Fan unit for generating gas streams

• US 5,288,216 A
• Filed: 06/14/1993
• Issued: 02/22/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: US Philips Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: US Philips Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Bolte, Ekkehard
• Primary Examiner(s): Bertsch, Richard A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Basichas, Alfred
• Application Number:
  US08/076,376
• Time in Patent Office: 253 Days
• Field of Search: 417/423.7, 310/62, 310/63, 310/156
• US Class Current: 417/423.7
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 25/0653 the motor having a plane air gap, e.g. disc-type
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/14 Structural association with mechanical loads, e.g. with hand-held machine tools or fans with fan or impeller for cooling the machine H02K9/06

Abstract

The invention relates to a fan unit for generating gas streams, in particular for vacuum cleaners, which unit comprises a motor (4) and an impeller wheel (1) which is also electromagnetically active and in conjunction with electromagnetically active parts (19) of the motor stator (3) generates the torque of the impeller wheel via an air gap (11) formed between radial surfaces of the impeller wheel and the motor stator, the electromagnetically active part of the impeller wheel (1) being a conductive disc (7) which is arranged in a radial plane and which has one radial surface (8) bounding the air gap (11) at the rotor side, and the air gap being bounded at the stator side by planar stator poles (19) formed on a radial bounding surface (12) of an iron cylinder (15) by the provision of radial slots (17) in which the coils (20) are arranged.

Claims

1. A fan unit for generating gas streams, in particular for vacuum cleaners, which unit comprises a motor (4) having a motor axis and an impeller wheel (1) which is also electromagnetically active and in conjunction with electromagnetically active parts (19) of the motor stator (3) generates the torque of the impeller wheel via an air gap (11) extending perpendicular to the motor axis, and formed between surfaces of the impeller wheel (1) and the motor stator (3), wherein the electromagnetically active part of the impeller wheel (1) is a conductive disc (7) which is arranged in a plane extending perpendicular to the motor axis and which has one surface (8) extending perpendicular to the motor axis and bounding the air gap (11) at the rotor side, and at the stator side the air gap is bounded by planar stator poles (19) formed on a radial bounding surface (12) of an iron cylinder (15), extending perpendicular to the motor axis, by the provision of radial slots (17) in which the coils (20) are arranged.

2. A fan unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the iron cylinder (15) is made of a coiled iron band.

3. A fan unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the conductive disc (7) of the rotor is a disc of the impeller wheel.

4. A fan unit as claimed in claim 3, wherein the electrically conductive disc (7) is made of aluminum.

5. A fan unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the electrically conductive disc (7) of the rotor is backed with a backing disc (13) of a high-permeability material at its side which is remote from the air gap.

6. A fan unit as claimed in claim 5, wherein the backing disc (13) is made of solid iron.

7. A fan unit as claimed in claim 6, wherein for the purpose of reducing eddy currents the magnetically conductive backing disc (13) is made of a coiled electric-sheet band.

8. A fan unit as claimed in claim 3, wherein the disc (7) of the impeller wheel (1) is made of solid iron.

9. A fan unit as claimed in claim 8, characterised in that the outer and inner edges of the circular solid-iron disc are in contact with parts of a highly conductive material.

10. A fan unit as claimed in claim 9, wherein the parts of a highly conductive material are constructed as copper rings.

11. A fan unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the conductive disc (7) of the impeller wheel (1) is constructed as a squirrel cage made of a solid permeable material or a lamellar permeable material.

12. A fan unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the axial-flow induction motor (4) is energized by means of a frequency changer (29), the speed setting being derived from process-dependent nominal values and adjustable set-point values.

13. A fan unit as claimed in claim 12, wherein the set-point values are the primary frequency and the stator current.

14. A fan unit as claimed in claim 12, wherein the actual speed value is a measurement value.

15. A fan unit as claimed in claim 12, wherein the set-point values are the primary frequency and the stator voltage.

16. A fan unit as claimed in claim 12, wherein the actual speed value is derived from electrical parameters.