Low part count blower-motor assembly in common housing

Abstract

A low part count blower-motor assembly in a two-part housing which defines fluid inlet and discharge openings for the blower but which is otherwise sealed when assembled. An integrated tubular stator subassembly is fixedly attached to one of the housing parts and projects axially toward the fluid inlet opening. An integrated motor rotor subassembly is also disposed within the housing for rotation about the stator subassembly in coaxial relationship therewith, a part of the rotor subassembly being disposed axially between the stator and the inlet opening in spaced relationship with the opening. A shaft is journaled in the central opening of the tubular stator subassembly and projects axially there from toward the inlet opening and a fluid impeller mounted on the projecting end portion of the shaft receives fluid from the inlet opening. The impeller is also fixedly attached to the part of the rotor which resides between the stator and inlet opening.

Description

RELATED APPLICATION [0001] Provisional application No. 60 / 508,414, titled “Blower with motor sealed inside” filed Oct. 2, 2003, inventors Robert A. Hoyt, David A. Curtis and Russel H. Marvin, incorporated herein by reference.BACKGROUNG OF THE INVENTION [0002] Typical blower-motor assemblies include at least three major subassemblies, the blower or impeller, an electric motor driving the blower, and one or more housings. [0003] Part counts in these assemblies is high due primarily to the complexity of the electric motors and this of course leads to relatively inefficient assembly and manufacturing procedures. Conventionally, the motor is an external component and is connected in driving relationship with the blower by a drive shaft which passes through a blower housing. This arrangement results in high noise generation, air leakage at the shaft opening in the blower housing, air leakage through the motor bearings, and motor cooling problems if the blower is contained within an enclos...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The present invention provides a two-part housing for a blower with fluid inlet and discharge openings. The housing is sealed when joined together. An integrated tubular stator subassembly is attached to one of the housing parts and a motor rotor assembly is disposed within the housing. A shaft is journalled in the stator and a fluid impeller is mounted on the end of the shaft. The stator and rotor are coaxially aligned. Motor cooling is provided by openings connecting the interior of the stator and the upstream and downstream sides of the impeller, with one of the openings having a flow-regulating device. The stator and rotor assemblies are overmolded in an injection molding process resulting in a unitary component. The rotor may be molded integrally with the impeller, further reducing the number of parts. The assembly is designed in a general way to provide the absence of significant pressure drop across the bearings and the diversion of a portion of the main fluid flow from the impeller for flow through the motor and cooling of the same.

Problems solved by technology

Part counts in these assemblies is high due primarily to the complexity of the electric motors and this of course leads to relatively inefficient assembly and manufacturing procedures.

This arrangement results in high noise generation, air leakage at the shaft opening in the blower housing, air leakage through the motor bearings, and motor cooling problems if the blower is contained within an enclosed space.

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