fan

Abstract

A fan is provided for placement within an electronic device. The fan includes a hub and a plurality of metal blades. The metal blades extend from the hub, each metal blade having a root portion adjacent the hub and a tip portion distal from the hub, and each metal blade having a greater mass at the tip portion than at the root portion to cause the metal blades to stretch as the fan rotates.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a fan. Background Technology

[0002] In response to the trend towards thinner and lighter consumer electronics, products such as computers, laptops, and handheld devices are evolving towards being both lightweight and highly efficient. However, thinness and high efficiency often conflict. When high-performance components are operating, they generate a significant amount of waste heat inside the electronic product, necessitating the use of heat dissipation modules to cool these components. However, due to the limited size of electronic products, the heat dissipation efficiency of existing heat dissipation modules is often insufficient to meet the requirements.

[0003] Taking the fan required for the heat dissipation module as an example, when it rotates, its blades will inevitably generate airflow noise (blade tone) with the surrounding structure, such as the housing of the fan. Especially at the trailing edge of the blades, high wind resistance, low airflow and high noise are often caused by the generation of vortices.

[0004] On the other hand, due to the limited space of thinner and lighter electronic products, the volume of the fan required for the heat dissipation module cannot be increased indefinitely. Therefore, how to further improve the characteristics such as the airflow generated by the fan under the condition of limited volume to meet the heat dissipation requirements is a problem that those skilled in the art need to consider and solve. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The present invention relates to a fan that extends during rotation due to the mass difference of the metal blades, thereby improving fan efficiency and reducing noise and resistance.

[0006] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a fan is adapted to be disposed within an electronic device. The fan includes a hub and a plurality of metal blades. The metal blades extend from the hub, each metal blade having a root adjacent to the hub and an end distal to the hub, and the mass of each metal blade at the end is greater than the mass at the root, so that the metal blades extend when the fan rotates.

[0007] Based on the above, the fan improves its cooling performance by appropriately altering the mass of the metal blades. Specifically, in the structure where the metal blades extend from the root (adjacent to the hub) to the end (away from the hub), the mass at the end is greater than that at the root. Therefore, when the fan rotates, the end with the larger mass can cause the metal blades to extend due to centrifugal force, resulting in a larger air-grabbing area. This increases the airflow through the fan and thus improves its cooling efficiency. Attached Figure Description

[0008] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a fan according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0009] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A top view of the fan;

[0010] Figure 3A and Figure 3B The metal blades are shown from different perspectives;

[0011] Figure 4 A partial top view of the metal blade is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0012] Reference will now be made in detail to exemplary embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same component reference numerals are used in the drawings and description to denote the same or similar parts.

[0013] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a fan according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A top view of the fan. Please also refer to... Figure 1 and Figure 2 In this embodiment, the cooling fan 100 is adapted to be disposed within an electronic device (e.g., a laptop computer) to effectively dissipate heat from the heat source of the electronic device. Since the type of electronic device is not limited, its representation is omitted here. The fan 100 includes a hub 110 and a plurality of metal blades 120, and the accompanying drawings provide an example of the axial direction Z of the hub 110, a radial direction R, and the rotation direction D1 of the fan 100, wherein the hub 110 and the metal blades 120 rotate about the axial direction Z.

[0014] In this embodiment, each metal blade 120 extends from the hub 110 and is inclined relative to the radial direction R of the hub 110. For example... Figure 2 As shown, the metal blade 120 forms an acute angle θ1 relative to the radial direction R, meaning that the metal blade 120 is in a forward-swept state relative to the rotation direction D1 of the fan 100. In this embodiment, each metal blade 120 has a root 121 adjacent to the hub 110 and an end 122 away from the hub 110, and the mass of each metal blade 120 at the end 122 is greater than the mass at the root 121. Therefore, when the fan 100 rotates along the rotation direction D1, the end 122 with the larger mass will cause the metal blade 120 to extend under the influence of centrifugal force.

[0015] Figure 3A and Figure 3B The metal blades are shown from different perspectives. Please also refer to... Figure 3A and Figure 3BIn this embodiment, the metal blade 120 has a windward side 123 and a leeward side 124 when the fan 100 rotates. As shown in the figure, the windward side 123 is concave, while the leeward side 124 is convex. More importantly, the metal blade 120 in this embodiment also has a counterweight 125 located on the leeward side 124, and the counterweight 125 is substantially adjacent to the end portion 122. In other words, the metal blade 120 in this embodiment, through the counterweight 125 provided at the end portion 122, makes the mass of the metal blade 120 at the end portion 122 greater than the mass at the root portion 121, thereby achieving the effect of the metal blade 120 extending due to centrifugal force when the fan 100 rotates.

[0016] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the outline of the metal blade 120 from its root 121 to its end 122 is divided into a first segment S1 and a second segment S2. The root 121 is located at the junction of the hub 110 in the first segment S1, and the end 122 is located at the end of the second segment S2. The area of ​​the metal blade 120 in the second segment S2 is larger than the area of ​​the metal blade 120 in the first segment S1. That is, before the metal blade 120 reaches the counterweight 125, its mass is increased by the larger area of ​​the second segment S2. Here, the thickness of the metal blade 120 in the first segment S1 and the second segment S2 where the counterweight 125 is not present is substantially the same. Compared to the first section S1, the second section S2 first has a larger blade outline, and then the second section S2 is further thickened by setting the counterweight 125 in the second section S2, that is, the thickness of the metal blade 120 in the second section S2 is greater than the thickness of the metal blade 120 in the first section S1, so as to improve the mass of the metal blade 120 at the end 122.

[0017] Figure 4 A partial top view of the metal blade is shown. Please also refer to... Figure 3A , Figure 3B and Figure 4 In this embodiment, the outline of the counterweight 125 located on the leeward side 124 is streamlined. Further, the second section S2 is divided into a first sub-section S21, a second sub-section S22, and a third sub-section S23. The first sub-section S21 is adjacent to the first section S1, the second sub-section S22 is adjacent to the first sub-section S21 and the third sub-section S23, the end 122 is located in the third sub-section S23, and the counterweight 125 is located in the second sub-section S22 and the third sub-section S23. In other words, the counterweight 125 in this embodiment is used to increase the thickness of the metal blade 120 in the second sub-section S22 and the third sub-section S23, and further, the thickness of the metal blade 120 gradually increases and then gradually decreases from the second sub-section S22 to the third sub-section S23. Overall, the thickness of the metal blade 120 varies from the root 121 to the tip 122, exhibiting a constant thickness, a gradually increasing thickness, and a gradually decreasing thickness in sequence.

[0018] Please refer to this again. Figure 4 Here, a dashed line extending from the first segment S1 is provided, representing the portion of the metal blade 120 that is of the same thickness as the first segment S1, by... Figure 4 It is clear that the counterweight 125 is located in the second sub-section S22 and the third sub-section S23, and is situated on the leeward side 124. Therefore, the presence of the counterweight 125 effectively reduces the flow resistance of the metal blades 120 when the fan 100 rotates. Furthermore, when the fan 100 rotates, the metal blades 120, which are inclined relative to the hub 110, have a high angle of attack at their ends 122 due to their large curvature. This causes boundary layer separation, or flow separation, to occur when the high-speed fluid flows through the bend. Consequently, the fluid near the bend experiences backflow due to viscosity, which in turn creates resistance to the metal blades 120 and generates noise. Accordingly, the metal blade 120 of this embodiment can compensate for the excessive curvature of the end 122 profile by the presence of the counterweight 125, that is, reduce the angle of attack. At the same time, because the counterweight 125 is streamlined, the time of separation flow generation is delayed, thereby reducing the noise and flow resistance caused at the end 122, and thus improving the heat dissipation efficiency of the fan 100.

[0019] Here, each metal blade 120 has multiple segments with different curvatures along its path extending away from the hub 110. Each metal blade 120 is first stamped into a flat workpiece of equal thickness, and then bent into these segments. Next, a process of combining dissimilar materials can be used to arrange the counterweight 125 in the second sub-segment S22 and the third sub-segment S23 and make it streamlined, while also increasing the mass of the metal blade 120 at the end 122. Afterwards, these metal blades 120 are then individually bonded to the hub 110 by injection molding or die casting. In other words, this embodiment, through the easy-to-form and easy-to-process characteristics of the metal blades 120, can easily provide a simple processing method corresponding to the required fan characteristics. That is, the metal part of the metal blade 120 is formed into a component of equal thickness as described above, and then other non-metallic materials and corresponding processes, such as plastic encapsulation or embedding injection molding, are used to form the required counterweight 125 on the component of equal thickness.

[0020] In summary, in the above embodiments of the present invention, the fan appropriately alters the mass of the metal blades. Specifically, in the structure where the metal blades extend from the root (adjacent to the hub) to the tip (away from the hub), the mass at the tip is greater than the mass at the root. Therefore, when the fan rotates, the tip with the larger mass can extend due to centrifugal force, generating a larger air-grabbing area, thus increasing the airflow through the fan. Furthermore, the presence of a counterweight compensates for excessive curvature at the tip, reducing the angle of attack. Simultaneously, the streamlined shape of the counterweight delays the generation of separation flow, thereby reducing noise and flow resistance at the tip, and ultimately improving the fan's heat dissipation efficiency.

[0021] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, and not to limit them; although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some or all of the technical features; and these modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A fan, characterized in that, Suitable for placement within an electronic device, the fan includes: Wheel hubs; and Multiple metal blades extend from the hub, each having a root adjacent to the hub and an end distal to the hub. The mass of each metal blade at its end is greater than its mass at its root, causing the blades to extend when the fan rotates. Each metal blade has a counterweight and opposing windward and leeward surfaces. Along a uniform profile extending from the root to the end of the metal blade, the counterweight is located on the leeward surface and adjacent to the end. The profile of the metal blade from the root to the end is divided into a first segment and a second segment, with the root located in the first segment. The end portion is located in the second section, and the metal blade has a counterweight portion located in the second section. The second section is divided into a first sub-section, a second sub-section, and a third sub-section. The first sub-section is adjacent to the first section, and the second sub-section is adjacent between the first sub-section and the third sub-section. The end portion is located in the third sub-section, and the counterweight portion is located between the second sub-section and the third sub-section. The counterweight portion increases the thickness of the metal blade in the second sub-section and the third sub-section. The thickness of the metal blade gradually increases and then gradually decreases from the second sub-section to the third sub-section.

2. The fan according to claim 1, characterized in that, The windward side is concave, and the leeward side is convex.

3. The fan according to claim 1, characterized in that, The outline of the metal blade from the root to the end is divided into a first segment and a second segment, the root is located in the first segment, the end is located in the second segment, and the area of ​​the metal blade in the second segment is greater than the area of ​​the metal blade in the first segment.

4. The fan according to claim 1, characterized in that, The thickness of the metal blade in the second section where the counterweight is located is greater than the thickness of the metal blade in the first section.

5. The fan according to claim 1, characterized in that, The counterweight is streamlined.

6. The fan according to claim 1, characterized in that, The thickness of the metal blades varies sequentially from the root to the tip, from constant thickness to gradually increasing thickness to gradually decreasing thickness.

7. The fan according to claim 1, characterized in that, Each of the metal blades is inclined radially relative to the hub.

8. The fan according to claim 1, characterized in that, The fan is a centrifugal cooling fan.

9. The fan according to claim 1, characterized in that, The metal blade is made of a combination of metal and non-metal materials, and the counterweight is made of the non-metal material.

10. The fan according to claim 9, characterized in that, The metal material is a component of uniform thickness, and the counterweight is injection molded from plastic onto the component of uniform thickness.

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