Blowing apparatus, suction panel therefor and straightening guide therefor

• US 5,620,370 A
• Filed: 06/30/1994
• Issued: 04/15/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Nankaku, Yoshikatsu, Nakamura, Kiyoshi, Hasegawa, Keiichi, Iwamura, Yoshimi, Umai, Yoshiyuki, Ootsuta, Katsuhisa
• Primary Examiner(s): Joyce, Harold
• Application Number:
  US08/268,980
• Time in Patent Office: 1,020 Days
• Field of Search: 181/225, 454/341, 454/346, 454/349, 454/354, 454/906
• US Class Current: 454/354
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/4213 suction ports
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/545 Ducts
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/663 Sound attenuation

Abstract

A blowing apparatus includes a suction passage having a suction chamber enclosed by rigid body surfaces, suction ports opening toward the suction chamber for sucking air from outside, and a fan suction port serving as a suction port for a blower, the suction ports, the suction chamber, and the fan suction port being arranged in nonlinear form. In such blowing apparatus, a doughnut-like straightening guide is arranged on an opening edge on the suction chamber side of the fan suction port. The straightening guide has a projection toward the suction chamber, an appropriate thickness in the radial direction, and a guide passage matching the fan suction port in the middle thereof.

Claims

1. A blowing apparatus, comprising:

a blower;

a suction chamber enclosed by rigid body surfaces;

a first suction port opening toward said suction chamber for sucking air from outside said suction chamber;

a second suction port serving as a port for said blower, said first suction port, said suction chamber and said second suction port constituting a suction passage; and

a straightening guide provided at an opening of said second suction port on a suction chamber side, said straightening guide having a toroidal shape which projects into said suction chamber, a thickness in a radial direction and a bell-mouthed shaped opening facing the suction chamber.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said straightening guide has a constricting section formed on the inner diameter of said straightening guide and having a curved inner surface wherein the inner diameter of said straightening guide is gradually increased from said constricting section toward said second suction port.

3. A blowing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said straightening guide is hollow and is partially filled with a noise absorbing material.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said straightening guide is a hollow straightening guide;

a noise absorbing member partially fills said hollow straightening guide with the remainder of said hollow straightening guide comprising a back air space situated on said suction chamber side of said hollow straightening guide; and

wherein said hollow straightening guide communicates with a blowout side of said blower through an air introducing section.

5. A blowing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein one surface of said suction chamber is formed of a suction panel having a first and a second suction port communicating with said suction chamber, said first suction port opening toward a surface of said suction chamber opposite to the one surface, said second suction port distant from said first suction port by at least an opening width of said first suction port.

6. A suction panel for stabilizing an air stream and concealing a blower in a blowing apparatus in which the blowing apparatus includes a suction chamber enclosed by rigid body surfaces with one open surface;

and a fan suction port serving as a suction port for the blower, said suction panel being attached to said blowing apparatus so as to close the open surface, said suction panel comprising;

a front panel portion for allowing the open surface to be closed so as to conceal the blower,

a first and a second suction port communicating with said suction chamber wherein said second suction port is spaced apart from said first suction port by at least one opening width of said first suction port,

said first suction port having a protecting portion projecting toward a center of the suction chamber and parallel to said front panel portion,

wherein an air stream from said first suction port is directed by said projecting portion toward the center of the suction chamber so as to usher an air stream from said first and second suction ports into the fan suction port and thereby stabilize and guide the air stream into the fan suction port.

7. A suction panel for stabilizing an air stream and concealing a blower in a blowing apparatus in which the blowing apparatus includes a suction chamber enclosed by rigid body surfaces with one open surface and a fan suction port serving as a suction port for the blower, said suction panel being attached to the blowing apparatus so as to cover the open surface, said suction panel comprising:

a front panel portion for allowing the open surface to be covered so as to conceal the blower,

a first suction port communicating with the suction chamber, and

a second suction port communicating with the suction chamber and positioned outside said first suction port distant from said first suction port by at least an opening width of said first suction port,

said first suction port including a projecting portion projecting toward a center of the suction chamber and substantially parallel to said front panel portion,

wherein an air stream from said first suction port is directed by said projecting portion toward the center of the suction chamber so as to usher an air stream from said first and second suction ports into the fan suction port and thereby stabilize and guide the air stream into the fan suction port.

8. A straightening guide for a blowing apparatus, in which said blowing apparatus comprises a suction passage including:

a suction chamber enclosed by rigid body surfaces;

suction ports respectively opening toward said suction chamber for sucking air from outside said suction passage; and

a fan suction port serving as a suction port for a blower, said suction ports, said suction chamber, and said fan suction port being arranged in nonlinear form, said straightening guide being attached to an opening of said fan suction port on said suction chamber side of said blowing apparatus, said straightening guide having a toroidal shape with a center guide passage and a projection which projects into said suction chamber, said center guide passage matching said fan suction port.

9. An apparatus comprising:

a suction chamber,

a blower chamber,

a partition separating said suction chamber from said blower chamber,

a first port disposed on a wall of said suction chamber,

a second port disposed on said partition permitting flow communication between said suction chamber and said blower chamber,

an annular guide provided at the mouth of said second port said annular guide projecting into said suction chamber and having a portion of said annular guide which faces said suction chamber tapered to form a bell-mouth shape.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said annular guide is hollow.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said annular guide is comprised of a noise reducing material.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said noise reducing material is plastic.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein an outer surface of said annular guide has a truncated cone shape.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said annular guide is comprised of a noise reducing material.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said noise reducing material is plastic.

16. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein an inner diameter of said annular guide gradually decreases and then gradually increases from a suction chamber side to a blower chamber side of said annular guide.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein an inner surface of said annular guide has a concave shape.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said annular guide is comprised of a noise reducing material.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein said noise reducing material is plastic.

20. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein a portion of said hollow annular guide which is closest to the partition is partially filled with noise reducing material.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein a portion of said hollow annular guide not filled with noise reducing material forms a back air space within said hollow annular guide.

22. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein said partition extends to an outer wall of said hollow guide and wherein a portion of said partition includes an air introducing section having holes separates said hollow annular guide from said blower chamber and permits air to flow between the interior of said hollow annular guide and said blower chamber.

23. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein said noise reducing material is plastic.

24. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein an opening of the second port facing said suction chamber has a bell-mouth shape.

25. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the projection of said annular guide into said suction chamber constricts a center portion of said suction chamber to form a constricted section and wherein the height of the constricted section is from 30% to 70% of the height of said suction chamber.

26. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said annular guide has an annular thickness which is greater than 10% of the diameter of said second port.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the annular thickness of said annular guide is from 30% to 90% of the diameter of said second port.

28. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said annular guide is mounted to said partition with a flange.

29. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said suction chamber includes a panel disposed opposite to said second port and said first port further includes an outer port and an inner port wherein said outer port is disposed closer to an outer edge of said panel than said inner port and wherein said inner port has an opening on a suction side which is directed towards said second port.

30. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein said panel is releasably attached to said suction chamber.

31. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein said inner port is spaced apart from the outer port by at least the distance of the opening width of said inner port.

32. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said suction chamber includes a panel disposed opposite to said second port and said first port is further comprised of an outer port and an inner port wherein said outer port is disposed closer to an outer edge of said panel than said inner port and wherein said inner port has an opening on a suction side which is directed towards said second port.

33. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein said panel is releasably attached to said suction chamber.

34. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the inner port is spaced apart from said outer port by at least the distance of the opening width of said inner port.

35. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said suction chamber includes a panel disposed opposite to said second port and said first port further includes an outer port and an inner port wherein said outer port is disposed closer to an outer edge of said panel than said inner port and wherein said inner port has an opening on a suction side which is directed towards said second port.

36. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein said panel is releasably attached to said suction chamber.

37. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein the inner port is spaced apart from said outer port by at least the distance of the opening width of said inner port.