Radial fan

• US 6,164,909 A
• Filed: 12/03/1998
• Issued: 12/26/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Modine Manufacturing Company
• Original Assignee: Modine Manufacturing Company
• Inventors: Stephan, Bernhard, Ehlers, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Lopez, F. Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): McAleenan, James M.
• Application Number:
  US09/194,993
• Time in Patent Office: 754 Days
• Field of Search: 415/170.1, 415/173.1, 415/173.3, 415/173.5, 415/173.6, 415/174.2, 415/174.5, 415/208.1, 415/211.1, 416/189, 416/192, 416/193 R, 141/49, 123/41.51, 165/41, 165/124, 165/125, 165/126, 165/140, 165/DIG. 311, 165/DIG. 313, 165/DIG. 314
• US Class Current: 415/208.1
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/281 for fans or blowers
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/4213 suction ports
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 1/0426 with units having particular arrangement relative to the large body of fluid, e.g. with interleaved units or with adjacent heat exchange units in common air flow or with units extending at an angle to each other or with units arranged around a central element
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 2021/0082 Charged air coolers
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 2021/0084 Condensers
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 2021/0089 Oil coolers
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 2021/0094 for recooling the engine coolant

Abstract

The invention concerns a radial fan (1), especially as a fan for the cooling unit (2) of a vehicle. The fan includes an impeller (3) with radial blades (4), a cover disc (5) designed nozzle-like, and an air guide ring (6), as well as a stationary inflow nozzle (8). An axial air gap (10) is provided between the cover disc (5) and the co-rotating air guide ring (6).

Claims

1. An impeller comprising:

a hub moveable about a hub axis;

a plurality of blades having spaced first and second ends, the first ends of the blades attached to the hub;

an annular nozzle-like plate attached to the second ends of the blades; and

an annular guide attached to the plate and spaced so as to define a radial passage therebetween.

2. The impeller according to claim 1, further comprising:

a wall having a first end connected to the annular guide and a second end spaced radially outward from the first end and having a rim extending axially therefrom.

3. The impeller according to claim 1, wherein the radial distance between the guide and the plate decreases axially in the direction of the hub.

4. The impeller according to claim 3, wherein the radial distance between the guide and the plate at a location closest axially to the hub is uniform.

5. The impeller according to claim 4, wherein the radial distance between the guide and the plate at the location closest axially to the hub is between approximately 3-5 mm.

6. A fan comprising:

a nozzle-like inlet piece with an opening therethrough;

a hub moveable about an axis relative to said nozzle-like inlet piece;

a plurality of blades having spaced first and second ends, the first ends of the blades attached to the hub;

an annular nozzle-like plate attached to the second ends of the blades, the plate spaced from the inlet piece to define a gap therebetween; and

an annular guide attached to the plate in the gap and spaced from the plate to define a passage therebetween.

7. The fan according to claim 6, further comprising means for sealing the gap to limit air flow except through the passage.

8. The fan according to claims 7, wherein the means for sealing the gap comprises a first wall having a first end attached to the annular guide and a second end spaced radially from the first end and having a rim extending axially therefrom.

9. The fan according to claim 7, wherein the means for sealing the gap comprises:

a first wall having a first end attached to the annular guide and a second end spaced radially from the first end and having a rim extending axially therefrom; and

a second wall having a first end attached to the inlet piece and a second end spaced radially from the first end,

the second wall spaced from the first wall to define a chamber therebetween, the rim extending between the first and second walls.

10. The fan according to claim 7, wherein the means for sealing the gap comprises:

a first wall having a first end attached to the annular guide and a second end spaced radially from the first end; and

an elastically deformable brush-like element having a first end attached to the inlet piece and a second end spaced axially from the first end and abutting the first wall.

11. The fan according to claim 7, wherein the means for sealing the gap comprises:

a first wall having a first end attached to the annular guide and a second end spaced radially from the first end and having a rim extending axially therefrom; and

an elastically deformable second wall having a first end attached to the inlet piece and a second end spaced axially from the first end and abutting the rim of the first wall.

12. The fan according to claim 6, wherein:

the nozzle-like inlet piece has an arcuate cross-section,

the nozzle-like plate has an arcuate cross-section,

the annular guide has an arcuate cross-section,

a line extending tangent from the nozzle-like inlet piece is tangent to the annular guide, and

a line extending tangent from the annular guide is tangent to the nozzle-like plate.

13. A combination fan and cooling unit device for a vehicle including an engine, the device comprising:

a radial impeller rotatable about an axis, the radial impeller having an outer circumference;

a plurality of heat exchangers arranged around the outer circumference of the radial impeller in a nominally polygonal shape to receive radially outwardly directed air flow from the radial impeller, each of the heat exchangers having a length dimension extending perpendicular to said axis and defining a side of said nominally polygonal shape, at least two of said length dimensions being unequal to each other, at least one of the plurality of heat exchangers being a coolant cooler, and at least another of the plurality heat exchangers being a condenser.

14. The combination fan and cooling unit device of claim 13 further comprising:

a nozzle-like inlet piece with an opening therethrough, said nozzle-like inlet piece fixed relative to said heat exchangers; and

wherein said radial impeller comprises;

a hub moveable about a hub axis;

a plurality of blades having spaced first and second ends, the first ends of the blades attached to the hub;

an annular nozzle-like plate attached to the second ends of the blades, the plate spaced from the inlet piece to define a gap therebetween; and

an annular guide attached to the plate in the gap and spaced from the plate to define a passage therebetween.

15. The combination fan and cooling unit device of claim 14 wherein said radial impeller is connected directly via a coupling to a crankshaft of the engine.

16. The combination fan and cooling unit device of claim 13 wherein said plurality of heat exchangers comprises four heat exchangers and said nominally polygonal shape is a nominally trapezoidal shape, with said length dimension of each of the four heat exchangers defining one side of said nominally trapezoidal shape.

17. The combination fan and cooling unit device of claim 13 wherein at least one of the heat exchangers is a charge air cooler.

18. The combination fan and cooling unit device of claim 13 wherein at least one of said heat exchangers is an oil cooler.

19. The combination fan and cooling unit device of claim 13 wherein at least two of said heat exchangers are coolant coolers.