A rotary volute fan

Abstract

This utility model specifically relates to a rotary volute fan, comprising a fan housing, a volute, an impeller, and a motor. The impeller and motor are connected, with the impeller housed within the volute. The volute is located within the fan housing, and the motor is mounted on the fan housing. The fan housing has at least two air outlets, and the air outlets of the volute can be arbitrarily chosen to face one of the outlets. This structure allows the volute to be rotated electrically or manually, enabling the air outlets of the volute to arbitrarily face one of the outlets, effectively solving the problems of large space occupation, increased axial length, and cost associated with air direction valves. Compared to traditional fans with air direction valves, this structure significantly reduces overall size and manufacturing costs.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model specifically relates to a rotating volute fan. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, warm air blowers are combined units consisting of a fan, an electric motor, and an air heater. They are suitable for various types of workshops and can be used for circulating air heating when the air is free of dust and flammable or explosive gases. One domestic utility model patent, titled "A Warm Air Blower Structure," with application number CN201821992369.5, discloses the following structural solution: a plastic volute housing, with a fan cavity and an installation cavity inside; an exhaust hole on the outer wall of the plastic volute housing, connected to the first air outlet of the fan cavity to form an exhaust duct; a fan device including a fan drive assembly and a centrifugal impeller; the fan drive assembly is disposed within the fan cavity, and the centrifugal impeller is connected to the rotating shaft of the fan drive assembly; plastic... The volute cover has an air inlet and an air return hole. The air inlet is connected to the air inlet of the fan cavity to form an air inlet duct. The mounting cavity is connected to the second air outlet of the fan cavity and the air return hole to form an air return duct. The heating device includes a heat insulation shell and multiple heating elements. The heat insulation shell is disposed in the mounting cavity, and each heating element is disposed in the heat insulation shell, with a gap between each two adjacent heating elements. The air direction valve is rotatably mounted in the plastic volute cover and is located near the exhaust hole.

[0003] The above solution has the following significant drawbacks.

[0004] I. Space Occupancy Issues: The airflow direction valve needs to be installed independently at the end of the duct. Its valve body structure (including the shaft, drive components, and seals) increases the axial length by 35-50mm, preventing the overall unit thickness from being compressed to 200mm.

[0005] II. Cost Issues: Valve components (including stepper motors and connecting rods) increase material costs by approximately 22%, and the assembly process adds 3-5 steps.

[0006] 3. Airflow efficiency loss: The gap between the valve and the air duct causes approximately 15% airflow leakage.

[0007] The market demand for compact warm air heaters is increasingly urgent (e.g., wall-mounted installations require a thickness of ≤180mm), but existing airflow direction valve solutions, due to the aforementioned inherent defects, severely restrict product miniaturization and cost control. Therefore, there is an urgent need for an innovative structure that can replace valves and achieve direct airflow direction switching. Summary of the Invention

[0008] This utility model aims to solve at least one of the technical problems existing in the prior art. Therefore, one objective of this utility model is to propose a rotary volute fan that replaces the traditional air direction valve structure by rotating the entire volute, thereby achieving air outlet direction switching and reducing the number of components, while eliminating the problem of air leakage through valve gaps.

[0009] According to the present invention, a rotating volute fan includes a fan housing, a volute, a fan wheel, and a motor. The fan wheel and the motor are connected and the fan wheel is placed inside the volute. The volute is located inside the fan housing. The motor is installed on the fan housing. The fan housing has at least two air outlets, and the air outlet of the volute can be arbitrarily selected to face one of the air outlets.

[0010] Specifically, the fan casing is equipped with a worm, a worm wheel, and a worm drive motor. The worm drive motor is connected to the worm, and the worm and worm wheel mesh with each other. The upper surface of the volute is equipped with a drive rod for driving the volute to rotate, and the drive rod is connected to the worm wheel.

[0011] Specifically, the fan housing is provided with a protective edge, and a notch is provided on the protective edge. The motor is provided with a limiting protrusion, which is placed at the notch.

[0012] Specifically, the fan housing has a recess, the worm and the worm wheel are located in the recess, the worm drive motor is fixed to the outer surface of the recess, the fan housing has a socket, the socket corresponds to the worm wheel, one end of the drive rod passes through the socket and is connected to the worm wheel.

[0013] Specifically, the fan housing is divided into an upper fan housing and a lower fan housing, and the volute is divided into an upper volute cover and a lower volute cover.

[0014] Specifically, the air outlet is divided into an upper air guide section on the upper shell of the fan and a lower air guide section on the lower shell of the fan. The upper air guide section and the lower air guide section are connected to each other, and the diameter of the air inlet end of the upper air guide section and the lower air guide section is smaller than the diameter of the air outlet end.

[0015] Specifically, the included angle between adjacent air outlets is 90 degrees.

[0016] Specifically, the fan housing has a fan recess, and the bottom surface of the volute is placed in the fan recess.

[0017] The beneficial effects of this invention are: this structure allows the volute to rotate electrically or manually, enabling the air outlet of the volute to arbitrarily choose to face one of the air outlets, effectively solving the problems of the air direction valve occupying a large space, increasing axial length, and increasing cost. Compared with traditional fans with air direction valves, this structure can significantly reduce the overall size and manufacturing cost. Attached Figure Description

[0018] The above and / or additional aspects and advantages of this invention will become apparent and readily understood from the description of the embodiments taken in conjunction with the following drawings.

[0019] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of this utility model.

[0020] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A schematic diagram of its decomposed structure.

[0021] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 A magnified schematic diagram of the structure at point A.

[0022] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure connecting the upper casing of the fan, the worm drive motor, the worm, and the worm wheel.

[0023] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure in the first use state of this utility model.

[0024] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the second usage state of this utility model.

[0025] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the third usage state of this utility model.

[0026] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the fourth usage state of this utility model.

[0027] The markings shown in the attached diagram are as follows: upper fan housing 1, upper air guide 101, recess 102, worm gear 103, worm wheel 104, worm gear drive motor 105, socket 106, lower fan housing 2, lower air guide 201, edge protector 202, notch 203, motor 3, limiting protrusion 301, impeller 4, volute 5, volute upper cover 501, volute lower cover 502, drive rod 503. Detailed Implementation

[0028] The embodiments of this utility model are described in detail below. Examples of these embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain this utility model, and should not be construed as limiting this utility model.

[0029] The following is for reference. Figures 1 to 8This invention describes a rotary volute fan according to an embodiment of the present invention, comprising a fan housing, a volute 5, an impeller 4, and a motor 3. The impeller 4 is connected to the motor 3 and is housed within the volute 5, which is located inside the fan housing. The motor 3 is mounted on the fan housing, which has at least two air outlets. A drive rod 503 is connected to a worm gear 104, and the air outlets of the volute 5 can be arbitrarily oriented towards one of the air outlets. This structure allows the volute 5 to be rotated manually, enabling the air outlets of the volute 5 to be arbitrarily oriented towards one of the air outlets, effectively solving the problems of large space occupation, increased axial length, and increased cost associated with air direction valves. Compared to traditional fans with air direction valves, this structure significantly reduces overall size and manufacturing costs.

[0030] This solution can also be implemented by electric means to drive the volute 5 to rotate. The specific solution is as follows: The fan housing is provided with a worm 103, a worm wheel 104 and a worm drive motor 105. The worm drive motor 105 is connected to the worm 103, and the worm 103 and the worm wheel 104 are meshed. The upper surface of the volute 5 is provided with a drive rod 503 for driving the volute 5 to rotate, and the drive rod 503 is connected to the worm wheel 104.

[0031] In this structure, when the worm gear drive motor 105 is energized, it drives the worm gear 103 to rotate, which in turn drives the worm wheel 104, drive rod 503, and volute 5 to rotate together. The volute 5 can rotate freely within the fan housing. In this embodiment, the volute 5 stops after each 90-degree rotation, with its air outlet aligned with the air outlet. The drive motor 105, through the worm gear 103 and worm wheel 104, controls the rotation of the volute 5 to a designated position. Specifically, when the drive motor 105 is energized, it drives the worm gear 103 to rotate, which in turn drives the meshing worm wheel 104 to rotate. This, in turn, drives the entire volute 5 (including the upper cover 501 and the lower cover 502) to rotate smoothly around its axis within the fan recess 204 via the drive rod 503. Additionally, the motor 3 drives the impeller 4 to rotate, generating strong airflow, which is discharged from the air outlet of the volute 5. More specifically, the airflow discharged from the outlet of the volute 5 directly enters the outlet of the fan casing (the channel formed by the upper guide section 101 and the lower guide section 201) that is currently aligned with it. Since the diameter of the inlet end (near the outlet of the volute) of the fan casing outlet is smaller than the diameter of its outlet end, this structure forms a gradually expanding guide channel, which helps to reduce the airflow velocity, increase the static pressure, and guide the airflow to be output more smoothly in the selected direction, reducing energy loss and turbulence at the turning point.

[0032] The fan housing of this structure is provided with a protective edge 202, and a notch 203 is provided on the protective edge 202. The motor 3 is provided with a limiting protrusion 301, which is placed at the notch 203, so that the motor 3 cannot rotate arbitrarily after being fixed. More specifically, the protective edge 202 is set around the main body of the motor 3, and the notch 203 is an opening on the protective edge 202. After the motor 3 is installed in place, its limiting protrusion 301 fits into the notch 203. The circumferential dimension of the notch 203 is slightly larger than the dimension of the limiting protrusion 301, allowing the motor 3 to make slight positional adjustments during assembly to adapt to the internal space of the volute. However, once the fixing screws are tightened, the cooperation between the limiting protrusion 301 and the side wall of the notch 203 can effectively prevent the motor 3 from rotating or displacing circumferentially due to vibration or reaction force during operation, ensuring the relative position stability of the impeller 4 and the inner cavity of the volute 5, and guaranteeing the performance and operational reliability of the fan.

[0033] The fan housing of this structure has a recess 102. A worm gear 103 and a worm wheel 104 are located within the recess 102. A worm drive motor 105 is fixed to the outer surface of the recess 102. The fan housing has a slot 106 corresponding to the worm wheel 104. One end of a drive rod 503 passes through the slot 106 and is connected to the worm wheel 104. Both ends of the worm gear 103 pass through the inner wall of the recess 102, thus defining the position of the worm gear 103. The worm gear 103 is connected to the motor 3. The worm wheel 104 is located beside the worm gear 103 and meshes with it. The bottom surface of the worm wheel 104 has a slot, allowing the worm gear 103 to be inserted into the slot. The worm wheel 104 and the worm gear 103 are connected by screws.

[0034] The fan housing described in this structure is divided into an upper fan housing 1 and a lower fan housing 2, and the volute 5 is divided into an upper volute cover 501 and a lower volute cover 502.

[0035] The air outlet of this structure is divided into an upper air guide section 101 on the upper shell of the fan and a lower air guide section 201 on the lower shell of the fan. The upper air guide section 101 and the lower air guide section 201 are connected to each other. The diameter of the air inlet end of the upper air guide section 101 and the lower air guide section 201 is smaller than the diameter of the air outlet end.

[0036] The included angle between adjacent air outlets in this structure is 90 degrees. Preferably, this structure has four air outlets, providing airflow in four directions to meet design requirements. Specifically, the fan housing in this structure has a fan recess 204, and the lower surface of the volute 5 is positioned at the fan recess 204. The fan recess 204 restricts the range of rotation of the volute 5.

[0037] Although embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, those skilled in the art will understand that various changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the present invention, the scope of which is defined by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A rotating volute fan, comprising a fan housing, a volute (5), a fan wheel (4), and a motor (3), wherein the fan wheel (4) and the motor (3) are connected and the fan wheel (4) is placed inside the volute (5), the volute (5) is located inside the fan housing, and the motor (3) is mounted on the fan housing, characterized in that: The fan casing has at least two air outlets, and the air outlet of the volute (5) can be arbitrarily chosen to face one of the air outlets.

2. A rotary volute fan as claimed in claim 1, wherein: The fan housing is provided with a worm (103), a worm wheel (104) and a worm drive motor (105). The worm drive motor (105) is connected to the worm (103), and the worm (103) and the worm wheel (104) mesh with each other. The upper surface of the volute (5) is provided with a drive rod (503) for driving the volute (5) to rotate. The drive rod (503) is connected to the worm wheel (104).

3. A rotary volute fan as claimed in claim 1, wherein: The fan housing is provided with a protective edge (202), and a notch (203) is provided on the protective edge (202). The motor (3) is provided with a limiting protrusion (301), and the limiting protrusion (301) is placed at the notch (203).

4. A rotary volute fan as claimed in claim 2, wherein: The fan housing has a recess (102), and the worm (103) and worm wheel (104) are located in the recess (102). The worm drive motor (105) is fixed to the outer surface of the recess (102). The fan housing has a socket (106), which corresponds to the worm wheel (104). One end of the drive rod (503) passes through the socket (106) and is connected to the worm wheel (104).

5. A rotary volute fan as claimed in claim 1, wherein: The fan casing is divided into a fan upper casing (1) and a fan lower casing (2), and the volute (5) is divided into a volute upper cover (501) and a volute lower cover (502).

6. A rotary volute fan as claimed in claim 5, wherein: The air outlet is divided into an upper air guide section (101) on the upper shell (1) of the fan and a lower air guide section (201) on the lower shell (2) of the fan. The upper air guide section (101) and the lower air guide section (201) are connected together. The diameter of the air inlet end of the upper air guide section (101) and the lower air guide section (201) is smaller than the diameter of the air outlet end.

7. A rotary volute fan as claimed in claim 1, wherein: The included angle between the adjacent air outlets is 90 degrees.

8. A rotary volute fan as claimed in claim 1, wherein: The fan housing is provided with a fan recess (204), and the bottom surface of the volute (5) is placed at the fan recess (204).

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