Fan

• US 8,899,930 B2
• Filed: 01/25/2012
• Issued: 12/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gate Srl (Johnson Electric Holdings Limited)
• Original Assignee: Gate Srl (Johnson Electric Holdings Limited)
• Inventors: Innocenti, Piergiorgio, Parodi, Davide
• Primary Examiner(s): Kershteyn, Igor
• Application Number:
  US13/357,945
• Publication Number:
  US 20120189451A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,042 Days
• Field of Search: 416/169.A, 416/175, 416/203, 416/228, 416/244.R, 415/143
• US Class Current: 416/169.A
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 11/02 with liquid cooling
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 11/04 Arrangement or mounting of radiators, radiator shutters, or radiator blinds B60K11/085 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 25/082 the unit having provision for cooling the motor
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/5806 Cooling the drive system

Abstract

A fan, for a ventilation assembly has blades extending from a cup-shaped central hub. The hub has an annular side wall and a bottom wall defining a receptacle for an electric motor. The hub has internal ribs for ventilation of the motor. Each rib has a longitudinal portion which extends along the side wall, a radial portion which extends along the bottom wall and an intermediate portion having an arcuate, transversely protruding profile. The longitudinal portion has a profile whose spacing from the side wall of the hub increases, from a minimum value remote from the bottom wall to a maximum value adjacent the bottom wall.

Claims

1. A fan, for a ventilation assembly for a heat exchanger for a motor vehicle, comprising a plurality of angularly spaced external blades, which extend from a substantially cup-shaped central hub, the hub having an annular side wall and a bottom wall and defining internally a receptacle adapted to receive, at least partially, an electric motor;

the hub further being provided with a plurality of internal ribs for ventilation of the motor, each rib having a longitudinal portion which extends from the side wall of the hub, and a radial portion which extends from and along the bottom wall of the hub,

wherein each internal rib has an intermediate portion having a substantially arcuate, transversely protruding profile;

the longitudinal portion of each internal rib having a profile whose spacing from the side wall of the hub increases, in an at least approximately linear manner, from a minimum value remote from the bottom wall of the hub to a maximum value adjacent the bottom wall.

2. The fan of claim 1, wherein the profile of the longitudinal portion of each internal rib is substantially concave.

3. The fan of claim 2, wherein the internal ribs of the hub have, in plan view, a radially innermost end which is substantially tangential to a circumference which is coaxial with the hub.

4. The fan of claim 3, wherein the internal ribs of the hub have, in plan view, an arcuate profile without any inflection points.

5. The fan of claim 4, wherein the internal ribs of the hub have, in plan view, a curved radially inner portion, a substantially rectilinear intermediate portion and a curved radially outermost portion.

6. The fan of claim 5, wherein the longitudinal and intermediate portions of each internal rib are, in plan view, curved;

the radial portion of each rib having, in plan view, a radially inner portion which is curved, and a radially intermediate portion which is substantially rectilinear.

7. The fan of claim 5, wherein the radially inner portion and the intermediate portion of each rib, when viewed from above, each have a radial extent which is at least approximately equal to a quarter of the total radial extent of the rib.

8. The fan of claim 6, wherein the radially inner portion and the intermediate portion of each rib, when viewed from above, each have a radial extent which is at least approximately equal to a quarter of the total radial extent of the rib.

9. The fan of claim 1, wherein the internal ribs of the hub have, in plan view, a radially innermost end which is substantially tangential to a circumference which is coaxial with the hub.