Vertical ventilator for outdoors and/or indoors

[0001] This invention refers to a vertical ventilator, that is, to a device able to provide a flow of air perpendicularly to the ground, equally usable outdoors and indoors; and that in outdoor use it simultaneously acts as provider of shade, so that this combined action, shade/airflow, signifies optimum environmental conditions for people that are beneath it.

[0002] Additionally and especially when used indoors, it can supply a flow of hot air, when necessary, with the same object of improving the environmental conditions beneath it.

[0003] Compared with conventional parasols, made up of a shaft of appropriate height, with a supporting baseplate, the shaft terminating on top in a parasol, strictly speaking. Parasols capable of generating a ventilation effect are also known, as, for example, the one that is described in the European patent EP0668733, in which a conventional parasol incorporates a fan in the upper end of its shaft that creates a flow of air projected downwards, that is towards the area covered by the parasol.

[0004] The ventilator proposed by the invention is based on a totally different and novel structural concept; specifically in the fact that the parasol, strictly speaking, in comparison with the static and usually textile nature of conventional parasols, consists of a number of vanes, conveniently connected to a rotary core mounted with freedom to rotate on a column, so that said vanes, when rotating, constitute a sort of circular curtain that acts as a parasol on forming a barrier to the solar radiation.

[0005] For moving said vanes a motor installed in the supporting column that can act directly on the core that joins them; however preferably the motor will be placed in the baseplate or base of the column, and it will activate a fan, so that this latter, taking air from outside, will drive it in an upward direction along the column until reaching the upper core, from which it will radially pass to the vanes, which will be fitted with nozzles in their edges, as outlets for the air, so that, by a reaction effect, the jets of air at their exit from the vanes will cause the rotation of said vanes, and likewise a removal of the ambient air that surrounds the ventilator assembly.

[0006] An electrical circuit breaker, conveniently positioned, will, in any case, allow the operation of said motor, which can be remote from the aero-parasol, the same as the supplementary fan, so that a single motor-fan assembly, through appropriate ducts, can drive a set of vertical ventilators, with greater efficiency.

[0007] The same electrical circuit breaker, but preferably another placed beside the first, allows a closing of the supply circuit to the luminous internal spotlight, in which case the ventilator shaft must be of a translucent material.

[0008] In accordance with another of the characteristics of the invention, the possibility that within the ventilator shaft, and above the actual ventilator, a heating element, such as an electrical resistance for example, be placed, has also been envisaged; so that the ventilator is able to generate hot air, in which case another circuit breaker supplementing the previously mentioned ones, will be necessary.

[0009] It has also been envisaged that the vanes could be removable, for those cases in which, for example, space is limited; to this effect it being envisaged that the air-outlet nozzles, which can be located in any part of the vane, can also be placed in the actual shaft or in the core of the ventilator.

[0010] Furthermore, said nozzles can also be directional, so that, depending on their orientation, the vanes move or don't move, and in the case that they move, they can do so at different speeds; it being possible, however, for the ventilator to be fitted with an interlocking device, of any conventional type, that assures the immobility of said vanes, these latter which can also be directional.

[0011] Finally, the central shaft or column of the ventilator will be able to carry on its surface any type of advertising message that helps with paying for it and/or its maintenance.

[0012] To supplement this description being given and with the aim of leading to a better understanding of the characteristics of the invention, in accordance with a preferred example of its practical embodiment, as an integral part of this description it is accompanied by a set of drawings where in an illustrative and non-limiting way, the following have been represented:

[0013] FIG. 1.-Shows a perspective schematic representation of a vertical ventilator carried out in agreement with the object of this invention.

[0014] FIG. 2.-Shows a side elevation view of a specific practical embodiment for this vertical ventilator.

[0015] FIG. 3.-Shows, finally, a plan view of the vertical ventilator of FIG. 2.

[0016] In view of the drawings presented, especially FIG. 1, it can be seen how the vertical ventilator that the invention proposes is structured based on a column (1) of appropriate length, hollow, that expands into a base or baseplate (2) at its lower end, that gives it adequate stability, while at its upper end it expands into the core (3) of a pair of vanes (4-4) that, together with said core (3), are mounted with freedom to rotate on the column (1) and are hollow, opening internal connection with this latter, the vanes (4-4) incorporating in opposite edges and near their free end, twin nozzles (5), through which the air passes to the outside (in accordance with the arrows shown in FIG. 1) for operation of the vanes (4-4), air generated by a fan (6), set up in the base or pedestal (2) and driven by an electric motor (7) in whose supply circuit a circuit breaker (8) is installed that allows its stopping or starting, as the user wishes; so that said ventilator (6), as also has been shown with arrows in the aforementioned FIG. 1, draws air through the lower open base of the baseplate (2), from the outside, the air ascends through the interior hollow of the column (1), forks in the core (3) to the vanes (4) and it passes again to the outside through the nozzles (5) of these latter, causing their rotation.

[0017] In FIGS. 2 and 3 a more aerodynamic configuration for the vanes and for the rest of the parts making up the device has been shown, with a baseplate (2) considerably smaller and fitted with adjustable legs (9), in this case the circuit breaker (8) being placed on the actual column (1), and at a suitable height level for its easy operation.

[0018] Nevertheless and has been said previously, the solutions shown in the drawings are mere examples of practical embodiment of the invention, which allows other alternatives, among them the substitution of the motor-fan (6-7) by a motor housed in the upper area of the column (1) and that acts directly on the vanes (4-4), so that these move by the direct action of this motor, instead of moving due to the reaction of the air that passes from them through their nozzles (5), in this case it being evident that the vanes (4-4) must have a definite helix type inclination, so that it is they themselves, with their movement, that create a flow of vertical air that improves the ambient conditions beneath the vertical ventilator.

[0019] Similarly the column (1) can be translucent to allow the light generated by an internal luminous spotlight, not shown in the drawing, to pass through it; in the same way that within said column (1), preferably above the fan (6), an electrical resistance, or another means of heating, can be installed, when instead fresh air, hot air is required, to which effect the circuit breaker (8) will be substituted by a button pad or a set of circuit breakers that allow the individual control of the previously mentioned electrical functions.

[0020] The nozzles (5) can be located at any position on the vanes (4-4), or even be directional, so that on one hand they send the air towards any required area, and on the other hand they may act or not act as propellers for the vanes (4), which can even be removable, specifically when the availability of space makes this advisable, to which effect there could also be nozzles (5), both in the actual column (1) and in the core (3), and also having any layout or orientation that is considered opportune.

[0021] As is evident from the observation of either of the FIGS. 1 and 2, both the column (1) and the lower baseplate (2), offer suitable extensive surfaces for the placing on them of any type of advertising message that helps in paying for and/or maintenance of the ventilator.