Axial fan

• US 8,297,945 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2007
• Issued: 10/30/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SPAL Automotive S.R.L.
• Original Assignee: SPAL Automotive S.R.L.
• Inventors: Spaggiari, Alessandro
• Primary Examiner(s): Mai, Anh
• Assistant Examiner(s): Snyder, Zachary J
• Application Number:
  US12/311,164
• Publication Number:
  US 20100068081A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,951 Days
• Field of Search: 417/415, 417/416, 417/423.1, 417/352
• US Class Current: 417/352
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 5/06 Guiding or ducting air to, or from, ducted fans
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 25/0613 the electric motor being of the inside-out type, i.e. the rotor is arranged radially outside a central stator
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/083 especially adapted for elastic fluid pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/329 Details of the hub
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/526 Details of the casing section radially opposing blade tips ducts F04D29/545

Abstract

In an axial fan (1), equipped with a frame (13), a motor (2) and an impeller (3) whose hub (15) is rotationally driven by the motor (2) and where the hub (15) is cup-shaped, with an end wall (16) and an annular side wall (17) to partially contain the motor (2), the motor (2) protrudes from the hub (15) with its longitudinal end (23) which is supported and laterally surrounded by a crown (12) of the frame (13) and the crown (12) has an annular end strip (21) facing the hub (15) and laterally surrounding an annular end strip (22) of the hub (15) which faces the crown (12).

Claims

1. An axial fan comprising;

a motor having an axially extending side wall; and

an impeller having;

a hub that is rotationally driven by the motor; and

a plurality of blades extending from the hub;

the hub having;

a circular end wall that is coaxial with a shaft of the motor; and

an annular side wall extending axially from a periphery of the circular end wall such that the hub is open in a direction away from the end wall, the hub side wall having a plurality of sectors, each sector supporting one of the plurality of blades of the impeller and covering a portion of the side wall of the motor, the hub side wall further having a plurality of open areas alternating with the plurality of sectors, each open area exposing a portion of the side wall of the motor.

2. The fan according to claim 1, wherein each sector has a first, curved perimetric edge positioned around the circular periphery of the end wall, a second, straight perimetric edge positioned at a right angle to the end wall, and a third, curved perimetric edge positioned along the root of the respective blade.

3. The fan according to claim 1, wherein, in a planar development, each sector has a substantially triangular shape.

4. The fan according to claim 3, wherein, in a planar development, each sector has a substantially right triangular shape, with one leg at a right angle to the end wall and a hypotenuse positioned along a root of the blade.

5. The fan according to claim 4, wherein each open area is axially open in a direction away from the hub end wall.

6. The fan according to claim 5, wherein each open area extends circumferentially around the hub side wall from one of a leading edge or a trailing edge of one of the blades to a root of an adjacent one of the blades, the root being attached to one of the sectors.

7. The fan according to claim 1, wherein each open area is axially open in a direction away from the hub end wall.

8. The fan according to claim 7, wherein each open area extends circumferentially around the hub side wall from one of a leading edge or a trailing edge of one of the blades to a root of an adjacent one of the blades, the root being attached to one of the sectors.

9. The fan according to claim 2, wherein each open area is axially open in a direction away from the hub end wall.

10. The fan according to claim 9, wherein each open area extends circumferentially around the hub side wall from one of a leading edge or a trailing edge of one of the blades to a root of an adjacent one of the blades, the root being attached to one of the sectors.

11. The fan according to claim 1, wherein each open area extends circumferentially around the hub side wall from one of a leading edge or a trailing edge of one of the blades to a root of an adjacent one of the blades, the root being attached to one of the sectors.

12. The fan according to claim 2, wherein each open area extends circumferentially around the hub side wall from one of a leading edge or a trailing edge of one of the blades to a root of an adjacent one of the blades, the root being attached to one of the sectors.

13. The fan according to claim 4, wherein each open area extends circumferentially around the hub side wall from one of a leading edge or a trailing edge of one of the blades to a root of an adjacent one of the blades, the root being attached to one of the sectors.