Blower for a vehicle cooling fan module

Abstract

The utility model relates to a shroud of a vehicle cooling fan module. The shroud includes a shroud frame, a plurality of support ribs and a central hollow portion, each support rib extending from an outer periphery of the shroud frame to the central hollow portion. According to the utility model, the fan shroud is not constructed into a panel structure, but the fan shroud frame and the supporting ribs are constructed into a hollow structure which limits a hollow area, and the fan shroud comprises the skin which is attached to the fan shroud frame and the supporting ribs and covers the hollow area. The wind protection ring can reduce the noise of the cooling fan module, and can reduce the weight of the cooling fan module.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the field of vehicles, in particular to a cooling fan module. The utility model also relates to a wind shielding ring of the cooling fan module. Background Art

[0002] The cooling fan module is an important component in the vehicle cooling fan system, which generally includes a motor, a fan and a wind shield. The wind shield is usually constructed as a panel structure, and its main function is to support the fan and the motor, and form a closed area with the condensed gas and the radiator in the system to improve the cooling effect. In addition, in order to ensure sufficient support strength, a number of support ribs are also set on the wind shield panel.

[0003] When working, the fan blades rotate to deliver air to the radiator in the system, taking away the heat in the radiator and ensuring that the system works at a normal temperature. Specifically, the air flows slowly, evenly and straightly upstream of the cooling fan, and after passing through the cooling fan, the air flow speed increases and the airflow rotates.

[0004] When the cooling fan module makes the air flow, the airflow is disturbed, thereby generating aerodynamic noise. In particular, in the existing cooling fan module, the support ribs on the wind shield panel are mostly designed from the perspective of satisfying structural rigidity and support strength, and are generally arranged on the downstream side of the cooling fan. After passing through the cooling fan, the air will form a swirl and generate dynamic and static interference noise with the support ribs on the wind shield panel, which reduces the efficiency of the cooling fan system and generates greater noise.

[0005] Moreover, during operation, the force and vibration generated by the airflow impact and the vibration of the motor and the fan are transmitted to the wind shield panel. This causes the wind shield panel to vibrate, and the vibration is then transmitted to the surrounding air, further generating noise.

[0006] In addition, the wind shield is made of plastic injection molding, and the support ribs and the wind shield panel are integrated and cannot be separated. The injection molding process determines that the wind shield panel must have a certain thickness, which limits the weight reduction of the wind shield by reducing the thickness of the wind shield panel, thereby making the cooling fan module heavier.

[0007] Figure 3A-3B An example of an air shield of an existing cooling fan module is shown. As shown in the figure, the air shield 1' includes an air shield panel 10', a plurality of support ribs 20' arranged on the air shield panel, and a central hollow portion 30', the hollow portion including an inner ring 31', an outer ring 32' and a plurality of guide vanes 33' connecting the inner and outer rings. The inner ring is used to fix the motor, and the guide vanes are used to rectify the air passing through the fan to reduce noise. Each support rib extends from the outer periphery of the air shield panel to the outer ring.

[0008] like Figure 3B As shown, relative to the airflow F', the support ribs 20' are arranged on the downstream side of the wind shield panel 10', while no support ribs are arranged on the upstream side of the wind shield panel 10', and at the outer peripheral corner of the wind shield panel, the angle between the support ribs and the wind shield panel 10' is 90 degrees, or approximately 90 degrees, which results in that when the cooling fan module is working, the support ribs in the flow field will cause the airflow to generate more turbulence, which distorts the airflow and affects the performance of the cooling fan module. Summary of the invention

[0009] The purpose of the present invention is to eliminate or at least alleviate at least some of the above disadvantages, namely, to reduce the noise and weight of the cooling fan module.

[0010] According to the utility model, a wind shield for a cooling fan module is provided, comprising a wind shield frame, a plurality of support ribs and a central hollow portion, wherein each support rib extends from the outer periphery of the wind shield frame to the central hollow portion. According to the utility model, the wind shield is not configured as a panel structure, but the wind shield frame and the support ribs are configured as a hollow structure, which defines a hollow area, and the wind shield includes a skin, which is attached to the wind shield frame and the support ribs and covers the hollow area, ensuring that air can pass through the fan correctly without airflow leakage.

[0011] Since the skin structure is adopted instead of the panel structure, the skin can reduce the force and vibration generated by the impact of the airflow and the vibration of the motor and the fan transmitted to the surrounding air, thereby reducing the noise of the cooling fan module. Moreover, the thickness of the skin can be set to be significantly smaller than the thickness of the wind shield frame, so the weight of the wind shield and thus the cooling fan module can be reduced.

[0012] According to the embodiment, the support ribs are arranged on the upstream side of the wind shield relative to the airflow. Compared with the support ribs arranged on the downstream side of the wind shield, the support ribs arranged on the upstream side can not only ensure the structural rigidity and support strength of the wind shield, but also guide and rectify the airflow, especially in the case of uneven airflow, make the airflow uniform, thereby improving the performance of the cooling fan module. In addition, the support ribs originally on the downstream side are prevented from causing more turbulence in the airflow in the flow field, thereby generating noise.

[0013] According to an embodiment, the wind shield includes at least four supporting ribs, for example, 8 or 11 supporting ribs.

[0014] According to an embodiment, the wind shield frame is provided with mounting portions for fixing to the vehicle, and a supporting rib is provided at least at each mounting portion.

[0015] In addition to the skin, the wind shield is formed by integral injection molding, and the material is, for example, nylon (PA) or polypropylene (PP). During manufacturing, the rest of the wind shield is first injection molded, and then the skin is fixed to the wind shield frame and support ribs to cover the wind shield (except for the hollow part), thereby forming a closed area to ensure that the cooling airflow does not leak through the skin.

[0016] According to an embodiment, the skin is attached to the support ribs on the downstream side of the support ribs relative to the airflow. According to another embodiment, the skin is attached to the support ribs on both the upstream side and the downstream side of the support ribs relative to the airflow, that is, two layers of skin are provided, and the support ribs are located between the two layers of skin.

[0017] Preferably, at the corners of the wind shield frame, the skin is attached to the wind shield frame on the upstream side of the wind shield frame relative to the airflow, so that a smooth transition is formed between the skin and the wind shield frame and the attachment to the support ribs. With this arrangement, compared with the previous 90 degree angle, the airflow distortion is reduced, thereby improving the efficiency of the cooling fan module and reducing noise.

[0018] According to an embodiment, the skin material may be biaxially oriented polypropylene film (BOPP), low density polyethylene film (LDPE), polyester film (PET), nylon film (PA) or cast polypropylene film (CPP). For PA injection molded windshield frame, the preferred material is nylon film (PA). For PP injection molded windshield frame, the preferred material is biaxially oriented polypropylene film (BOPP). The thickness may be 30-500 μm, for example 50-500 μm.

[0019] According to an embodiment, the central hollow portion comprises an inner ring, an outer ring and a plurality of guide vanes connecting the inner and outer rings, for example 4 guide vanes.

[0020] The utility model also provides a cooling fan module, which comprises a fan, a motor and the above-mentioned wind protection ring.

[0021] The adoption of the wind protection ring of the utility model not only reduces the noise of the cooling fan module, but also reduces the weight of the cooling fan module. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] The embodiments of the present invention will be explained in more detail in the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0023] Figure 1A It is a schematic diagram of the upstream side of the wind protection ring of an embodiment of the utility model;

[0024] Figure 1B is along Figure 1A A cross-sectional view taken along line AA;

[0025] Figure 1C yes Figure 1AA schematic diagram of the downstream side of the wind shield;

[0026] Figure 2A It is a schematic diagram of the upstream side of the wind protection ring of another embodiment of the utility model;

[0027] Figure 2B is along Figure 2A A cross-sectional view taken along line AA;

[0028] Figure 2C yes Figure 2A A schematic diagram of the downstream side of the wind shield;

[0029] Figure 3A is a schematic diagram of the downstream side of the wind shield of the prior art; and

[0030] Figure 3B is along Figure 3A A cross-sectional view taken along line AA.

[0031] In the accompanying drawings, for the sake of clarity, the embodiments of the present utility model are shown in a simplified manner. The accompanying drawings are not necessarily shown to scale. Like reference numerals in the accompanying drawings represent similar components. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] Refer to the following Figure 1A-Figure 2C The embodiments of the present invention are described.

[0033] For ease of description, directional terms such as "upstream" and "downstream" are used below, which refer to the direction relative to the airflow, for example: the upstream side refers to the side facing the airflow, and the downstream side refers to the side facing away from the airflow.

[0034] Figures 1A-1C The wind shield 1 according to one embodiment is shown, through which the airflow F can pass, and rotated in the direction R by a fan (not shown). The wind shield 1 comprises a wind shield frame 10, 11 support ribs 20 and a central hollow portion 30, and a skin 40, wherein each support rib extends from the outer periphery of the wind shield frame 10 to the central hollow portion 30. Figure 1A As shown, the wind shield frame 10 and the support ribs 20 are configured as a hollow structure, which defines a hollow area, and the skin 40 is attached to the wind shield frame 10 and the support ribs 20 and covers the hollow area (see Figure 1B ) to ensure that there is no air leakage. Figure 1CAs shown, the central hollow part 30 includes an inner ring 31, an outer ring 32 and four guide vanes 33 connecting the inner and outer rings. In addition, the wind shield frame 10 is provided with mounting parts 50 (two on each side) for fixing to the vehicle. In this example, a support rib 20 is provided at each of the three mounting parts 50, a support rib 20 is provided at each of the four corners of the wind shield frame 10, and a support rib 20 is provided at each of the middle of the left and right upper and lower sides, for a total of 11 support ribs 20.

[0035] See also Figure 1B Relative to the airflow F, the support rib 20 is arranged on the upstream side of the wind shield 1, and the skin 40 is attached to the support rib 20 on the downstream side of the support rib 20, and at the corners of the wind shield frame 10, the skin 40 is attached to the wind shield frame 10 on the upstream side of the wind shield frame 10, so that at the corners, a smooth transition is formed between the skin 40 and the wind shield frame 10 and the attachment to the support rib 20.

[0036] In addition to the skin 40, the wind shield 1 is integrally formed by injection molding, and the material is nylon (PA) or polypropylene (PP). The skin material can be biaxially oriented polypropylene film (BOPP), low-density polyethylene film (LDPE), polyester film (PET), nylon film (PA) or cast polypropylene film (CPP). For the PA injection-molded wind shield frame, the preferred material is nylon film (PA). For the PP injection-molded wind shield frame, the preferred material is biaxially oriented polypropylene film (BOPP). The thickness can be 30-500 μm, for example, 50-500 μm.

[0037] Figure 2A-2C A wind shield 100 according to another embodiment is shown, through which airflow F can pass and be rotated in a direction R by a fan (not shown). The wind shield 100 includes a wind shield frame 110, eight support ribs 120, a central hollow portion 130, and a skin 140, wherein each support rib 120 extends from the outer periphery of the wind shield frame 110 to the central hollow portion 130. Figure 2A As shown, the wind shield frame 110 and the support ribs 120 are configured as a hollow structure, which defines a hollow area, and the skin 140 is attached to the wind shield frame 110 and the support ribs 120 and covers the hollow area (see Figure 2B ) to ensure that there is no air leakage. Figure 2C As shown, the central hollow part 130 includes an inner ring 131, an outer ring 132 and four guide vanes 133 connecting the inner and outer rings. In addition, the wind shield frame 110 is provided with mounting parts 150 (two on each side) for fixing to the vehicle. In this example, a support rib 120 is provided at each of the four mounting parts 150, and a support rib 20 is provided at the middle of the left and right upper and lower sides, for a total of eight support ribs 120.

[0038] This embodiment and Figures 1A-1C The difference between the embodiment of the present invention and the embodiment of the present invention is that the skin 140 is attached to the support rib 140 on both the upstream side and the downstream side of the support rib 120, that is, two layers of skin 140 are provided, and the support rib 120 is located between the two layers of skin 140. Similarly, at the corners of the wind shield frame 110, the two layers of skin 140 are attached to the wind shield frame 110 on the upstream side of the wind shield frame 110, so that at the corners, a smooth transition is formed between the attachment of the skin 140 to the wind shield frame 110 and the support rib 120.

[0039] In some cases, the features disclosed in the present invention may be used independently of other features. On the other hand, when necessary, the features disclosed in the present invention may be combined to provide various combinations.

[0040] The words and expressions used in the present invention are illustrative rather than restrictive, and therefore the use of these words and expressions is not intended to exclude any equivalent examples of the features illustrated and described from the scope of the present invention. Various modifications, variations and alternatives may exist within the scope of the claims. The claims are intended to cover all such equivalent examples.

Claims

1. A wind shield of a vehicle cooling fan module, comprising a wind shield frame, a plurality of support ribs and a central hollow portion, wherein each support rib extends from the outer periphery of the wind shield frame to the central hollow portion, characterized in that: The wind shield frame and the supporting ribs are constructed into a hollow structure, which defines a hollow area, and the wind shield includes a skin, which is attached to the wind shield frame and the supporting ribs and covers the hollow area.

2. The wind shield according to claim 1, characterized in that: The supporting ribs are arranged on the upstream side of the wind protection ring.

3. The wind shield according to claim 2, characterized in that: The wind shield includes at least four supporting ribs.

4. The wind shield according to claim 3, characterized in that: The wind shield frame is provided with mounting parts, and supporting ribs are provided at least at each mounting part.

5. The wind shield according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: Apart from the skin, the wind shield is constructed as a one-piece injection-molded component.

6. The wind shield according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The skin is attached to the support ribs on the downstream side of the support ribs.

7. The wind shield according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The skin is attached to the supporting ribs on both the upstream and downstream sides of the supporting ribs, that is, two layers of skin are provided, and the supporting ribs are located between the two layers of skin.

8. The wind shield according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: At the corners of the wind shield frame, the skin is attached to the wind shield frame on the upstream side of the wind shield frame so that a smooth transition is formed between the attachment of the skin to the wind shield frame and to the supporting ribs.

9. The wind shield according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The skin thickness is 30-500μm.

10. The wind shield according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The central hollow part includes an inner ring, an outer ring and a plurality of guide vanes connecting the inner and outer rings.

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