JP7462130B2 - Blower - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a blower device, and in particular to a blower device that blows air in front of a display surface.

There is known an image display device that is equipped with a blower, and blows air currents toward the center of the screen from air outlets located at separate positions on either side of the screen that the viewer is looking at, and sends the air currents forward from the screen by colliding these air currents with each other (for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2006-352424 A

However, the above image display device had a problem in that the airflow that collides and is sent forward diffuses, reducing the volume of airflow sent from the screen toward the viewer in front.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and aims to provide a blower device that can efficiently blow air forward from the screen.

To achieve this object, the air blowing device of the present invention includes a first air outlet, a second air outlet, a third air outlet, a fourth air outlet, and a control unit. The first air outlet blows out a first airflow in a first direction from one side of the housing of the display device to the other side of the housing opposite the first side, and generally parallel to the display surface of the display device. The second air outlet blows out a second airflow in a second direction from the other side to the one side, and generally parallel to the display surface. The third air outlet blows out a third airflow from the one side in a direction away from the display surface. The fourth air outlet blows out a fourth airflow from the other side in a direction away from the display surface. The control unit controls the volume of air blown out of the first air outlet, the volume of air blown out of the second air outlet, the volume of air blown out of the third air outlet, and the volume of air blown out of the fourth air outlet. The control unit controls the volume of each airflow, and causes the first airflow and the second airflow to collide in the area between the third airflow and the fourth airflow, thereby generating a fifth airflow that flows forward from the display surface.

The air blower of the present invention can efficiently blow air forward from the screen.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a blower according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the blower taken along a horizontal plane including a first blower outlet, a second blower outlet, a third blower outlet, and a fourth blower outlet of the blower. FIG. 3 is a block diagram for controlling the volume of air blown out from the first air outlet, the second air outlet, the third air outlet, and the fourth air outlet.

The following describes the embodiments of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings. Each embodiment described below shows a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Therefore, the numerical values, shapes, materials, components, the arrangement and connection of the components, etc. shown in the following embodiments are merely examples and are not intended to limit the present invention. Therefore, among the components in the following embodiments, those components that are not described in the independent claims that show the highest concept of the present invention are described as optional components. In addition, in each figure, substantially identical configurations are given the same reference numerals, and duplicate descriptions are omitted or simplified.

First, the schematic configuration of a blower device 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 and 2. Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the blower device 10. Figure 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the blower device 10 cut on a horizontal plane so as to include the first blower outlet 10L, the second blower outlet 10R, the third blower outlet 11L, and the fourth blower outlet 11R of the blower device 10. Note that in Figure 1 and subsequent figures, the left and right are defined as being the state in which the display device 20 is viewed from the front.

The air blower 10 is configured with a display device 20 and is a device that blows airflow in front of the display surface 20b of the display device 20. The display device 20 is, for example, a device with a large display screen such as digital signage, which is an information medium that displays various images or characters.

The air blower 10 is provided on the display device 20 and blows out air currents (first air current 30L, second air current 30R) from opposing positions across the display surface 20b in directions approximately parallel to the display surface 20b.

Specifically, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the blower device 10 has a first air outlet 10L on one side of the housing 20a of the display device 20, which is the left side, and a second air outlet 10R on the other side of the housing 20a, which is the right side, which faces the left side.

The first air outlet 10L blows out a first airflow 30L in a first direction from the left side to the right side of the housing 20a, approximately parallel to the display surface 20b. The second air outlet 10R blows out a second airflow 30R in a second direction from the right side to the left side of the housing 20a, approximately parallel to the display surface 20b.

In addition, the blower 10 is provided with a third air outlet 11L on the left side of the housing 20a, at a position farther from the display surface 20b than the first air outlet 10L. In addition, the blower 10 is provided with a fourth air outlet 11R on the right side of the housing 20a, at a position farther from the display surface 20b than the second air outlet 10R.

When the third air outlet 11L blows air from the left side of the housing 20a, it blows a third airflow 31L in a direction away from the display surface 20b. When the fourth air outlet 11R blows air from the right side of the housing 20a, it blows a fourth airflow 31R in a direction away from the display surface 20b.

As shown in FIG. 2, a first air passage 13L and a third air passage 14L are formed inside the left side of the housing 20a. A second air passage 13R and a fourth air passage 14R are formed inside the right side of the housing 20a.

The first air guide passage 13L is connected to the first outlet 10L, and a first blower 40L is connected to the opening on the opposite side to the first outlet 10L. By blowing air from the first blower 40L into the first air guide passage 13L, the blown air is blown out as a first airflow 30L from the first outlet 10L via the first air guide passage 13L.

The second air guide passage 13R communicates with the second outlet 10R, and a second fan 40R is connected to the opening on the opposite side to the second outlet 10R. By blowing air from the second fan 40R into the second air guide passage 13R, the blown air is blown out as a second airflow 30R from the second outlet 10R through the second air guide passage 13R.

The third air guide passage 14L is connected to the third outlet 11L, and a third blower 41L is connected to the opening on the opposite side to the third outlet 11L. By blowing air from the third blower 41L into the third air guide passage 14L, the blown air is blown out as a third airflow 31L from the third outlet 11L via the third air guide passage 14L.

The fourth air guide passage 14R is connected to the fourth outlet 11R, and a fourth blower 41R is connected to the opening on the opposite side to the fourth outlet 11R. By blowing air from the fourth blower 41R into the fourth air guide passage 14R, the blown air is blown out as a fourth airflow 31R from the fourth outlet 11R via the fourth air guide passage 14R.

The blower device 10 also has a camera 80 provided above the housing 20a of the display device 20. The camera 80 corresponds to the imaging device of the present invention, and captures an image of the area in front of the display device 20, and is used to identify the presence and location of a viewer watching the display device 20 from the captured image. The camera 80 may be provided separately from the display device 20, or may be provided inside the housing 20a of the display device 20.

Here, the operating principle of the blower 10 will be described with reference to FIG. 2. When the first airflow 30L is blown out from the first air outlet 10L in a first direction from the left side to the right side of the housing 20a, approximately parallel to the display surface 20b, the blown out first airflow 30L flows along the display surface 20b due to the attraction phenomenon caused by the Coanda effect (a negative pressure area is generated between the first airflow 30L and the display surface 20b, and the first airflow 30L is attracted to the negative pressure area). Also, when the second airflow 30R is blown out from the second air outlet 10R in a second direction from the right side to the left side of the housing 20a, approximately parallel to the display surface 20b, the blown out second airflow 30R flows along the display surface 20b due to the attraction phenomenon caused by the Coanda effect.

Here, the first air outlet 10L and the second air outlet 10R face each other, and the first airflow 30L formed by the first air outlet 10L and the second airflow 30R formed by the second air outlet 10R collide in the front area of the display surface 20b. The colliding first airflow 30L and second airflow 30R are pushed forward from the display surface 20b, with the display surface 20b acting as a wall, and are sent out as a fifth airflow 30F.

On the other hand, the fifth airflow 30F sent forward from the display surface 20b is surrounded by the third airflow 31L blown out from the third air outlet 11L and the fourth airflow 31R blown out from the fourth air outlet 11R. This means that the fifth airflow 30F is sent out within the area between the third airflow 31L and the fourth airflow 31R. That is, the third airflow 31L and the fourth airflow 31R function as an air curtain, and the fifth airflow 30F can be prevented from diffusing outside the third airflow 31L and the fourth airflow 31R. Therefore, the fifth airflow 30F can be efficiently sent forward from the display surface 20b by the airflows blown out from the first air outlet 10L and the second air outlet 10R.

The first air outlet 10L and the second air outlet 10R blow out the respective air currents (first air current 30L, second air current 30R) so as to be approximately parallel to the display surface 20b. In this case, approximately parallel means that the attraction phenomenon caused by the Coanda effect can work, and it is within the scope of the present invention even if the air currents blown out from the first air outlet 10L and the second air outlet 10R are slightly closer or farther away from the direction parallel to the display surface 20b.

Next, referring to Figure 3, a method for controlling the volume of airflow (first airflow 30L, second airflow 30R, third airflow 31L, fourth airflow 31R) blown out from the first air outlet 10L, second air outlet 10R, third air outlet 11L, and fourth air outlet 11R will be described. Figure 3 is a block diagram for controlling the volume of airflow blown out from the first air outlet 10L, second air outlet 10R, third air outlet 11L, and fourth air outlet 11R.

A control unit 70 is provided inside the air blowing device 10. The control unit 70 is a calculation device that controls the volume of the first airflow 30L blown out from the first air outlet 10L, the volume of the second airflow 30R blown out from the second air outlet 10R, the volume of the third airflow 31L blown out from the third air outlet 11L, and the volume of the fourth airflow 31R blown out from the fourth air outlet 11R.

Here, the volume of the first airflow 30L blown out from the first outlet 10L is determined by the volume of the first blower 40L that supplies air to the first outlet 10L. The volume of the second airflow 30R blown out from the second outlet 10R is determined by the volume of the second blower 40R that supplies air to the second outlet 10R. The volume of the third airflow 31L blown out from the third outlet 11L is determined by the volume of the third blower 41L that supplies air to the third outlet 11L. The volume of the fourth airflow 31R blown out from the fourth outlet 11R is determined by the volume of the fourth blower 41R that supplies air to the fourth outlet 11R.

Therefore, the control unit 70 controls the airflow volume of each airflow blown out from the first air outlet 10L, the second air outlet 10R, the third air outlet 11L, and the fourth air outlet 11R by controlling the airflow volume of each of the first air outlet 40L, the second air outlet 40R, the third air outlet 11L, and the fourth air outlet 11R.

A camera 80 is also connected to the control unit 70. A memory unit 90 is also connected to the control unit 70. The memory unit 90 is provided inside the blower device 10, and stores the image information to be displayed on the display device 20, as well as the airflow output position and air volume on the display surface 20b that are appropriate for the content of the image.

The control unit 70 determines the airflow volume of each of the first blower 40L, the second blower 40R, the third blower 41L, and the fourth blower 41R, for example, based on the airflow emission position and airflow volume on the display surface 20b that are appropriate for the content of the image displayed on the display surface 20b, which are stored in the memory unit 90.

For example, if the memory unit 90 stores information to blow the fifth airflow 30F forward from a predetermined position on the display surface 20b at a predetermined air volume, the control unit 70 calculates the volume of the first airflow 30L blown out from the first outlet 10L and the volume of the second airflow 30R blown out from the second outlet 10R so that the fifth airflow 30F is blown out from the display surface 20b forward from that predetermined position at a predetermined air volume. Then, based on the calculated volume of the first airflow 30L blown out from the first outlet 10L and the volume of the second airflow 30R blown out from the second outlet 10R, the control unit 70 controls the volume of the first blower 40L and the second blower 40R.

The control unit 70 also calculates the volume of airflow of the third airflow 31L blown out from the third outlet 11L and the volume of airflow of the fourth airflow 31R blown out from the fourth outlet 11R that is required to adequately surround the fifth airflow 30F blown forward from the specified position. Then, based on the calculated volume of airflow of the third airflow 31L blown out from the third outlet 11L and the volume of airflow of the fourth airflow 31R blown out from the fourth outlet 11R, the control unit 70 controls the volume of airflow of the third blower 41L and the fourth blower 41R.

In this way, the control unit 70 controls the position on the display surface 20b where the fifth airflow 30F is generated based on the content of the image displayed on the display surface 20b of the display device 20.

The control unit 70 also determines the positions of the viewers in front of the display device 20, as well as the ages and genders of those viewers, from the image of the area in front of the display device 20 captured by the camera 80. The control unit 70 then determines the airflow rates of the first and second blowers 40L and 40R so that the fifth airflow 30F is directed from the display surface 20b toward the main viewers among them, at a volume that corresponds to the volume of air that those viewers were receiving. The control unit 70 also determines the airflow rates of the third and fourth blowers 41L and 41R necessary to adequately surround the fifth airflow 30F being sent out. The control unit 70 then controls the first and second blowers 40L, 40R, third and fourth blowers 41L and 41R so as to achieve the determined airflow rates.

In this way, the control unit 70 controls the position on the display surface 20b where the fifth airflow 30F is generated based on the image captured by the camera 80.

In this manner, the control unit 70 controls the volume of each airflow blown out from the first air outlet 10L, the second air outlet 10R, the third air outlet 11L, and the fourth air outlet 11R, and generates a fifth airflow 30F from the display surface 20b forward by colliding the first airflow 30L and the second airflow 30R in the area between the third airflow 31L and the fourth airflow 31R. Thus, the blower device 10 can blow out the fifth airflow 30F from a predetermined position on the display surface 20b at a predetermined volume, and the third airflow 31L and the fourth airflow 31R can reliably surround the fifth airflow 30F blown out from the display surface 20b forward. Therefore, the fifth airflow 30F can be efficiently blown out from the display surface 20b forward by the airflows blown out from the first air outlet 10L and the second air outlet 10R.

Whether the control unit 70 determines the airflow rates of the first blower 40L, the second blower 40R, the third blower 41L, and the fourth blower 41R based on the airflow discharge positions on the display surface 20b stored in the memory unit 90, or determines these airflow rates based on an image of the area in front of the display device 20 captured by the camera 80 may be set by a switch (not shown) provided on the blower device 10. This setting may also be performed by storing setting information for each image information stored in the memory unit 90. The control unit 70 may also be configured to determine these airflow rates only based on the airflow discharge positions on the display surface 20b stored in the memory unit 90, or to determine these airflow rates only based on an image of the area in front of the display device 20 captured by the camera 80.

As described above, according to the blower device 10 of this embodiment, the fifth airflow 30F is blown forward from the display surface 20b by the first airflow 30L blown out from the first air outlet 10L and the second airflow 30R blown out from the second air outlet 10R. The fifth airflow 30F blown forward from the display surface 20b is surrounded by the third airflow 31L blown out from the third air outlet 11L and the fourth airflow 31R blown out from the fourth air outlet 11R. In other words, the fifth airflow 30F is blown forward from the display surface 20b within the area between the third airflow 31L and the fourth airflow 31R. This prevents the fifth airflow 30F from diffusing further outward than the third airflow 31L and the fourth airflow 31R, so the fifth airflow 30F can be efficiently sent forward from the display surface 20b by the airflows (first airflow 30L, second airflow 30R) blown out from the first air outlet 10L and the second air outlet 10R.

Although the present invention has been described above based on the embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and it can be easily assumed that various improvements and modifications are possible within the scope of the present invention. For example, each embodiment may be modified by adding a part or a plurality of parts of the configuration of another embodiment to the embodiment, or by replacing a part or a plurality of parts of the configuration of the embodiment. In addition, the numerical values given in each of the above embodiments are merely examples, and other numerical values can be naturally adopted.

In the above embodiment, the third air outlet 11L is provided on the left side of the housing 20a where the first air outlet 10L is provided, and the fourth air outlet 11R is provided on the right side of the housing 20a where the second air outlet 10R is provided. However, the third air outlet 11L may be provided on the upper side of the housing 20a, and the fourth air outlet 11R may be provided on the lower side of the housing 20a opposite the upper side. This also allows the third airflow 31L blown out from the third air outlet 11L and the fourth airflow 31R blown out from the fourth air outlet 11R to surround the fifth airflow 30F blown forward from the display surface 20b. Therefore, the fifth airflow 30F can be prevented from diffusing outward beyond the third airflow 31L and the fourth airflow 31R, so that the fifth airflow 30F can be efficiently blown forward from the display surface 20b by the wind blown out from the first air outlet 10L and the second air outlet 10R.

The air blower according to the present invention is useful as an air blower that efficiently blows air from the screen toward the front of the display surface, and can be used, for example, as an air blower with a fragrance function that adds aromatic components to the airflow.

10 Blower device 10L First air outlet 10R Second air outlet 11L Third air outlet 11R Fourth air outlet 20 Display device 20a Housing 20b Display surface 30F Fifth air current 30L First air current 30R Second air current 31L Third air current 31R Fourth air current 40L First blower 40R Second blower 41L Third blower 41R Fourth blower 70 Control unit 80 Camera 90 Memory unit

Claims (3)

a first air outlet configured to blow out a first airflow substantially parallel to a display surface of the display device in a first direction from one side of a housing of the display device toward another side of the housing opposite to the one side;
a second air outlet configured to blow out a second airflow substantially parallel to the display surface in a second direction from the other side toward the one side;
a third air outlet that blows out a third airflow from the one side in a direction away from the display surface;
a fourth air outlet that blows out a fourth airflow from the other side in a direction away from the display surface;
a control unit that controls an air volume of a first airflow blown out from the first air outlet, an air volume of a second airflow blown out from the second air outlet, an air volume of a third airflow blown out from the third air outlet, and an air volume of a fourth airflow blown out from the fourth air outlet,
the control unit controls the respective airflow rates, and causes the first airflow and the second airflow to collide with each other in a region between the third airflow and the fourth airflow to generate a fifth airflow forward from the display surface ;
the fifth airflow sent forward from the display surface is surrounded by the third airflow and the fourth airflow,
A blower device characterized in that the third airflow and the fourth airflow function as air curtains, thereby preventing the fifth airflow from diffusing outward beyond the third airflow and the fourth airflow . The air blower device according to claim 1, characterized in that the control unit controls the position on the display surface where the fifth airflow is generated based on the content of an image displayed on the display surface of the display device. an imaging device that captures an image of an area in front of the display device;
The blower device according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit controls a position on the display surface where the fifth airflow is generated, based on an image captured by the imaging device.

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