Blower assembly and method
First Claim
1. A blower assembly comprising:
- a housing having side walls;
a cross flow fan having a pair of opposite ends each rotatably mounted to one of the side walls of the housing with rotation of the cross flow fan driving air flow through the housing which produces an eccentric vortex of air flow in the housing;
an inlet opening of the housing extending from one side wall of the housing to another side wall and which opens to the cross flow fan;
a circular blade support of the cross flow fan that induces air flow with rotation of the cross flow fan which interacts with the eccentric vortex; and
at least one tab having a base connected to the circular blade support and an unattached free end opposite the base, the entirety of the at least one tab except the base being unattached and spaced from the circular blade support, the at least one tab configured to rotate through the interaction of the eccentric vortex and the air flow induced by the circular blade support and disrupt the interaction between the eccentric vortex and the air flow induced by the circular blade support.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A blower assembly having a housing and a cross flow fan rotatably mounted to the housing. Rotation of the fan drives fluid flow through the housing and produces an eccentric vortex of fluid flow in the housing. The fan has a circular blade support that induces fluid flow with rotation of the fan which interacts with the eccentric vortex. The circular blade support has at least one flow interrupter configured and arranged to rotate through the interaction of the eccentric vortex and the flow induced by the circular blade support to disrupt the interaction between the eccentric vortex and the flow induced by the circular blade support. In this manner, the at least one flow interrupter reduces the effect of the unstable vortex-blade support interaction on the airflow through the blower assembly which stabilizes the air loading on the blower assembly motor and reduces noise.
45 Citations
33 Claims
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1. A blower assembly comprising:
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a housing having side walls; a cross flow fan having a pair of opposite ends each rotatably mounted to one of the side walls of the housing with rotation of the cross flow fan driving air flow through the housing which produces an eccentric vortex of air flow in the housing; an inlet opening of the housing extending from one side wall of the housing to another side wall and which opens to the cross flow fan; a circular blade support of the cross flow fan that induces air flow with rotation of the cross flow fan which interacts with the eccentric vortex; and at least one tab having a base connected to the circular blade support and an unattached free end opposite the base, the entirety of the at least one tab except the base being unattached and spaced from the circular blade support, the at least one tab configured to rotate through the interaction of the eccentric vortex and the air flow induced by the circular blade support and disrupt the interaction between the eccentric vortex and the air flow induced by the circular blade support. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A blower assembly comprising:
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a housing; a cross flow fan mounted to the housing and rotatable about an axis, the cross flow fan having opposite ends spaced apart from each other along the axis; first and second circular blade supports of the cross flow fan at the ends of the cross flow fan, the first and second circular blade supports blocking airflow in the axial direction into the cross flow fan, wherein the first circular blade support has a center portion; a hub connecting the center portion of the first circular blade support to the housing; at least one flow interrupter having a base portion connected to the first circular blade support, the at least one flow interrupter being disposed radially outward from the center portion of the first circular blade support; a plurality of blades of the cross flow fan connected to the first circular blade support radially outward from the at least one flow interrupter and spaced circumferentially about the first circular blade support; a free tip portion of the at least one flow interrupter spaced from the base portion, the free tip portion being radially closer to the blades of the cross flow fan than to the hub; and wherein the first circular blade support has at least one opening at the at least one flow interrupter and the at least one opening and the at least one flow interrupter are radially aligned. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A blower assembly comprising:
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a housing; a cross flow fan mounted in the housing for rotating about an axis; a first blade support and a second blade support of the cross flow fan; at least one protrusion having a bent base connected to the first blade support and an unattached free end opposite the bent base, the at least one protrusion connected to the first blade support extending axially toward the second blade support; and at least one protrusion having a bent base connected to the second blade support and an unattached free end opposite the bent base, the at least one protrusion connected to the second blade support extending axially toward the first blade support. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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Specification