High volume ventilation fan with noise attenuation for personal computer

• US 6,379,111 B1
• Filed: 07/06/2000
• Issued: 04/30/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Yamada, Yasuharu, Kobayashi, Masaki, Morino, Takayuki, Katoh, Katsutoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Look, Edward K.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MCCOY, KIMYA N
• Application Number:
  US09/611,095
• Time in Patent Office: 663 Days
• Field of Search: 415/119, 416/175, 416/203, 416/62, 416/229.R
• US Class Current: 415/119
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/023 especially adapted for elastic fluid pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/666 by means of rotor construction or layout, e.g. unequal distribution of blades or vanes
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2260/96 Preventing, counteracting or reducing vibration or noise

Abstract

A ventilation fan for a PC has a plurality of blades disposed around a rotary hub. Each blade is shaped differently from the others to an extent that the air volume handling capacity of the blades is not substantially diminished. The noise level generated by a fan in a specific frequency range is caused by the change in air pressure and is attributable to the symmetry of the fan blade shapes. By altering the shape of the individual blades, the noise level due to pressure change is attenuated. Each blade slightly differs in shape from the others to eliminate air pressure changes. The noise level of the fan is suppressed within an allowable range even when the number of blades and the rotational speed of the fan are increased for better air flow. Preferably, the shape of each blade is varied from the others by putting an adhesive such as putty on the front surface and/or the back surface thereof near the hub. In addition, by putting an adhesive or putty on the front surface and/or the back surface of the blade entirely, the shape of the blade is varied from the others.

Claims

1. A fan, comprising:

a hub;

a plurality of blades attached to said hub, wherein the blades differ in shape from one another to an extent that an air volume handling capacity of the blades is not substantially diminished; and

wherein

the blades differ in shape due to the presence of an adhesive on at least one of the blades.

2. The fan according to claim 1 wherein the adhesive is put on one of a front surface and a back surface of said at least one of the blades near the hub.

3. The fan according to claim 2 wherein said adhesive covers an entirety of said at least one of the blades.

4. The fan according to claim 2 wherein said adhesive is located on alternating ones of the blades to define adhesive blades and non-adhesive blades.

5. The fan according to claim 3 wherein said adhesive is located on alternating ones of the blades to define adhesive blades and non-adhesive blades.

6. The fan according to claim 2 wherein said adhesive is putty.

7. The fan according to claim 3 wherein said adhesive is putty.

8. The fan according to claim 1 wherein the number of said blades exceeds seven.

9. The fan according to claim 1 wherein the number of said blades is nine.

10. The fan according to claim 1 wherein said fan has a rotational speed of at least 5200 rpm.

11. The fan according to claim 1 wherein said fan is a personal computer fan.

12. A personal computer, comprising:

a cooling fan provided with a plurality of blades, wherein the blades differ in shape from one another, due to the presence of an adhesive on at least one of the blades, to an extent that an air volume handling capacity of the blades is not substantially diminished.