Blower wheel

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9822648-B2
Application number	US-201313827697-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 14, 2013
Priority date	Jun 29, 2012
Publication date	Nov 21, 2017
Grant date	Nov 21, 2017

Abstract

A blower wheel for use in a blower assembly is disclosed, wherein the blower wheel includes a hub, a concentrically arranged outer ring, and an array of spaced apart blades arranged on an outer periphery of the hub and extending between the hub and the outer ring. The hub includes a wave configuration formed therein. The wave configuration includes an annular array of crests and an annular of troughs alternately formed in at least one of an outer surface and an inner surface of the hub. The hub may also include an annular array of support members formed on the inner surface thereof.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A blower wheel, comprising:
a hub having a first surface and a second surface, the hub including a wave configuration formed in at least one of the first surface and the second surface thereof, and a plurality of support members formed in the second surface, the wave configuration extending radially outward from a nose portion of the hub, wherein the wave configuration includes a plurality of crests and a plurality of troughs formed in at least one of the first surface and the second surface of the hub, and wherein each of the support members is formed opposite at least one of a peak of one of the crests and a valley of one of the troughs, wherein the peak of each of the crests extending along a longitudinal axis thereof has a generally convex curvature with respect to at least one of the first surface and the second surface of the hub, and the valley of each of the troughs extending along a longitudinal axis thereof has a generally concave curvature with respect to at least one of the first surface and the second surface of the hub, wherein an axial distance between the peak of each of the crests and the valley of each of the troughs increases from a center of the hub to a first radius and decreases from the first radius to a second radius, the second radius radially outwardly from the first radius.

2. The blower wheel of claim 1 , further comprising at least one blade arranged on an outer periphery of the hub.

3. The blower wheel of claim 2 , wherein the wave configuration extends radially outward from the nose portion of the hub to a leading edge of the at least one blade.

4. The blower wheel of claim 2 , wherein the wave configuration extends radially outward from the nose portion of the hub to an intermediate position between the nose portion and a leading edge of the at least one blade.

5. The blower wheel of claim 1 , wherein the crests and the troughs are alternatingly formed in at least one of the first surface and the second surface of the hub.

6. The blower wheel of claim 1 , wherein a highest point of the peak of each of the crests is aligned with a lowest point of a valley of the troughs.

7. The blower wheel of claim 1 , wherein each of the support members has a generally arcuate shape.

8. The blower wheel of claim 1 , wherein each of the support members has a generally planar first portion and a generally arcuate second portion.

9. A blower wheel, comprising:
a hub having a first surface and a second surface, the hub including a wave configuration having a plurality of crests and a plurality of troughs formed in at least one of the first surface and the second surface thereof, the wave configuration extending radially outward from a nose portion of the hub, wherein a peak of each of the crests extending along a longitudinal axis thereof has a generally convex curvature with respect to at least one of the first surface and the second surface of the hub, wherein a valley of each of the troughs extending along a longitudinal axis thereof has a generally concave curvature with respect to at least one of the first surface and the second surface of the hub, and an array of support members formed in the second surface thereof opposite at least one of the peaks of one of the crests and a valley of one of the troughs, wherein an axial distance between the peak of each of the crests and the valley of each of the troughs increases from a center of the hub to a first radius and decreases from the first radius to a second radius, the second radius radially outwardly from the first radius: and at least one blade arranged on an outer periphery of the hub.

10. The blower wheel of claim 9 , wherein the wave configuration at least one of extends radially outward from the nose portion of the hub to a leading edge of the at least one blade and extends radially outward from the nose portion of the hub to an intermediate position between the nose portion and a leading edge of the at least one blade.

11. The blower wheel of claim 9 , wherein the crests and the troughs are alternatingly formed in at least one of the first surface and the second surface of the hub.

12. The blower wheel of claim 9 , wherein a highest point of the peak of each of the crests is aligned with a lowest point of the valley of the troughs.

13. A blower wheel, comprising: a hub having a first surface and a second surface, the hub including a wave configuration having a plurality of crests and a plurality of troughs formed in at least one of the first surface and the second surface thereof, and an array of support members formed in the second surface thereof, the wave configuration extending radially outward from a nose portion of the hub, wherein a peak of each of the crests extending along a longitudinal axis thereof has a generally convex curvature with respect to at least one of the first surface and the second surface of the hub, and wherein each of the support members is formed opposite at least one of the peak of one of the crests and a valley of one of the troughs, wherein the valley of each of the troughs extending along a longitudinal axis thereof has a generally concave curvature with respect to at least one of the first surface and the second surface of the hub, and wherein an axial distance between the peak of each of the crests and the valley of each of the troughs increases from a center of the hub to a first radius and decreases from the first radius to a second radius, the second radius radially outwardly from the first radius.

14. The blower wheel of claim 13 , wherein each of the support members has a generally arcuate shape.

Assignees

• Visteon Global Tech Inc
• Hanon Systems

Inventors

• Iyer Jayanthi
• Zhou Yafei

Classifications

• F04D29/2216

  Shape, geometry (F04D29/2211 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F04D29/282 Primary

  the leading edge of each vane being substantially parallel to the rotation axis · CPC title

• F04D29/661

  especially adapted for elastic fluid pumps · CPC title

• F01D5/30 Primary

  Fixing blades to rotors; Blade roots {; Blade spacers} · CPC title