Abstract: A draft inducer blower for high efficiency furnaces, including a blower housing which provides enhanced contact between the blower housing and the furnace collector box to reduce the flexing and vibration between the blower housing and the collector box. The blower housing includes contact structure which provides a direct abutting contact relationship between the blower housing and the collector box at least along a substantial periphery of the blower housing and/or at one or more rigid transition points on the collector box. In one embodiment, the contact structure can be part of the blower housing body and/or the blower housing cover. In another embodiment, the contact structure can be part of the collector box or furnace to which the blower housing is mounted. When fasteners secure the blower housing to the collector box, the contact structure provides a substantially integral rigid construct between the blower housing and the collector box.

Abstract: An automotive power seat arrangement includes an automobile passenger seat connected to an automobile body. A plurality of mechanisms engage the seat. Each of the mechanisms moves the seat relative to the body in a respective manner. Each of a plurality of motors drives a respective one of the mechanisms. A frame retains each of the motors in parallel, releasable, snap-lock engagement.

Abstract: A draft inducer blower for high efficiency furnaces, including a blower housing which facilitates maximum air flow efficiency through the blower housing while having an overall radial dimension which conforms to the industry standard arrangement of mounting holes on the walls of the furnaces. The blower housing generally includes a housing body and housing cover, the housing body including a plurality of mounting lugs spaced around the housing body through which bolts may be inserted to secure the blower housing to the mounting holes in the wall of a furnace. The housing cover and housing body each define portions of a volute which extends around the outer periphery of the blower housing from the cutoff region to the exhaust transition of the blower housing. The volute includes a cross-sectional area which substantially continuously increases in the axial direction of the blower housing from the cutoff region to the exhaust transition.

Abstract: A draft inducer blower for high efficiency furnaces, including a blower housing which facilitates maximum air flow efficiency through the blower housing while reducing air flow noises. The blower housing generally includes a housing body and housing cover which define an exhaust transition therebetween, which transitions the air flow from the circular main cavity of the blower housing to the blower housing outlet. The housing body and housing cover are attached to one another via a lobed joint along the exhaust transition, and each include complementary, smoothly contoured inner surfaces to facilitate smooth air flow through the exhaust transition toward the outlet. Additionally, the housing body and housing cover include cooperating cutoff surfaces which form a broadly radiused cutoff within the blower housing to reduce or eliminate the blade pass noise associated with contact of the air flow from the impeller with the cutoff.

Abstract: A draft inducer blower for high efficiency furnaces, including a blower housing having a housing body and housing cover. The housing body includes a plurality of mounting lugs spaced around its outer periphery, through which fasteners are inserted to secure the blower housing to corresponding mounting holes in a furnace wall. The mounting lugs each include a slot-like opening having a web of material therein and, in each mounting lug, a fastener is threaded through an opening in the web to temporarily retain the fastener in position within its associated mounting lug. In this manner, a blower housing may be shipped to a furnace manufacturer or other point of installation with the fasteners temporarily retained within their associated mounting lugs.

Abstract: A set of cooling air blowers for machines which require cooling air during operation. The blowers each include an outlet having an anti-reverse flow feature for preventing the flow of air into the blower from externally of the machine should the blower fail, thereby ensuring that the remaining operating blowers are able to maintain a normal and adequate flow of cooling air through the air inlet of the machine and outwardly through the outlets of the remaining operating blowers. Each blower generally includes a blower housing having an inlet, an outlet, and an internal cavity in which an impeller is rotatably disposed, the impeller driven by an electrical motor mounted within the blower housing.

Abstract: An electric motor with a Hall effect module. An endframe is attached to a motor housing to enclose one end of the motor housing. A cover is snap-fit onto the endframe externally of the motor housing, wherein resilient fingers on the endframe engage an arrangement of lugs and/or recesses on the cover. A one-piece magnet/carrier assembly and an electronic sensor are captured between the cover and the endframe to provide a Hall effect sensing feature. Optionally, the cover may be attached to the endframe without the magnet/carrier assembly and the electronic sensor when the Hall effect sensing feature is not desired. The endframe additionally includes rigid walls disposed about the resilient fingers which aid in locating and guiding the cover onto the endframe and into engagement with the resilient fingers.

Abstract: A motor system includes four brushes electrically connected to a rotor. A stator includes two magnetic poles. A circuit selectively rotates the rotor at a first speed by applying a first voltage to a first of the brushes and a second voltage to a second of the brushes. The circuit selectively rotates the rotor at a second speed by applying the first voltage to the first brush or the second brush, and applying the second voltage to a third of the brushes and/or a fourth of the brushes.

Abstract: A method of cooling the bearings of a motor in a motor housing for a furnace assembly is disclosed comprising an aperture in the motor housing whereby air is brought into the motor housing and drawn around the motor via an impeller into the impeller housing thereby eliminating the need of a separately attached fan to cool the motor or motor bearings. The impeller pulls the air from the motor housing into the impeller housing or blower via an inlet port in the impeller housing and apertures in the back plate of the impeller and out an exhaust port situated in the impeller housing.

Abstract: A blower assembly that includes an exhaust restrictor to aid in operating the blower assembly over a range of operating conditions. The blower assembly includes a blower housing having a housing exhaust opening that receives a flow of exhaust gases created by a rotating impeller. An exhaust transition section extends between the housing exhaust opening to an expanded diameter exhaust outlet sized to receive a flue pipe. The blower housing includes an exhaust restrictor positioned in the exhaust transition section between the housing exhaust opening and the exhaust outlet. The exhaust restrictor is integrally formed with a portion of the blower housing and includes a curved back wall to aid in the transition between the housing exhaust opening and the exhaust outlet.

Abstract: A blower housing for a furnace blower assembly of the type including a blower motor coupled to an impeller for use in expelling exhaust gases from a furnace. The blower housing generally includes an inlet, an impeller cavity, and an extension portion extending from the impeller cavity, the extension portion terminating in a circular outlet to which a round flue pipe may be attached. The blower housing is formed by three housing members joined to one another, wherein the housing members may be formed from metal using conventional stamping, drawing, and forming processes, for example. To form a variety of different types of blower housings having different outlet offset distances, only the dimensions of cooperating portions of two of the housing members need be varied, with one of the housing members used in common among the different types of blower housings.

Abstract: An exhaust adapter for use with a draft inducer having a blower housing with a rectangular blower outlet. The exhaust adapter provides a transition from the rectangular outlet of the blower housing and a round exhaust pipe. The exhaust adapter includes a transition section extending between an attachment flange and a round exhaust outlet. The exhaust adapter thus facilitates attachment of the blower housing to a round exhaust pipe. The exhaust adapter is formed from two sections of stamped metal joined to each other along a top and a bottom seam. The two sections of stamped metal allow the exhaust adapter to be formed using inexpensive materials and an inexpensive manufacturing process.

Abstract: A furnace blower assembly having a single piece impeller formed from a stamped metal material. The impeller of the blower assembly is formed from a single piece of metal material and includes a plurality of individual impeller blades each having a blade portion bent at a 90° angle relative to the back wall of the impeller. Each of the impeller blades is backward inclined and forward curved to increase the efficiency of the impeller.

Abstract: A case retained external capacitor that can be installed onto the motor sleeve of an electric motor. The case retained capacitor includes a capacitor case having a mounting clip formed along its inner wall. The mounting clip is sized to be retained within an attachment slot stamped from the motor sleeve. The capacitor case receives a capacitor having lead wires that extend out of the capacitor case and into the interior defined by the motor sleeve. During construction of a motor utilizing the case retained capacitor of the present invention, the capacitor case is installed along the motor sleeve by sliding the mounting clip into the attachment slot formed in the motor sleeve. Once the capacitor case is in place, the end plate of the motor is installed to prevent separation of the capacitor case from the motor sleeve.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for dissipating heat from electric motors. Small electric motors often operate at undesirably high temperatures and are often mounted to gear cases. To reduce the temperature a thermally conductive gap filling material is compressed between the winding heads of the stator and the mating surface of motor and gear case. The gear case functions as a heat sink for the stator windings. Additional heat sinks may be mounted on the motor housing using additional thermally conductive gap filling material compressed between the other winding heads and the cover.

Abstract: A bearing system and journal which may incorporate either a sleeve or a ball bearing. The system includes a bearing journal having a sleeve bearing portion and a ball bearing portion. When a sleeve bearing is used in the system, a first end of the sleeve bearing is supported in the sleeve bearing portion of the journal, and a second end of the sleeve bearing is supported by a finger spring. The sleeve bearing and finger spring are retained within the journal by an end cap, which is press-fit into the ball bearing portion of the journal. When a ball bearing is used in the system, the ball bearing may be press-fit directly into the ball bearing portion of the bearing journal, or press-fit into a spacer, which is press-fit into the ball bearing portion of the bearing journal.

Abstract: An exhaust system for withdrawing a supply of exhaust gases from an exhaust flue of a heater and expelling the exhaust gases to atmosphere at a remote location that includes a mixing tee for mixing a flow of dilution air and a flow of exhaust gases. The mixing tee includes a first end coupled to the inlet opening of a blower housing and a second end coupled to a supply of dilution air. The dilution air inlet pipe of the mixing tee extends along a longitudinal axis. The mixing tee includes a flue pipe having a first end positioned to receive the exhaust gases from the heater and a second end that enters into the dilution air inlet pipe. The flue pipe extends along a longitudinal axis that is positioned at an angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the dilution air inlet pipe. The exhaust flue extends toward the upstream end of the dilution air inlet pipe such that the flow of dilution air impinges upon the flow of exhaust gases.

Abstract: A dilution air blower that has a reverse-mounted impeller contained within a combined blower housing and impeller housing. The impeller includes a vented backplate that is positioned to face a base opening of the blower housing that receives the exhaust gas from an appliance, such as a water heater. Rotation of the impeller causes the impeller to draw in a supply of dilution air which passes over the blower motor. The dilution air mixes with the exhaust gases within the mixing chamber of the impeller. The mixture of gases is discharged radially from the impeller through an exhaust outlet. The invention eliminates the need for fans dedicated to cool the blower motor while providing the required mixture of the exhaust gases and the dilution air.

Abstract: A centrifugal blower housing that includes sound attenuating features to decrease the noise generated by the pressure fluctuations due to blade pass. The blower housing includes at least one sound attenuating cavity positioned along the exhaust section integrally formed as part of the blower housing. The sound cavity creates a sound dampening zone near the outlet of the blower housing to attenuate the sound generated by the rotating impeller. The blower housing further includes an angled cut off portion positioned near the intersection of the exhaust section and the scroll section of the blower housing. The angled cut off portion creates an uneven surface that disrupts the pressure fluctuation created as the impeller blades pass over the cut off edge surface. The angled cut off portion extends into the interior of the exhaust section and defines an irregular surface along at least a portion of the exhaust section.

Abstract: An electric motor design and method useful to reduce noise/vibration generated by a rotor/shaft assembly is provided whereby the motor has a stator which has an axial length and a rotor which has an axial length less than the axial length of the stator such that when the rotor rotates within the motor, the rotor is axially fixed by a stator field.