 2 discharge guide portion 229 and the lower air guide 210 and can be easily discharged in the radial direction through the second discharge passage 28.

[Guide seating part]

The upper surface of the housing plate 221 is provided with a guide seat 221c on which the lower air guide 210 is seated. The lower air guide 210 can be stably supported on the guide seat 221c. The guide seat 221c is provided with a second guide engaging portion 221d to which the lower air guide 210 is coupled. The predetermined fastening member can be fastened to the lower air guide 210 through the second guide engaging portion 221d.

[Upper orifice and lower fan]

FIG. 17 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the upper orifice and the lower fan according to the first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 18 is a bottom perspective view showing the configuration of the upper orifice and the lower fan according to the first embodiment of the present invention, 19 is a perspective view showing a state where a rotary motor is installed in the upper orifice according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[Upper orifice body]

Referring to FIG. 3 and FIGS. 17 through 19, an upper orifice 240 according to an embodiment of the present invention is positioned below the lower fan housing 220. Specifically, the upper orifice 240 includes an upper orifice body 241 having an open central portion 241a. The opened center portion 241a may form an air flow path for transmitting air to the lower fan 230. [ By the opened central portion 241a, the upper orifice body 241 may have a substantially annular shape.

[Fan Guide]

The upper orifice 240 includes a fan guide 242 into which the side plate portion 235 of the lower fan 230 is inserted. The fan guide 244 may protrude downward from the bottom surface of the upper orifice body 241. The fan guide 244 may be disposed to surround the opened center portion 241a.

[Motor Support]

The upper orifice 240 further includes a motor support portion 244 for supporting the rotation motor 270. The motor support portion 244 protrudes downward from the upper orifice main body 241 and may be arranged to surround the outer circumferential surface of the rotation motor 270. [ The rotation motor 270 is supported on the bottom surface of the upper orifice body 241 and can be inserted into the motor support portion 244.

[Driving device]

The lower module 200 includes a driving unit that generates driving force to guide rotation of the upper module 100 and the lower module 200. The upper module 100 and the lower module 200 can be rotated integrally by the driving device.

The driving device includes a rotation motor 270 and gears 272 and 276. [ The gears 272 and 276 may include a pinion gear 272 and a rack gear 276.

A pinion gear 272 can be coupled to the rotation motor 270. The pinion gear 272 is disposed below the rotary motor 270 and may be coupled to the motor shaft 270a of the rotary motor 270. [ When the rotation motor 270 is driven, the pinion gear 272 can rotate.

The pinion gear 272 can be interlocked with the rack gear 276. The rack gear 276 may be positioned inward of the pinion gear 272 in the flow generating device 10. The rack gear 276 is fixed to the lower orifice 280.

Since the rack gear 276 has a fixed configuration, when the pinion gear 272 rotates, the rotation motor 270 and the pinion gear 272 rotate about the center of the opened central portion 241a of the upper orifice 240 I.e., idle. The upper orifice 240 supporting the rotary motor 270 is rotated.

[Second Supporting Member]

The upper orifice 240 further includes a second supporter coupling portion 248 coupled to the second supporter 267. The second supporter engaging portion 248 may be provided on an inner circumferential surface of the central portion 241a of the upper orifice 240. The second supporter 267 includes a second coupling portion 267d coupled to the second supporter coupling portion 248. [ The predetermined fastening member may be fastened to the second fastening portion 267d through the second supporter engaging portion 248. [

[Cover coupling portion]

The upper orifice 240 further includes a cover engagement portion 249 coupled to the lower cover 290. A plurality of the cover engaging portions 249 may be provided at the rim of the upper orifice body 241. The plurality of cover engaging portions 249 may be spaced apart in the circumferential direction.

[Orifice coupling portion]

The lower cover 290 is provided with an orifice engaging portion 292a which is engaged with the cover engaging portion 249. The orifice coupling portion 292a may be disposed on the inner circumferential surface of the lower cover 290 and may include a plurality of orifice coupling portions 292a corresponding to the number of the cover coupling portions 249. [ The predetermined fastening member can be fastened to the cover engaging portion 249 through the orifice engaging portion 292a.

[Wallpaper section]

The upper orifice 240 further includes a wall bracket 246 for supporting the guide wall 223 of the lower fan housing 220. The wallpaper support portion 246 may protrude upward from the upper surface of the upper orifice body 241. The wallpaper support portion 246 can support the outer peripheral surface of the guide wall 223.

[Lower orifice and heater assembly]

20 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a heater assembly according to a first embodiment of the present invention,

[Lower orifice body]

Referring to FIG. 20, a heater assembly 260 according to an embodiment of the present invention may be mounted on a lower orifice 280. The lower orifice 280 includes a lower orifice body 281 having an open central portion 280a (see FIG. 13). The opened center portion 280a may form an air flow path for transmitting the air sucked through the second suction portion 23 to the open central portion 241a of the upper orifice 240. [ The lower orifice body 281 may have a substantially annular shape by the opened central portion 280a.

[Rack joint part]

The lower orifice 280 further includes a rack coupling portion coupled to the rack gear 276. The rack coupling part protrudes upward from the upper surface of the lower orifice main body 281 and has an insertion groove into which the rack coupling member can be inserted. The rack coupling member may pass through the rack gear 276 and be coupled to the rack coupling portion.

[Bracket Support]

The heater assembly 260 includes a heater 261 and a heater bracket 263 for supporting both sides of the heater 261. A heater 261 may be inserted into the opened central portion 280a.

The lower orifice body 281 further includes a bracket supporting portion to which the heater bracket 263 is mounted. The bracket support may be provided on both sides of the lower orifice body 281.

[Roller support part]

A roller support portion for supporting the roller 278 is provided on the lower orifice main body 281. During the rotation of the upper orifice 240, the roller 278 may contact the upper orifice 240 to perform a rolling action.

[First supporter]

The first supporter 265 is disposed above the lower orifice 280. The first supporter 265 may be disposed above the heater assembly 260. The first supporter 265 may be made of a metal material, for example, aluminum.

The first supporter 265 supports a rotating component of the lower module 200. The first supporter 265 protects the second supporter 267 from being brought into direct contact with the heater assembly 260 at the upper part of the lower module 200. That is, the first and second supporters 265 and 267 guide the lower fan 130 and the lower fan housing 220 to be spaced apart from the heater assembly 260.

[Second supporter]

The lower orifice 280 and the heater assembly 260 and the first supporter 265 have a fixed configuration and a portion provided on the upper side of the second supporter 267 and the second supporter 267, The lower fan 230, the lower fan housing 220, the upper orifice 240, and the like can rotate (rotate).

The second supporter 267 includes a second supporter main body having a substantially ring shape and a second supporter frame extending from a point on the inner circumferential surface of the second supporter main body to the center of the second supporter main body.

At the center of the second supporter main body, a rotation center portion forming the rotation center of the second supporter 267 is provided. The rotation center portion forms a rotation center axis of the second supporter 267.

[Base]

21 is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of the base according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 21, the base 50 according to the embodiment of the present invention includes a base body 51 placed on the ground and a base cover 53 coupled to the upper side of the base body 51.

The base cover (53) includes a through hole (54). The through hole 54 may be formed at the center of the base cover 53. The base 50 further includes a base supporter 58 extending upward from the base body 51 and passing through the through hole 54. The leg base 31 may be coupled to the base supporter 58.

The base body 51 may include a base cover fastening portion that engages with the base cover 53. For example, a plurality of base cover fastening portions may be provided along the inner circumference of the base body 51.

A battery 55 and a power PCB 57 may be installed on the base body 51. The battery 55 and the power PCB 57 may be disposed on both sides of the base supporter 58. For example, the battery 55 and the power PCB 57 may be installed at symmetrical positions with respect to the base supporter 58.

Since the battery 55 installed in the base body 51 has a relatively heavy weight, the center of gravity of the flow generator 10 can be lowered downward. In detail, the upper module 100 and the lower module 200, which include a relatively heavy component, are disposed on the upper portion of the flow generating device 10. [

The center of gravity of the flow generating device 10 is formed on the upper portion of the flow generating device 10 but the battery 55 is disposed on the base 50 so that the whole of the flow generating device 10 The center of gravity is lowered. As a result, it is possible to reduce the risk of conduction of the flow generating device 10 and to prevent safety accidents.

The base body 51 may further include an insertion hole into which a power supply line for supplying external power is inserted. A power line inserted through the insertion hole may be connected to the battery 55 or the power PCB 57.

The power supplied from the outside or the power stored in the battery 55 can be supplied to the electric component through the power PCB 57. [ The electrical component may include the upper motor 170, the lower motor 236, the main PCB 215, or the rotating motor 270.

An electric wire 60 (see FIG. 2) may be connected to the power PCB 57. The electrical line 60 extends upward from the base 50 and may be located within the legs 30.

The electric wire 60 extends from the power PCB 57 to the inside of the leg main body 31 and extends through the inside of the first leg extension portion 33 or the second leg extension portion 35 To the main body 20. That is, the legs 30 can provide a space for installing the electric wires 60, in addition to the function of supporting the main body 200.

 [Air flow in the upper module]

FIGS. 22 and 23 are views showing how the air passing through the fan is discharged from the upper module according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIGS. 2, 22 and 23, when the upper fan 130 according to the first embodiment of the present invention is driven, air is sucked through the first suction portion 21 of the upper module 100, The first air flow Af1 may be generated through the upper fan 130 and discharged from the first discharge portion 25. [

In detail, according to the rotation of the upper fan 130, the air is sucked down through the first suction part 21 provided at the upper part of the upper module 100. The air sucked through the first suction unit 21 is sucked in the axial direction of the upper fan 130 through the first pre-filter 105.

The air flowing in the axial direction of the upper fan 130 is discharged in the radial direction of the upper fan 130 and is guided by the guide wall 153 of the upper fan housing 150, And flows in the circumferential direction. The air that has passed through the first fan flow path 138a can flow in the circumferential direction through the second fan flow path 138b positioned on the downstream side of the first fan flow path 138a.

Since the flow cross sectional area of the second fan flow path 138b is larger than the flow cross sectional area of the first fan flow path 138a, the flow resistance of air passing through the upper fan 130 is reduced, The generated noise can be reduced.

The air having passed through the second fan passage 138b is discharged through the first discharge portion 25 and flows to the lower side of the housing plate 151. [ In this case, the flow direction of the air discharged through the first discharge portion 25 may be a direction toward the second discharge portion 27. The air discharged from the first discharge portion 25 is guided by the flow guide portion 160 and can easily flow in the circumferential direction.

The air flowing along the flow guide part 160 can be changed in direction by the first discharge guide part 158 provided on the lower side of the housing plate 151. In detail, the circumferentially flowing air can flow radially outward while meeting the first discharge guide portion 158. At this time, together with the first discharge guide portion 158, the upper air guide 180 can also guide the air flow in the radial direction.

The air having passed through the upper fan 130 is guided circumferentially by the upper fan housing 150 and the upper cover 120 and discharged through the first discharging portion 25 with a rotational force. The discharged air can be guided by the first discharge guide portion 158 and the upper air guide 180 and can be easily discharged in the radial direction.

On the other hand, an ionizer mounting portion 168 is provided on the outer side of the guide wall 153, in which an ionizer 179 for sterilizing microorganisms in the air is installed. The ionizer 179 may discharge negative ions toward the first fan flow path 138a or the second fan flow path 138b. Therefore, since the air passing through the upper module 100 can be sterilized through the ionizer 179, clean air can be supplied to the user.

[Air flow in the lower module]

FIGS. 24 and 25 are views showing a state in which air having passed through a fan is discharged from a lower module according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 26 is a perspective view of the upper module and the lower module according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a view showing a flow of discharged air. FIG.

Referring to FIGS. 2, 24 and 25, when the lower fan 230 according to the first embodiment of the present invention is driven, air is sucked through the second suction portion 23 of the upper module 200, The second air flow Af2 may be generated through the lower fan 230 and discharged from the second discharge portion 27. [

In detail, according to the rotation of the lower fan 230, the air is sucked upward through the second suction part 23 provided at the lower part of the lower module 200. The air sucked through the second suction portion 23 is sucked in the axial direction of the lower fan 230 through the second pre-filter 295.

The air flowing in the axial direction of the lower fan 230 is discharged in the radial direction of the lower fan 230 and is guided by the guide wall 223 of the lower fan housing 220, And flows in the circumferential direction. The air that has passed through the first fan flow path 234a can flow in the circumferential direction through the second fan flow path 234b positioned on the downstream side of the first fan flow path 234a.

Since the flow cross sectional area of the second fan flow path 234b is larger than the flow cross sectional area of the first fan flow path 234a, the flow resistance of the air passing through the lower fan 230 is reduced, The generated noise can be reduced.

The air that has passed through the second fan flow path 234b is discharged through the second discharge portion 27 and flows to the upper side of the housing plate 221. At this time, the flow direction of the air discharged through the second discharge portion 27 may be a direction toward the first discharge portion 25. The air discharged from the second discharge portion 27 is guided by the flow guide portion 227 and can easily flow in the circumferential direction.

The air flowing along the flow guide part 227 can be changed in direction by the second discharge guide part 229 provided on the upper side of the housing plate 221. In detail, the circumferentially flowing air can flow radially outwardly while meeting the second discharge guide portion 229. At this time, together with the second discharge guide portion 229, the lower air guide 210 can also guide the air flow in the radial direction.

The air having passed through the lower fan 230 is guided circumferentially by the lower fan housing 220 and the lower cover 290 and discharged through the second discharge portion 27 with a rotational force. The discharged air can be guided by the second discharge guide portion 229 and the upper air guide 210 and can be easily discharged in the radial direction.

[Centralized discharge of air through the first and second discharge units]

Referring to FIG. 26, the second discharge portion 27 may be disposed to face the first discharge portion 25 with respect to the air guides 180 and 210. The air flow toward the second discharge portion 27 can discharge air in a direction toward the first discharge portion 25. [ In other words, the first air discharged from the first discharge portion 25 and the second air discharged from the second discharge portion 27 can flow to be close to each other.

The air discharged from the first discharge portion 25 is guided by the first discharge guide portion 158 and the upper air guide 180 to be discharged into the first discharge passage 26, The air ejected from the ejection portion 27 can be guided by the second ejection guide portion 229 and the lower air guide 229 and can be ejected to the second ejection flow path 28.

At this time, since the second discharge guide portion 229 can be positioned directly below the first discharge guide portion 158, the air flowing through the first and second discharge flow paths 26 and 28 is concentrated And can be discharged to the outside. With this air flow, the flow pressure acting on the flow generating device 10 can be balanced so that the vibration or noise of the flow generating device 10 can be reduced.

The air discharged through the second discharge portion 27 is easily radially directed toward the second discharge passage 28 by the second flow guide portion 227 and the second discharge guide portion 229 Can be discharged.

The lower module 200 further includes a heater assembly 260 for heating air passing through the lower module 200. The heater assembly 260 is disposed on the suction side of the second blowing fan 230 and the air heated by the heater assembly 260 passes through the second blowing fan 230. The heater assembly 260 has an advantage that warm air can be supplied to the user. In addition, since the heater assembly 260 is provided in the lower module 200, heat generated from the heater assembly 260 can easily act on the air flowing upward.

[Flow direction of the air discharged through the first and second discharge portions]

The rotation direction of the upper fan 130 and the rotation direction of the lower fan 230 may form an opposite direction.

For example, when the flow generator 10 is viewed from the top, the air discharged from the first discharge portion 25 rotates in either the clockwise or counterclockwise direction. On the other hand, the air discharged from the second discharge portion 27 rotates in either the clockwise direction or the counterclockwise direction.

Accordingly, the air discharged through the upper fan 130 and discharged to the lower side of the upper fan housing 150 can be radially guided by one side of the first discharge guide part 158. On the other hand, air discharged through the lower fan 230 to the upper side of the lower fan housing 220 can be radially guided by one side of the second discharge guide part 229.

For example, when the air passing through the upper fan 130 rotates clockwise and moves to the first discharge guide portion 158, the air is guided by the right side of the first discharge guide portion 158 And is discharged in the radial direction. When the air that has passed through the lower fan 230 rotates counterclockwise and moves to the second discharge guide portion 229, the air is guided by the left side of the second discharge guide portion 229 And is discharged in the radial direction.

On the contrary, when the air passing through the upper fan 130 rotates counterclockwise and moves to the first discharge guide part 158, the air is guided by the left side of the first discharge guide part 158 And is discharged in the radial direction. When the air passing through the lower fan 230 rotates clockwise and moves to the second discharge guide portion 229, the air is guided by the right side surface of the second discharge guide portion 229, Direction.

According to this configuration, the flow direction of the air generated in the upper module 100 and the flow direction of the air generated in the lower module 200 may be opposite to each other, 10 can be offset from each other. As a result, the vibration of the flow generating device 10 and the noise thereof can be reduced.

 [Rotating Operation of Flow Generating Device]

27 is a sectional view showing a fixed portion F and a rotated portion R of the flow generating device according to the first embodiment of the present invention,

27, the flow generating device 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention may include a device fixing portion F fixed in one position and a device rotating portion R performing rotating motion . The device rotation part R may be rotated clockwise or counterclockwise with respect to the axial direction.

The apparatus fixing portion F includes a lower orifice 280 of the lower module 100, a rack gear 276 and a heater assembly 260. The device rotation part R can be understood to be the upper module 100 and the rest of the lower module 100 except for the fixed part R. [

[Assembly and Separation of Fluid Generating Device]

28 is a view showing a connection part for assembling and disassembling the flow generating device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

The flow generating device 10 can be divided into three modules so as to facilitate separation or assembly from the coupling relationship between the configurations described above.

That is, the flow generating device 10 may include a first module 410, a second module 420, and a third module 430.

[First module]

The first module 410 includes an upper cover 120, a display cover 110 seated on the upper cover 120, a prefilter 105 coupled to the display cover 110, a top cover support portion 103, And a top cover 101. As described above, since the first module 410 is coupled to the first module 410, the first module 410 can be formed integrally.

The first module 410 may be selectively detached or assembled from the second module 420 by the action of the upper latching mechanisms 177a, 177b, 157b, and 127 described above.

[Second module]

The second module 420 includes an upper fan 130, an upper fan housing 150, an upper motor 170, an upper locking portion 175, an upper air guide 180, a lower air guide 210, A lower fan housing 220, a lower fan 230, and a lower locking portion 239. The lower fan housing 220, the lower fan 230, As described above, since the configuration of the second module 420 is coupled to each other, the second module 420 can form an integral part.

The second module 420 may be selectively removed or assembled from the third module 430 by the action of the lower latching mechanisms 238a, 238b, 225a, and 292b.

[Third Module]

The third module 430 includes a base 50 placed on the ground surface, a leg 30 coupled with the base, a lower orifice 280 coupled with the leg 30, a lower orifice 280 coupled with the lower orifice 280, A second supporter 267 connected to the first supporter 265; an upper orifice 240 coupled to the second supporter 267; And a lower cover 290 coupled to the lower cover 240. As described above, since the configuration of the third module 430 is coupled to each other, the third module 430 can form an integral part.

 The third module 430 may be selectively separated or assembled from the second module 420 by the action of the lower latching mechanisms 238a, 238b, 225a, and 292b. However, the third module 430 is fixed to the ground by the base 50. Accordingly, it is more convenient for the user to separate the second module 420 from the third module 430.

[Fixed part and separated part]

The flow generating device 10 may be divided into a fixed portion and a separated portion for convenience of separation or assembly. For example, the first module 410 and the second module 420 may be defined as separate parts, and the third module 430 may be defined as a fixed part.

In addition, the separation portion can be understood as a portion which can be separated by rotation in the flow generation device 10. [

Here, the fixing portion is slightly different from the meaning of the fixing portion F that does not rotate in the rotation portion R and the fixing portion F described in Fig. In particular, the fixed portion refers to all configurations of the third module 430 standing up against the ground. That is, the fixed portion includes a part of the fixing portion F and the rotation portion R described above.

The fixing portion is provided with a base (50) abutting the ground and a leg (30) extending upward from the base (50). Therefore, it is inconvenient for the user to first separate the third module 430 in a state where the first module 410 to the third module 430 are all coupled to separate the flow generating device 10 have.

Accordingly, the user releases the restraint of the first module 410 by the action of the upper retaining mechanism and rotates and separates the second module 420 from the second module 420 to manage the cleaning of the flow generator 10 , The second module 420 can be released from the restraint by the action of the lower latching mechanism and rotated and separated from the third module 430.

Accordingly, the upper cover 120, which is opened upward and can accumulate much dust, can be easily separated from the upper fan 130 and the lower fan 230, which are required to be cleaned by the suction force. In addition, it is possible to perform convenient cleaning or management for each separated module.

In other words, the separation portion can be understood as a portion that can be easily separated by the user in a state where the user and the flow generating device 10 stand up.

Hereinafter, a separation method by which the user can easily separate the flow generation device 10 for each module will be described in detail.

[Method for separating flow generating device]

29 and 30 are views showing a method of disassembling the flow generating device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. 29 (a), (b), (c), and (d) are views showing the separation of the first module and the separation of the upper fan, , (d) are views showing the separation of the second module and the lower fan separation.

The method of separating the flow generating device 10 may include a first separating step of separating the first module 410 from the second module 420 and a second separating step of separating the second module from the third module 430, Step &lt; / RTI &gt;

[First Separation Step]

Referring to FIG. 29 (a), the separation step can be started in the flow generation apparatus 10 in which the first module to the third module are all combined.

In the first separation step, the user can press the second latch 177b of the first latching mechanism of the upper module 100 upward. At this time, the pressurized second latch 177b is released from the engagement with the latch protrusion 128a and can be projected downward. Accordingly, the circumferential restraint of the upper cover 120 to the upper fan housing 150 can be released.

The user can grasp the upper cover 120 and rotate it in any one direction. At this time. The fixing between the second engagement mechanisms 127 and 157b of the upper module 100 can be released. That is, when the upper cover 120 rotates, the hook engaging portion 127 may be released in the circumferential direction of the hook 157b to release the vertical restraint of the upper cover 120.

29 (b), the user can remove the first module 410 by lifting the upper cover 120 upward. Accordingly, the user can easily clean or manage the first module 410, and the upper fan 130 and the upper fan housing 150 can be exposed to the outside, thereby facilitating management.

29 (c), the user checks the upper fan 130 and the upper fan housing 150 exposed to the outside, and when it is determined that management such as replacement or cleaning is necessary, Can be separated. In detail, the user can release the fixed coupling between the upper fan 130 and the upper motor 170 by rotating the upper locking unit 150 in one direction.

29 (d), when the upper locking part 150 is detached, the upper fan 130 can be lifted upward and separated from the upper fan housing 150. [ That is, the upper fan 130 may be separated from the second module 420 according to the user's selection.

[Second Separation Step]

Referring to FIG. 30 (a), the second separating step may be started when the first module 410 is separated and the second module 420 and the third module 430 are coupled.

In the second separating step, the user can press the second latch 238b of the first latching mechanism (lower first latching mechanism) of the lower module 200 downward once. At this time, the pressurized second latch 238b can be elastically restored and protruded upward by releasing the locking projection and the engagement. Accordingly, the circumferential constraint on the lower cover 290 of the lower fan housing 220 can be released.

The user can grasp the air guides 180 and 210 and rotate them in any one direction. At this time. The lower fan housing 220 integrally connected to the air guides 180 and 210 may be rotated. Of course, for rotation of the lower fan housing 220, the user may grasp and rotate other components.

When the lower fan housing 220 is rotated, the fixing between the second engagement mechanisms 225a and 292b of the lower module 200 can be released.

That is, the lower fan housing 220 can rotate the hook 225a in a circumferential direction from a state where the hook 225a is connected to the hook coupling portion 292b. Accordingly, the vertical restraint of the lower cover (290) of the lower fan housing (220) can be released.

Referring to FIG. 30 (b), the user can lift the lower fan housing 220 upward to separate the second module 420 from the third module 430. The user can easily clean or manage the second module 420 as well as the lower fan 230 and the lower fan housing 220 of the second module 420, The upper orifice 240 and the heater assembly 260 of the heater 430 may be exposed to the outside, thereby facilitating maintenance.

30 (c), the user checks the lower fan 230 and the lower fan housing 220 exposed to the outside, and when it is determined that management such as replacement and cleaning is necessary, Can be separated. In detail, the user can release the fixed coupling between the lower fan 230 and the lower motor 236 by rotating the lower locking portion 239 in one direction.

30D, when the lower locking part 239 is detached, the lower fan 230 can be pulled out downward (or lifted upwards) and separated from the lower fan housing 220 have. That is, the lower fan 230 may be separated from the second module 420 according to a user's selection.

As described above, the user can separate the flow generation device 10 into three modules by a simple operation using the actions of the upper first and second fastening mechanisms and the lower first and second fastening mechanisms, The cleaning convenience of the cleaning unit 10 can be improved.

[Method of assembling a fluid generating device]

It will be appreciated that the reverse order of the separating step will be the method of assembling the flow generating device 10. That is, after joining the second module 420 to the third module 430, the first module 410 may be coupled to the second module 420 to assemble the flow generation device 10 have. Further, the assembling method of each of the above modules can be performed in the reverse of the above-described separation method.

[Electrical connection and disconnection]

Meanwhile, electrical disconnection may be performed in the first and second separating steps. Conversely, electrical connection can be made in the first and second assembling steps.

That is, when the constraint in the circumferential direction or the vertical direction by the engagement mechanism (upper engagement mechanism) of the upper module 100 is released in the first separation step, the second module 420 and the third module 430 And the first module 410 may be disconnected from each other.

Specifically, the first module 410 and the second module 420 may have a contact structure for electrical connection. For example, the first latch 177a of the upper module 100 may be positioned with a pogo pin inserted therein. The second latch 177b may include a contact portion formed of a conductor and contacting the first latch 177a. The conductor may be provided so that a ring-type electric wire is wound downward and a current can flow therethrough.

Therefore, when the second latch 177b is pressed and engaged with the latch protrusion 128a, the contact portion is brought into contact with the pogo pin. At this time, the first module 410 may establish electrical connection with the second module 420 and the third module 430.

When the second latch 177b is pressed again to release the engagement with the latch protrusion 128a, the contact portion is separated from the pogo pin and moves downward, so that electrical disconnection can be performed.

In this case, when the first module 410 is detached, the current flowing to the display cover 110 and the like can be immediately blocked, thereby improving the safety of the user.

The flow generator 10 may include a central control unit for controlling power supply to the base 50. The central control unit may include the power PCB 57 described above.

The central control unit may sense the contact connection to the first module 410 or the disconnection of the contact. That is, when the electrical disconnection of the first module 410 is sensed, the controller may turn off the power supplied to the main PCB 215 located inside the air guides 180 and 210 .

That is, the central control unit can control power to be connected to the upper fan 130 and / or the lower fan 230 only when a contact is established with the first module 410. [ If contact disconnection is detected with the first module 410, it is possible to control the power connection to the upper fan 130 and / or the lower fan 230 to be cut off.

According to this, the central control unit can recognize the disconnection state of the flow generating device 10 through the contact connection or the contact disconnection of the first module 410, and the user can be exposed to the outside The operation of the upper fan and / or the lower fan can be stopped, thereby preventing a safety accident.

The above-described electrical connection or electrical disconnection method is equally applied to the latch mechanism (lower latch mechanism) of the lower module 200. Therefore, the description of the electrical disconnection or wiring performed at the time of disassembling or assembling the second module 420 is omitted from the description of the first module 410.

That is, when the restriction in the circumferential direction or the vertical direction is released by the latching mechanism of the lower module 200 in the second separation step, the electrical connection between the second module 420 and the third module 430 is cut off Can be. For example, all configurations controlled through the main PCB 215 can be disconnected from the power source.

When the electric power is disconnected between the second module 420 and the third module 430, the central control unit controls the power supply from the external power supply or the battery 55 to the main body 10, Can be turned off.

According to this, the operation of the configuration of the third module 430 can be forcibly terminated, thereby preventing a user safety accident that may occur at the time of separation.

10: flow generating device 20:
100: upper module 200: lower module

Claims (20)

A fan for generating a first air flow and a second air flow which flow in the vertical direction to be close to each other;
A fan housing for receiving the fan;
A cover disposed to surround the fan and the fan housing; And
And a latching mechanism for guiding selective engagement of the cover and the fan housing,
The latch mechanism includes:
The cover and the fan housing can be constrained or released in the circumferential direction by the first operation,
And the cover and the fan housing can be constrained or released in the vertical direction by the second operation.
The method according to claim 1,
The latch mechanism includes:
A first engagement mechanism for guiding the first operation;
And a second engagement mechanism for guiding the second operation.
3. The method of claim 2,
The first engagement mechanism includes:
A latch receiving portion provided on the cover;
A first latch inserted into the latch receiving portion; And
And a second latch movably coupled to the fan housing.
The method of claim 3,
And the second latch moves up and down to be locked or released to the latch receiving portion.
The method of claim 3,
Wherein the first latching mechanism further comprises a latching protrusion protruding from the latch receiving portion.
6. The method of claim 5,
Wherein the first operation comprises:
A first latching operation in which the second latch and the latching protrusion engage each other; And
And a first releasing operation of releasing engagement of the second latch and the engaging projection.
The method according to any one of claims 2 to 6,
The second engagement mechanism includes:
A hook protruding from one surface of the fan housing; And
And a hook engaging portion provided on the cover in a shape corresponding to the hook.
8. The method of claim 7,
Wherein the hook has a shape bent in one direction.
8. The method of claim 7,
Wherein at least one of the cover and the fan housing is slidably inserted in the circumferential direction of the hook and the hook coupling portion.
8. The method of claim 7,
The second operation may include:
A second engaging operation in which the hook engaging portion is engaged with the hook; And
And a second releasing operation wherein the hook engaging portion is away from the hook.
8. The method of claim 7,
The fan, fan housing,
An upper fan housing and an upper cover for guiding the first air flow,
And a lower pan for guiding the second air flow, a lower fan housing, and a lower cover.
12. The method of claim 11,
The latch mechanism includes:
An upper locking mechanism for restraining or releasing the upper cover and the upper fan housing; And
And a lower engaging mechanism for restraining or releasing the lower cover and the lower fan housing.
The method according to claim 1,
The latch mechanism includes:
And a contact portion capable of performing electrical disconnection according to the constraint or release of the cover and the fan housing.
A first module including a top cover;
A second module coupled to the first module, the second module including a fan and a fan housing to receive the fan; And
And a third module coupled to the second module, the third module including a base disposed on the ground, a leg extending from the base, and a lower cover coupled with the leg,
A first separation step of separating the first module from the second module; And
And a second separation step of separating the second module from the third module,
Wherein the first separation step and the second separation step comprise:
The first engaging mechanism for restricting the circumferential direction between the modules is pressed in the vertical direction to release the restraint,
And the second engagement mechanism for restricting the vertical direction between the modules releases the restraint by rotation.
15. The method of claim 14,
Wherein the first separating step comprises:
Pressing the first engagement mechanism to release the circumferential constraint of the upper cover and the upper fan housing; And
And the second engagement mechanism releases the vertical restraint of the upper cover and the upper fan housing by the circumferential rotation of the upper cover.

16. The method of claim 15,
Wherein the upper cover is separated upward so that the upper fan and the upper fan housing are exposed to the outside.
15. The method of claim 14,
Wherein the second separating step comprises:
And releasing the circumferential constraint of the lower cover and the lower fan housing by pressing the first engagement mechanism.
18. The method of claim 17,
Wherein the direction in which the first engaging mechanism is pressed in the first separating step is opposite to the direction in which the first engaging mechanism is pressed in the second separating step.

18. The method of claim 17,
Wherein the second separating step comprises:
Further comprising the step of releasing the vertical restraint of the lower cover and the lower fan housing by the second engagement mechanism by the circumferential rotation of the lower fan housing.

15. The method of claim 14,
Wherein when the at least one of the first and second engagement mechanisms releases the restraint, the modules are electrically disconnected from each other.

Images