PORTABLE BLOWER FOR SUPPLYING VENTILATION TO WOUNDS

Abstract

A portable blower includes a tube that may be adjusted to place air flow at a desired location and in a desired orientation, for example, on a feverish location, a damp location, and/or a wound on an individual's body while the individual convalesces. A method of using such a portable blower includes placing a housing of the portable blower at a location (e.g., outside of bedsheets or blankets, etc.) where the portable blower can take in air, and positioning a distal end of a hose whose proximal end has been coupled to an output of the portable blower at a location and in an orientation where ventilation will be provided to a desired location on an individual's body (e.g., a location covered by a gown, clothing, and/or bedsheets or blankets, etc.). The hose may retain the configuration into which it is adjusted.

Claims

1. A method for ventilating a desired location on an individuals' body, comprising: placing a portable blower in proximity to the individual's body; adjusting a tube of the portable blower in a manner that will direct air onto the desired location of the individual's body; and supplying power to a fan of the portable blower to deliver air onto the desired location of the individual's body.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein placing the portable blower in proximity to the individual's body comprises placing the portable blower on a bed on which the individual is lying or sitting.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting the tube includes placing the tube under at least one of a blanket, a sheet, a gown, and clothing over the desired location.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting the tube comprises shaping the tube.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting the tube comprises modifying a length of the tube.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising: adjusting a volumetric flow output by the fan.

7. A portable blower for ventilating a selected location of an individual's body, comprising: a housing including an air intake; a fan contained within the housing and positioned so as to receive air from the air intake of the housing; a power supply at least partially carried by the housing and capable of supplying power to the fan; and a tube positioned at an output of the fan and secured to the housing, the tube being capable of being positioned to direct air onto the selected location of the individual's body.

8. The portable blower of claim 7, wherein the tube is capable of being shaped.

9. The portable blower of claim 8, wherein the tube is flexible.

10. The portable blower of claim 9, wherein the tube comprises a rigid material.

11. The portable blower of claim 10, wherein the tube comprises a corrugated tube.

12. The portable blower of claim 7, wherein a length of the tube may be selectively adjusted by compression of the length the tube or expansion of the length of the tube.

13. The portable blower of claim 12, wherein the tube comprises a corrugated tube.

14. The portable blower of claim 7, wherein the power supply is configured to selectively deliver a plurality of different amounts of power to the fan.

15. The portable blower of claim 7, further comprising: a filter.

16. The portable blower of claim 15, wherein the filter is positioned between the air intake of the housing and the fan.

17. The portable blower of claim 15, wherein the filter is positioned between the output of the fan and the tube.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] In the drawings:

[0017] FIG. 1 depicts an embodiment of a portable blower according to this disclosure, showing an adjustable tube assembled with a housing of the portable blower, with the adjustable tube in a compressed configuration;

[0018] FIG. 2 provides a frontal perspective view of the portable blower of FIG. 1, with the adjustable tube in an extended and bent configuration;

[0019] FIG. 3 provides a rear perspective view of the portable blower of FIG. 1, with the adjustable tube in another extended and bent configuration;

[0020] FIG. 4 shows a proximal end of the tube disassembled form the housing of the portable blower of FIG. 1;

[0021] FIG. 5 depicts a replacement tube; and

[0022] FIG. 6 illustrates an example of use of a portable blower according to this disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] With reference to FIG. 1, an embodiment of a portable blower 10 according to this disclosure is illustrated. As depicted, the portable blower 10 includes a housing 20 and a tube 40. The portable blower 10 also includes a motor, and a fan, and associated electronics for controlling operation of the motor and the fan, all within an interior of the housing 20 and arranged in a manner understood by those of ordinary skill in the art of electric fans. In some embodiments, the housing 20 may also contain a power supply and/or a battery.

[0024] On its exterior, the housing 20 may include a handle 22, which may enable an individual to carry, move, and/or position the housing 20 and the remainder of the portable blower 10 at a desired location and in a desired orientation. As illustrated, the handle 22 may be extend from a top surface 21 of the housing 20.

[0025] Power may be supplied to the power supply (if any), the battery (if any), and/or the motor through a power port 32. The power port 32 may comprise a female DC connector, which may be capable of receiving a male DC connector 39 of an AC adapter 38, or an AC/DC converter. Alternatively, the power port 32 may simply comprise an opening through which a power cord for connecting the motor directly to an AC (alternating current) power source may extend.

[0026] A switch 34 may be accessible from an exterior of the housing 20 to enable an individual to turn the motor on or off. As depicted, the switch 34 may be positioned adjacent to the handle 22 at a location and/or orientation that enable it to be accessed and controlled by the same hand that is used to grasp the handle 22. The switch 34 may comprise a simple two-way rocker switch. Alternatively, the switch 34 may comprise a dial, which may enable an individual to adjust the speed at which the motor operates and, thus, the speed at which the fan spins and the output of the fan, or the volumetric flow generated by the fan.

[0027] At its rear end 23, the housing 20 includes an air intake vent 24, as illustrated by FIG. 3. As the motor and fan within the housing 20 operate, air is drawn into the interior of the housing 20 through the air intake vent 24. The fan then forces that air out of the interior of the housing 20 through an air output vent 26 in the front end 25 of the housing 20, as depicted by FIG. 4.

[0028] FIG. 4 also shows a coupling feature 27 within an interior of the output vent 26 in the housing 20. More specifically, FIG. 4 illustrates a coupling feature 27 that comprises a helical thread on (i.e., protruding from) an interior surface of the output vent 26 of the housing 20. In addition, FIG. 4 illustrates a proximal end 42 of an embodiment of a tube 40 (i.e., the end of the tube 40 to be located closest to the housing 20) that the coupling feature 27 may couple to the housing 20 of the portable blower 10, for example, by screwing the proximal end 42 of the tube 40 into the output vent 26 of the housing 20.

[0029] FIGS. 1-5 show an embodiment of tube 40 whose length and shape can be adjusted and maintained. More specifically, FIGS. 1-5 shown a corrugated tube 40. It is noteworthy that other embodiments of tubes may also be used in a portable blower 10 according to this disclosure. FIGS. 1 and 5 depict the tube 40 in a compressed state, in which a length of the tube 40 is minimized and the tube 40 has a straight configuration.

[0030] FIG. 2 shows the tube 40 in an elongated state, with proximal and central portions 43 and 44, respectively, of the tube 40 having a straight configuration and a distal portion 45 of the tube 40 being bent at two locations to place a distal end 46 of the tube 40 at a desired location relative to the housing 20 and facing in a desired direction (e.g., a location and a direction in which air flow are to be provided, etc.). In FIG. 2, the tube 40 has been formed into a shape that resembles an L.

[0031] FIG. 3 shows the tube 40 in another elongated state, with the proximal portion 43 being bent, the central portion 44 being straight, and the distal portion 45 being bent to place the distal end 46 of the tube 40 at another desired location relative to the housing 20 and facing in another desired direction. In FIG. 3, the tube 40 has been placed in a shape that resembles a U.

[0032] Turning now to FIG. 6, a portable blower 10 may be positioned at a desired location adjacent to an individual I. The housing 20 may be placed on the individual I or close to the individual I on a mattress 52 of a bed 50 on which the individual I is resting. As illustrated, the housing 20 and, more specifically, its air intake vent 24 (FIG. 3) may remain uncovered (e.g., by sheets and/or blankets 60, etc.) so that airflow into the housing 20 (e.g., as the fan draws air into the housing 20) remains unimpeded. The tube 40 of the portable blower 10 may be positioned in a manner that will deliver air and ventilation to a desired location on the individual I's body (e.g., under sheets and/or blankets 60, under a gown 70, onto a feverish location, a damp location, and/or a wound, etc.). Positioning of the tube 40 may include imparting the tube 40 with a desired shape (see, e.g., FIGS. 2 and 3) and/or imparting the tube 40 with a desired length. With the tube 40 in position, power may be supplied to the fan so that the fan may blow air into the tube 40 and the tube 40 may direct the air onto the desired location on the individual I's body.

[0033] Of course, the portable blower may be used to direct ventilation onto desired portions of an individual I's body as the individual I sits on a couch, in a chair, in the seat of a vehicle, or at any other time where ventilation of feverish areas, damp areas, or wounds on the individual I's body is desired.

[0034] Although the preceding disclosure provides many specifics, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of any of the ensuing claims. Other embodiments may be devised which do not depart from the scopes of the claims. Features from different embodiments may be employed in combination. The scope of each claim is, therefore, indicated and limited only by its plain language and the full scope of available legal equivalents to its elements.