Blower motor assembly having air directing surface

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9777735-B2
Application number	US-201213627587-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 26, 2012
Priority date	Jul 20, 2012
Publication date	Oct 3, 2017
Grant date	Oct 3, 2017

Abstract

A blower assembly includes a centrifugal fan and a motor assembly. The centrifugal fan has a plurality of axially extending impeller blades, a first axial end, and an air inlet. The air inlet is at the first axial end of the centrifugal fan. The motor assembly comprises a stator, a rotor, and an air directing surface. The air directing surface is shaped and configured to direct air drawn into the air inlet radially outwardly toward the impeller blades. The air directing surface extends generally along the rotor axis from its first end to its second end. At least a surface region of the air directing surface generally circumscribes the rotor axis and diverges radially outwardly as such surface region of the air directing surface extends away from the first end toward the second end.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A first blower assembly comprising:
a centrifugal fan rotatable about a fan axis, the centrifugal fan having a plurality of axially extending impeller blades, a first axial end, and an air inlet, the air inlet being at the first axial end of the centrifugal fan, the impeller blades having inner surfaces that combine to define a fan inner diameter d f ;
a motor assembly comprising a stator, a rotor, and an air directing surface, the rotor being configured to rotate relative to the stator about a rotor axis, the centrifugal fan being coupled to the rotor in a manner such that the centrifugal fan rotates with the rotor about the rotor axis, the air directing surface being shaped and configured to direct air drawn into the air inlet radially outwardly toward the impeller blades, the air directing surface having a first end and a second end, the air directing surface extending generally along the rotor axis from the first end to the second end, at least a surface region of the air directing surface generally circumscribing the rotor axis and diverging radially outwardly as such surface region of the air directing surface extends away from the first end of the air directing surface and toward the second end of the air directing surface, said surface region of the air directing surface being axially aligned with portions of the impeller blades such that said surface region of the air directing surface is surrounded by said portions of the impeller blades;
a plurality of electronic components adapted and configured to control the motor, said plurality of electronic components being positioned relative to the air directing surface such that at least 75% by volume of said plurality of electronic components is axially between the first and second ends of the air directing surface and surrounded by the air directing surface.

2. A first blower assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein the air directing surface is operatively coupled to the stator such that the air directing surface remains stationary relative to the stator as the rotor and centrifugal fan are rotated relative to the stator about the rotor axis.

3. A first blower assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein the first end of the air directing surface has a diameter d 1 and the second end of the air directing surface has a diameter d 2 , diameter d 1 is less than 50% of the diameter d 2 and wherein the diameter d 2 is at least 50% of the fan inner diameter d f .

4. A first blower assembly as set forth in claim 3 wherein the air directing surface includes a mid-region which is generally midway axially between the first and second ends of the air directing surface, the mid-region of the air directing surface having a diameter d m , the diameter d m is less than 80% of the diameter d 2 , the diameter d 1 is less than 70% of the diameter d m .

5. A first blower assembly as set forth in claim 4 wherein the diameter d 1 is less than 40% of the diameter d 2 .

6. A first blower assembly as set forth in claim 4 wherein the diameter d 1 is less than 30% of the diameter d 2 .

7. A first blower assembly as set forth in claim 4 wherein the diameter d 1 is less than 20% of the diameter d 2 .

8. A first blower assembly as set forth in claim 4 wherein the diameter d 1 is less than 10% of the diameter d 2 .

9. A first blower assembly as set forth in claim 4 wherein the diameter d 2 is at least 60% of the fan inner diameter d f .

10. A first blower assembly as set forth in claim 4 wherein the diameter d 2 is at least 70% of the fan inner diameter d f .

11. A first blower assembly as set forth in claim 4 wherein the diameter d 2 is at least 75% of the fan inner diameter d f .

12. A first blower assembly as set forth in claim 4 wherein the diameter d 1 is less than 50% of the diameter d m .

13. A first blower assembly as set forth in claim 12 wherein the air directing surface diverges substantially continuously from the mid-region of the air directing surface to the second end of the air directing surface.

14. A first blower assembly as set forth in claim 3 wherein the diameter d 1 is less than 40% of the diameter d 2 .

15. A first blower assembly as set forth in claim 3 wherein the diameter d 1 is less than 10% of the diameter d 2 .

16. A first blower assembly as set forth in claim 3 wherein the diameter d 2 is at least 60% of the fan inner diameter d f .

17. A first blower assembly as set forth in claim 3 wherein the air directing surface includes a mid-region which is generally midway axially between the first and second ends of the air directing surface, the mid-region of the air directing surface having a diameter d m , the diameter d m is less than 60% of the diameter d 2 , the diameter d 1 is less than 50% of the diameter d m .

18. A first blower assembly as set forth in claim 3 wherein the first end of the air directing surface is at an axial distance from the second end of the air directing surface, the axial distance being at least 33% of the diameter d 2 .

19. A first blower assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said surface region of the air directing surface has a generally circular cross section in a plane perpendicular to the rotor axis.

20. A first blower assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said surface region of the air directing surface comprises a conic section.

21. A first blower assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein the air directing surface includes a nose region, the nose region extending axially from the first end of the air directing surface toward the second end of the air directing surface, the nose region having a curved cross section in a cross-sectional plane that includes the rotor axis.

22. A first blower assembly as set forth in claim 21 wherein the air directing surface diverges substantially continuously from the nose region of the air directing surface to the second end of the air directing surface.

23. A first blower assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein the air directing surface converges generally from the second end toward the first end.

24. A first blower assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein the air directing surface diverges generally from the first end toward the second end.

25. A first blower assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein the air directing surface diverges generally from the first end to the second end.

26. A first blower assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein the second end of the air directing surface generally circumscribes a portion of the rotor.

27. A first blower assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the rotor is axially between the first and second ends of the air directing surface and surrounded by the air directing surface.

28. A first blower assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the stator is axially between the first and second ends of the air directing surface and surrounded by the air directing surface.

29. A first blower assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein the motor assembly further includes at least one electronic component adapted and configured to control the motor, said at least one electronic component being surrounded by the air directing surface.

30. A first blower assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein the air directing surface comprises a surface portion of a plurality of parts.

Assignees

• Post Steven W
• Gatley Jr William S
• Regal Beloit America Inc

Inventors

• Post Steven W
• Gatley Jr William S

Classifications

• F04D29/5813

  Cooling the control unit · CPC title

• F04D25/068 Primary

  Mechanical details of the pump control unit (pump control details F04D27/00) · CPC title

• F04D29/4213

  suction ports · CPC title

• F04D25/0653

  the motor having a plane air gap, e.g. disc-type · CPC title