Convertible fan assembly

Abstract

An electric fan assembly for household use convertible between use in a window and use on a desk or floor has a substantially rectangular, one-piece, molded polypropylene support member formed from a first support panel, a second support panel, and a pair of living hinges connecting the first and second panels to one another along a pivot axis perpendicular to the top and bottom edges of the support member. The first support panel is constructed to provide a mounting for an electric fan motor, a venturi ring assembly including an intake grill, and an exhaust grill. In use, the two support panels may lie flat for use in a window or may be pivoted about the axis of the living hinges for use on a deck or floor. Extenders are provided for extending the effective width of said fan assembly for use in relatively wide windows and includes secondary extender plates connected to the extenders by lost motion for increasing the length of extension obtainable. The exhaust grill is optionally mounted for rotation.

I claim: 
     
       1. A fan assembly convertible between use in a window and use on a desk or floor comprising: a one-piece support member having a top edge, a bottom edge spaced from said top edge, and two mutually-spaced outer side edges,   said support member comprising a first support panel, a second support panel, and a pair of living hinges connecting said first and second panels to one another along a pivot axis extending perpendicularly to said top and bottom edges and parallel to and intermediate said outer side edges of said support member; and   a fan stationarily mounted on said first support panel;   one of said living hinges extending from said fan to said upper edge of said support member and the other of said living hinges extending along said pivot axis from said fan to said lower edge of said support member, said living hinges being constructed so that said first and second support panels of said support member may be pivoted about said pivot axis to a substantially flat orientation with respect to each other for use in a window or may optionally be pivoted about said pivot axis to a folded orientation with respect to each other for use on a deck or floor with both said outer side edges adapted to rest on a desk top or floor.   
     
     
       2. The fan assembly of claim 1 further comprising a pair of extenders, one for each of said panels, slidably connected to said panels for extending the effective width of said fan assembly for use in relatively wide windows. 
     
     
       3. The fan assembly of claim 2 wherein each of said panels has an upper flange extending along the upper edge thereof and a lower flange extending along the lower edge thereof and means connected to said flanges frictionally engaging said extenders. 
     
     
       4. The fan assembly of claim 2 further comprising a pair of secondary extender plates, one for each of said extenders, and lost motion means for causing said secondary extender plates to be extended and retracted during the latter stages of extension and retraction movements of said extenders. 
     
     
       5. The fan assembly of claim 1 wherein latch means are provided for holding said first panel and said second panel in said folded orientation for use on a desk or floor wherein said panels are at an acute relative angle. 
     
     
       6. The fan assembly of claim 5 wherein second latch means are provided for holding said first panel and said second panel in said flat orientation for use in a window wherein said panels are substantially coplanar. 
     
     
       7. The fan assembly of claim 1 wherein said fan includes an electric fan motor, a venturi ring, an intake grill and an exhaust grill, all of which are stationarily mounted on said first support panel. 
     
     
       8. A fan assembly convertible between use in a window and use on a desk or floor comprising: a one-piece support member having a top edge, a bottom edge spaced from said top edge, and two mutually-spaced side edges,   said support member comprising a first support panel, a second support panel, and a pair of living hinges connecting said first and second panels to one another along a pivot axis extending perpendicularly to said top and bottom edges and parallel to and intermediate said side edges of said support member;   a fan mounted on said first support panel of said support member;   one of said living hinges extending from said fan to said upper edge of said support member and the other of said living hinges extending from said fan to said lower edge of said support member and constructed so that said support member may be substantially flat for use in a window or may optionally be folded about said pivot axis for use on a desk or floor with both said side edges adapted to rest on a desk top or floor;   a pair of extenders, one for each of said panels, slidably connected to said panels for extending the effective width of said fan assembly for use in relatively wide windows; and   a pair of secondary extender plates, one for each of said extenders, and lost motion means for causing said secondary extender plates to be extended and retracted during the latter stages of extension and retraction movements of said extenders.   
     
     
       9. The fan assembly of claim 8 wherein each of said panels has an upper flange extending along the upper edge thereof and a lower flange extending along the lower edge thereof and means connected to said flanges frictionally engaging said extenders. 
     
     
       10. The fan assembly of claim 8 wherein latch means are provided for holding said first panel and said second panel in said folded orientation for use on a desk or floor wherein said panels are at an acute relative angle. 
     
     
       11. The fan assembly of claim 10 wherein second latch means are provided for holding said first panel and said second panel in said flat orientation for use in a window wherein said panels are substantially coplanar. 
     
     
       12. The fan assembly of claim 8 wherein said fan includes an electric fan motor, a venturi ring, an intake grill and an exhaust grill. 
     
     
       13. A fan assembly convertible between use in a window and use on a desk or floor comprising: a one-piece support member having a top edge, a bottom edge spaced from said top edge, and two mutually-shaped outer side edges,   said support member comprising a first support panel, a second support panel, and a pair of living hinges connecting said first and second panels to one another along a pivot axis extending perpendicularly to said top and bottom edges and parallel to and intermediate said outer side edges of said support member,   said second support panel having a cutout region defining mutually-spaced top and bottom portions with upper and lower inner side edge portions thereon which extend along said pivot axis,   said first support panel having upper and lower inner side edge portions which extend along said pivot axis and confront said upper and lower inner side edge portions of said second support panel,   said first support panel also having a middle extension portion located between said upper and lower inner side edge portions of said first support panel and extending beyond the latter and beyond said pivot axis past said upper and lower inner side edge portions of said second support panel and into said cutout region thereof; and   a fan stationarily mounted on said first support panel and said middle extension portion thereof;   one of said living hinges connecting said upper inner side edge portions of said first and second support panels and extending along said pivot axis from said fan to said upper edge of said support member and the other of said living hinges connecting said lower inner side edge portions of said first and second support panels and extending along said pivot axis from said fan to said lower edge of said support member, said living hinges being constructed so that said first and second support panels of said support member may be pivoted about said pivot axis to a substantially flat orientation with respect to each other for use in a window or may optionally be pivoted about said pivot axis to a folded orientation with respect to each other for use on a desk or floor with both said outer side edges adapted to rest on a desk top or floor.   
     
     
       14. The fan assembly of claim 13 further comprising a pair of extenders, one for each of said panels, slidably connected to said panels for extending the effective width of said fan assembly for use in relatively wide windows. 
     
     
       15. The fan assembly of claim 14 wherein each of said panels has an upper flange extending along the upper edge thereof and a lower flange extending along the lower edge thereof and means connected to said flanges frictionally engaging said extenders. 
     
     
       16. The fan assembly of claim 14 further comprising a pair of secondary extender plates, one for each of said extenders, and lost motion means for causing said secondary extender plates to be extended and retracted during the latter stages of extension and retraction movements of said extenders. 
     
     
       17. The fan assembly of claim 13 wherein latch means are provided for holding said first panel and said second panel in said folded orientation for use on a desk or floor wherein said panels are at an acute relative angle. 
     
     
       18. The fan assembly of claim 17 wherein second latch means are provided for holding said first panel and said second panel in a flat orientation for use in a window wherein said panels are substantially coplanar. 
     
     
       19. The fan assembly of claim 13 wherein said fan includes an electric fan motor, a venturi ring, an intake grill and an exhaust grill, all of which are stationarily mounted on said first support panel and said middle extension portion thereof of said support member. .Iadd. 
     
     
       20.  A fan assembly for use in a window comprising: a support member having a top edge, a bottom edge spaced from said top edge, and two mutually-spaced outer side edges;   a fan mounted on said support member;   a pair of extenders at each side edge of said support member, said extenders being slidably connected to said support member for extending the effective width of said fan assembly for use in relatively wide windows, each of said extenders including a primary extender plate and a secondary extender plate;   said support member having an upper flange extending along its top edge and a lower flange extending along its bottom edge;   means connected to said flanges frictionally engaging said extenders; and,   lost motion means for causing said secondary extender plates to be extended and retracted during the latter stages of extension and retraction movements of said extenders. .Iaddend. .Iadd.21. A fan assembly according to claim 20 wherein each of said primary extender plates includes an upper rail and a lower rail essentially encompassing a circumferential portion of the fan when the extenders are retracted, said upper rail and said lower rail thereby providing a C-shaped cut out in each primary extender plate, said cut out extending beyond the associated outer side edge of the support member when the extenders are extended and the assembly is mounted in a relatively wide window, and said lost motion means being constructed to move said secondary extender plate outwardly beyond the outer side edges of the support member to cause the secondary extender plates to cover the cut outs when the primary extender plates are extended. .Iaddend. .Iadd.22. A fan assembly of claim 21 wherein said upper rail and said lower rail of each primary extender plate remain in contact with said upper flange and said lower flange of the support member for all positions of the associated extender plate. .Iaddend. .Iadd.23. A fan assembly of claim 20 wherein said primary extender plates and their associated secondary extender plates are independently slidable in said upper flange and said lower flange of said support member. .Iaddend. .Iadd.24. An extender assembly for a window fan assembly which includes a fan mounted in a support member having a top edge, a bottom edge spaced from said top edge and a pair of spaced outer side edges, said extender assembly comprising:   a primary extender plate slidably connected to said support member at one side edge for extending the effective width of said fan assembly and retractable within said support member when not extended therefrom, said primary extender plate including an upper rail and a lower rail essentially encompassing a circumferential portion of the fan when said primary extender plate is retracted within said support member, said upper rail and said lower rail providing a C-shaped cut out in said primary extender plate, which cut out extends outwardly of the adjacent side edge of the support member when said primary plate is extended,   a secondary extender plate for covering said C-shaped cut out when said primary extender plate is extended, said secondary extender plate having a height of essentially the distance between said rails and a width generally the distance between said side edge and said fan, and   lost motion means for causing said secondary extender plate to be extended and retracted during the latter stages of extension and retraction   
     
     
        movements of said primary extender plate. .Iaddend. .Iadd.25.  The invention according to claim 24 wherein a pair of extender assemblies are provided, one at each side edge of said support member, each of said primary extender plates having a C-shaped cut out in the other of said primary extender plates and each of said primary extender plates having an associated secondary plate movable therewith during said extension and retraction movements. .Iaddend. .Iadd.26. The extender assembly of claim 24 wherein said primary extender plate is in frictional engagement with said support member. .Iaddend. .Iadd.27. The extender assembly of claim 24 wherein said lost motion means includes a stop tab on said primary extender plate for engaging said secondary extender plate when the primary extender plate is extended. .Iaddend.