The Bladeless Fan

Winner of Time magazine's "Best Inventions" award, this is the fan that uses technology found in jet engines to generate a cooling air stream without any blades. A turbine inside the base draws in air and propels it up to the loop amplifier. Air is expelled through a 1-mm slot along the circumference of the loop amplifier and across a 16º airfoil-shaped ramp, resulting in 15X more air velocity. The fan draws air from behind and along its sides into the air stream and produces a smooth, uninterrupted stream of air, unlike typical fan blades that "chop" air into uneven, intermittent breezes. A dial allows smooth, continuous adjustment of air velocity. The fan's 5 1/2"-diameter base sets up unobtrusively on a desktop or table, it oscillates 90º, and tilts 10º up or down. 12" W x 5 1/2" D x 19 1/2" H. (4 lbs.)