Fan and robotic vacuum cleaner
By setting the upper and lower casings of the fan to a spiral structure, the problem of uneven internal pressure of the fan is solved, a more efficient airflow channel design is achieved, the efficiency of the fan is improved and energy consumption is reduced.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- NIDEC CORP(JP)
- Filing Date
- 2025-01-07
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-07
Smart Images
Figure CN122345115A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This application relates to the field of electromechanical engineering, and in particular to a fan and a sweeping robot. Background Technology
[0002] The blower used in a sweeping robot has a housing, which includes an upper housing and a lower housing. Existing blowers only have a spiral-shaped gradient structure in the lower housing, and the lower housing only has a spiral-shaped gradient structure in the axial direction. It does not have a clear spiral-shaped gradient structure in the circumferential direction. That is, the blower shell is basically a regular circle.
[0003] It should be noted that the above introduction to the technical background is only for the purpose of providing a clear and complete explanation of the technical solutions of this application and facilitating understanding by those skilled in the art. It should not be assumed that these technical solutions are known to those skilled in the art simply because they have been described in the background section of this application. Summary of the Invention
[0004] The inventors discovered that because only the lower casing has a spiral-shaped gradient structure while the upper casing does not, the fluid space below the impeller is larger, while the fluid space above the impeller is smaller. This results in uneven pressure inside the fan casing, which easily leads to eddy current losses, resulting in low fan efficiency and high energy consumption.
[0005] To address one or more of the aforementioned problems or other similar issues, embodiments of this application provide a fan in which both the upper and lower casings are configured as spiral structures. The cavity formed by the upper and lower casings extends spirally along the rotation direction and axial direction of the impeller, thereby continuously changing the cross-sectional area of the cavity along the spiral extension direction. This reduces the internal resistance of the fan, improves the efficiency and performance of the fan, and reduces the energy consumption of the fan.
[0006] According to one aspect of the embodiments of this application, a fan is provided, the fan comprising:
[0007] A housing, comprising an upper housing and a lower housing, wherein the upper housing is connected to the lower housing and forms a cavity;
[0008] An impeller, which is housed within the cavity; and
[0009] An electric motor drives the impeller to rotate.
[0010] The cavity formed by the upper housing and the lower housing extends spirally along the rotation direction and axial direction of the impeller. The cross-sectional area of the cavity changes continuously along the spiral extension direction, and the cross-section is perpendicular to the spiral extension direction.
[0011] In one or more embodiments, the upper housing includes a first wall portion, an air inlet, and a first notch, the air inlet being located on one axial side of the first wall portion, and the first notch being located at one end of the first wall portion.
[0012] The lower housing includes a second wall portion and a second notch, the second notch being located at one end of the second wall portion.
[0013] The first gap and the second gap form an air outlet.
[0014] The cavity is formed by the first wall portion and the second wall portion being axially opposed to each other, and the first wall portion and the second wall portion extend spirally along the rotation direction of the impeller and the axial direction.
[0015] In one or more embodiments, an airflow channel is formed within the cavity from the air inlet to the air outlet, and the cross-sectional area of the cavity gradually increases along the airflow direction.
[0016] In one or more embodiments, the upper axial end of the air inlet has an axial height difference with at least one of the first wall portion at the starting point of the spiral extension and the first wall portion at the ending point of the spiral extension.
[0017] In one or more embodiments, the first wall portion at the starting point of the spiral extension and the first wall portion at the ending point of the spiral extension have a first included angle, and the second wall portion at the starting point of the spiral extension and the second wall portion at the ending point of the spiral extension have a second included angle.
[0018] The range of the first included angle and the second included angle is 5° to 20°.
[0019] In one or more embodiments, the impeller includes an opening that opens radially outward, the opening having a centerline located at an intermediate position in the axial direction, and at least one section of the cavity in a direction parallel to the axial direction having a centerline in the axial direction that coincides with the centerline of the opening.
[0020] In one or more embodiments, the maximum width of the cross-section of the cavity in the direction perpendicular to the axial direction is 3 to 6 times the minimum width.
[0021] In one or more embodiments, the outer periphery of the air inlet is provided with a plurality of reinforcing ribs.
[0022] In one or more embodiments, the plurality of reinforcing ribs extend from the radially inner side to the radially outer side.
[0023] In one or more embodiments, the plurality of reinforcing ribs are arranged at circumferential intervals.
[0024] In one or more embodiments, the reinforcing ribs are made of a metallic material.
[0025] According to another aspect of the embodiments of this application, a sweeping robot is provided, the sweeping robot including the above-described fan.
[0026] One of the beneficial effects of this application embodiment is that the upper and lower housings of the fan are both set as spiral structures, and the cavity formed by the upper and lower housings of the fan extends spirally along the rotation direction of the impeller and the axial direction, so that the cross-sectional area of the cavity changes continuously along the spiral extension direction, thereby reducing the internal resistance of the fan, improving the efficiency and performance of the fan, and reducing the energy consumption of the fan.
[0027] Embodiments of this application are disclosed in detail with reference to the following description and accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the scope of embodiments of this application is not limited thereto. Within the spirit and scope of the appended claims, embodiments of this application include many changes, modifications, and equivalents.
[0028] Features described and / or illustrated for one embodiment may be used in the same or similar manner in one or more other embodiments, combined with features in other embodiments, or substituted for features in other embodiments. Attached Figure Description
[0029] The accompanying drawings, which form part of the specification, are used to provide a further understanding of the embodiments of this application and illustrate the implementation methods of this application, together with the textual description, to explain the principles of this application. Obviously, the drawings described below are merely some embodiments of this application, and those skilled in the art can obtain other drawings based on these drawings without creative effort.
[0030] In the picture:
[0031] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a fan according to an embodiment of this application;
[0032] Figure 2 This is another schematic diagram of the fan according to an embodiment of this application;
[0033] Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional view of the fan along the axial direction according to an embodiment of this application;
[0034] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the upper casing of a fan according to an embodiment of this application;
[0035] Figure 5 This is a top view of a fan according to an embodiment of this application;
[0036] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the lower casing of a fan according to an embodiment of this application;
[0037] Figure 7 This is a bottom view of a fan according to an embodiment of this application;
[0038] Figure 8 This is a side view of a fan according to an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation
[0039] Referring to the accompanying drawings, the foregoing and other features of this application will become apparent from the following description. Specific embodiments of this application are specifically disclosed in the description and drawings, illustrating partial implementations in which the principles of this application may be employed. It should be understood that this application is not limited to the described embodiments; rather, it includes all modifications, variations, and equivalents falling within the scope of the appended claims.
[0040] In embodiments of this application, the term "and / or" includes any one and all combinations of one or more of the terms listed in association. The terms "comprising," "including," "having," etc., refer to the presence of the stated features, elements, components, or assemblies, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, elements, components, or assemblies.
[0041] In the embodiments of this application, the singular forms "a," "the," etc., may include the plural forms and should be broadly interpreted as "a kind" or "a class" rather than limited to the meaning of "an." Furthermore, the term "the" should be understood to include both the singular and plural forms unless the context explicitly indicates otherwise. Additionally, the term "according to" should be understood as "at least partially based on…," and the term "based on" should be understood as "at least partially based on…," unless the context explicitly indicates otherwise.
[0042] Furthermore, in the following description of this application, for ease of explanation, the direction extending along or parallel to the central axis OO' of the fan impeller's rotation axis or the fan motor's rotation axis is referred to as "axial direction"; the radial direction centered on the central axis OO' is referred to as "radial direction"; the direction around the central axis OO' is referred to as "circumferential direction"; the side away from the central axis OO' along the radial direction is referred to as "radial outer side"; and the side closer to the central axis OO' along the radial direction is referred to as "radial inner side". However, it is worth noting that these are merely for ease of explanation and do not limit the orientation of the fan during use and manufacturing.
[0043] The embodiments of this application will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[0044] This application provides a fan.
[0045] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a fan according to an embodiment of this application. Figure 2 This is another schematic diagram of a fan according to an embodiment of this application. Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional view of the fan along the axial direction according to an embodiment of this application.
[0046] like Figures 1 to 3 As shown, the fan 100 includes a housing 10, an impeller 20, and a motor 30. The housing 10 includes an upper housing 11 and a lower housing 12, which are connected to form a cavity. The impeller 20 is housed inside the cavity. The motor 30 drives the impeller 20 to rotate. The cavity formed by the upper housing 11 and the lower housing 12 extends spirally along the rotation direction and axial direction of the impeller 20. The cross-sectional area of the cavity changes continuously along the spiral extension direction, and the cross-section of the cavity is perpendicular to the spiral extension direction of the cavity.
[0047] According to the above embodiment, the upper and lower casings of the fan are both set as spiral structures, and the cavity formed by the upper and lower casings of the fan extends spirally along the rotation direction and axial direction of the impeller. As a result, the cross-sectional area of the cavity changes continuously along the spiral extension direction, thereby reducing the internal resistance of the fan, improving the efficiency and performance of the fan, and reducing the energy consumption of the fan.
[0048] For example, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the housing 10 is volute-shaped, with the upper housing 11 and lower housing 12 axially opposed to each other and connected by a snap-fit 13 to form a cavity. The upper housing 11 and lower housing 12 can also be connected in other ways, which this application does not limit. The impeller 20 is housed within the cavity formed by the upper housing 11 and lower housing 12. The motor 30 is located axially below the impeller 20, and at least a portion of the motor 30 is housed within the cavity formed by the upper housing 11 and lower housing 12. The impeller 20 includes multiple blades 21, which rotate around a rotation axis under the drive of the motor 30. The motor 30 is fixed to the lower housing 12.
[0049] For example, along the spiral extension direction of the cavity, the cross-sectional area of the cavity gradually increases. Furthermore, the spiral extension direction of the cavity has components both axially and perpendicular to the axial direction. Therefore, the cross-sectional area of the cavity also gradually changes axially and perpendicularly (e.g., circumferentially or radially). For example, viewed axially, the spiral extension direction of the cavity is counterclockwise, as... Figure 3 As shown, the cross-sectional area S1 at the starting point of the spiral extension of the cavity is less than the cross-sectional area S2 at the middle position of the spiral extension.
[0050] In some embodiments, the maximum width of the cavity cross section in the direction perpendicular to the axial direction is 3 to 6 times the minimum width.
[0051] This results in a better cavity structure, further reducing the resistance inside the cavity, improving the efficiency and performance of the fan, and reducing the energy consumption of the fan.
[0052] For example, the cross-section of the cavity is in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction (e.g. Figure 3 The maximum width in the horizontal direction is w1, which is the width of the cross-sectional area of the cavity at the end of the spiral extension in the direction perpendicular to the axis. The minimum width of the cross-section of the cavity in the direction perpendicular to the axis is w2, which is the width of the cross-sectional area of the cavity at the beginning of the spiral extension in the direction perpendicular to the axis. w1 is 3 to 6 times w2.
[0053] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the upper housing 11 of the fan 100 according to an embodiment of this application. Figure 5 This is a top view of the fan 100 according to an embodiment of this application. Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the lower housing 12 of the fan 100 according to an embodiment of this application. Figure 7 This is a bottom view of the fan 100 according to an embodiment of this application. Figure 8 This is a side view of the fan 100 according to an embodiment of this application.
[0054] In some embodiments, such as Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the upper housing 11 includes a first wall portion 111, an air inlet 112, and a first notch 113. The air inlet 112 is located on one axial side of the first wall portion 111, and the first notch 113 is located at one end of the first wall portion 111. Figure 6 and Figure 7 As shown, the lower housing 12 includes a second wall portion 121 and a second notch 122, the second notch 122 being located at one end of the second wall portion 121. The first notch 113 and the second notch 122 form an air outlet 40. Figure 8 As shown, the first wall portion 111 and the second wall portion 121 are axially opposed to form a cavity, and the first wall portion 111 and the second wall portion 121 extend spirally along the rotation direction and axial direction of the impeller 20.
[0055] In some embodiments, an airflow channel is formed in the cavity from the air inlet 112 to the air outlet 40, and the cross-sectional area of the cavity gradually increases along the airflow direction.
[0056] Therefore, by gradually increasing the cross-sectional area of the cavity, the airflow can be smoothly diffused, airflow disturbance can be reduced, the resistance inside the cavity can be further reduced, the efficiency and performance of the fan can be improved, and the energy consumption of the fan can be reduced.
[0057] For example, airflow enters the cavity from the air inlet 112 and flows out from the air outlet 40. Therefore, the airflow channel and the cavity have the same shape, both extending in a spiral shape. Thus, the direction of airflow is the direction of the spiral extension of the cavity, and the cross-sectional area of the cavity gradually increases along the direction of airflow.
[0058] In some embodiments, such as Figure 8 As shown, the upper axial end of the air inlet 112 has an axial height difference with at least one of the first wall portion at the starting point A of the spiral extension and the first wall portion at the ending point B of the spiral extension.
[0059] This allows for flexible adjustment of the air inlet height, thereby enhancing the flexibility and adaptability of the fan structure.
[0060] For example, such as Figure 8 As shown, A is the starting point of the spiral extension, and B is the ending point of the spiral extension (i.e., the air outlet). The height of the first wall portion of the upper housing 11 at A is H1, the height of the first wall portion at B is H2, and the height of the upper axial end of the air inlet 112 is H3. H3 has a height difference from at least one of H1 and H2, such as... Figure 8 As shown, H3 has a height difference from H1 and H2, but this application is not limited to this.
[0061] In some embodiments, such as Figure 8 As shown, the first wall portion at the starting point A of the spiral extension has a first included angle i1 with the first wall portion at the ending point B of the spiral extension, and the second wall portion at the starting point C of the spiral extension has a second included angle i2 with the second wall portion at the ending point D of the spiral extension. The range of the first included angle i1 and the second included angle i2 is 5° to 20°.
[0062] Therefore, by setting the angle between the walls of the upper and lower shells at the starting and ending points, a better cavity structure can be achieved, further reducing the resistance inside the cavity, improving the efficiency and performance of the fan, and reducing the energy consumption of the fan.
[0063] For example, the first angle i1 between the first wall portion at the starting point A of the spiral extension and the first wall portion at the ending point B of the spiral extension can be the angle between the tangent direction of the first wall portion at A and the tangent direction of the first wall portion at B, and the second angle i2 between the second wall portion at the starting point C of the spiral extension and the second wall portion at the ending point D of the spiral extension can be the angle between the tangent direction of the second wall portion at C and the tangent direction of the second wall portion at D.
[0064] For example, at the end point B of the spiral extension, the first wall portion is located at the air outlet 40. The axial upper surface of the first wall portion at the air outlet 40 is approximately horizontal. Therefore, the first angle i1 between the first wall portion at the starting point A of the spiral extension and the first wall portion at the end point B of the spiral extension is approximately equal to the angle between the first wall portion at the starting point A of the spiral extension and the horizontal plane. Similarly, at the end point D of the spiral extension, the second wall portion is located at the air outlet 40. The axial lower surface of the second wall portion at the air outlet 40 is approximately horizontal. Therefore, the second angle i2 between the second wall portion at the starting point C of the spiral extension and the second wall portion at the end point D of the spiral extension is approximately equal to the angle between the second wall portion at the starting point C of the spiral extension and the horizontal plane.
[0065] In the embodiments of this application, the first included angle i1 and the second included angle i2 may be the same or different. The embodiments of this application do not impose any restrictions on this.
[0066] In some embodiments, such as Figure 3 As shown, the impeller 20 also includes an opening 22. The opening 22 is located radially outward of the blade 21 and opens radially outward. The opening 22 has a centerline located at a central position in the axial direction, and the centerline of at least one section of the cavity in a direction parallel to the axial direction coincides with the centerline of the opening 22.
[0067] This results in more uniform pressure inside the cavity, reduces eddy current losses, increases fluid discharge speed, further improves the efficiency and performance of the fan, and reduces the fan's energy consumption.
[0068] For example, the cavity has multiple cross-sections in a direction parallel to the axial direction, and the centerline of at least one of these cross-sections coincides with the centerline of the opening 22 in the axial direction. Alternatively, the centerline of at least one of the aforementioned cross-sections is at the same axial height as the centerline of the opening 22. Another example is that the axial height difference between the centerline of at least one of the aforementioned cross-sections and the centerline of the opening 22 is less than a first threshold. Yet another example is that the coincidence of the centerline of at least one of the aforementioned cross-sections with the centerline of the opening 22 can be achieved by symmetrically configuring the walls of the upper housing 11 and the lower housing 12.
[0069] In some embodiments, such as Figure 1 , Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, a plurality of reinforcing ribs 114 are provided on the outer periphery of the air inlet 112. The plurality of reinforcing ribs 114 extend from the radial inner side to the radial outer side, and the plurality of reinforcing ribs 114 are arranged at intervals along the circumferential direction, for example, the plurality of reinforcing ribs 114 are arranged at equal intervals along the circumferential direction.
[0070] This enhances the structural strength of the upper casing, prevents deformation of the casing during operation, and ensures the stability of the fan operation and its service life.
[0071] In some embodiments, the plurality of reinforcing ribs 114 are made of a metallic material.
[0072] This facilitates heat dissipation from the fan and further improves heat dissipation performance.
[0073] The wind turbines of this application have been described above from different perspectives through different embodiments. These embodiments can be combined arbitrarily, and further details are omitted here. Furthermore, the above descriptions are merely illustrative, and the application is not limited thereto; appropriate modifications can be made based on the above embodiments.
[0074] According to the above embodiment, the upper and lower casings of the fan are both configured as spiral structures. The cavity formed by the upper and lower casings of the fan extends spirally along the rotation direction and axial direction of the impeller, so that the cross-sectional area of the cavity changes continuously along the spiral extension direction, thereby reducing the internal resistance of the fan, improving the efficiency and performance of the fan, and reducing the energy consumption of the fan.
[0075] This application also provides a robotic vacuum cleaner, which includes the aforementioned fan. For other structures of the robotic vacuum cleaner, please refer to related technologies, which will not be elaborated here.
[0076] It is worth noting that the above description is merely illustrative, but the application is not limited thereto, and appropriate modifications can be made based on the above embodiments. Furthermore, the above description is merely illustrative of the various components, but the application is not limited thereto, and the specific content of each component can be found in related technologies; additionally, components not shown in the figures can be added, or one or more components in the figures can be removed.
[0077] The present application has been described above with reference to specific embodiments. However, those skilled in the art should understand that these descriptions are exemplary and not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present application. Those skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations to the present application based on its principles, and these modifications and variations are also within the scope of the present application.
[0078] Preferred embodiments of this application have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings. Many features and advantages of these embodiments are apparent from this detailed description, and therefore the appended claims are intended to cover all such features and advantages of these embodiments that fall within their true spirit and scope. Furthermore, since many modifications and alterations will readily occur to those skilled in the art, the embodiments of this application are not intended to be limited to the precise structures and operations illustrated and described, but rather to encompass all suitable modifications and equivalents falling within their scope.
Claims
1. A fan, characterized in that, The fan includes: A housing, comprising an upper housing and a lower housing, wherein the upper housing is connected to the lower housing and forms a cavity; An impeller, which is housed within the cavity; and An electric motor drives the impeller to rotate. The cavity formed by the upper housing and the lower housing extends spirally along the rotation direction and axial direction of the impeller. The cross-sectional area of the cavity changes continuously along the spiral extension direction, and the cross-section is perpendicular to the spiral extension direction.
2. The fan according to claim 1, characterized in that, The upper housing includes a first wall, an air inlet, and a first notch. The air inlet is located on one axial side of the first wall, and the first notch is located at one end of the first wall. The lower housing includes a second wall portion and a second notch, the second notch being located at one end of the second wall portion. The first gap and the second gap form an air outlet. The cavity is formed by the first wall portion and the second wall portion being axially opposed to each other, and the first wall portion and the second wall portion extend spirally along the rotation direction of the impeller and the axial direction.
3. The fan according to claim 2, characterized in that, An airflow channel is formed within the cavity, flowing from the air inlet to the air outlet, and the cross-sectional area of the cavity gradually increases along the direction of airflow.
4. The fan according to claim 2, characterized in that, The upper axial end of the air inlet has an axial height difference with at least one of the first wall portion at the starting point of the spiral extension and the first wall portion at the ending point of the spiral extension.
5. The fan according to claim 2, characterized in that, The first wall portion at the starting point of the spiral extension and the first wall portion at the ending point of the spiral extension have a first included angle, and the second wall portion at the starting point of the spiral extension and the second wall portion at the ending point of the spiral extension have a second included angle. The range of the first included angle and the second included angle is 5° to 20°.
6. The fan according to claim 1, characterized in that, The impeller includes an opening that opens radially outward, the opening having a centerline located at a central position along the axial direction. At least one section of the cavity in a direction parallel to the axial direction has its centerline coinciding with the centerline of the opening.
7. The fan according to claim 1 or 3, characterized in that, The maximum width of the cross-section of the cavity in the direction perpendicular to the axial direction is 3 to 6 times the minimum width.
8. The fan according to claim 2, characterized in that, The air inlet is provided with multiple reinforcing ribs on its outer periphery.
9. The fan according to claim 8, characterized in that, The plurality of reinforcing ribs extend from the radially inner side to the radially outer side.
10. The fan according to claim 8, characterized in that, The plurality of reinforcing ribs are arranged at intervals along the circumference.
11. The fan according to any one of claims 8-10, characterized in that, The reinforcing ribs are made of metallic material.
12. A sweeping robot, characterized in that, The sweeping robot includes the fan described in any one of claims 1-11.