Fan Housing

Abstract

A fan housing includes a casing body, two air vents, an assembling portion, two supporting ribs and a side outlet. The air vents and assembling portion are formed in a base plate of the casing body. The assembling portion is surrounded by the air vents. The supporting ribs spaces out the air vents. A remaining portion of the base plate other than the air vents, the assembling portion and the supporting ribs being defined as a border that surrounds and adjoins the air vents, with each supporting rib linking the assembling portion and the border. A dividing line is defined in the base plate to divide the casing body into an output section close to the side outlet and a temporarily-staying section away from the side outlet by the dividing line, and each supporting rib is not completely within the output section. Consequently, turbulence in the output section is suppressed.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a fan housing and, more particularly, to a fan housing including air vents for a blower.

2. Description of the Related Art

A conventional fan housing for a blower is described in US Patent Publication No. 20070222331 entitled “Small Heat-Dissipating Device”. Referring to FIG. 1, a blower 9 includes a casing body 91, a stator 92, an impeller rotor 93 and a lid 94. The casing body 91 has a compartment and a top opening connecting with the compartment. The stator 92 and the impeller rotor 93 being received in the compartment of the casing body 91. The lid 94 is mounted on top of the casing body 91 to cover the top opening, so as to jointly form the conventional fan housing with the casing body 91. Specifically, under the impeller rotor 93, the bottom of the casing body 91 forms three air vents 911, which are arranged in the form of a ring with intervals, encircle an assembling portion 912, and are spaced by three supporting ribs 913 coupling to the assembling portion 912. The assembling portion 912 is for the stator 92 and the impeller rotor 93 to mount while the lid 94 further has an air inlet 941 facing the impeller rotor 93. Thus, during rotation of the impeller rotor 93, air can be sucked into the casing body 91 from the outer space through the air inlet 941 and the air vents 911, and then the air is outputted via a side outlet 914 of the casing body 91.

Generally, for maintaining air output and reducing noise, it is necessary to avoid arrangement of the supporting ribs 913 or other components in an output section of the fan housing to prevent occurrence of turbulence, with the output section being a section in the fan housing from a dividing line “a” to the side outlet 914 of the casing body 91, as shown in FIG. 2, wherein the dividing line “a” passes through the center of the assembling portion 912. However, with the three evenly spaced air vents 911, there is at least an entire supporting rib 913 arranged in the output section and causing turbulence for the supporting rib 913 interfering with airflow passing through the output section, so that overall air output of the conventional blower is reduced as well as noise thereof is increased. Hence, there is a need for an improvement over the conventional fan housing.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a fan housing that has an output section in which air can flow smoothly to reduce turbulence.

A fan housing according to the preferred teachings of the present invention includes a casing body two air vents, an assembling portion, two supporting ribs, a side outlet. The casing body includes a skirt wall and a base plate for the skirt wall to fix, with the skirt wall and base plate delimiting a compartment together. The two air vents are formed in the base plate and connecting with the compartment. The assembling portion is a part of the base plate and surrounded by the two air vents. The supporting ribs are another part of the base plate and spaces out the two air vents. A remaining portion of the base plate other than the air vents, the assembling portion and the supporting ribs is defined as a border that surrounds and adjoins the air vents. Each supporting rib links the assembling portion and the border. The side outlet is defined in the skirt wall. A dividing line is defined in the base plate of the casing body and in an area between and including a tangent touching an outermost point of the assembling portion, and a line parallel to the said tangent and passing through the center of the assembling portion. The outermost point is closest to the side outlet among points on an periphery of the assembling portion. The casing body is divided into an output section close to the side outlet and a temporarily-staying section away from the side outlet by the dividing line, and each supporting rib is not completely within the output section. Accordingly, turbulence is suppressed while sucked air is passing through the output section, and that leads to increases of amounts of air input and output and reduction of the noise generated.

In a most preferred form, the air vent that is close to the side outlet is larger than the air vent that is away from the side outlet, with the larger air vent being within the output section and the temporarily-staying section while the smaller air vent is completely within the temporarily-staying section, with all of the supporting ribs being within the temporarily-staying section. Accordingly, turbulence in the output section is suppressed.

Further scope of the applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferable embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given hereinbelow and the accompanying drawings which are given by way of illustration only, and thus are not limitative of the present invention, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a blower having a conventional fan housing;

FIG. 2 is a top view of a casing body of the fan housing of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a fan housing in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention and utilized for a blower;

FIG. 4 is a top view of a casing body of the fan housing of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a top view of a casing body of a fan housing in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view illustrating a fan housing in accordance with a third embodiment of the present invention and utilized for a blower;

FIG. 7 is a top view of a casing body of the fan housing of FIG. 6; and

FIG. 8 is a top view of a casing body of a fan housing in accordance with a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

All figures are drawn for ease of explanation of the basic teachings of the present invention only; the extensions of the figures with respect to number, position, relationship, and dimensions of the parts to form the preferred embodiment will be explained or will be within the skill of the art after the following teachings of the present invention have been read and understood. Further, the exact dimensions and dimensional proportions to conform to specific force, weight, strength, and similar requirements will likewise be within the skill of the art after the following teachings of the present invention have been read and understood.

Where used in the various figures of the drawings, the same numerals designate the same or similar parts. Furthermore, when the terms “inner”, “outer”, “portion”, “section”, “top”, “clockwise”, “counterclockwise”, “width”, “height”, and similar terms are used herein, it should be understood that these terms have reference only to the structure shown in the drawings as it would appear to a person viewing the drawings and are utilized only to facilitate describing the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

A fan housing of a first embodiment according to the preferred teachings of the present invention is shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 of the drawings and can be utilized as a fan housing of a blower that is able to suck air at two opposite sides thereof. According to the first embodiment form shown, the fan housing includes a casing body 1, two air vents 2, an assembling portion 3, two supporting ribs 4, a side outlet 5 and a lid 6. The casing body 1 has a compartment 10, a skirt wall 11 and a base plate 12 for the skirt wall 11 to fix, with the skirt wall 11 and base plate 12 delimiting the compartment 10 together. A stator 7 and an impeller rotor 8 can be received in the compartment 10. The lid 6 is mounted on top of the casing body 1, where an opening defined by the skirt wall 11 is formed, and has an air inlet 61 connecting with the compartment 10. The two air vents 2 are formed in the base plate 12 of the casing body 1 and also connect with the compartment 10, with the air vents 2 being under the impeller rotor 8. The assembling portion 3 is a circular part of the base plate 12 of the casing body 1 and surrounded by the air vents 2, with a protuberant shaft tube 31 formed at the center of the assembling portion 3 and in the compartment 10. Each of the supporting ribs 4 is another part of the base plate 12 of the casing body 1 and between the air vents 2, with the two supporting ribs 4 spacing out the two air vents 2. Additionally, a remaining portion of the base plate 12 other than the air vents 2, the assembling portion 3 and the supporting ribs 4 is defined as a border 13 that surrounds and adjoins the air vents 2, with each supporting rib 4 linking the assembling portion 3 and the border 13. Thus, each air vents 2 is defined by an inner edge of the border 13, an outer edge of the assembling portion 3 and an edge of either supporting ribs 4. The side outlet 5 is at a side of the casing body 1 and defined in the skirt wall 11. When the impeller rotor 8 turns, relative to the casing body 1, external air in the outer space is sucked into the compartment 10 via the air inlet 61 and the air vents 2 and internal air in the compartment 10 is exhausted via the side outlet 5.

Referring to FIG. 4, the fan housing of the first embodiment according to the preferred teachings of the present invention is characterized in the following features. A dividing line “a” is defined in the base plate 12 of the casing body 1 and in an area between and including a tangent perpendicular to an axis of the shaft tube 31 and touching an outermost point of the assembling portion 3, which is closest to the side outlet 5 among points on an periphery of the assembling portion 3, and a line parallel to the said tangent and passing through the center of the assembling portion 3. Moreover, the dividing line “a” is parallel to the tangent touching the outermost point of the assembling portion 3. Thus, by the dividing line “a”, the casing body 1 is divided into an output section “α” close to the side outlet 5 and a temporarily-staying section “β” away from the side outlet 5. Furthermore, all of the supporting ribs 4 are arranged outside the output section “α” to prevent the supporting ribs 4 from interfering with airflow passing through the output section “α”, such that turbulence in the compartment 10 is suppressed. Besides, since the base plate 12 of the casing body 1 merely forms two air vents 2, the number of the supporting ribs 4 is two that is the lowest amount for necessity for maintaining structural strength of the base plate 12, and thus the area of the air vents 2 and the amount of the airflow passing through the air vents 2 are largest.

Referring again to FIG. 4, in this embodiment, the said tangent to the assembling portion 3 at the outermost point is defined as the dividing line “a”.

The two supporting ribs 4 are arranged within the temporarily-staying section “β”, and have the same size and configuration; namely the two supporting ribs 4 are arranged outside the output section “α”. A direction from a line, which passes through the center of the shaft tube 31 and a position where the assembling portion 3 connects with the supporting rib 4, to another line, which passes through the position where the assembling portion 3 connects with the supporting rib 4 and a position where the supporting rib 4 connects with the border 13, is the same as the direction of airflow in the compartment 10. In the first embodiment, it is noted that the direction of airflow in the compartment 10 is the same as the rotational direction of the impeller rotor 8, which is counterclockwise in the view shown in FIG. 4. By this arrangement, the supporting ribs 4 can guide the air in the temporarily-staying section “β” to flow in the same direction as the rotational direction of the impeller rotor 8 and then to the side outlet 5 while the impeller rotor 8 is turning, such that turbulence in the temporarily-staying section “β” is suppressed. Besides, one of the air vents 2 is within the output section “α” and the temporarily-staying section “β” while the other air vent 2 is completely within the temporarily-staying section “β”, with the two air vents 2 having the same size.

Since the fan housing of the present invention merely includes two supporting ribs 4, air-inlet area of the base plate 12, which is for air in the outer space to flow through, is enhanced due to enlarged air vents 2. Thus, during operation of the blower, amount of air that is sucked into the casing body 1 via the air vents 2 is enhanced. Moreover, it is ensured that air in the output section “α” can flow smoothly, because there is no supporting rib 4 arranged within the output section “α” and that leads to very low probability of turbulence. Therefore, during operation of the blower, amounts of air input and output are increased and the noise generated can be effectively reduced.

The followings are other embodiments according to the preferred teachings of the present invention. It is noted that the major difference among all embodiments is arrangement of the air vents 2 relative to the output section “α” and the temporarily-staying section “β”, which is resulted from configuration of the supporting ribs 4.

FIG. 5 shows a fan housing of a second embodiment according to the preferred teachings of the present invention. In the preferred form shown, the fan housing includes a casing body 1, two air vents 2, an assembling portion 3, two supporting ribs 4 and a side outlet 5, with there being also a dividing line “a”. The casing body 1, the air vents 2, the assembling portion 3, the side outlet 5 and the dividing line “a” are similar to those of the first embodiment, wherein descriptions of the similarities are omitted.

In the second embodiment, widths of portions of each supporting rib 4 from the position where the supporting rib 4 connects with the assembling portion 3 to the position where the supporting rib 4 connects with the border 13 are gradually increased. By this arrangement, the supporting ribs 4 can guide the air in the temporarily-staying section “β” to flow along the rotational direction of the impeller rotor 8 and then toward the side outlet 5, such that turbulence in the temporarily-staying section “β” is suppressed. And the two supporting ribs 4 of this embodiment have different sizes; namely, one of the supporting ribs 4 is larger than the other. The supporting rib 4 with larger size provides improved structural strength between the assembling portion 3 and the border 13, and also provides a surface that is large enough for a power cord “b” to be disposed thereon, such that convenience of assembling the blower is improved.

FIG. 6 shows a fan housing of a third embodiment according to the preferred teachings of the present invention. In the preferred form shown, the fan housing includes a casing body 1, two air vents 2, an assembling portion 3, two supporting ribs 4, a side outlet 5 and a lid 6, wherein the casing body 1 is only constructed by a base plate 12 and a skirt wall 62 is fixedly formed around the lid 6 to delimit a compartment 60. Furthermore, the lid 6 has an air inlet 61 and the side outlet 5 is defined by the skirt wall 62, with the air inlet 61 and the side outlet 5 connecting with the compartment 60.

Referring to FIG. 7, in this embodiment, the line passing through the center of the assembling portion 3 and parallel to the tangent touching the outermost point of the assembling portion 3 is defined as the dividing line “a”, which divides the casing body 1 into an output section “α” close to the side outlet 5 and a temporarily-staying section “β” away from the side outlet 5.

The two supporting ribs 4 are opposite to and align with each other and parallel to the side edge of the fan housing with the side outlet 5, with the dividing line “a” passing through the two supporting ribs 4. Therefore, the two supporting ribs 4 are disposed on a boundary between the output section “α” and the temporarily-staying section “β”, with two halves of each supporting rib 4 being respectively within the output section “α” and the temporarily-staying section “β” at the same time and the two air vents being respectively within the output section “α” and the temporarily-staying section “β”. Thus, each supporting rib 4 is not completely within the output section “α”, and the occurrence of turbulence is suppressed while the sucked air is flowing through the output section “α”. Besides, since the base plate 12 of the casing body 1 merely forms two air vents 2, the number of the supporting rib 4 is two that is the lowest amount for necessity for maintaining structural strength of the base plate 12. Hence, reduction of amount of air input resulted from too many supporting ribs is avoided, and the area of the air vents 2 and the amount of the airflow passing through the air vents 2 are largest.

A fan housing of a fourth embodiment according to the preferred teachings of the present invention is shown in FIG. 8 of the drawings and includes a casing body 1, two air vents 2 and 2′, an assembling portion 3, two supporting ribs 4 and a side outlet 5, with there being also a dividing line “a”. The casing body 1, the assembling portion 3, the side outlet 5 and the dividing line “a” are similar to those of the third embodiment, wherein descriptions of the similarities are omitted. The two air vents 2 and 2′ of this embodiment have different sizes, and the air vent 2 that is close to the side outlet 5 is larger than the air vent 2′ that is away from the side outlet 5. Furthermore, the larger air vent 2 is within the output section “α” and the temporarily-staying section “β” while the smaller air vent 2′ is completely within the temporarily-staying section “β”, so that all of the supporting ribs 4 are within the temporarily-staying section “β”, without any parts of the supporting ribs 4 being within the output section “α”. Thus, turbulence occurring in the temporarily-staying section “β” is suppressed.

Thus since the invention disclosed herein may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or general characteristics thereof, some of which forms have been indicated, the embodiments described herein are to be considered in all respects illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is to be indicated by the appended claims, rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are intended to be embraced therein.

Claims

1. A fan housing comprising:

a casing body including a skirt wall and a base plate for the skirt wall to fix, with the skirt wall and base plate delimiting a compartment together;

two air vents being formed in the base plate of the casing body and connecting with the compartment;

an assembling portion being a part of the base plate and surrounded by the two air vents;

two supporting ribs being another part of the base plate and spacing out the two air vents, with a remaining portion of the base plate other than the air vents, the assembling portion and the supporting ribs being defined as a border that surrounds and adjoins the air vents, with each supporting rib linking the assembling portion and the border;

a side outlet being defined in the skirt wall; and

a dividing line being defined in the base plate of the casing body and in an area between and including a tangent touching an outermost point of the assembling portion, and a line parallel to the said tangent and passing through the center of the assembling portion, with the outermost point being closest to the side outlet among points on an periphery of the assembling portion;

wherein the casing body is divided into an output section close to the side outlet and a temporarily-staying section away from the side outlet by the dividing line, and each supporting rib is not completely within the output section.

2. The fan housing as defined in claim 1, wherein the said tangent to the assembling portion at the outermost point is defined as the dividing line.

3. The fan housing as defined in claim 2, wherein the two supporting ribs are arranged outside the output section.

4. The fan housing as defined in claim 1, wherein the line passing through the center of the assembling portion and parallel to the tangent touching the outermost point of the assembling portion is defined as the dividing line.

5. The fan housing as defined in claim 4, wherein the two supporting ribs are opposite to and align with each other, with the dividing line passing through the two supporting ribs.

6. The fan housing as defined in claim 4, wherein the two air vents are respectively within the output section and the temporarily-staying section.

7. The fan housing as defined in claim 1, wherein the air vent that is close to the side outlet is larger than the air vent that is away from the side outlet, with the larger air vent being within the output section and the temporarily-staying section while the smaller air vent is completely within the temporarily-staying section, with all of the supporting ribs being within the temporarily-staying section.

8. The fan housing as defined in claim 1, wherein size of one of the supporting ribs is larger than that of the other supporting rib.

9. The fan housing as defined in claim 1, wherein a direction from a line that passes through the center of the assembling portion and a position where the assembling portion connects with the supporting rib to another line that passes through the position where the assembling portion connects with the supporting rib and another position where the supporting rib connects with the border is the same as the direction of airflow in the compartment.

10. The fan housing as defined in claim 1, wherein widths of portions of each supporting rib from the position where the supporting rib connects with the assembling portion to the position where the supporting rib connects with the border are gradually increased.

11. The fan housing as defined in claim 1 further comprises a lid mounted on top of the casing body and having an air inlet that connects with the compartment.

12. A fan housing comprising:

a casing body including a base plate for a lid having a side outlet and an air inlet to be mounted on;

two air vents being formed in the base plate of the casing body;

an assembling portion being a part of the base plate and surrounded by the two air vents;

two supporting ribs being another part of the base plate and spacing out the two air vents, with a remaining portion of the base plate other than the air vents, the assembling portion and the supporting ribs being defined as a border that surrounds and adjoins the air vents, with each supporting rib linking the assembling portion and the border; and

a dividing line being defined in the base plate of the casing body and in an area between and including a tangent touching an outermost point of the assembling portion, and a line parallel to the said tangent and passing through the center of the assembling portion, with the outermost point being closest to the side outlet among points on an periphery of the assembling portion;

wherein the casing body is divided into an output section close to the side outlet and a temporarily-staying section away from the side outlet by the dividing line, and each supporting rib is not completely within the output section.

13. The fan housing as defined in claim 12, wherein the said tangent to the assembling portion at the outermost point is defined as the dividing line.

14. The fan housing as defined in claim 13, wherein the two supporting ribs are arranged outside the output section.

15. The fan housing as defined in claim 12, wherein the line passing through the center of the assembling portion and parallel to the tangent touching the outermost point of the assembling portion is defined as the dividing line.

16. The fan housing as defined in claim 12, wherein the two supporting ribs are opposite to and align with each other, with the dividing line passing through the two supporting ribs.

17. The fan housing as defined in claim 15, wherein the two air vents are respectively within the output section and the temporarily-staying section.

18. The fan housing as defined in claim 12, wherein the air vent that is close to the side outlet is larger than the air vent that is away from the side outlet, with the larger air vent being within the output section and the temporarily-staying section while the smaller air vent is completely within the temporarily-staying section, with all of the supporting ribs being within the temporarily-staying section.

19. The fan housing as defined in claim 12, wherein size of one of the supporting ribs is larger than that of the other supporting rib.

20. The fan housing as defined in claim 12, wherein a direction from a line that passes through the center of the assembling portion and a position where the assembling portion connects with the supporting rib to another line that passes through the position where the assembling portion connects with the supporting rib and another position where the supporting rib connects with the border, is the same as the direction of airflow in the compartment.

21. The fan housing as defined in claim 12, wherein widths of portions of each supporting rib from the position where the supporting rib connects with the assembling portion to the position where the supporting rib connects with the border are gradually increased.

22. The fan housing as defined in claim 12 further comprises the lid mounted on the casing body, with a skirt wall being fixedly formed around the lid to delimit a compartment connecting with the air inlet of the lid.

23. The fan housing as defined in claim 22, wherein the side outlet is defined by the skirt wall and connecting with the compartment.