A fan assembly and a range hood using the same

Abstract

The present invention discloses a fan assembly and a range hood incorporating the fan assembly. The fan assembly includes a centrifugal fan, a volute, a volute tongue, and an inner layer made of a hard material and an outer layer made of a flexible material. The outer layer wraps around the outer layer and is located on the side of the inner layer facing the interior of the volute. Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the advantages of maintaining the shape of the volute tongue through the support of the hard material inner layer, while using a flexible material, a biomimetic feature, as the outer layer on the side of the volute tongue facing the oil smoke, to facilitate adaptation to pressure pulsations experienced by the volute, thereby reducing noise caused by pressure pulsations.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a power device, in particular to a fan assembly and a range hood using the fan assembly. Background Art

[0002] Multi-blade centrifugal fans offer high pressure and low noise, making them a common power source. They utilize a high-speed rotating impeller within a volute to perform both power generation and filtration. For example, they are commonly used in range hoods, where a multi-blade centrifugal fan installed within the hood draws in and exhausts oil fumes. A multi-blade centrifugal fan consists of a volute, an impeller mounted within the volute, and a motor that drives the impeller. As the impeller rotates, negative pressure is generated at the center of the fan, drawing oil fumes from beneath the range hood into the fan. After being accelerated by the fan, the fan collects them in the volute and guides them out of the room.

[0003] Existing centrifugal fans, such as the fan disclosed in Chinese patent application No. 201720454355.7, include a volute and an impeller, the volute has an air outlet, an air inlet and an air duct connected to the air outlet and the air inlet, and a volute tongue is provided on the volute, and a groove is provided on the surface of the volute tongue in contact with the airflow, and a bionic sound-absorbing structure coupled with the groove to form a noise reduction part is provided in the groove; for example, Chinese patent application No. 200810050945.9 discloses a bionic coupled noise-reducing volute tongue for aerodynamic noise control of a centrifugal fan, in which a bionic coupled noise-reducing volute tongue is provided at the volute mouth of the volute, and the bionic coupled noise-reducing volute tongue is composed of a bionic coupled noise-reducing volute tongue micro-slit plate layer, a bionic coupled noise-reducing volute tongue micro-perforated plate layer and an air cavity back plate, and a bionic coupled noise-reducing volute tongue thin cavity layer is provided between the bionic coupled noise-reducing volute tongue micro-perforated plate layer and the air cavity back plate, and the air cavity back plate is riveted to the volute.

[0004] Once this type of existing fan is manufactured, the volute tongue is a fixed structure that cannot adapt to the pressure pulsation inside the volute, resulting in high noise. Compared with smooth walls, bionic features have a certain drag reduction effect and can reduce the noise of centrifugal fans. However, when applied to range hoods, since centrifugal fans are prone to accumulate oil and dirt during operation, the performance of the centrifugal fan itself will be affected after working for a certain period of time. For example, bionic features such as pits and ridges are prone to accumulate oil and dirt, causing their features to be covered or destroyed and fail.

[0005] Currently, external cleaning devices are mostly used to reduce the impact of oil smoke on centrifugal fans, but the cleaning area is usually limited and the bionic features at the volute tongue cannot be effectively cleaned. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to address the deficiencies of the above-mentioned prior art and provide a fan assembly that can adapt to the pressure pulsation inside the volute and thereby reduce noise.

[0007] The second technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a range hood using the above-mentioned fan assembly.

[0008] The technical solution adopted by the present invention to solve the above-mentioned first technical problem is: a fan assembly, including a centrifugal fan, the centrifugal fan including a volute, the volute including a volute tongue, characterized in that:

[0009] The volute tongue comprises an inner layer made of a hard material and an outer layer made of a flexible material. The outer layer is coated on the outer side of the inner layer and is located on a side of the inner layer facing the inside of the volute.

[0010] The shape of the volute tongue is maintained by an inner layer of hard material, while the bionic feature of using flexible material as the outer layer of the volute tongue facing the oil smoke is conducive to adapting to the pressure pulsation of the self-adaptive volute, thereby reducing the noise caused by pressure pulsation.

[0011] Furthermore, the outer layer is hollow and can be in an inflated state and a deflated state;

[0012] A hollow flexible column is formed in the outer layer, and the column extends between a side of the outer layer close to the inner layer and a side away from the inner layer. The column penetrates the side of the outer layer away from the inner layer and forms a first opening at the penetration point, and the first opening faces the inside of the volute. When the outer layer is in an inflated state, the outer layer forms a pit on the side away from the inner layer and in an area outside the first opening, and the pit is concave toward the inner layer.

[0013] Therefore, the pits constitute bionic features, which can have a better drag reduction effect. During the inflation and deflation process of the outer layer, the natural deformation of the holes can also prevent oil and dirt from condensing on the pits.

[0014] Furthermore, to facilitate the inflation and deflation of the outer layer, the fan assembly also includes an inflation and deflation device for inflating the outer layer so that the outer layer is in an inflated state, and releasing the gas in the outer layer to the outside of the volute so that the outer layer is in a deflated state.

[0015] Furthermore, the space enclosed by the inner layer forms a liquid storage chamber for storing cleaning medium. When the outer layer is deflated, the liquid storage chamber is in fluid communication with the first opening. This facilitates cleaning of the volute interior, the cylinder interior, and recesses, improving cleaning capabilities and enabling the cleaning object to include biomimetic features. Furthermore, the first opening (which serves as a nozzle for spraying cleaning medium) can be freely positioned, thereby expanding the cleaning range.

[0016] Furthermore, in order to facilitate fluid communication between the liquid storage chamber and the first opening, the column also penetrates the side of the outer layer close to the inner layer and forms a second opening at the penetration point, and a third opening corresponding to the second opening is opened on the wall of the inner layer, so that the liquid storage chamber is fluidically connected with the first opening through the third opening, the second opening and the interior of the column.

[0017] Furthermore, to facilitate the supply of cleaning medium to the liquid storage chamber, the fan assembly further includes a cleaning device, which includes a water pump in fluid communication with the cleaning medium source and a pipe connecting the outlet of the water pump and the liquid storage chamber fluid.

[0018] In order to further expand the cleaning range and facilitate comprehensive cleaning of the impeller, the first openings are evenly distributed on the surface of the volute tongue along the axial direction of the centrifugal fan.

[0019] Preferably, for ease of manufacturing, the column and the outer layer are integrally formed.

[0020] The technical solution adopted by the present invention to solve the second technical problem is: a range hood, characterized in that it uses the fan assembly as described above.

[0021] Compared with the prior art, the advantages of the present invention are: the shape of the volute tongue is maintained by supporting it with an inner layer of hard material, and the bionic feature of flexible material is used as the outer layer of the volute tongue facing the oil smoke, which is conducive to adapting to the pressure pulsation of the self-adaptive volute, thereby reducing the noise caused by the pressure pulsation; the pits are combined with the surface of the flexible material to form a bionic feature, which can have a better drag reduction effect, and the natural deformation of the holes in the outer layer during the process of filling and deflating can also prevent oil and dirt from condensing on the pits; the nozzle and the pit are coupled, thereby facilitating the cleaning of the inside of the volute, the inside of the column and the pit, improving the cleaning ability, so that the cleaning object can include the bionic feature, and the nozzle can be freely set, thereby expanding the cleaning range. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a range hood according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 2 A cross-sectional view of a range hood according to an embodiment of the present invention (viewed from the rear to the front, left-right cross-section);

[0024] Figure 3 A partial cross-sectional view of a fan assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 4 A cross-sectional view of the volute tongue, the air charging and discharging device, and the pipeline of a centrifugal fan according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 5 Schematic diagram of the inflation state of the perforation of the outer layer of the volute tongue and the surrounding area of the perforation according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 6 for Figure 5 sectional view of

[0028] Figure 7 Schematic diagram of the outer perforation of the volute tongue and the surrounding area of the perforation in an uninflated state according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 8 for Figure 7 sectional view of . DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] Embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below, examples of which are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals represent the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions.

[0031] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential" and the like indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Since the embodiments disclosed in the present invention can be set in different directions, these terms indicating directions are only for illustration and should not be regarded as limitations. For example, "up" and "down" are not necessarily limited to directions opposite to or consistent with the direction of gravity. In addition, features defined as "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of such features.

[0032] See also Figures 1 to 6 , a range hood, comprising a fan assembly, Figure 1 and 2 The one shown in the figure is a top-suction range hood, and the fan assembly is arranged in the fan frame 2. Alternatively, any other existing range hood in any form can also be used, such as a side-suction type, a split type, a low-suction type, etc.

[0033] The fan assembly includes a centrifugal fan 1, a cleaning device and an air charging and discharging device 4, wherein the centrifugal fan 1 includes a volute 11, an impeller 12 arranged in the volute 11 and a motor (not shown) for driving the impeller 12 to rotate.

[0034] The volute 11 includes a tongue 111, which comprises an inner layer 1111 made of a hard material and an outer layer 1112 made of a flexible material. The outer layer 1112 wraps around the outer side of the inner layer 1111 and is located on the side of the inner layer 1111 facing the interior of the volute 11. The inner layer 1111 forms the basic shape of the tongue 111. Both the inner layer 1111 and the outer layer 1112 are hollow structures, and the outer layer 1112 is fixed to the inner layer 1111 at least along the periphery of the side proximal to the inner layer 1111. The outer layer 1112 is in the form of an airbag, such as a flexible film, which can be inflated or deflated. The flexible material can adapt to pressure changes near the tongue 111. The space enclosed by the inner layer 1111 constitutes the liquid storage chamber 112.

[0035] A column 1113 is formed within the outer layer 1112. The column 1113 is hollow and preferably cylindrical. The column 1113 extends between the side of the outer layer 1112 closest to the inner layer 1111 and the side away from the inner layer 1111 (i.e., in the thickness direction). The column 1113 is also made of a flexible material and can be integrally formed with the outer layer 1112. The column 1113 penetrates the side of the outer layer 1112 away from the inner layer 1111 and forms a first opening 1114 at the penetration point. The column 1113 also penetrates the side of the outer layer 1112 closest to the inner layer 1111 and forms a second opening 1115 at the penetration point. The first opening 1114 faces the interior of the volute 11, while the second opening 1115 faces the inner layer 1111 (towards the exterior of the volute 11). The volute tongue 111 can have multiple columns 1113, so that the first opening 1114 is located at any position on the outer layer 1112 of the volute tongue 111, facing the internal flow passage of the volute 11.

[0036] A third opening 1116 corresponding to the second opening 1115 can be opened on the wall of the inner layer 1111, so that the liquid storage chamber 112 is fluidically connected to the first opening 1114 through the third opening 1116, the second opening 1115 and the interior of the column 1113. The cleaning medium entering the liquid storage chamber 112 can be sprayed into the volute 11 through the first opening 1114, such as onto the blades of the impeller 12, the inner wall of the volute 11, etc.

[0037] The fan assembly also includes a cleaning device comprising a water pump 31 and a pipe 32. The water pump 31 can be located inside the fan frame 2 and is in fluid communication with an external cleaning medium source. For example, a water tank can be located on top of the fan frame 2 to store the cleaning medium. The cleaning medium can be water, a detergent, or the like. In this embodiment, water is used as an example. The outlet of the water pump 31 is in fluid communication with the interior of the liquid storage chamber 112 via the pipe 32.

[0038] The fan assembly also includes an air charging and discharging device 4, which is connected to the internal fluid of the outer layer 1112. In this embodiment, the air charging and discharging device 4 is a device in the prior art that uses piston movement to achieve air charging and discharging. It can charge the external air outside the range hood into the interior of the outer layer 1112, and can also release the air inside the outer layer 1112 into the external air.

[0039] See also Figure 5 and Figure 6 When the volute tongue 111 is inflated, gas fills the space within the outer layer 1112 outside the column 1113. The flexible outer layer 1112 expands under the action of gas pressure, while the column 1113 is squeezed by the gas, becoming extremely small in its circumferential dimension. Consequently, a recess 1117 is formed in the outer layer 1112 in an area away from the surface of the inner layer 1111 and located outside the first opening 1114. This recess 1117 is recessed toward the inner layer 1111. This recess 1117 is a biomimetic feature, and the volute tongue 1111 thus constitutes a biomimetic structure with biomimetic features.

[0040] When the cleaning device is off and the range hood is operating normally, the air filling and deflation device 4 presses outside air into the outer layer 1112 of the volute tongue 111. Once filled with air, the shape of the volute tongue 111 can adapt to pressure changes near the volute tongue 111. At this time, even if cleaning medium is stored in the liquid storage chamber 112, it will be affected by the liquid surface tension at the column 1113 and the pressure difference between the inside and outside, and will not leak.

[0041] When the range hood is finished working, the cleaning device can be turned on, and the air filling and discharging device 4 draws out air from the volute 111. Figure 7 and Figure 8 At this time, the volute tongue 111 changes from an inflated state to an uninflated state. No longer squeezed by the gas, the aperture of the column 1113 increases. Under the action of gravitational potential energy and the pressure applied to the liquid storage chamber 112 by the water pump 31, the water in the liquid storage chamber 112 passes through the column 1113 and is ejected from the first opening 1114, cleaning the impeller 12 and the interior of the column 1113. Preferably, the columns 1113 are evenly distributed on the surface of the volute tongue 111 along the axial direction of the centrifugal fan 1, thereby achieving a wider range of cleaning effects compared to a single nozzle.

[0042] The "fluid communication" referred to in the present invention refers to the spatial position relationship between two components or parts (hereinafter collectively referred to as the first part and the second part), that is, the fluid (gas, liquid or a mixture of the two) can flow from the first part along the flow path or / and be transported to the second part. The first part and the second part can be directly connected, or the first part and the second part can be indirectly connected through at least one third party. The third party can be a fluid channel such as a pipe, channel, conduit, guide member, hole, groove, etc., or it can be a chamber allowing fluid to flow through, or a combination of the above.

Claims

1. A fan assembly, comprising a centrifugal fan (1), wherein the centrifugal fan (1) comprises a volute (11), wherein the volute (11) comprises a volute tongue (111), and wherein: The volute tongue (111) comprises an inner layer (1111) made of a hard material and an outer layer (1112) made of a flexible material, wherein the outer layer (1112) is coated on the outer side of the inner layer (1111) and is located on a side of the inner layer (1111) facing the inside of the volute (11); The outer layer (1112) is hollow and can be in an inflated state or a deflated state; A hollow flexible column (1113) is formed in the outer layer (1112), and the column (1113) extends between a side of the outer layer (1112) close to the inner layer (1111) and a side away from the inner layer (1111). The column (1113) penetrates the side of the outer layer (1112) away from the inner layer (1111) and forms a first opening (1114) at the penetration point, and the first opening (1114) faces the inside of the volute (11). When the outer layer (1112) is in an inflated state, a pit (1117) is formed in the outer layer (1112) on the side away from the inner layer (1111) and in an area outside the first opening (1114), and the pit (1117) is in a shape that is concave toward the inner layer (1111).

2. The fan assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The fan assembly further includes an inflation and deflation device (4) for inflating the outer layer (1112) so that the outer layer (1112) is in an inflated state, and for releasing the gas in the outer layer (1112) to the outside of the volute (11) so that the outer layer (1112) is in a deflated state.

3. The fan assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The space enclosed by the inner layer (1111) constitutes a liquid storage chamber (112) for storing a cleaning medium. When the outer layer (1112) is in a deflated state, the liquid storage chamber (112) is in fluid communication with the first opening (1114).

4. The fan assembly according to claim 3, characterized in that: The column (1113) also penetrates the side of the outer layer (1112) close to the inner layer (1111) and forms a second opening (1115) at the penetration point. A third opening (1116) corresponding to the second opening (1115) is opened on the wall of the inner layer (1111), so that the liquid storage chamber (112) is fluidically connected to the first opening (1114) through the third opening (1116), the second opening (1115) and the interior of the column (1113).

5. The fan assembly according to claim 3, characterized in that: The fan assembly further comprises a cleaning device comprising a water pump (31) in fluid communication with a cleaning medium source and a pipe (32) connecting the outlet of the water pump (31) and the liquid storage chamber (112) in fluid communication.

6. The fan assembly according to claim 3, characterized in that: The first openings (1114) are evenly distributed on the surface of the volute tongue (111) along the axial direction of the centrifugal fan (1).

7. The fan assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The column (1113) and the outer layer (1112) are integrally formed.

8. A range hood, characterized in that: The invention is applied to a fan assembly as described in any one of claims 1 to 7.

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