Volute assembly, fan assembly and water heater

Abstract

The utility model discloses a volute assembly, a fan assembly and a water heater, and relates to the technical field of water heaters, the volute assembly comprises a volute main body, a cover plate and an insert, and the volute main body is provided with a mounting port; the cover plate is used for covering the mounting opening; the insert and the cover plate are integrally formed, and the insert and the volute body are connected in a welded mode or bonded. According to the technical scheme, the volute body and the cover plate are connected through the insert, the insert and the cover plate are integrally formed, and the insert and the volute body are connected in a welded mode or bonded. Therefore, any one of the volute main body, the cover plate and the insert is not provided with a connecting hole, the problem of stress concentration caused by the fact that screw holes are formed in the volute main body and the cover plate is avoided, and the problem that in the direct connecting and welding process of the volute main body and the cover plate, the screw holes are not formed in the volute main body and the cover plate is avoided. And the material in the heat affected zone may have microstructure change to cause performance reduction.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of water heaters, in particular to a volute component, a fan component and a water heater. Background Art

[0002] In the related prior art, the volute includes a volute body and a cover plate, and the volute body and the cover plate are usually connected by screws or directly welded. However, in the scheme where the volute body and the cover plate are connected by screws, the material around the screw holes opened on the volute body and the cover plate is subjected to large local stress, which may lead to stress concentration, increase the risk of material fatigue and damage, and cause the risk of the connection between the volute body and the cover plate being unstable. In the scheme where the volute body and the cover plate are directly connected by welding, the material in the heat-affected zone may undergo microstructural changes during welding, resulting in performance degradation, such as reduced toughness or increased hardness. Since the cover plate is usually also used to install components of the impeller and the motor, the above-mentioned subtle changes may make the connection between the volute body and the cover plate a weak link in the structure, thereby causing the problem of poor stability of the connection structure between the cover plate and the volute body. Utility Model Content

[0003] The main purpose of the utility model is to provide a volute assembly, a fan assembly and a water heater, aiming to improve the stability of the structure of the connection between the volute body and the cover plate.

[0004] In order to achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the utility model provides a volute assembly, which comprises:

[0005] A volute body having a mounting opening;

[0006] a cover plate, used for covering the installation opening; and

[0007] The insert is integrally formed with the cover plate, and the insert is welded or bonded to the volute body.

[0008] In one embodiment, the material of the volute body is different from that of the cover plate, and the material of the insert is the same as that of the volute body.

[0009] In one embodiment, the volute body has a first fitting surface that fits with the insert and the cover plate;

[0010] The volute body is provided with a welding portion on the first fitting surface, and the insert is provided with a welding groove adapted to be installed with the welding portion; or, the volute body is provided with a welding groove on the first fitting surface, and the insert is provided with a welding portion adapted to be installed with the welding groove.

[0011] In one embodiment, there are multiple welding grooves, and the multiple welding grooves are arranged side by side.

[0012] In one embodiment, the insert is arranged in a ring shape and surrounds the cover plate.

[0013] In one embodiment, the volute body has an air outlet, the air outlet and the installation opening are connected, and the end surface of the insert is flush with the end surface of the air outlet.

[0014] In one embodiment, a flange is provided on the outer peripheral side of the volute body near the air outlet, and an avoidance groove is provided on the insert at a position corresponding to the flange.

[0015] In one embodiment, the insert is further provided with a fastening portion, and the fastening portion is integrally formed with the cover plate.

[0016] In one embodiment, the fastening portion is a groove provided on the insert, and / or the fastening portion is a protrusion provided on the insert.

[0017] In one embodiment, there are a plurality of the fastening portions, and the plurality of the fastening portions are arranged at intervals along the circumference of the insert.

[0018] In one embodiment, the insert and the volute body form a step at the circumferential side of the connection between them.

[0019] In one embodiment, the distance between the circumferential side of the insert and the circumferential side of the volute body is not more than 5 mm and not less than 3 mm.

[0020] In one embodiment, the cover plate includes a plate body, a fitting portion and a positioning portion, wherein the fitting portion is arranged around the plate body, and the fitting portion and the volute body are fitted with end surfaces at the mounting port; the positioning portion is arranged at the connection between the plate body and the fitting portion, and the positioning portion is a protrusion facing one side of the volute body.

[0021] The utility model provides a fan assembly, which includes:

[0022] The volute assembly of any of the preceding embodiments;

[0023] an impeller, disposed in the volute assembly;

[0024] The driving motor comprises a stator assembly and a rotor assembly arranged in the stator assembly, wherein the rotor assembly is drivingly connected to the impeller; the volute body and the stator assembly are integrally formed, or the cover plate and the stator assembly are integrally formed.

[0025] The utility model also discloses a water heater, which comprises the fan assembly described in any one of the above embodiments.

[0026] The technical solution of the utility model is to connect the volute body and the cover plate by using an insert, the insert is integrally formed with the cover plate, and the insert is welded or bonded to the volute body. In this way, none of the volute body, the cover plate and the insert is provided with a connection hole, thereby avoiding the problem of stress concentration caused by opening screw holes on the volute body and the cover plate. By providing the insert, the problem of microstructural changes in the material of the heat-affected zone leading to performance degradation during the direct connection and welding process between the volute body and the cover plate is also avoided. In addition, when the insert is welded to the volute body, the insert can be made of a material that is compatible with the volute body for welding, thereby ensuring the stability of the cover plate and the volute body structure. When the insert is bonded to the volute body, the insert can be made of a material that is more compatible with bonding, thereby ensuring the tightness and stability of the connection between the cover plate and the volute body structure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the utility model or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the utility model. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on the structures shown in these drawings without paying creative work.

[0028] Figure 1 A structural schematic diagram of an embodiment of a fan assembly provided by the utility model;

[0029] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A side view of

[0030] Figure 3 for Figure 2 Middle AA section view;

[0031] Figure 4 for Figure 1 Exploded diagram of

[0032] Figure 5 A structural schematic diagram of another embodiment of a fan assembly provided by the utility model;

[0033] Figure 6 for Figure 5 A side view of

[0034] Figure 7 for Figure 6 Middle BB section view;

[0035] Figure 8 for Figure 7 The enlarged view of point A in the middle;

[0036] Fig. 9 for Figure 5 Exploded diagram of

[0037] Fig.10 A structural schematic diagram of another embodiment of a fan assembly provided by the utility model;

[0038] Fig.11 It is a structural schematic diagram of an embodiment of an insert;

[0039] Fig.12 for Fig.11 The enlarged view of point B in the middle;

[0040] Fig.13 It is a structural schematic diagram of an embodiment of an end cover;

[0041] Fig.14 It is a structural schematic diagram of an embodiment of a volute body;

[0042] Fig.15 It is a structural schematic diagram of an embodiment of integrally forming a cover plate and a stator assembly;

[0043] Fig.16 for Fig.15 Cross-sectional view of CC.

[0044] Description of Figure Numbers:

[0045] 1. Fan assembly;

[0046] 10. Fan;

[0047] 100, volute assembly; 101, air inlet; 102, air outlet; 103, mounting port; 104, opening; 110, volute body; 111, welding portion; 112, flange; 120, cover plate; 121, plate body; 122, raised portion; 122a, first raised sub-portion; 122b, second raised sub-portion; 123, fitting portion; 124, positioning portion; 130, insert; 131, welding groove; 132, fastening portion;

[0048] 200, impeller; 210, hub; 220, blades; 201, receiving groove;

[0049] 300, connecting assembly; 310, insert; 311, insert body; 312, embedding part; 313, reinforcing part; 320, connecting piece; 321, connecting frame; 322, connecting part; 322a, connecting sub-part; 322b, folding sub-part; 323, clamping part; 324, flange; 330, clamping piece;

[0050] 20. Drive motor; 21. Stator assembly; 22. Rotor assembly; 22a. Rotating shaft; 22b. Rotor core; 22c. First bearing; 22d. Second bearing; 23. End cover; 23a. End portion; 23b. Limiting portion; 23c. Abutting portion.

[0051] The realization of the purpose, functional features and advantages of the utility model will be further explained in conjunction with embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0052] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the utility model to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the utility model. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the utility model, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the utility model, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the utility model.

[0053] It should be noted that if the embodiments of the present invention involve directional indications (such as up, down, left, right, front, back...), the directional indications are only used to explain the relative position relationship, movement status, etc. between the components in a certain specific posture. If the specific posture changes, the directional indications will also change accordingly.

[0054] In addition, if there are descriptions involving "first", "second", etc. in the embodiments of the utility model, the descriptions of "first", "second", etc. are only used for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, the features limited to "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of the features. In addition, if "and / or" or "and / or" appears in the full text, its meaning includes three parallel solutions. Taking "A and / or B" as an example, it includes solution A, solution B, or solutions that satisfy both A and B. In addition, the technical solutions between the various embodiments can be combined with each other, but it must be based on the ability of ordinary technicians in this field to implement. When the combination of technical solutions is contradictory or cannot be implemented, it should be deemed that such combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the scope of protection required by the utility model.

[0055] The utility model proposes a fan assembly, which aims to simplify the installation structure of the drive motor. Figures 1 to 16 , solid arrows indicate spaces, slots, or holes.

[0056] The utility model provides a fan assembly 1, which can be applied to water heaters (especially gas water heaters), range hoods, air handling devices, etc., which will not be described one by one here. The specific structure of the fan assembly 1 will be described below.

[0057] See also Figure 3 and Figure 4 In one embodiment of the utility model, the fan assembly 1 includes a fan 10 and a drive motor 20, the fan 10 includes a volute assembly 100 and an impeller 200 arranged in the volute assembly 100, the drive motor 20 includes a stator assembly 21 and a rotor assembly 22 arranged in the stator assembly 21, the volute assembly 100 and the stator assembly 21 are integrally formed, and the rotor assembly 22 is drivingly connected to the impeller 200.

[0058] Regarding the drive motor 20, the drive motor 20 generally includes a motor housing, a stator assembly 21 and a rotor assembly 22. The motor housing is used to protect internal components such as the stator assembly 21 and the rotor assembly 22, and provide mechanical support. In this embodiment, the stator assembly 21 and the volute assembly 100 are integrally formed, thereby reducing the motor housing, the connection structure between the motor housing and the stator assembly 21, and the connection structure between the motor housing and the volute assembly 100, thereby simplifying the installation structure of the drive motor 20 in the fan assembly 1.

[0059] Regarding the fan 10, the fan 10 is generally a centrifugal fan 10, and the fan 10 mainly includes a volute assembly 100 and an impeller 200, and the impeller 200 is arranged in the volute assembly 100. Generally speaking, the volute assembly 100 includes a volute body 110 and a cover plate 120. The volute body 110 generally includes a bottom plate and a surrounding plate. The bottom plate and the surrounding plate can be integrally formed or separately formed. Preferably, the bottom plate and the surrounding plate are integrally formed, and the shape of the volute assembly 100 is determined by the profile of the surrounding plate. The volute body 110 is constructed with an air inlet 101, an air outlet 102 and an installation port 103. The cover plate 120 is used to cover the installation port 103. The volute body 110 and the cover plate 120 are enclosed to form a fan cavity, and the air inlet 101 and the air outlet 102 are both connected to the fan cavity. The main function of the air inlet 101 is to guide the fluid (gas or liquid) into the impeller 200. It is usually designed to be smooth in shape to reduce flow resistance and pressure loss; the main function of the air outlet 102 is to guide the fluid to leave the volute assembly 100, usually after the fluid passes through the impeller 200 and converts kinetic energy into pressure energy in the volute assembly 100; the main function of the installation port 103 is to install the impeller 200 into the fan cavity. Preferably, in order to facilitate the installation of the impeller 200 and the volute body 110, the above-mentioned installation port 103 is usually open. Of course, in other embodiments, the installation port 103 can be non-open.

[0060] Regarding the integral molding arrangement of the volute assembly 100 and the stator assembly 21, the volute assembly 100 and the stator assembly 21 are integrally formed, and the volute assembly 100 includes a volute body 110 and a cover plate 120, and the volute body 110 generally includes a bottom plate and a surrounding plate. Therefore, the volute assembly 100 and the stator assembly 21 are integrally formed, and the stator assembly 21 and the cover plate 120 may be integrally formed, or the stator assembly 21 and the bottom plate may be integrally formed. In addition, in some special embodiments, the stator assembly 21 and the surrounding plate may also be integrally formed, preferably, in order to reasonably arrange the structural arrangement of the fan assembly 1, the stator assembly 21 is integrally formed with the cover plate 120.

[0061] It should be understood that, in this embodiment, the integral molding of the volute assembly 100 and the stator assembly 21 is intended to achieve the manufacture of an integral structure through a single process or a combination of multiple processing methods, thereby avoiding the defects caused by the traditional assembly or welding of the volute assembly 100 and the stator assembly 21. The integral molding methods of the volute assembly 100 and the stator assembly 21 include, but are not limited to, injection molding and 3D printing.

[0062] Among them, in this embodiment, injection molding is preferably used. The principle of injection molding is: injecting heated and melted plastic raw materials into the mold, and taking out the finished product after cooling and shaping. Injection molding is widely used to manufacture plastic products with complex shapes, such as automotive parts, electronic product housings, etc. Taking the stator component 21 as an example of being integrally molded with the cover plate 120, by placing the stator component 21 in advance in the preset cover plate 120 mold for injection molding, injecting the heated and melted plastic raw materials into the mold, and taking out the finished product after cooling and shaping.

[0063] The technical solution of the utility model is to form the stator assembly 21 of the drive motor 20 and the volute assembly 100 of the fan 10 as an integral unit, so that the drive motor 20 does not need to be fixed and installed by connecting parts 322 such as screws, thereby simplifying the installation structure of the drive motor 20 in the fan assembly 1.

[0064] Furthermore, integrally forming the stator assembly 21 and the volute assembly 100 has significant advantages in many applications, including reducing weight, improving structural rigidity, simplifying manufacturing and assembly processes and system reliability. Specifically, the integrally forming of the stator assembly 21 and the volute assembly 100 can reduce the number of connecting parts 322 and materials between the stator assembly 21 and the volute assembly 100, thereby reducing the overall weight, and can also more effectively utilize materials, reduce waste during processing, and is beneficial to environmental protection and sustainable development; the integrally formed structure of the stator assembly 21 and the volute assembly 100 is generally stronger and more stable than separate components, and can effectively reduce vibration and noise; integrally forming the stator assembly 21 and the volute assembly 100 can ensure that their relative positions are accurate and consistent, reducing performance instability caused by assembly errors, which provides a guarantee for the optimization and consistency of motor performance; the integrally forming setting of the stator assembly 21 and the volute assembly 100 also reduces the assembly steps and related processes of the drive motor 20, reduces manufacturing complexity and cost, although the design and manufacture of the integrally formed mold can be It may require a higher initial investment, but in large-scale production, the overall cost may be significantly reduced due to the reduction in assembly time and the number of parts. Reducing the number of parts also means reducing the complexity of inventory management and quality control; the one-piece molding structure of the stator assembly 21 and the volute assembly 100 can reduce the thermal resistance between the stator and the volute assembly 100, improve the overall heat dissipation efficiency, extend the service life and reliability of the motor, while also reducing the connection points and potential failure points, reducing maintenance requirements, and improving the overall reliability of the system; the integrated setting of the stator assembly 21 and the volute assembly 100 can better utilize the internal space and reduce the overall size of the equipment; the one-piece molding setting of the stator assembly 21 and the volute assembly 100 makes the appearance of the fan assembly 1 more concise and beautiful, contributes to the integration of the product and the consistency of the appearance design, and improves the market competitiveness of the product.

[0065] For example, see Figure 4 and Fig. 9 In an exemplary embodiment, the volute assembly 100 includes a volute body 110 and a cover plate 120, the volute body 110 and the cover plate 120 enclose a fan chamber for installing the impeller 200, and the cover plate 120 and the stator assembly 21 are integrally formed.

[0066] Further, the cover plate 120 includes a plate body 121 and a raised portion 122 provided on the plate body 121, the plate body 121 and the volute body 110 enclose the fan cavity; the raised portion 122 is annularly arranged, the raised portion 122 covers the stator assembly 21 and is integrally formed with the stator assembly 21, and the raised portion 122 encloses a motor cavity for installing the rotor assembly 22. Preferably, in order to further reduce the axial height of the fan assembly 1, at least part of the raised portion 122 is arranged in the fan cavity.

[0067] Among them, at least part of the protrusion 122 is arranged in the fan cavity. Since the protrusion 122 surrounds a motor cavity for installing the rotor assembly 22, that is, part of the drive motor 20 is located in the fan cavity, thereby reducing the axial height of the fan assembly 1. The axial height usually refers to the axial height of the fan assembly 1 at the rotating shaft 22a of the drive motor 20. At least part of the raised portion 122 is arranged in the fan cavity, which can be understood as that the raised portion 122 is entirely placed in the fan cavity, or that part of the raised portion 122 is arranged in the fan cavity, and part of the raised portion 122 may be in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 22a of the driving motor 20. Specifically, one-half of the raised portion 122 may be arranged in the fan cavity, or one-third of the raised portion 122 may be arranged in the fan cavity, and so on. Of course, it may also be other parts. For example, the motor cavity generally includes a first bearing cavity, a main cavity and a second bearing cavity, wherein the raised portion 122 corresponding to the first bearing cavity may be accommodated in the fan cavity.

[0068] In an exemplary embodiment, see Fig.15 and 16 The protrusion 122 includes a first protrusion sub-portion 122a and a second protrusion sub-portion 122b, the first protrusion sub-portion 122a and the second protrusion sub-portion 122b are respectively arranged on both sides of the plate body 121, the first protrusion sub-portion 122a is arranged close to the impeller 200, and the second protrusion sub-portion 122b is arranged away from the impeller 200, the first protrusion sub-portion 122a is accommodated in the accommodating groove 201, and the second protrusion sub-portion 122b covers the stator assembly 21.

[0069] In another exemplary embodiment, see Figure 7 and Fig. 9The rotor assembly 22 includes a rotating shaft 22a and a rotor core 22b, a first bearing 22c and a second bearing 22d which are sleeved on the rotating shaft 22a. The first bearing 22c, the rotor core 22b and the second bearing 22d are arranged in sequence along the axial direction of the rotating shaft 22a. The first protruding sub-portion 122a constructs a first bearing cavity for installing the first bearing 22c, the second protruding sub-portion 122b constructs a main cavity for installing the rotor core 22b, and the end cover 23 constructs a second bearing cavity for installing the second bearing 22d. The first bearing cavity, the main cavity and the second bearing cavity are connected to form the motor cavity.

[0070] Regarding the impeller 200, the main structure of the impeller 200 generally includes a blade disk, a hub 210 and blades 220, and the hub 210 is drivingly connected to the rotor assembly 22. The blade disk is a component that connects the blade 220 and the shaft, and is usually made of stainless steel or aluminum alloy. Its function is to fix the blade 220 and the hub 210 so that they can rotate together; the blade 220 is the main structural component of the impeller 200, which is responsible for converting energy into fluid kinetic energy or static energy. According to the different structures and fluid characteristics of the blade 220, it can be divided into straight blades 220, twisted blades 220, and blades 220 limited to static pressure type, etc.; the hub 210 is the central part of the impeller 200, carrying the blades 220 and the blade disk, and is responsible for transmitting the rotational force to the shaft. In order to improve the strength and rigidity of the hub 210, it is generally made of high-strength metal materials.

[0071] In one embodiment, see Figure 3 and Figure 4 , Figure 7 and Fig. 9 In order to shorten the length of the rotating shaft 22 a in the rotor assembly 22 , the impeller 200 has a first end and a second end that are relatively arranged, the first end is close to the cover plate 120 , and the hub 210 is arranged at the first end of the impeller 200 .

[0072] In another embodiment, please continue to refer to Figure 3 and Figure 4 , Figure 7 and Fig. 9 In order to further shorten the length of the rotating shaft 22 a in the rotor assembly 22 , a receiving groove 201 is provided on one side of the hub 210 close to the cover plate 120 , and at least a portion of the protrusion 122 is disposed in the receiving groove 201 .

[0073] In another embodiment, an end of the protrusion 122 facing away from the plate body 121 is provided with an opening 104 connected to the motor cavity, and the drive motor 20 includes an end cover 23, which is used to cover the opening 104; in order to facilitate the disassembly and assembly of the rotor assembly 22, the end cover 23 and the protrusion 122 are detachably connected.

[0074] Among them, in this embodiment, the detachable connection means refers to those connection methods that can be repeatedly assembled and disassembled without damaging the connector 320 or the connection portion 322. Common detachable connection means include threaded connection, snap connection, pin connection, hinge connection, magnetic connection, plug-in connection and buckle connection.

[0075] In another embodiment, in order to ensure that the connection between the end cover 23 and the raised portion 122 has good reliability and good sealing, the end cover 23 is riveted to the raised portion 122. In this embodiment, the end cover 23 is riveted to the raised portion 122, which can be understood as the end cover 23 and the raised portion 122 are connected by interference fit. Among them, the end cover 23 is riveted to the raised portion 122, so that the fan assembly 1 is not affected by environmental factors (such as temperature, humidity, vibration, etc.), has good fatigue resistance and shock resistance, is suitable for structures used for long periods of time, and is suitable for use scenarios such as water heaters.

[0076] Furthermore, the protrusion 122 is provided with a limiting step on its inner wall near the opening 104, and the limiting step includes a transverse step surface and a vertical step surface connected to each other; the end cover 23 includes an end 23a, a limiting portion 23b and an abutting portion 23c connected in sequence, and the end 23a constructs the second bearing cavity; the limiting portion 23b and the limiting step are in limiting abutment at the transverse step surface, and the abutting portion 23c and the limiting step are in abutment at the vertical step surface. In this way, the setting of the transverse step surface limits the connection position of the end cover 23 and the protrusion 122, so that it will not be inserted into the motor cavity in a transitional manner. The vertical step surface is used to abut with the abutting portion 23c, that is, the abutting portion 23c and the protrusion 122 are interference fit at the vertical step surface.

[0077] It can be understood that the horizontal step surface refers to the surface of the protrusion 122 at the position of the opening 104, which is perpendicular to the axis of the rotating shaft 22a of the drive motor 20, and the vertical step surface refers to the surface of the protrusion 122 at the position of the opening 104, which is parallel to the axis of the rotating shaft 22a of the drive motor 20.

[0078] It is worth mentioning that there are many ways to install the volute body 110 and the cover plate 120, such as welding or gluing, or pin and snap connection, etc.

[0079] In the related prior art, the volute includes a volute body 110 and a cover plate 120. The volute body 110 and the cover plate 120 are usually connected by screws or directly welded. However, in the solution where the volute body 110 and the cover plate 120 are connected by screws, the material around the screw holes opened on the volute body 110 and the cover plate 120 is subjected to large local stress, which may lead to stress concentration, increase the risk of material fatigue and damage, and cause the risk of the connection between the volute body 110 and the cover plate 120 being unstable. In the solution where the volute body 110 and the cover plate 120 are directly welded, the material in the heat-affected zone may undergo microstructural changes during welding, resulting in performance degradation, such as reduced toughness or increased hardness. Since the cover plate 120 is usually also used to install the impeller 200 and the motor components, the above-mentioned subtle changes may make the connection between the volute body 110 and the cover plate 120 a weak link in the structure, thereby causing the problem of poor stability of the connection structure between the cover plate 120 and the volute body 110.

[0080] In one embodiment, the volute assembly 100 includes a volute body 110, a cover plate 120 and an insert 130, wherein the volute body 110 has an installation opening 103; the cover plate 120 is used to cover the installation opening 103; the insert 130 is integrally formed with the cover plate 120, and the insert 130 is welded or bonded to the volute body 110.

[0081] The technical solution of this embodiment is to connect the volute body 110 and the cover plate 120 with an insert 130, the insert 130 is integrally formed with the cover plate 120, and the insert 130 is welded or bonded to the volute body 110. In this way, none of the volute body 110, the cover plate 120 and the insert 130 is provided with a connection hole, thereby avoiding the problem of stress concentration caused by opening screw holes on the volute body 110 and the cover plate 120. By providing the insert 130, the problem of microstructural changes in the material of the heat-affected zone causing performance degradation during the direct connection and welding of the volute body 110 and the cover plate 120 is also avoided. In addition, when the insert 130 is welded to the volute body 110, the insert 130 can select a material that is compatible with the volute body 110 for welding, thereby ensuring the stability of the structure of the cover plate 120 and the volute body 110. When the insert 130 is bonded to the volute body 110, the insert 130 can select a material that is more compatible with bonding, thereby ensuring the tightness and stability of the structural connection between the cover plate 120 and the volute body 110.

[0082] In this embodiment, in order to reduce the weight of the fan assembly 1 and reduce the manufacturing cost, the volute body 110 and the cover plate 120 are usually made of plastic.

[0083] Since the cover plate 120 is integrally formed with the stator assembly 21, the material of the cover plate 120 needs to have good insulation performance and arc resistance. Therefore, the material of the cover plate 120 is usually BMC material, and BMC (Bulk Molding Compound) is a composite material. BMC material is mainly composed of unsaturated polyester resin or vinyl ester resin, chopped glass fiber, filler, catalyst, stabilizer, lubricant and pigment. Of course, the material of the plate body 121 and the raised portion 122 can also be other materials with similar properties to BMC materials, such as SMC (Sheet Molding Compound) material, SMC / BMC mixed composite material or DMC (Dough Molding Compound) material, etc., which will not be explained one by one here.

[0084] However, the cost of BMC material is relatively high and it is not easy to demold, and the volute body 110 does not need good insulation performance and arc resistance. Therefore, the material of the volute body 110 is usually ordinary plastic.

[0085] Since the volute body 110 and the cover plate 120 need to be made of different materials. Different materials have different melting points. During the welding process, one material may have melted while the other material has not yet reached the melting point, which will cause uneven welding and form an unstable joint, thereby causing the problem of poor stability of the connection between the volute body 110 and the cover plate 120. In this embodiment, the material of the insert 130 is the same as that of the volute body 110, and the insert 130 is integrally formed with the cover plate 120. In this way, the problem of poor connection stability caused by the different materials of the cover plate 120 and the volute body 110 can be solved.

[0086] Regarding the integral molding of the insert 130 and the cover plate 120, the integral molding methods of the insert 130 and the cover plate 120 include but are not limited to injection molding and 3D printing, etc. Preferably, the insert 130 and the cover plate 120 are integrally molded.

[0087] Regarding the welding connection or bonding between the insert 130 and the volute body 110, the insert 130 and the volute body 110 are bonded by what is usually referred to as adhesive bonding. In this way, the insert 130 and the volute body 110 can distribute stress over a larger contact area, reduce local stress concentration, and reduce the risk of material fatigue and fracture. Secondly, it can also provide excellent sealing performance to prevent fluid leakage. In addition, the adhesive bonding process is relatively simple and does not require complex equipment and processes, which reduces processing costs and time. The insert 130 and the volute body 110 are connected by welding, wherein the welding connection is usually ultrasonic welding or laser welding, etc. In this way, the welding of the insert 130 and the volute body 110 can provide a high-strength permanent connection, and the welded joint can usually withstand high-temperature environments and is suitable for equipment under high-temperature operating conditions.

[0088] In the above, whether the connection method between the insert 130 and the volute body 110 is adhesive bonding or welding should be determined according to specific application requirements and conditions. If the power required in the application scenario of the fan assembly 1 is large and the operating scenario is high temperature, welding will be a better choice. If the application scenario of the fan assembly 1 requires good sealing, corrosion resistance and vibration and noise reduction effects, and the operating conditions do not allow high temperature, adhesive bonding may be more suitable.

[0089] In this way, this embodiment connects the volute main body 110 and the cover plate 120 by using an insert 130, and the insert 130 and the cover plate 120 are integrally formed, and the insert 130 and the volute main body 110 are welded or bonded. When the insert 130 and the volute main body 110 are welded, the insert 130 uses a material with better strength to ensure the stability of the structure of the cover plate 120 and the volute main body 110. When the insert 130 and the volute main body 110 are bonded, the insert 130 can choose a material that is more suitable for bonding to ensure the tightness and stability of the structural connection between the cover plate 120 and the volute main body 110. The setting of the insert 130 also makes the application range of the volute assembly 100 wider.

[0090] In a preferred embodiment, see Figure 7 and Figure 8, the volute body 110 has a first fitting surface that fits with the insert 130 and the cover plate 120; the volute body 110 is provided with a welding portion 111 on the first fitting surface, and the insert 130 is provided with a welding groove 131 that is adapted to be installed with the welding portion 111; or, the volute body 110 is provided with a welding groove 131 on the first fitting surface, and the insert 130 is provided with a welding portion 111 that is adapted to be installed with the welding groove 131. The welding groove 131 is generally an annular groove surrounding the mounting opening 103. Preferably, the number of the welding grooves 131 is multiple, and the multiple welding grooves 131 are arranged side by side. The number of the welding grooves 131 can be two, three, four, five, six or more than six.

[0091] In one embodiment, see Fig. 9 and Fig.11 In order to ensure the stability of welding between the cover plate 120 and the volute body 110, the insert 130 is arranged in a ring shape, and the insert 130 is arranged around the cover plate 120. In other embodiments, the insert 130 can also be formed by arranging multiple insert segments along the outer circumference of the cover plate 120.

[0092] In one embodiment, see Figure 5 and Fig.14 The volute body 110 has an air outlet 102 , and the air outlet 102 and the mounting opening 103 are connected. In order to ensure the stability of the welding between the cover plate 120 and the volute body 110 , the end surface of the insert 130 is flush with the end surface of the air outlet 102 .

[0093] In one embodiment, see Figure 2 , Figure 4 and Fig. 9 In order to facilitate the installation and positioning of the cover plate 120 and the volute body 110, the outer peripheral side of the volute body 110 is provided with a flange 112 near the air outlet 102, and the insert 130 is provided with an avoidance groove at a position corresponding to the flange 112. Alternatively, the cover plate 120 is provided with an avoidance groove at a position corresponding to the flange 112. For details, please refer to Figure 4 By setting the flange 112, when installing the cover plate 120, the flange 112 can be used as a positioning point, thereby facilitating the installation and positioning of the cover plate 120 and the volute body 110.

[0094] In a preferred embodiment, see Fig.11 The insert 130 is further provided with a fastening portion 132, and the fastening portion 132 is integrally formed with the cover plate 120. By providing the fastening portion 132, after the insert 130 and the cover plate 120 are integrally formed, the connection area between the insert 130 and the cover plate 120 is increased, so that the connection between the insert 130 and the cover plate 120 is more stable.

[0095] Further, the fastening portion 132 is a groove provided on the insert 130, and / or, the fastening portion 132 is a protrusion provided on the insert 130. The shapes of the groove and the protrusion can be regular shapes such as a cylinder, a square column, or other irregular shapes, which will not be illustrated one by one here.

[0096] Furthermore, there are a plurality of fastening parts 132 , and the plurality of fastening parts 132 are arranged at intervals along the circumference of the insert 130 . Preferably, the plurality of fastening parts 132 are arranged at even intervals along the circumference of the insert 130 .

[0097] In another preferred embodiment, in order to facilitate welding of the insert 130 and the volute body 110, the insert 130 and the volute body 110 form a step at the peripheral side of the connection between them. In other words, the peripheral sides of the connection between the insert 130 and the volute body 110 are not aligned, so that the weld joint of the insert 130 and the volute body 110 can be better positioned.

[0098] In one embodiment, the distance between the peripheral side of the insert 130 and the peripheral side of the volute body 110 is not greater than 5 mm and not less than 3 mm. Specifically, the distance between the peripheral side of the insert 130 and the peripheral side of the volute body 110 includes but is not limited to 3.0 mm, 3.2 mm, 3.4 mm, 3.5 mm, 3.6 mm, 3.8 mm, 4.0 mm, 4.2 mm, 4.4 mm, 4.5 mm, 4.6 mm, 4.8 mm or 5.0 mm.

[0099] In yet another embodiment, see Figure 7 and Figure 8 , in order to facilitate the positioning and installation of the cover plate 120 and the volute body 110, and to improve the sealing of the connection between the cover plate 120 and the volute body 110. The cover plate 120 includes a plate body 121, a fitting portion 123 and a positioning portion 124. The fitting portion 123 is arranged around the plate body 121, and the fitting portion 123 and the end surface of the volute body 110 at the installation port 103 are fitted; the positioning portion 124 is arranged at the connection between the plate body 121 and the fitting portion 123, and the positioning portion 124 is a protrusion facing one side of the volute body 110. Among them, the setting of the positioning portion 124 makes the positioning and installation of the cover plate 120 and the volute body 110 faster. The fitting portion 123 fits with the volute body 110 at the first fitting surface. The arrangement of the fitting portion 123 and the positioning portion 124 forms a radial seal between the cover plate 120 and the volute body 110, thereby improving the sealing of the connection between the cover plate 120 and the volute body 110.

[0100] In one embodiment, the fan assembly 10 further includes a connection assembly 300, and the connection assembly 300 is used to install the volute assembly 100 on a mounting carrier, wherein the mounting carrier refers to, for example, a supporting body of a water heater, a supporting body of a range hood, or a supporting body of an air handling device, etc. It mainly depends on the scenario in which the fan 10 is applied, and the following is an introduction taking a water heater as an example.

[0101] See also Figure 4 or Fig. 9 The connecting component 300 is arranged at the air outlet 102 of the volute component 100. The connecting component 300 includes an insert 310 and a connecting member 320. The insert 310 and the volute component 100 are integrally formed. The connecting member 320 is connected to the insert 310. The connecting member 320 is used to connect to the supporting carrier of the water heater so as to install the volute component on the supporting carrier of the water heater.

[0102] The volute assembly generally includes a volute body 110 and a cover plate 120. In this embodiment, the volute body 110 and the cover plate 120 are made of plastic. In order to ensure the strength of the connection between the volute assembly 100 and the mounting carrier, an insert 310 is further provided in this embodiment. The insert 310 generally requires greater strength, and thus, the insert 310 is generally made of a material with greater strength, such as a metal with greater strength, such as carbon steel, stainless steel, and alloy steel. Of course, the insert 310 can also be other non-metallic materials with greater strength.

[0103] In this embodiment, an insert 310 is provided at the air outlet. The strength of the insert 310 is greater than that of the volute assembly 100. The insert 310 and the volute assembly 100 are integrally formed, and the volute assembly 100 is connected and installed with the water heater body at its air outlet 102. In this way, the technical solution of the utility model improves the structural strength of the volute assembly 100 at the air outlet, thereby improving the stability and reliability of the connection between the volute assembly 100 and the water heater body.

[0104] It is understandable that the connection between plastic parts and metal parts is generally not as strong as the connection between metal parts and metal parts. In particular, in this embodiment, the cover plate is also used to install the drive motor 20. When the fan assembly 10 is working, the motor will generate vibration or mechanical shock.

[0105] In an exemplary embodiment, the volute assembly 100 includes a volute body 110 and a cover plate 120, the volute body 110 has an installation port 103, the cover plate 120 covers the installation port 103, the insert 310 is embedded in the volute body 110, the volute body 110 is a plastic part, and the insert 310 is a metal part.

[0106] Furthermore, in order to improve the stability of the connection between the insert 310 and the volute body 110, the insert 310 includes an insert body 311 and an embedding portion 312 provided on the insert body 311, and the embedding portion 312 is embedded in the volute assembly 100 and is integrally formed with the volute assembly 100. By providing the embedding portion 312, the connection area between the insert 310 and the volute body 110 is increased, thereby improving the stability of the connection between the insert 310 and the volute body 110.

[0107] The embedded portion 312 is embedded into the volute assembly 100 from the end surface at the air outlet 102. Alternatively, the embedded portion 312 is embedded into the volute assembly 100 from the circumferential side at the air outlet 102. Preferably, the embedded portion 312 is embedded into the volute assembly 100 from the end surface at the air outlet 102. At this time, for the embedded portion 312 of the same shape and size, the solution of embedding into the volute assembly 100 from the end surface at the air outlet 102 has the largest connection area between the embedded portion 312 and the volute assembly 100.

[0108] Furthermore, in order to further improve the stability of the connection between the insert 310 and the volute body 110, the insert 310 also includes a reinforcement portion 313, and the reinforcement portion 313 is arranged on the embedded portion 312. By setting the reinforcement portion 313, the connection area between the insert 310 and the volute assembly 100 is further increased, thereby further improving the stability of the connection between the insert 310 and the volute body 110. Among them, the reinforcement portion 313 can be a protrusion arranged on the embedded portion 312 or a hole arranged on the embedded portion 312. Preferably, the embedded portion 312 is arranged in a sheet shape, and the reinforcement portion 313 is a through hole penetrating the embedded portion 312.

[0109] In another preferred embodiment, there are multiple embedded parts 312, and the multiple embedded parts 312 are arranged at intervals along the circumference of the insert body 311. Preferably, the multiple embedded parts 312 are evenly arranged at intervals along the circumference of the insert body 311.

[0110] In an exemplary embodiment, see Fig. 9The connecting member 320 includes a connecting frame 321, a connecting portion 322 and a clamping portion 323 provided on the connecting frame 321; the connecting frame 321 and the insert body 311 are connected by fasteners, the connecting portion 322 is used to connect to the installation carrier by fasteners, and the clamping portion 323 is used to clamp with the installation carrier. In this way, by setting the connecting portion 322 and the clamping portion 323, when installing the fan assembly 1, the clamping portion 323 is first used for alignment and clamping, and then the connecting portion 322 is fixed to the installation carrier by fasteners. In this way, it is convenient for the fan assembly 1 to be installed and aligned, and the stability and tightness of the connection between the fan assembly 1 and the installation carrier can be guaranteed to a certain extent.

[0111] Based on the previous embodiment, please continue to refer to Fig. 9 The connecting portion 322 includes a connecting sub-portion 322a and a folding sub-portion 322b connected to each other, wherein the connecting sub-portion 322a is connected to the connecting frame 321, and the folding sub-portion 322b is folded toward one side of the volute assembly 100. Preferably, in order to strengthen the connection strength of the connecting member 320, the connecting frame 321 is further provided with a flange 324.

[0112] In one embodiment, the volute assembly 100 has an air inlet 101. To facilitate the installation of the volute assembly 100 and the installation carrier, the installation position is provided on the side of the volute assembly 100 provided with the air inlet 101, and the clamping member 330 is provided on the side of the volute assembly 100 away from the air inlet 101. In order to ensure the smoothness of the air intake, there are usually fewer obstructions on one side of the air inlet 101. By providing the installation position on the side of the volute assembly 100 provided with the air inlet 101, other obstructions can be avoided from hindering the installation of the volute assembly 100.

[0113] It should be understood that the mounting position may be a mounting slot, a mounting hole or a mounting column, etc. Preferably, the insert 310 is a nut. Of course, in other embodiments, the insert 310 may also be a threaded connector 320 such as a bolt or a stud.

[0114] The utility model also proposes a water heater, which includes a water heater body and a fan assembly 1. The specific structure of the fan assembly 1 refers to the above embodiment. Since the fan 10 adopts all the technical solutions of all the above embodiments, it at least has all the beneficial effects brought by the technical solutions of the above embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

[0115] Among them, the water heater with the fan assembly 1 is usually a gas water heater, and is a water heater with a forced exhaust function. Its main structure includes a burner, a heat exchanger, a fan assembly 1, a control system and other auxiliary components. The burner is responsible for mixing gas with air and igniting to generate heat. The design of the burner directly affects the combustion efficiency and the thermal efficiency of the water heater. The heat exchanger transfers the heat generated by combustion to water. The heat exchanger is usually made of copper or stainless steel to improve the heat transfer efficiency and durability. The fan assembly 1 is used to forcibly discharge the combustion exhaust gas and provide the air required for combustion. The fan assembly 1 usually includes a fan 10, a motor and related control circuits. The control system is used to monitor and adjust parameters such as the combustion process, the operation of the fan 10, and the water temperature. The control system includes a thermostat, a gas valve, a safety device and an electronic control board. The ignition system includes an igniter and an electrode for igniting gas. Modern water heaters mostly use electronic ignition systems, which are safe and reliable. The exhaust system safely discharges the exhaust gas after combustion to the outside. The exhaust system includes a flue, an exhaust pipe and related sealing devices. The water system is used to ensure that the water heater has a stable water flow during use. The water system includes water inlet, water outlet, water flow sensor and water pump, etc.

[0116] The fan assembly 1 is usually installed on the top, bottom or side of the water heater and is connected to the combustion chamber and the exhaust system. The specific location design of the fan 10 is related to the structure and model of the water heater. The fan 10 is fixed to the outer shell or internal frame of the water heater by means of screws, brackets or clips to ensure its stability. Gas connection: The air inlet of the fan 10 is connected to the combustion chamber to provide the air required for combustion; the air outlet is connected to the exhaust pipe to discharge the combustion exhaust gas.

[0117] The above description is only an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, and does not limit the patent scope of the present invention. All equivalent structural changes made by using the contents of the present invention specification and drawings under the technical concept of the present invention, or directly / indirectly applied in other related technical fields are included in the patent protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A volute assembly, characterized in that: include: A volute body having a mounting opening; A cover plate, used for covering the installation opening; as well as The insert is integrally formed with the cover plate, and the insert is welded or bonded to the volute body.

2. The volute assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The material of the volute body is different from that of the cover plate, and the material of the insert is the same as that of the volute body.

3. The volute assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The volute body has a first fitting surface that fits with the insert and the cover plate; The volute body is provided with a welding portion on the first fitting surface, and the insert is provided with a welding groove adapted to be installed with the welding portion; or, the volute body is provided with a welding groove on the first fitting surface, and the insert is provided with a welding portion adapted to be installed with the welding groove.

4. The volute assembly according to claim 3, characterized in that: The number of the welding grooves is multiple, and the multiple welding grooves are arranged side by side.

5. The volute assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The insert is arranged in a ring shape and surrounds the cover plate.

6. The volute assembly according to claim 5, characterized in that: The volute body has an air outlet, the air outlet and the installation opening are connected, and the end surface of the insert is flush with the end surface of the air outlet.

7. The volute assembly according to claim 6, characterized in that: A flange is provided on the outer peripheral side of the volute body near the air outlet, and an avoidance groove is provided on the insert corresponding to the position of the flange.

8. The volute assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The insert is also provided with a fastening portion, and the fastening portion is integrally formed with the cover plate.

9. The volute assembly according to claim 8, characterized in that: The fastening portion is a groove provided on the insert, and / or the fastening portion is a protrusion provided on the insert.

10. The volute assembly according to claim 8, characterized in that: There are multiple fastening parts, and the multiple fastening parts are arranged at intervals along the circumferential direction of the insert.

11. The volute assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The insert and the volute body form a step at the peripheral side of the connection between them.

12. The volute assembly according to claim 11, characterized in that The distance between the peripheral side of the insert and the peripheral side of the volute body is not more than 5 mm and not less than 3 mm.

13. The volute assembly according to claim 1, wherein: The cover plate includes a plate body, a fitting portion and a positioning portion, wherein the fitting portion is arranged around the plate body, and the fitting portion and the volute body are fitted with each other at the end surface of the installation port; the positioning portion is arranged at the connection between the plate body and the fitting portion, and the positioning portion is a protrusion facing one side of the volute body.

14. The volute assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that: The material of the cover plate is BMC.

15. A fan assembly, characterized in that: include: The volute assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 14; an impeller, disposed in the volute assembly; The driving motor comprises a stator assembly and a rotor assembly arranged in the stator assembly, wherein the rotor assembly is drivingly connected to the impeller; the volute body and the stator assembly are integrally formed, or the cover plate and the stator assembly are integrally formed.

16. A water heater, characterized in that: Comprising the fan assembly as claimed in claim 15.

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