Fan for handheld blower

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12385494-B2
Application number	US-202218572095-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 10, 2022
Priority date	Oct 11, 2021
Publication date	Aug 12, 2025
Grant date	Aug 12, 2025

Abstract

A fan includes a hub and a plurality of blades extending radially outwardly from the hub and spaced circumferentially about the hub. The plurality of blades includes a reference blade, a first blade, and a second blade. The reference blade is disposed after the first blade in a circumferential direction about the hub. The second blade is disposed after the reference blade in the circumferential direction. The first blade is circumferentially spaced a first distance from the reference blade. The second blade is circumferentially spaced a second distance from the reference blade. The first distance is greater than the second distance.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fan comprising:
a hub;
a plurality of blades, each blade of the plurality of blades including a blade base coupled to the hub, each blade extending radially outwardly from the hub to a cantilevered end, the plurality of blades spaced circumferentially about the hub at a common axial location of the hub, the plurality of blades including a reference blade, a first blade, and a second blade; and
wherein
the reference blade is disposed after the first blade in a circumferential direction about the hub and the second blade is disposed after the reference blade in the circumferential direction,
the first blade is circumferentially spaced a first distance from the reference blade,
the second blade is circumferentially spaced a second distance from the reference blade, and
the first distance is greater than the second distance; and

wherein the fan is rotationally symmetrical.

2. The fan of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of blades includes twelve blades.

3. The fan of claim 1 , wherein
the hub includes an outer surface, and
the plurality of blades extends from the outer surface.

4. The fan of claim 1 , wherein the blades are grouped in pairs circumferentially about the hub.

5. The fan of claim 1 , wherein the blades are identical.

6. The fan of claim 1 , wherein the hub includes a passage for receiving a shaft, the passage defining a central rotational axis of the fan.

7. The fan of claim 1 , wherein each blade of the plurality of blades has a corresponding diametrically opposed blade.

8. The fan of claim 1 , wherein any blade of the plurality of blades can be the reference blade.

9. The fan of claim 8 , wherein the circumferential spacing between respective blades alternates between the first distance and the second distance in the circumferential direction.

10. A fan comprising:
a hub including an air guide cone and a blade connection portion, the blade connection portion tapering radially inwardly and tangentially meeting the air guide cone; and
a plurality of blades, each blade of the plurality of blades including a blade base coupled to the hub at a common axial location of the hub, each blade extending radially outwardly from the blade connection portion to a cantilevered end,
wherein at least a portion of the plurality of blades are unevenly spaced about the hub,
wherein the plurality of fan blades separated into pairs of blades, the pairs of blades evenly spaced circumferentially about the hub with each other,
wherein the fan is rotationally symmetrical.

11. The fan of claim 10 , wherein the blade connection portion tapers radially inwardly along an entire axial length of the blade connection portion.

12. The fan of claim 10 , wherein the air guide cone is removably coupled to the blade connection portion.

13. The fan of claim 10 , wherein each blade is formed as a single unitary part with the blade connection portion.

14. The fan of claim 10 , wherein
the air guide cone and the blade connection portion form an outer surface of the hub, and
the outer surface of the hub tapers inwardly along an entire axial length of the hub.

15. The fan of claim 10 , wherein each blade of the plurality of blades is longer radially through an upstream connection point than through a downstream connection point.

16. The fan of claim 10 , wherein the air guide cone has a truncated tip.

17. The fan of claim 10 , wherein the blade connection portion includes a passage defined therein for receiving a shaft, the passage defining a central rotational axis of the fan.

18. The fan of claim 17 , wherein the blade connection portion tapers radially inwardly along the central rotational axis in an upstream direction.

19. A handheld blower comprising:
an air duct extending along an axis, the air duct including an air inlet and an air outlet opposite the air inlet; and
a fan disposed in the air duct between the air inlet and the air outlet, the fan configured to rotate about the axis, the fan including
a fan hub extending from an upstream end to a downstream end, the fan hub defining an outer surface with a radius that continuously increases from the upstream end to the downstream end, the fan hub including an air guide cone and a blade connection portion, and
a plurality of fan blades extending radially outwardly from the outer surface of the blade connection portion between the upstream end and the downstream end, each blade of the plurality of blades including a blade base coupled to the blade connection portion of the hub, each blade of the plurality of blades extending to a cantilevered end, the plurality of fan blades separated into pairs of blades, the pairs of blades evenly spaced circumferentially about the fan hub with each other,
wherein at least a portion of the plurality of blades are unevenly spaced about the hub,
further wherein the fan is rotationally symmetrical.

Assignees

• Milwaukee Electric Tool Corp

Inventors

• Herrera Nathaniel A
• Cholst Beth E
• Bartlett Shannon C
• Whealon John L

Classifications

• F04D29/38

  Blades {(for axial flow compressors F04D29/324)} · CPC title

• F04D29/34

  Blade mountings {(for axial flow compressors F04D29/322)} · CPC title

• F04D29/32

  for axial flow pumps · CPC title

• A01G20/43

  for sweeping, collecting or disintegrating lawn debris · CPC title

• F04D25/0673

  Battery powered · CPC title