Air cooling apparatus

Abstract

An air cooling apparatus includes a housing that defines a chamber. The housing defines at least one outlet opening and at least one inlet opening. A fan is positioned in the chamber and is configured to draw air through the at least one inlet opening, and to emit air through the at least one outlet opening. The chamber includes a tank for holding a liquid is in the housing. At least one mister is connected to the housing and fluidly connected to the tank for emitting a mist adjacent to the at least one outlet opening for mixing the mist with air being emitted from the at least one outlet opening.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An air cooling apparatus, comprising:
 a housing defining a chamber;   the housing defining at least one outlet opening and at least one inlet opening;   a fan positioned in the chamber and configured to draw air through the at least one inlet opening and to emit air through the at least one outlet opening;   the chamber including a tank for holding a liquid; and   at least one mister connected to the housing and fluidly connected to the tank for emitting a mist adjacent to the at least one outlet opening for mixing the mist with air being emitted from the at least one outlet opening.   
     
     
         2 . The air cooling apparatus as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the at least one mister has an outlet, and wherein a pump is configured to pump the liquid from the tank through the outlet. 
     
     
         3 . The air cooling apparatus as set forth in  claim 2 , wherein the outlet of the at least one mister is located beneath the tank such that liquid from the tank is gravity fed into the mister. 
     
     
         4 . The air cooling apparatus as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the pump includes an intake extending to a bottom portion of the tank for drawing in liquid to the pump from the bottom of the tank. 
     
     
         5 . The air cooling apparatus as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the at least one mister includes a pair of misters positioned in spaced relationship with one another. 
     
     
         6 . The air cooling apparatus as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the housing has a front wall and a side wall extending generally perpendicularly to the front wall, wherein the at least one outlet opening is defined by the front wall, wherein the at least one inlet opening is defined by the side wall, and wherein the fan is a centrifugal fan being configured to draw in air through the at least one inlet opening of the side well and emit air through the at least one outlet opening on the front wall. 
     
     
         7 . The air cooling apparatus as set forth in  claim 6 , wherein a volute is located between the fan and the at least one outlet opening for directing air from the fan toward the at least one outlet opening. 
     
     
         8 . The air cooling apparatus as set forth in  claim 7 , wherein the volute extends between a first end at the fan and a second end, and wherein a surface area of the volute at the second end is larger than at the first end. 
     
     
         9 . The air cooling apparatus as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein a filter is located between the fan and the at least one outlet opening for filtering air prior to escaping the housing. 
     
     
         10 . The air cooling apparatus as set forth in  claim 9 , wherein the at least one mister is located adjacent to the filter for saturating the filter during use. 
     
     
         11 . The air cooling apparatus as set forth in  claim 10 , wherein the at least one mister is positioned between the fan and the filter. 
     
     
         12 . The air cooling apparatus as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the housing has a front wall and a rear wall opposite the front wall and extending along a central axis, wherein the at least one inlet opening is defined by the rear wall, and wherein the at least one outlet opening is defined by the front wall, and wherein the fan is an inline fan configured to draw air in through the at least one inlet opening and emit air through the at least one outlet opening. 
     
     
         13 . The air cooling apparatus as set forth in  claim 12 , wherein the inline fan is pivotable in upward and downward directions along a pivot axis being perpendicular to the central axis. 
     
     
         14 . The air cooling apparatus as set forth in  claim 13 , wherein the housing has a top surface and a bottom surface opposite the top surface, wherein a pair of arms extend upwardly from the top surface in spaced relationship with one another, and wherein the inline fan is pivotally coupled to the arms along the pivot axis. 
     
     
         15 . The air cooling apparatus as set forth in  claim 14 , wherein the housing further has a front surface, a rear surface and a pair of side surfaces between the front and rear surfaces, and wherein the at least one mister is located at a corner of the housing between the front and top surfaces of the housing. 
     
     
         16 . The air cooling apparatus as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein a divider separates the chamber of the housing into a fan segment and the tank, and wherein the fan is located in the fan segment. 
     
     
         17 . The air cooling apparatus as set forth in  claim 16 , wherein the housing has a front surface, a rear surface, and a pair of side surfaces, wherein the at least one inlet opening is defined by one of the side surfaces, and wherein the divider is connected to one of the side surfaces above and below the at least one inlet opening. 
     
     
         18 . The air cooling apparatus as set forth in  claim 17 , wherein the tank is at least partially located beneath the fan compartment. 
     
     
         19 . The air cooling apparatus as set forth in  claim 18 , wherein the at least one mister includes a wick extending from the tank through the divider into the fan compartment. 
     
     
         20 . The air cooling apparatus as set forth in  claim 19 , wherein the mister includes an outlet coupled to the wick in the fan compartment.