Air turbine

• US 5,443,362 A
• Filed: 03/16/1994
• Issued: 08/22/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Healthy Gain Investments Limited
• Original Assignee: Hoover Company (Whirlpool Corporation)
• Inventors: Crites, Timothy E., Barker, Douglas C., Crouser, Darwin S., Clifford, Joseph W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Look, Edward K.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LARSON, JAMES
• Application Number:
  US08/213,735
• Time in Patent Office: 524 Days
• Field of Search: 415/184, 415/186, 415/202, 415/208.3, 415/211.1, 415/214.1, 416/186 R, 417/407
• US Class Current: 415/184
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/22 with rotary fans
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 9/045 for radial flow machines or engines
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 9/048 for radial admission

Abstract

An air turbine is provided having an entrance stator blade arrangement formed in two halfs, each containing a blade array, with the two halfs interleaved, upon turbine assembly, to thereby easily form an entrance stator with a multiplicity of entrance stator blades.

Claims

1. An air turbine including:

a) a turbine housing;

b) an inlet and an outlet for said housing;

c) a turbine rotor disposed in said turbine housing between said inlet and said outlet;

d) a stator also disposed in said turbine housing between said inlet and outlet;

e) said stator formed of two confronting pieces having oppositely extending stator blades; and

f) said stator blades being interleaved whereby stator blading may be more easily provided in said turbine housing.

2. The air turbine of claim 1 wherein:

a) said turbine housing is segmented.

3. The air turbine of claim 2 wherein:

a) said oppositely extending blades are made integral with said turbine housing.

4. The air turbine of claim 2 wherein:

a) said oppositely extending blades are formed on stator rings; and

b) said stator rings are separately mounted within said segments of said turbine housing.

5. The air turbine of claim 1 wherein:

a) said oppositely extending stator blades having free ends that nest in grooves formed in said confronting pieces.

6. The air turbine of claim 1 wherein:

a) said turbine housing includes an enlarged bulbous shaped scroll forming said inlet.

7. The air turbine of claim 1 wherein:

a) said housing includes a flat, pancake shaped housing section limiting inward airflow to throttle said turbine to thereby reduce its power output.

8. The air turbine of claim 1 wherein:

a) said confronting pieces are formed by molding.

9. The air turbine of claim 1 wherein:

a) said stator blades are stepped longitudinally in an axial direction.

10. The air turbine of claim 9 wherein:

a) said blades each include axially longer and axially shorter portions; and

b) said shorter portions abut against rims formed in said turbine housing.