Integrated fan housing

Abstract

Fan housing (120) with essentially hollow cylindrical shape, comprising: - a first axial section (125) for connection to a fan motor (110); - a second axial section (130) for receiving a fan wheel (105) driven by the fan motor (110); characterized in that - the second section (130) is made of a softer material than the first section (125); and - the second section (130) has a sealing lip (145) circumferential in a hollow cylindrical shape at an axial end opposite the first section (125).

Description

Integrated fan housing

[0001] The invention relates to a fan housing having the features of the preamble of claim 1 and a method for mounting such a fan housing on a mounting surface. State of the art

[0002] Fans are typically used to cool electronic components within a housing, facilitating a controlled exchange of air between the interior and the surrounding environment. These fans generally consist of a housing containing an electric motor that drives a fan impeller. A common design is the axial fan, in which the impeller's axis of rotation runs parallel to the fan's airflow direction. To prevent the ingress of air (also known as stray or false air) in a radial direction at the interface between the fan and the housing, the fan can be sealed against the housing. The seal required for this purpose is usually relatively complex in shape and often difficult to install. Consequently, a large number of seals may need to be kept on hand for different housing-fan combinations.

[0003] Furthermore, there is the problem that when mounting a fan on or in a housing, precautions must be taken to prevent incorrect installation. DE 10 2004 019 023 B4, for example, shows the attachment of an electrical circuit board to a housing.

[0004] US 2009 / 022587A1 discloses a fan housing having an essentially hollow cylindrical shape, comprising a first section for connection with a fan motor.

[0005] DE 103 16 108 A1 discloses a fan housing with a second section.

[0006] The invention is based on the objective of providing a fan housing with an integrated seal. A further objective of the invention is to provide a method for mounting the fan housing to a mounting surface.

[0007] The invention solves these problems by means of a fan housing with the features of claim 1 and a method with the features of claim 9. Dependent claims describe preferred embodiments. Disclosure of the invention

[0008] A fan housing according to the invention, having a substantially hollow cylindrical shape, comprises a first axial section for connection to a fan motor and a second axial section for receiving a fan wheel driven by the fan motor. The second section is made of a softer material than the first section and has a sealing lip circumferentially around the hollow cylindrical shape at an axial end opposite the first section.

[0009] In this way, the sealing lip can be formed integrally with the fan housing. This facilitates or improves the positive fit of the fan housing to a mounting surface, such as an electronic component housing. Simultaneously, the use of the soft material in the second section allows for vibration decoupling, preventing vibrations that may originate in the fan area from being transmitted to a housing component or any other element connected to the fan.

[0010] Preferably, the second section comprises three fastening elements located radially outside the sealing lip. These three fastening elements allow for a clearly defined translational position of the fan housing. The fastening elements are preferably made of the same soft material as the sealing lip, thus enabling vibration decoupling in this area as well. This can significantly reduce the total number of components required for assembling the fan housing, thereby lowering manufacturing and assembly costs.

[0011] The first and second sections can overlap axially in a transition area. This can result in an improved and, in particular, more airtight connection between the two sections.

[0012] In a particularly preferred embodiment, the first and second sections are materially bonded together. This can improve the tightness of the connection between the two sections. Furthermore, the first and second sections can be manufactured in one or more successive process steps. For example, one of the sections can be manufactured by injection molding and the other section can be injection molded onto it. This eliminates the need for a separate assembly step to join the two sections together during the manufacturing process of the fan housing.

[0013] Adjacent mounting elements can each form an angle with respect to a longitudinal axis of the fan housing, with at least two of the angles being of different magnitudes. On a mounting surface to which mounting elements corresponding to the mounting elements of the fan housing are attached, a rotational position of the fan housing relative to the mounting surface can thus be predetermined. This prevents incorrect mounting of the fan housing on the mounting surface, which, for example, must be avoided due to the required routing of a power cable leading to the fan.

[0014] Alternatively or additionally, two of the mounting elements can assume different axial positions. The fan housing must therefore only be attached to the corresponding mounting elements of the mounting surface in a predetermined rotational position so that the sealing lip rests against the mounting surface all the way around.

[0015] Alternatively or additionally, two of the mounting elements can assume different radial positions. This measure can also serve to ensure a predetermined rotational position of the fan housing on the mounting surface with corresponding mounting elements.

[0016] The fasteners and corresponding fasteners can include, for example, pins and corresponding sockets.

[0017] A method for mounting the fan housing to a mounting surface with a passage in the area of ​​the interior of the hollow cylindrical second section comprises steps of placing the sealing lip on the mounting surface such that a contact area between the sealing lip and the mounting surface surrounds the passage, and of attaching the second section to the mounting surface.

[0018] Separate handling of potentially lost components such as a separate seal is not required.

[0019] In a preferred embodiment, the second section is connected to the mounting surface in such a way that the sealing lip is compressed in the axial direction. This creates a certain preload which ensures a seal between the second section and the mounting surface even as the sealing lip ages. Furthermore, the compression can influence the vibration transmission behavior between the mounting surface and the second section in such a way as to provide efficient vibration decoupling. Brief description of the characters

[0020] The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the attached figures, in which: Fig. 1 a fan with an integrated fan housing; Fig. 2 a top view of the fan of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 a side view of the fan from Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, Fig. 4 the fan mounted in a housing from Fig. 1 to 3; and Fig. 5 a flowchart of an assembly procedure for the fan housing of the fan of Fig. 1 to 4 are represented on a boundary surface.

[0021] Detailed description of exemplary implementations.

[0022] Fig. Figure 1 shows a fan 100. The fan 100 comprises a fan wheel 105, which can be driven about a vertical axis 115 by means of a motor 110. In a radial direction, the motor 110 and the fan wheel 105 are surrounded by a fan housing 120 of the fan 100. The fan housing 120 essentially has the shape of a hollow circular cylinder. In alternative embodiments, any other generally hollow cylindrical shape can be used, such as a design having a circular inner cross-section and a square outer cross-section. The circular inner cross-section is preferred because it corresponds to the cross-section of the envelope of the rotating fan wheel 105. The hollow cylinder is usually straight, but in a particular embodiment, it can also be inclined. The fan housing 120 can have sections extending beyond the hollow cylindrical shape, for example, to support the motor 110.

[0023] In the axial direction, the fan housing 120 is divided into a first section 125 and a second section 130. In the selected illustration, the fan 100 is configured so that the impeller 105 rotates counterclockwise and that air is conveyed from top to bottom. In other embodiments, the direction of rotation of the impeller 105 and / or the conveying direction can also be reversed.

[0024] The first section 125 consists of a relatively hard material, such as a plastic. The material of the first section is sufficiently hard to provide the fan housing 120 with sufficient dimensional stability and to provide or accommodate mounting points for the motor 110 and possibly other elements of the fan 100 not shown, such as electronics, a connecting cable, or strain relief for the connecting cable. Preferably, the first section 125 of the fan housing 120 can be manufactured by injection molding.

[0025] The second section 130 of the fan housing 120 is made of a relatively soft material, for example, a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE). The material of the second section 130 is soft enough to adequately decouple vibrations that may be caused by the motor 110 or the fan wheel 105 during operation of the fan 100. Furthermore, the material of the second section 130 is preferably selected such that it does not harden or become brittle even after prolonged operation.

[0026] Fastening elements 135 are integrally formed on the second section 130 in three different radial directions. In other embodiments, more than three fastening elements 135 may be provided. The fastening elements 135 are formed by tabs extending radially into which axially extending recesses 140 are provided. The recesses 140 are designed to receive cylindrical fastening pins. In an alternative embodiment, instead of the recesses 140, other means for fastening the fastening element 135 to a corresponding fastening element may be provided, for example, a pin on the fastening element 135 for connection with a corresponding recess.

[0027] On the top of the fan 100 in Fig. 1 extends from the second section 130, on a circumference located between the fan wheel 105 and the mounting elements 135, a sealing lip 145 axially conically outwards. The material thickness of the sealing lip 145 is selected such that it can deform appropriately when in contact with a mounting surface and thus conform to it. The sealing lip 145 is usually designed to contact a flat mounting surface; in other embodiments, an upper end contour of the sealing lip 145 can also be configured to follow an unevenly shaped mounting surface. To improve the deformability of the sealing lip 145, it can have a cross-section from a variety of possible options. For example, the sealing lip 145 can have an annular cavity that surrounds the axis 115 on a circumference that extends outside the fan wheel 105 and inside the mounting elements 135.Furthermore, the sealing lip 145 can have an elliptical or circular segment-shaped cross-section.

[0028] Although the in Fig. While the sealing lip 145 shown in Figure 1 is round, i.e., designed to form a contact area with a mounting surface that is essentially round, the sealing lip can also have a different shape in its circumferential position around the fan wheel 105, for example, elliptical or rectangular. Preferably, small bending radii are avoided in order to improve the sealing effect and to limit material fatigue due to vibrations.

[0029] The material of the second section is preferably also injection-moldable. In particular, the first section 125 and the second section 130 can be shaped such that the second section 130 can be injection-molded onto the first section 125. Alternatively, the sections 125 and 130 can be produced together or in quick succession in the same injection mold using a two-component injection molding process. In yet another alternative embodiment, the sections 125 and 130 can be produced separately and then joined together, for example by bonding or welding.

[0030] In the Fig. In the embodiment of the fan 100 shown in Figure 1, both the first section 125 and the second section 130 have a hollow cylindrical shape around the axis 115, with the two sections 125 and 130 overlapping in the axial direction. Crucially, both the sealing lip 145 and the fastening elements 135 have sufficient material thickness relative to the first section 125 of the fan housing 120 to decouple vibrations from the first section 125. This is particularly important if the sealing lip 145 extends upwards along the axis 115.

[0031] Apart from the specified limitations, which require the fan housing 120 to be divided into two axially adjacent sections 125 and 130 made of materials of different hardness, a transition area between sections 125 and 130 can be of any shape.

[0032] Fig. Figure 2 shows a top view of the 100 fan. Fig. 1.

[0033] Between each adjacent fastening element 135, a first angle α and a second angle β are drawn. The angles α and β are measured with respect to the centers of the recesses 140 and the axis 115, respectively. α and β are of different sizes, thus defining the position of the pins for engaging the recesses 140 of the fastening elements 135 such that both a translational and a rotational position of the fan 100 with respect to these pins is defined. If, for example, all angles between adjacent fastening elements 135 were the same, different rotational positions around the axis 115 would exist in which the fan 100 could be attached to the pins corresponding to the recesses 140. The described variation of the angles α and β prevents such an assembly error, acting as a form of Poka-Yoke (prevention of manufacturing defects through readily apparent features).

[0034] Fig. Figure 3 shows a side view of the 100 fan. Fig. 1 and Fig. 2.

[0035] The fan 100 is attached to a housing element 305 with a passage 310. The fan 100 is positioned on the housing element 305 such that the sealing lip 145 rests against a mounting surface 315 of the housing element 305. A contact area between the sealing lip 145 and the mounting surface 315 of the housing element 305 surrounds the recess 310. This ensures that the fan 100 can convey air between a top and a bottom of the housing element 305 along the axis 115 without allowing air to enter or exit in a radial direction between the housing element 305 and the sealing lip 145. This prevents the formation of a circular flow originating from a leak in the area of ​​the sealing lip 145, which leads on a radial outside of the fan 100 to a lower axial end of the fan 100 and from there back on an inside of the fan 100 (or vice versa).

[0036] Bolts 320, corresponding to fasteners 135, are attached to the housing element 305. The bolts 320 are rigidly fastened to the housing element 305, for example, by screws, rivets, welding, or adhesive bonding. In the area of ​​the fasteners 135, the bolts 320 pass through the recesses 145. On the underside of the fasteners 135, the bolts 320 are mushroom-shaped to prevent them from sliding upwards through the recesses 140. The bolts 320 can be made of a rigid material such as steel or plastic, or of a flexible material such as rubber.

[0037] In a preferred embodiment, the lengths of the bolts 320 are selected such that the fan 100 is held at a distance from the housing element 305 that forces compression of the sealing lip 145. This results in a spring tension of the sealing lip 145 on the mounting surface 315 of the housing element 305, which can improve the seal in this area.

[0038] In one embodiment, the distances between the mounting surface 315 and the fastening elements 135 are different, and the bolts 320 are also of different lengths, so that the fan 100 can only be positioned on the housing element 305 in a rotational orientation about the axis 115. For the same purpose, the radial distances of the recesses 140 from the axis 115 can also differ on different fastening elements 320, with the corresponding bolts 320 in this case having correspondingly different distances to the axis 115.

[0039] In an embodiment not shown, a web is attached to the second section 130 of the fan housing 120 of the fan 100 at a radial position which is selected such that the web collides with one of the bolts 320 if an attempt is made to attach the fan 100 to the housing element 305 in such a way that non-corresponding fastening elements 135 and 320 engage with each other.

[0040] Fig. Figure 4 shows the fan 100 mounted in a 405 housing. Fig. 1 to 3.

[0041] Fig. Figure 5 shows a flowchart of an assembly procedure 500 for assembling the fan housing 120 of the fan 100 from the Fig. 1 to 4 on one mounting surface.

[0042] In a first step 505, the fan housing 120 is brought close to the mounting surface 315 along the axis 115. During this process, the bolts 320, which are attached to the mounting surface 315 and extend parallel to the axis 115, are inserted into the recesses 140 of the mounting elements 135. If one of the bolts 320 cannot be inserted into one of the recesses 140, the rotational position of the fan housing 120 may be incorrect.

[0043] Provided the rotational position of the fan housing is correct or has been corrected if necessary, the fan housing 120 is placed onto the mounting surface 315 in a subsequent step 510. This creates a contact surface between the sealing lip 145 and the mounting surface 315, forming a closed curve. This closed curve typically surrounds a recess in the mounting surface 315.

[0044] In a subsequent step 515, the sealing lip 145 is pressed against the mounting surface 315 and compressed. The sealing lip 145 is made of a soft, elastic material that can be deformed by moving the fan housing 120 further towards the mounting surface 315. The second section 130 is then attached to the mounting surface 315 by securing the bolts 320 in such a way that they cannot slide back through the recesses 140 of the fasteners 135. This can be achieved, for example, by means of a cotter pin, a nut, a rivet, a washer, or by a barbed end section of the bolt 320.

[0045] Finally, in step 525, the external pressure on the fan housing 120 in the direction of the mounting surface 315 is removed, allowing the sealing lip 145 to settle relative to the mounting surface 315 and the fan housing 120 to move along the bolts 320 so that holding forces are distributed between the bolts 320 and the fastening elements 135.

[0046] After that, the assembly procedure 500 is completed and the fan housing 120 is mounted on the mounting surface 315.

Claims

[1] Fan housing (120) having a substantially hollow cylindrical shape, comprising: - a first axial section (125) for connection to a fan motor (110); - a second axial section (130) for receiving a fan wheel (105) driven by the fan motor (110); characterized by , that - the second section (130) is made of a softer material than the first section (125); and - the second section (130) has a sealing lip (145) circumferential in a hollow cylindrical shape at an axial end opposite the first section (125). [2] Fan housing (120) according to claim 1, characterized by , that the second section (130) comprises three fastening elements (135) which are located radially outside the sealing lip (145). [3] Fan housing (120) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by, that the first (125) and the second section (130) overlap in a transition area in the axial direction. [4] Fan housing (120) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the first (125) and the second section (130) are joined together by a material bond. [5] Fan housing (120) according to one of claims 2 to 4, characterized by , that adjacent fastening elements (135) enclose angles (α, β) between them with respect to a longitudinal axis (115) of the fan housing (120), wherein two of the angles (α, β) are of different sizes. [6] Fan housing (120) according to one of claims 2 to 5, characterized by that two of the fastening elements (135) occupy different axial positions. [7] Fan housing (120) according to one of claims 2 to 6, characterized by , that two of the fastening elements (135) occupy different radial positions. [8] Fan housing (120) according to one of claims 2 to 7, characterized by , that one of the fastening elements (135) includes an axial receptacle (140) for a fastening pin (320). [9] Method (500) for mounting a fan housing (120) according to one of the preceding claims on a mounting surface (315) having a passage (310) in the interior of the hollow cylindrical second section (130), wherein the method (500) comprises the following steps: - Placing (510) the sealing lip (145) onto the mounting surface (315) so that a contact area between the sealing lip (145) and the mounting surface (315) surrounds the passage (310); - Attaching the second section (130) to the mounting surface (315). [10] Method (500) according to claim 9, wherein the second section (130) is connected to the mounting surface (315) such that the sealing lip (145) is compressed in the axial direction.

Images