FAN MOTOR
A fan motor includes a stationary portion, a rotary portion, and an impeller. The rotary portion is configured to rotate about a center axis with respect to the stationary portion through a bearing mechanism. The impeller is configured to rotate together with the rotary portion. The stationary portion includes an armature including a coil positioned around the center axis, a metal base plate arranged below the armature, and a circuit board located above or below the base plate and provided with a lead wire electrically connected to the outside. The base plate and the lead wire are isolated from each other by a protection member. By installing the protection member between the metal base plate and the lead wire, the lead wire is prevented from making direct contact with the inner peripheral edge of the metal base plate.
The present invention relates to a protection configuration for a lead wire of a fan motor.
2. Description of the Related ArtOne end of a lead wire of a fan motor is connected to a circuit board and another end of the lead wire is connected to an external power supply, such that electric power is supplied to the fan motor. When a lead wire is led out to the outside via a base of a fan motor, the lead wire is fixed to the base. In particular, if the base is made of a metallic material and if the inner peripheral edge of the base contacting the lead wire is sharp, the insulating film of the lead wire is easily damaged. This may lead to a decrease in the insulating property of the lead wire and may possibly cause disconnection of the lead wire. For example, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2009-050136 discloses a fan motor 1 shown in
A demand has existed for a configuration of a fan motor capable of protecting a lead wire.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONIn accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a fan motor includes a stationary portion; a rotary portion; and an impeller, wherein the rotary portion is configured to rotate about a center axis with respect to the stationary portion through a bearing mechanism, the impeller is configured to rotate together with the rotary portion, the stationary portion includes an armature including a coil positioned around the center axis, a metal base plate arranged below the armature, and a circuit board located above or below the base plate and provided with a lead wire electrically connected to the outside, and the base plate and the lead wire are isolated from each other by a protection member.
By installing the protection member between the metal base plate and the lead wire, the lead wire is prevented from making direct contact with the inner peripheral edge of the metal base plate. According to the present preferred embodiment, the lead wire is fixed and is not damaged or is hardly damaged. This makes it possible to prevent disconnection of the lead wire. Thus, the reliability of the fan motor is improved.
The above and other elements, features, steps, characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention with reference to the attached drawings.
Illustrative preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. The preferred embodiments and the drawings to be described below are nothing more than examples and are not intended to limit the present invention.
In the subject application, the direction extending along the center axis O-O′ of the fan motor will be referred to as “axial”. The direction perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the center axis O-O′ of the fan motor will be referred to as “radial”. The circumferential direction centered at the center axis O-O′ of the fan motor will be referred to as “circumferential”. The side of an impeller in the axial direction will be referred to as “upward”. The side of a base plate in the axial direction will be referred to as “downward”. The direction going toward the center axis O-O′ in the radial direction will be referred to as “inward”. The direction going away from the center axis O-O′ in the radial direction will be referred to as “outward”.
The protection members of the fan motors according to the second to sixth preferred embodiments preferably are formed independently of the base plate.
The present invention is not limited to the preferred embodiments described above. The respective elements appearing in the preferred embodiments and the modified examples described above may be appropriately combined unless a conflict arises.
The preferred embodiments of the present invention and modifications thereof further provide the following effects.
The protection member is preferably made of a resin, for example. The resin is an insulating material and is suitable for injection molding.
The base plate includes an opening which extends through the base plate along the center axis. The lead wire is positioned near the opening. The protection member covers a portion of the opening. The protection member is preferably formed by insert molding, for example. This makes it easy to manufacture the protection member.
The lead wire is led out from above or below the opening. Due to the unequal arrangement of the base plate, it becomes easy to lead out the lead wire 23.
The stationary portion includes the bearing holder portion configured to hold the bearing mechanism. The bearing holder portion and the protection member are preferably one-piece formed with each other to define a single monolithic member. This makes it easy to form the bearing holder portion and the protection member.
The protection member preferably includes the curved surface protruding radially outward or radially inward. This makes it possible to prevent the lead wire 23 from being damaged or from being disconnected.
The base plate preferably includes the protection member fixing portion. The protection member is fixed to the protection member fixing portion. The protection member includes the circumferential restraint portion configured to restrain the lead wire in the circumferential direction or the axial restraint portion configured to restrain the lead wire in the axial direction. The protection member is detachably attached to the protection member fixing portion.
The protection member fixing portion is preferably formed by cutting and erecting a portion of the base plate. The protection member includes the body. The recess into which a portion of the base plate is inserted is provided on the upper or lower surface of the body. The cut grooves are provided on the side surfaces of the body. The axial restraint portion is preferably provided in the protection member. This makes it possible to prevent the lead wire from being damaged or from being disconnected.
The cutout is preferably formed as the protection member fixing portion by cutting the outer peripheral edge of the back plate. The protection member includes the body. The grooves are provided on the opposite side surfaces of the body. The body has the axially-extending cut groove. Thus, the circumferential restraint portion is formed. This makes it possible to prevent the lead wire from being damaged or from being disconnected.
The first hole and the second hole circumferentially communicating with the first hole are provided in the base plate. The radial width of the second hole is larger than the radial width of the first hole. The protection member fixing portion is defined by the inner peripheral edge of the first hole. The protection member includes the body. The grooves are provided on the opposite side surfaces of the body. The body includes the axially-extending cut groove. Thus, the circumferential restraint portion is formed. The radial width of the second hole is set so as to accommodate at least the body. This makes it possible to prevent the lead wire from being damaged or from being disconnected.
The cutout is preferably formed by cutting the outer peripheral edge of the base plate is provided as the protection member fixing portion. The protection member includes the body. The grooves to be fitted to the cutout are formed on the opposite side surfaces of the body. The protection member includes the hook member arranged on the upper or lower surface of the body. Thus, the axial restraint portion is formed. This makes it possible to prevent the lead wire from being damaged or from being disconnected.
The first hole and the second hole circumferentially communicating with the first hole are provided in the base plate. The radial width of the second hole is larger than the radial width of the first hole. The protection member includes the body. The grooves are formed on the opposite side surfaces of the body. The protection member includes the hook member arranged on the upper or lower surface of the body. Thus, the axial restraint portion is formed. The radial width of the second hole is set so as to accommodate at least the body. This makes it possible to prevent the lead wire from being damaged or from being disconnected.
The cutout formed by cutting the outer peripheral edge of the base plate is provided as the protection member fixing portion. The protection member includes the body. Two hooks are provided on the upper or lower surface of the body. The cut grooves are provided on the side surfaces of the body. Thus, the axial restraint portion is formed. The preferred embodiments of the present invention prevent the lead wire from being damaged or from being disconnected.
While preferred embodiments of the present invention and modifications thereof have been described above, it is to be understood that variations and modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention. The scope of the present invention, therefore, is to be determined solely by the following claims.
Claims
1. A centrifugal fan motor, comprising:
- a stationary portion;
- a rotary portion; and
- an impeller; wherein
- the rotary portion is configured to rotate about a center axis with respect to the stationary portion through a bearing mechanism;
- the impeller is configured to rotate together with the rotary portion;
- the stationary portion includes an armature including a coil positioned around the center axis, a metal base plate arranged below the armature, and a circuit board located above or below the base plate and provided with a lead wire electrically connected to the outside; and
- the base plate and the lead wire are isolated from each other by a protection member; and
- the base plate includes a protection member fixing portion;
- the protection member is fixed to the protection member fixing portion; and
- the protection member includes a circumferential restraint portion arranged to restrain the lead wire in a circumferential direction or an axial restraint portion arranged to restrain the lead wire in an axial direction.
2. The centrifugal fan motor of claim 1, wherein the protection member is made of a resin.
3. The centrifugal fan motor of claim 1, wherein
- the protection member fixing portion includes a cut and an erected portion of the base plate;
- the protection member includes a rectangular or substantially rectangular body which includes a recess fitted to a portion of the base plate on an upper or lower surface thereof; and
- horizontal cut grooves are provided on side surfaces of the rectangular or substantially rectangular body to form the axial restraint portion.
4. The centrifugal fan motor of claim 1, wherein
- a cutout defined in an outer peripheral edge of the base plate is provided as the protection member fixing portion;
- the protection member includes a rectangular or substantially rectangular body which includes grooves provided on the opposite side surfaces thereof; and
- the rectangular or substantially rectangular body includes an axially-extending cut groove to define the circumferential restraint portion.
5. The centrifugal fan motor of claim 1, wherein
- the base plate includes a first hole and a second hole which are provided to circumferentially communicate with each other;
- a radial width of the second hole is larger than a radial width of the first hole;
- the protection member includes a rectangular or substantially rectangular body which includes grooves provided on the opposite side surfaces thereof;
- the rectangular or substantially rectangular body includes an axially-extending cut groove to define the circumferential restraint portion; and
- a radial width of the second hole is set so as to accommodate at least the rectangular body.
6. The centrifugal fan motor of claim 1, wherein
- a cutout defined in an outer peripheral edge of the base plate is provided as the protection member fixing portion;
- the protection member includes a rectangular or substantially rectangular body which includes grooves, to be fitted to the cutout, provided on the opposite side surfaces thereof; and
- the protection member includes a hook member arranged on an upper or lower surface of the rectangular or substantially rectangular body to define the axial restraint portion.
7. The centrifugal fan motor of claim 1, wherein
- the base plate includes a first hole and a second hole which are provided to circumferentially communicate with the first hole;
- a radial width of the second hole is larger than the radial width of the first hole;
- the protection member includes a rectangular or substantially rectangular body which includes grooves provided on the opposite side surfaces thereof;
- the protection member includes a hook member located on an upper or lower surface of the rectangular or substantially rectangular body to define the axial restraint portion; and
- the radial width of the second hole is set so as to accommodate at least the body.
8. The centrifugal fan motor of claim 1, wherein a cutout defined in an outer peripheral edge of the base plate is provided as the protection member fixing portion;
- the protection member includes a rectangular or substantially rectangular body which includes two hooks provided on an upper or lower surface thereof; and
- horizontal cut grooves are provided on side surfaces of the rectangular or substantially rectangular body to define the axial restraint portion.
Type: Application
Filed: May 2, 2018
Publication Date: Sep 6, 2018
Inventor: Masaki ADACHI (Kyoto)
Application Number: 15/968,880