IMPELLER OF CENTRIFUGAL FAN AND METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING THE SAME

• US 20190010961A1
• Filed: 08/10/2016
• Published: 01/10/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Daikin Industries Ltd
• Original Assignee: Daikin Industries Ltd
• Inventors: KUMAOU, Shigeo
• Granted Patent: US 10,697,474 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B06B 1/02 making use of electrical energy B06B1/18, B06B1/20 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 20/10 making use of vibrations, e.g. ultrasonic welding
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 20/106 Features related to sonotrodes
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/08 using ultrasonic vibrations non-plastics element to plastics elements B29C65/645
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/7814 in the form of inter-cooperating positioning features holding or clamping means cooperating with specially formed features of at least one of the parts to be joined B29C65/7844, e.g. tenons and mortises tenon and mortise joints B29C66/126; tongue and groove joints B29C66/124
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/21 said joint lines being formed by a single dot or dash or by several dots or dashes, i.e. spot joining or spot welding
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/54 Joining several hollow-preforms, e.g. half-shells, to form hollow articles, e.g. for making balls, containers; Joining several hollow-preforms, e.g. half-cylinders, to form tubular articles
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/543 joining more than two hollow-preforms to form said hollow articles
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/65 with a relative motion between the article and the welding tool B29C65/10, B29C65/12 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/73921 characterised by the materials of both parts being thermoplastics
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/81429 comprising a single tooth
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/81433 being toothed, i.e. comprising several teeth or pins comprising a single tooth B29C66/81429, or being patterned
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/81463 comprising a plurality of single pressing elements, e.g. a plurality of sonotrodes, or comprising a plurality of single counter-pressing elements, e.g. a plurality of anvils, said plurality of said single elements being suitable for making a single joint
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/8322 Joining or pressing tools reciprocating along one axis
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/8432 Machines for making separate joints at the same time mounted in parallel or in series
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/08 Blades for rotors, stators, fans, turbines or the like, e.g. screw propellers
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/023 especially adapted for elastic fluid pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/28 for centrifugal or helico-centrifugal pumps for radial-flow or helico-centrifugal pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/281 for fans or blowers
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/282 the leading edge of each vane being substantially parallel to the rotation axis
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/30 : Vanes
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/62 : of radial or helico-centrifugal pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/624 : especially adapted for elastic fluid pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/626 : Mounting or removal of fans
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/666 : by means of rotor construction or layout, e.g. unequal distribution of blades or vanes

Abstract

An impeller of a centrifugal fan includes multiple blades arranged annularly around a rotational axis, a main plate, a shroud, main plate-side welded portions between main plate-side blade axial ends of the blades and the main plate, and shroud-side welded portions between shroud-side blade axial ends of the blades and the shroud. The main plate is arranged opposite to main plate-side blade axial ends. The shroud is arranged opposite to shroud-side blade axial ends. The main plate-side welded portions have main plate-side welding holes that are recesses extending through the main plate to portions of the main plate-side blade axial ends. The shroud-side welded portions have shroud-side welding holes that are recesses extending through the shroud to portions of the shroud-side blade axial ends.

Claims

1. An impeller of a centrifugal fan, the impeller comprising:

multiple blades arranged annularly around a rotational axis, each blade having two blade axial ends that are both ends along a direction of the rotational axis;

a main plate arranged opposite to a main plate-side blade axial end that is one of the two blade axial ends of each of the blades;

a shroud arranged opposite to a shroud-side blade axial end that is an other of the two blade axial ends of each of the blades;

main plate-side welded portions between the main plate-side blade axial ends and the main plate, the main plate-side welded portions having main plate-side welding holes that are recesses extending through the main plate to portions of the main plate-side blade axial ends; and

shroud-side welded portions between the shroud-side blade axial ends and the shroud, the shroud-side welded portions having shroud-side welding holes that are recesses extending through the shroud to portions of the shroud-side blade axial ends.

2. The impeller of the centrifugal fan according to claim 1, wherein

the main plate has a blade-side main plate surface arranged opposite to the main plate-side blade axial ends and an opposite-blade-side main plate surface that is an opposite surface of the blade-side main plate surface along the direction of the rotational axis,

the opposite-blade-side main plate surface includes protrusion-shaped opposite-blade-side main plate protrusions at positions corresponding to the main plate-side blade axial ends,

the opposite-blade-side main plate protrusions include recess-shaped opposite-blade-side main plate recesses, and

the main plate-side welded portions are arranged on the opposite-blade-side main plate recesses.

3. The impeller of the centrifugal fan according to claim 1, wherein

the shroud includes plate-shaped shroud flat plate portions disposed at positions corresponding to the shroud-side blade axial ends, and

the shroud-side welded portions are arranged on the shroud flat plate portions.

4. The impeller of the centrifugal fan according to claim 3, wherein

the shroud flat plate portions are arranged opposite to the main plate-side welded portions along the direction of the rotational axis.

5. The impeller of the centrifugal fan according to claim 1, wherein

the shroud has a blade-side shroud surface arranged opposite to the shroud-side blade axial ends and an opposite-blade-side shroud surface that is an opposite surface of the blade-side shroud surface along the direction of the rotational axis, and

the opposite-blade-side shroud surface includes shroud flat surfaces arranged opposite to the main plate-side welded portions along the direction of the rotational axis.

6. The impeller of the centrifugal fan according to claim 1, further comprising:

unwelded portions located on the main plate-side blade axial ends or the main plate to secure gaps between the main plate-side blade axial ends and the main plate on a rear edge side of the blades with respect to the main plate-side welded portions.

7. The impeller of the centrifugal fan according to claim 1, wherein

the main plate includes weir portions arranged along blade rear edge-side portions of the main plate-side blade axial ends.

8. A method for manufacturing an impeller of a centrifugal fan, the impeller being manufactured by welding between multiple blades arranged annularly around a rotational axis and a main plate and a shroud, the main plate and the shroud being respectively arranged opposite to two blade axial ends that are both ends of each of the blades along a direction of the rotational axis, the method comprising:

welding between the main plate and a main plate-side blade axial end that is one of the two blade axial ends of each of the blades and welding between the shroud and a shroud-side blade axial end that is an other of the two blade axial ends of each of the blades,

ultrasonically vibrating the blades and the main plate and melting the main plate-side blade axial ends and the main plate so that main plate-side welding holes (8d) that are recesses extending through the main plate to portions of the main plate-side blade axial ends are formed; and

ultrasonically vibrating the blades and the shroud and melting the shroud-side blade axial ends and the shroud so that shroud-side welding holes that are recesses extending through the shroud to portions of the shroud-side blade axial ends are formed.

9. The method for manufacturing the impeller of the centrifugal fan according to claim 8, further comprising:

welding between each of the main plate-side blade axial ends and the main plate and welding between each of the shroud-side blade axial ends and the shroud, for each of the blades sequentially.

10. The method for manufacturing the impeller of the centrifugal fan according to claim 8, wherein

the main plate has a blade-side main plate surface arranged opposite to the main plate-side blade axial ends and an opposite-blade-side main plate surface that is an opposite surface of the blade-side main plate surface along the direction of the rotational axis,

the method further comprising:

forming, on the opposite-blade-side main plate surface, protrusion-shaped opposite-blade-side main plate protrusions corresponding to the main plate-side blade axial ends;

forming recess-shaped opposite-blade-side main plate recesses on the opposite-blade-side main plate protrusions; and

ultrasonically vibrating from the opposite-blade-side main plate recesses to the blades and the main plate, when welding between the main plate-side blade axial ends and the main plate.

11. The method for manufacturing the impeller of the centrifugal fan according to claim 8, further comprising:

forming, on the shroud, plate-shaped shroud flat plate portions corresponding to the shroud-side blade axial ends; and

ultrasonically vibrating from the shroud flat plate portions to the blades and the shroud, when welding between the shroud-side blade axial ends and the shroud.

12. The method for manufacturing the impeller of the centrifugal fan according to claim 11, further comprising:

ultrasonically vibrating to the blades and the main plate from portions of the main plate that are arranged opposite to the shroud flat plate portions along the direction of the rotational axis, while pressing the shroud flat plate portions toward the main plate, when welding between the main plate-side blade axial ends and the main plate.

13. The method for manufacturing the impeller of the centrifugal fan according to claim 8, wherein

the shroud has a blade-side shroud surface arranged opposite to the shroud-side blade axial ends and an opposite-blade-side shroud surface that is an opposite surface of the blade-side shroud surface along the direction of the rotational axis,

the method further comprising:

forming shroud flat surfaces on the opposite-blade-side shroud surface; and

ultrasonically vibrating the blades and the main plate from portions of the main plate that are arranged opposite to the shroud flat surfaces along the direction of the rotational axis, while pressing the shroud flat surfaces toward the main plate, when welding between the main plate-side blade axial ends and the main plate.

14. The method for manufacturing an impeller of a centrifugal fan according to claim 8, further comprising:

ultrasonically vibrating the blades and the main plate from portions of the main plate that are located on a front edge side of the blades with respect to gaps between blade rear edge-side portions of the main plate-side blade axial ends and the main plate, in a state in which the gaps are secured, when welding between the main plate-side blade axial ends and the main plate.

15. An apparatus for manufacturing an impeller of a centrifugal fan, the impeller being manufactured by welding between multiple blades arranged annularly around a rotational axis and a main plate and a shroud, the main plate and the shroud being respectively arranged opposite to two blade axial ends that are both ends of each of the blades along a direction of the rotational axis, the apparatus comprising:

a main plate-side ultrasonic horn directed to each of the blades and the main plate to weld between the main plate and a main plate-side blade axial end that is one of the two blade axial ends of each of the blades, the main plate-side ultrasonic horn including main plate-side insertion portions that are inserted through the main plate to portions of the main plate-side blade axial ends; and

a shroud-side ultrasonic horn directed to each of the blades and the shroud to weld between the shroud and a shroud-side blade axial end that is the other of the two blade axial ends of each of the blades, the shroud-side ultrasonic horn including shroud-side insertion portions that are inserted through the shroud to portions of the shroud-side blade axial ends.

16. The apparatus for manufacturing the impeller of the centrifugal fan according to claim 15, wherein

the main plate-side ultrasonic horn and the shroud-side ultrasonic horn are arranged to weld between one of the blades and the main plate and the shroud, and

the apparatus further comprising:

an impeller supporting device that supports the main plate, the multiple blades, and the shroud rotatably around the rotational axis so as to align one of the multiple blades with respect to the main plate-side ultrasonic horn and the shroud-side ultrasonic horn.

17. The apparatus for manufacturing the impeller of the centrifugal fan according to claim 15, further comprising:

a shroud pressing device that presses the shroud toward the main plate, when welding between the main plate-side blade axial ends and the main plate using the main plate-side ultrasonic horn.

18. The apparatus for manufacturing the impeller of the centrifugal fan according to claim 17, wherein

the shroud pressing device presses, toward the main plate, portions of the shroud that are arranged opposite to portions, where the main plate-side insertion portions are inserted into the main plate and the main plate-side blade axial ends, along the direction of the rotational axis.

19. The apparatus for manufacturing the impeller of the centrifugal fan according to claim 15, further comprising:

a non-welding device that deflects and deforms the main plate to secure gaps between blade rear edge-side portions of the main plate-side blade axial ends and portions of the main plate that are located on a rear edge side of the blades with respect to portions where the main plate-side insertion portions are inserted into the main plate and the main plate-side blade axial ends, when welding between the main plate-side blade axial ends and the main plate using the main plate-side ultrasonic horn.