Contoured intake ducts and fan housing assemblies for floor care machines

• US 20020138941A1
• Filed: 05/08/2002
• Published: 10/03/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Techtronic Floor Care Technology Limited (Techtronic Industries Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Oreck Holdings LLC (Techtronic Industries Company Limited)
• Inventors: Paterson, Chris M., Millard, Jeffrey A.
• Granted Patent: US 6,792,649 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 15/412
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/28 Suction cleaners with handles and nozzles fixed on the casings, e.g. wheeled suction cleaners with steering handle A47L5/24 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0081 Means for exhaust-air diffusion; Means for sound or vibration damping
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/22 Mountings for motor fan assemblies
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/325 for wheeled suction cleaners with steering handle
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/441 especially adapted for elastic fluid pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/701 especially adapted for elastic fluid pumps

Abstract

Contoured intakes and fan housing assemblies for floor care machines are disclosed. In one embodiment, a contoured intake includes a contoured duct having a passage therethrough. The passage has a cross-sectional area progression that smoothly varies between a first cross-sectional area and a second cross-sectional area. Turbulence within the intake passage may be reduced or inhibited, and noise generated by the airstream within the intake passage may be reduced. In another embodiment, the contoured duct may include a bellmouth substantially surrounding the first open end that may inhibit the separation of the airstream within the intake passage. In a further embodiment, an airflow propulsion device for a floor care machine may include a motor having a drive shaft, a fan operatively coupled to the drive shaft, and a fan housing disposed about the fan and having a transition passage proximate the radially-outward ends of the vanes of the fan. The fan housing includes an internal cowling surface closely conforming to and closely spaced from the distal edges of the vanes of the fan. In another embodiment, the transition passage has a cross-sectional area progression that smoothly varies between a first cross-sectional area proximate one of the vanes and a second cross-sectional area proximate an exhaust opening. Turbulence within the fan housing may be reduced or inhibited, and noise generated by the airstream within the fan housing may be reduced.

Claims

1. An intake apparatus for a floor care machine having a suction compartment and an airflow propulsion device with an opening, comprising:

a contoured duct having a passage therethrough, the passage having a first cross-sectional area at a first open end of the passage and a second cross-sectional area at a second open end of the passage, the first open end of the passage being adapted to be fluidly connected to the suction compartment and the second open end of the passage being adapted to be fluidly connected to the opening of the airflow propulsion device, the passage having a cross-sectional area progression from the first open end to the second open end that smoothly varies between the first cross-sectional area and the second cross-sectional area.

2. The intake apparatus of claim 1 wherein the cross-sectional area progression of the passage comprises a constant cross-sectional area progression.

3. The intake apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first cross-sectional area is greater than the second cross-sectional area.

4. The intake apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first cross-sectional area is equal to the second cross-sectional area, the cross-sectional area progression of the passage smoothly varying in shape between the first cross-sectional area and the second cross-sectional area.

5. The intake apparatus of claim 1 wherein the cross-sectional shapes of the first open end and the second open end comprise different cross-sectional shapes.

6. The intake apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first open end has a generally oval cross-sectional shape and the second open end has a generally circular cross-sectional shape.

7. The intake apparatus of claim 1 wherein the contoured duct includes a bellmouth substantially surrounding the first open end.

8. The intake apparatus of claim 1 wherein the contoured duct includes a flange projecting radially outwardly from the contoured duct proximate the second open end.

9. The intake apparatus of claim 1 wherein the passage turns through a total included angle of approximately 90 degrees.

10. The intake apparatus of claim 1 wherein the contoured duct comprises a first portion and a second portion, the first and second portions being thermally bonded by a vibratory welding process.

11. A floor care machine having an intake apparatus, said intake apparatus comprising:

a suction compartment;

an airflow propulsion device with an opening; and

a contoured duct having a passage therethrough, the passage having a first cross-sectional area at a first open end of the passage and a second cross-sectional area at a second open end of the passage, the first open end of the passage being fluidly connected to the suction compartment and the second open end of the passage being fluidly connected to the opening of the airflow propulsion device, the passage having a cross-sectional area progression from the first open end to the second open end that smoothly varies between the first cross-sectional area and the second cross-sectional area.

12. The floor care machine of claim 11 wherein the cross-sectional area progression of the passage comprises a constant cross-sectional area progression.

13. The floor care machine of claim 11 wherein the first cross-sectional area is greater than the second cross-sectional area.

14. The floor care machine of claim 11 wherein the cross-sectional area progression of the passage smoothly varies in shape between the first cross-sectional area and the second cross-sectional area.

15. The floor care machine of claim 11 wherein the contoured duct includes a flange projecting radially outwardly from the contoured duct proximate the second open end, the flange being slideably engaged with the airflow propulsion device.

17. The airflow propulsion device of claim 16 wherein the cross-sectional area progression of the transition passage comprises a constant cross-sectional area progression.

18. The airflow propulsion device of claim 16 wherein the first cross-sectional area is less than the second cross-sectional area.

19. The airflow propulsion device of claim 16 wherein the fan housing comprises a first portion and a second portion, the first and second portions being thermally bonded by a vibratory welding process.

20. The airflow propulsion device of claim 16 wherein the inlet opening has an inlet axis projecting therefrom, the fan housing further comprising:

a first rib projecting outwardly co-axially with the inlet axis and substantially surrounding the inlet opening;

a second rib projecting outwardly co-axially with the inlet axis and substantially surrounding the first rib, an inner well being formed between the first and second ribs; and

a third rib projecting outwardly co-axially with the inlet axis and substantially surrounding the second rib, an outer well being formed between the first and second ribs.

16. An airflow propulsion device for a floor care machine, comprising:

a motor having a drive shaft;

a fan operatively coupled to the drive shaft and having a plurality of radially-extending vanes, each vane having a radially-inward end and a radially-outward end, the fan being rotatable such that an airflow may be driven radially-outwardly along the vanes from the radially-inward ends to the radially-outward ends; and

a fan housing disposed about the fan and having an inlet opening proximate the radially-inward ends of the vanes and a transition passage proximate the radially-outward ends of the vanes, the transition passage extending to an exhaust opening and being sized to receive the outwardly-driven airflow from the fan, the transition passage further having a first cross-sectional area proximate a first one of the vanes and a second cross-sectional area proximate the exhaust opening, and a cross-sectional area progression that smoothly varies between the first cross-sectional area and the second cross-sectional area.

21. An airflow propulsion device for a floor care machine, comprising:

a motor having a drive shaft;

a fan having a fan disk operatively coupled to the drive shaft and having a plurality of radially-extending vanes projecting outwardly from the fan disk, each vane having a radially-inward end and a radially-outward end, the fan being rotatable such that an airflow may be driven radially-outwardly along the vanes from the radially-inward ends to the radially-outward ends, each vane further having a base edge attached to the fan disk and a distal edge opposite the base edge; and

a fan housing disposed about the fan and having an inlet opening proximate the radially-inward ends of the vanes and a transition passage proximate the radially-outward ends of the vanes, the transition passage extending to an exhaust opening and being sized to receive the outwardly-driven airflow from the fan, the fan housing including an internal cowling surface closely spaced from the distal edges.

22. The airflow propulsion device of claim 21 wherein the distal edges comprise slanted distal edges and the cowling surface comprises a partially conical surface.

23. The airflow propulsion device of claim 21 wherein the cowling surface is space apart from the distal edges by a closely conforming cowling space.

24. The airflow propulsion device of claim 23 wherein the closely conforming cowling space is no greater than approximately 0.10 inches.

25. The airflow propulsion device of claim 21 wherein the fan housing comprises a first portion and a second portion, the first and second portions being thermally bonded by a vibratory welding process.

26. The airflow propulsion device of claim 21 wherein the inlet opening has an inlet axis projecting therefrom, the fan housing further comprising:

a first rib projecting outwardly co-axially with the inlet axis and substantially surrounding the inlet opening;

a second rib projecting outwardly co-axially with the inlet axis and substantially surrounding the first rib, an inner well being formed between the first and second ribs; and

a third rib projecting outwardly co-axially with the inlet axis and substantially surrounding the second rib, an outer well being formed between the first and second ribs.

28. The floor care machine of claim 27 wherein the distal edges comprise slanted distal edges and the cowling surface comprises a partially conical surface.

29. The floor care machine of claim 27 wherein the cowling surface is space apart from the distal edges by a closely conforming cowling space.

30. The floor care machine of claim 29 wherein the closely conforming cowling space is no greater than approximately 0.10 inches.

31. The floor care machine of claim 27 wherein the transition passage further having a first cross-sectional area proximate a first one of the vanes and a second cross-sectional area proximate the exhaust opening, and a cross-sectional area progression that smoothly varies between the first cross-sectional area and the second cross-sectional area.

32. The floor care machine of claim 27 wherein the fan housing comprises a first portion and a second portion, the first and second portions being thermally bonded by a vibratory welding process.

33. The floor care machine of claim 27 wherein the inlet opening has an inlet axis projecting therefrom, the fan housing further comprising:

a first rib projecting outwardly co-axially with the inlet axis and substantially surrounding the inlet opening;

a second rib projecting outwardly co-axially with the inlet axis and substantially surrounding the first rib, an inner well being formed between the first and second ribs; and

a third rib projecting outwardly co-axially with the inlet axis and substantially surrounding the second rib, an outer well being formed between the first and second ribs.

27. A floor care machine having an airflow propulsion device, the airflow propulsion device comprising:

a motor having a drive shaft;

a fan having a fan disk operatively coupled to the drive shaft and having a plurality of radially-extending vanes projecting outwardly from the fan disk, each vane having a radially-inward end and a radially-outward end, the fan being rotatable such that an airflow may be driven radially-outwardly along the vanes from the radially-inward ends to the radially-outward ends, each vane further having a base edge attached to the fan disk and a distal edge opposite the base edge; and

a fan housing disposed about the fan and having an inlet opening proximate the radially-inward ends of the vanes and a transition passage proximate the radially-outward ends of the vanes, the transition passage extending to an exhaust opening and being sized to receive the outwardly-driven airflow from the fan, the fan housing including an internal cowling surface closely spaced from the distal edges.