Blower

Abstract

To provide a blower that can achieve high efficiency. [Solution] The blower 1 comprises a rotor 10 having a side surface and a plurality of rotor blades 12 provided on the side surface, and a stator 26 having a plurality of stator blades 25. In the radial direction, a portion of the first blade 25 of the stator 26 (upper portion 25Au) faces a portion of the side surface of the rotor 10 (lower portion 110bd). In the axial direction X, the portion of the first blade 25 of the stator 26 has a first size X1. In the radial direction, a gap Gb of second size X2 is formed between the portion of the first blade 25 of the stator 26 and the portion of the side surface of the rotor 10. In the axial direction, the lower end portion 12Ab of the first blade 12 and the upper end portion 25T of the first blade 25 face each other. In the axial direction X, a third gap Gc of size X3 is formed between the lower end 12Ab of the first blade 12 and the upper end 25T of the first blade 25, and the second size X2 and the third size X3 are smaller than the first size X1.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a blower device.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a blower device that blows air from an intake port toward an exhaust port by rotating an impeller (rotating blade) housed inside is known.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In recent years, there has been a demand for higher efficiency of the blower device as described above.

[0005] <000002​​​​​​​​​​ (2): In the blower according to (1), a frame is provided, and a fourth size gap is formed between the rotor blade and the frame, and the second size and the third size may be larger than the fourth size.

[0008] (3) The blower according to (2), comprising a base surrounded by the frame and a stationary vane connecting the frame and the base, wherein a fifth size gap is formed radially between the side surface of the rotor vane on the suction port side and the frame, and a sixth size gap is formed radially between the outer circumference of the base on the discharge port side and the frame, the sixth size of which may be smaller than the fifth size.

[0009] (4) In the blower according to (2) or (3), the inner surface of the frame may extend along the axial direction.

[0010] (5) In any of the blowers described in (2) to (4), the frame comprises a plurality of corners and a plurality of sides connecting the plurality of corners, and the side facing the first blade of the rotor blade in the radial direction may have the thinnest portion.

[0011] (6) In any of the blowers described in (2) to (5), the rotor blades, the stator blades, and the frame may be made of metal.

[0012] (7) Any of the blowers described in (1) to (6) may include a holder fixed to the rotor blade and a stator. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0013] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view of the blower according to the present invention, viewed from one side in the axial direction. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is a perspective view of the blower shown in Figure 1, viewed from the other side in the axial direction. [Figure 3] Figure 1 is a plan view of the blower shown in Figure 1, viewed from one side in the axial direction. [Figure 4] This is a cross-sectional view along line AA in Figure 3. [Figure 5] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view along the CC line. [Figure 6] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view along the DD line. [Figure 7] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view along line BB. [Figure 8] Figure 1 is a side view of the rotor blades of the blower shown in Figure 1. [Figure 9] Figure 8 is a plan view of the control blade. [Figure 10] Figure 1 is a perspective view of the blower housing, seen from one side in the axial direction. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0014] The following examples illustrate embodiments for implementing the blower device according to the present invention, along with the accompanying drawings. The embodiments illustrated below are provided to facilitate understanding of the present invention and are not intended to limit its interpretation. The present invention can be modified and improved from the following embodiments without departing from its spirit. In addition, in the accompanying drawings, the dimensions of each component may be exaggerated or reduced, or hatching may be omitted, in order to facilitate understanding.

[0015] Figure 1 is a perspective view of the blower device 1 in the embodiment, viewed from one side, and Figure 2 is a perspective view of the blower device 1, viewed from the other side.

[0016] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the blower device 1 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape extending in a first direction X, a second direction Y perpendicular to the first direction X, and a third direction Z perpendicular to both the first direction X and the second direction Y. The use of the blower device 1 is not particularly limited, but for example, it may be used as an axial fan provided in a server. The blower device 1 includes a shaft 30 (rotation axis) extending in the first direction X. The shaft 30 is disposed at the center of the blower device 1. Hereinafter, the first direction X is referred to as the "axial direction X". Therefore, FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the blower device 1 seen from one side in the axial direction X, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the blower device 1 seen from the other side in the axial direction X. The shaft 30 has one end 30A (see FIG. 1) on one side in the axial direction X and the other end 30B (see FIG. 2) on the other side. Hereinafter, for convenience, one side in the axial direction X may be expressed by the word "upper" such as "upper" and "upper side", and the other side in the axial direction X may be expressed by the word "lower" such as "lower" and "lower side".

[0017] Also, the direction in which a straight line perpendicular to the axial direction X and passing through the center of the shaft 30 extends is referred to as the "radial direction". Further, in the radial direction, the side relatively close to the shaft 30 may be expressed by the word "inner" such as "inner" and "inner side", and the side relatively far from the shaft 30 may be expressed by the word "outer" such as "outer" and "outer side".

[0018] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the blower device 1 further includes a housing 20 and a moving blade (impeller) 10 housed inside the housing 20. Specifically, inside the housing 20, a space TS is formed that forms an air passage extending in the axial direction X of the blower device 1, and the moving blade 10 is disposed in this space TS. Then, when the moving blade 10 rotates about the shaft 30, air, which is a fluid, is sucked into the space TS from an opening TS1 on one side (upper side; suction port side) of the space TS, and the air sucked into the space TS is discharged to the outside of the blower device 1 from an opening TS2 on the other side (lower side; discharge port side) of the space TS. Hereinafter, the opening TS1 is referred to as the "suction port TS1", and the opening TS2 is referred to as the "discharge port TS2".

[0019] FIG. 3 is a plan view (viewed from above) of the blower device 1 as seen from one side in the axial direction X, FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view (cross-sectional view along the axial direction X) taken along line A-A of FIG. 3, FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view (cross-sectional view along the axial direction X) taken along line C-C of FIG. 3, FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view (cross-sectional view along the axial direction X) taken along line D-D of FIG. 3, and FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view (cross-sectional view along the radial direction) taken along line B-B of FIG. 4. Note that FIG. 3 is a plan view of the blower device 1 when the rotation of the moving blade 10 is stationary. Also, the line B-B in FIG. 4 is a line extending in the radial direction through the center of the blower device 1 in the axial direction X. Therefore, FIG. 7 shows a cross-section of the center of the blower device 1 in the axial direction X.

[0020] As shown in FIGS. 4 and 7, the blower device 1 further includes a drive device 50. The drive device 50 rotates the shaft 30. The drive device 50 includes a bearing frame (sleeve) 51, two bearings 52, 52, a biasing member (or elastic member) 53, a stator 60, a rotor 70, and a substrate 80. The bearing frame 51, the two bearings 52, 52, the biasing member 53, the stator 60, the rotor 70, and the substrate 80 are arranged outside the shaft 30 and have an annular (concentric) shape surrounding the shaft 30 when viewed from the axial direction X.

[0021] The bearing frame 51 is a cylindrical (in this embodiment, cylindrical) member and may be made of, for example, metal. The shaft 30 is positioned inside the bearing frame 51 and is housed within the bearing frame 51. In this embodiment, one end 30A and its vicinity protrude from the bearing frame 51. Bearings 52 are mounted near the upper end and near the lower end on the inner surface (inner circumferential surface) of the bearing frame 51. The shaft 30 is rotatably supported by these bearings 52, 52. Within the bearing frame 51, a biasing member 53 is positioned between the two bearings 52, 52. This biasing member 53 biases one outer ring of the two bearings 52, 52 and biases the other outer ring axially through the bearing frame 51. The substrate 80 is formed in an annular shape and is mounted on the base 24 of the housing 20, which will be described later. In this embodiment, in the axial direction, the substrate 80 is positioned on the stator 60 side of the base 24. In other words, in the axial direction, the substrate 80 is positioned between the insulator 62 of the stator 60 (described later) and the upper end (the end on the stator 60 side) of the outer peripheral portion 24A of the base 24. Here, the lower portion 110bd of the outer peripheral surface 110b (side) of the rotor blade 10 (described later) has a lower end (end). Therefore, in the axial direction, a space (part of the space CS described later) that is open toward the stationary blade 25 is formed between the lower end of the rotor blade 10 and the upper end of the outer peripheral portion 24A of the base 24, and air, which is a fluid, can pass through this space. An inner peripheral portion is formed in the center of the substrate 80, and this inner peripheral portion forms a hole that penetrates the substrate 80, through which the bearing frame 51 is inserted. An external power supply (not shown) is connected to the substrate 80, and power is supplied to the blower 1 via the substrate 80.

[0022] The stator 60 includes a stator core 61, an insulator 62, and a plurality of coils 63.

[0023] In this embodiment, the stator core 61 is constructed by stacking a plurality of magnetic materials (electromagnetic steel sheets) in the axial direction X. However, the stator core 61 may also be constructed by applying pressure to magnetic iron powder to solidify it. An inner circumferential portion is formed in the center of the stator core 61, and this inner circumferential portion forms a hole that penetrates the stator core 61 in the axial direction X, through which the bearing frame 51 is inserted. The stator core 61 may be attached to the bearing frame 51 by fixing the surface of the inner circumferential portion (inner surface) of the stator core 61 to the outer surface of the bearing frame 51. The stator core 61 includes an annular portion (annular ring portion) 61C fixed to the bearing frame 51, a plurality of spokes 61A extending radially outward from the annular portion 61C, and a plurality of magnetic pole portions 61B connected to the outer ends of each of the plurality of spokes 61A. The magnetic pole portions 61B have two protrusions extending in the circumferential direction from the spokes 61A to both sides. Note that "circumferential direction" refers to the circumferential direction of a circle centered on the central axis of the shaft 30 when viewed from the axial direction X. The annular portion 61C, spoke 61A, and magnetic pole portion 61B form what is known as teeth.

[0024] The insulator 62 covers the upper and lower portions of the stator core 61. On the other hand, the outer circumferential surfaces 61Bs of the magnetic pole portions 61B are exposed from the insulator 62. A coil 63 is wound around each spoke 61A via the insulator 62. This insulates the stator core 61 from the coil 63. The multiple coils 63 are electrically connected to a substrate 80, and power is supplied to the multiple coils 63 via the substrate 80.

[0025] The rotor 70 includes a holder 72 and a magnet 71.

[0026] The holder 72 has a cup shape and is made of, for example, a soft magnetic material. The holder 72 includes a cylindrical tube (cylindrical part) 72A and an annular part (ring part) 72B that is an annular shape when viewed from the axial direction X. The ring part 72B includes an annular plate (plate-like part) 72Ba parallel to the second direction Y and the third direction Z, and an inclined part (inclined part) 72Bb connected to the outer end of the plate-like part 72Ba. This inclined part 72Bb is formed in an annular shape. In the radial direction, an inner circumference 72Bh is formed in the center of the plate-like part 72Ba, and this inner circumference 72Bh forms a through hole that penetrates the plate-like part 72Ba in the axial direction X, and one end 30A of the shaft 30 is fixed to this inner circumference 72Bh. Note that the cylindrical part 72A may be made of, for example, a soft magnetic material as a yoke, and the ring part 72B may be made of a non-magnetic material such as resin. Therefore, the holder 72 can rotate together with the shaft 30. The inclined portion 72Bb is inclined to widen outwards from the top to the bottom. The cylindrical portion 72A is connected to the lower end of the inclined portion 72Bb and extends downward in the axial direction X. The magnet 71 has a cylindrical shape and is fixed to the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion 72A, for example by adhesive. The magnet 71 is magnetized such that north and south poles are alternately formed in the circumferential direction on its inner circumferential surface 71S. The inner circumferential surface 71S of the magnet 71 surrounds the outer circumferential surface 61Bs of the magnetic pole portion 61B. Also, the inner circumferential surface 71S of the magnet 71 faces the outer circumferential surface 61Bs in the radial direction via an air gap. When current flows through the coil 63, a magnetic interaction occurs between the outer circumferential surface 61Bs of the magnetic pole portion 61B and the magnet 71. In this way, the rotor 70 can rotate together with the shaft 30 with respect to the housing 20 and the stator 60, etc.

[0027] As shown in Figure 4, the rotor blade 10 is fixed to the holder 72 and can rotate together with the shaft 30 and rotor 70 relative to the housing 20 and stator 60, etc. The material used to form the rotor blade 10 is not particularly limited, but in this embodiment it is made of metal (for example, aluminum). The rotor blade 10 may also be made of resin.

[0028] Figure 8 is a side view (viewed radially) of the rotor blade 10. Note that the BB line shown in Figure 8 corresponds to the BB line shown in Figure 4. As shown in Figures 4 and 8, the rotor blade 10 includes a hub 11 and a plurality of blades 12 (hereinafter referred to as "rotor blade 12") provided on the hub 11. As the rotor blade 10 rotates, the plurality of rotor blades 12 rotate, causing the fluid air to flow inside the blower 1 from the suction port TS1 at the upper end to the discharge port TS2 at the lower end.

[0029] The hub 11 is formed such that the shape of its inner surface corresponds to the shape of the outer surface of the holder 72. The rotor blade 10 is fixed to the rotor 70 by fixing the inner surface of the hub 11 to the outer surface of the holder 72. The hub 11 has a cylinder 110 and a cover 111.

[0030] The cylinder 110 extends in the axial direction X and has a cylindrical shape (in this embodiment, cylindrical). In the axial direction X, the length of the cylinder 110 is greater than the length of the lid 111. The cylinder 110 includes an inner circumferential surface 110a that extends in the axial direction X and an outer circumferential surface 110b that slopes outward as it goes from the top to the bottom. The inner circumferential surface 110a of the cylinder 110 is in contact with the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion 72A of the holder 72 in the radial direction. The radial length (thickness) of the cylinder 110 increases from the top to the bottom. In this embodiment, the cylinder 110 is formed such that the length of the cylinder 110 in the axial direction X is smaller than the length of the cylindrical portion 72A in the axial direction X. However, it is not limited to this, and the length of the cylinder 110 in the axial direction X may be the same as or greater than, for example, the length of the cylindrical portion 72A in the axial direction X.

[0031] The lid 111 is formed in an annular shape (annular in this embodiment) when viewed from the axial direction X. The lid 111 includes a plate-like portion (plate) 113 and an inclined portion (inclined portion) 112.

[0032] The plate-like portion 113 has an annular shape parallel to the second direction Y and the third direction Z. In the radial direction, an inner circumference portion 113h is formed in the center of the plate-like portion 113, and this inner circumference portion 113h forms a through hole that penetrates the plate-like portion 113 in the axial direction X, and the shaft 30 is positioned inside this inner circumference portion 113h. In the radial direction, the outer circumferential surface of the shaft 30 is separated from the inner circumferential surface of the inner circumference portion 113h of the plate-like portion 113. In the axial direction X, the lower surface of the plate-like portion 113 is in contact with the upper surface of the plate-like portion 72Ba of the holder 72.

[0033] The inclined portion 112 is connected to the outer end of the plate-like portion 113 and has an annular shape that is inclined with respect to the cylinder 110 which extends in the axial direction X. Specifically, the inclined portion 112 is inclined so as to protrude outward from the top to the bottom. The inner circumferential surface 112a and the outer circumferential surface 112b of the inclined portion 112 are inclined at approximately the same angle of inclination with respect to the axial direction X. That is, the hub 11 has an annular surface (the inner circumferential surface 112a and the outer circumferential surface 112b of the inclined portion 112) that is inclined with respect to the cylinder 110. The inner circumferential surface 112a of the inclined portion 112 is in contact with the outer surface (outer circumferential surface) of the inclined portion 72Bb of the holder 72.

[0034] As shown in Figure 3, the inclined portion 112 has holes 112h that penetrate the inclined portion 112 in the axial direction X. Note that these holes 112h do not need to be formed. The number of holes 112h is not particularly limited, but in this embodiment, the holes 112h are formed corresponding to the number of rotor blades 12, and three holes 112h are formed at predetermined intervals (equally spaced in this embodiment) in the circumferential direction. In the radial direction, the holes 112h are adjacent to the inner peripheral edge 12A of the corresponding rotor blade 12, which will be described later. Because such holes 112h are formed in the inclined portion 112, air drawn in from the suction port TS1 can flow into the inside of the hub 11, and this air can lower the temperature of components to which heat has been propagated from, for example, the coil 63 (stator core 61, insulator, magnet 71, rotor blade 10 arranged inside the hub 11), and the hub 11 in contact with these components, thereby dissipating heat. Furthermore, in this embodiment, since the hole 112h is adjacent to the rotor blade 12, the airflow generated by the rotor blade 12 can easily pass through the hole 112h.

[0035] The side surface (outer surface) of the rotor blade 10 includes the outer surface 112b of the inclined portion 112 and the outer surface 110b of the cylinder 110.

[0036] As shown in Figure 3, the multiple rotor blades 12 are formed to have substantially the same shape and dimensions when viewed from the axial direction X, except for their position in the circumferential direction. Note that "substantially the same" may include differences in shape and dimensions due to manufacturing errors or tolerances, for example. However, the shapes and dimensions of the multiple rotor blades 12 may differ. The number of multiple rotor blades 12 is not particularly limited, but for example, even if it is an odd number, a holder is provided. In this embodiment, three rotor blades 12 are provided at predetermined intervals (equal intervals) along the circumferential direction. However, when there are many rotor blades 12, the total air resistance experienced by the multiple rotor blades 12 tends to increase as the rotational speed of the rotor blade 10 increases (i.e., as the rotation speed increases). In this embodiment, since the number of rotor blades 12 is limited to three, the increase in the total air resistance experienced by the multiple rotor blades 12 at high rotation speeds is suppressed.

[0037] Each of the multiple rotor blades 12 is provided on the hub 11 so as to protrude outward from the hub 11. The multiple rotor blades 12 may be formed integrally with the hub 11, or they may be formed separately from the hub 11 and joined to the hub 11. In this embodiment, the multiple rotor blades 12 are formed integrally with the hub 11. Each of the multiple rotor blades 12 includes an inner peripheral edge 12A which is the inner end, an outer peripheral edge 12B which is the outer end, an upper edge 12C which is the upper end (one side in the axial direction X), and a lower edge 12D which is the lower end (the other side in the axial direction X).

[0038] As shown in Figures 3 and 8, each of the multiple rotor blades 12 is provided on the hub 11 such that the inner peripheral edge 12A spans both the cylinder 110 and the lid 111. Specifically, the inner peripheral edge 12A extends axially across the outer peripheral surface 112b of the inclined portion 112 and the outer peripheral surface 110b of the cylinder 110, and is provided to extend generally in the circumferential direction. That is, the upper end 12Aa (one end) of the inner peripheral edge 12A is provided on the lid 111, and the lower end 12Ab (the other end) of the inner peripheral edge 12A is provided on the cylinder 110. The upper end 12Aa is the uppermost part of the rotor blade 12, and the upper edge 12C is connected to the upper end 12Aa. The lower end 12Ab is the lowermost part of the rotor blade 12, and the lower edge 12D is connected to the lower end 12Ab. Furthermore, in the radial direction, the upper end portion 12Aa is positioned on the central side (shaft 30 side) of the hub 11 relative to the lower end portion 12Ab. In the circumferential direction, the distance from the upper end portion 12Aa of the second portion 12A2 of one of the multiple rotor blades 12 to the lower end portion 12Ab of the second portion 12A2 of the rotor blade 12 adjacent to the first rotor blade 12 is smaller than the distance from the upper end portion 12Aa of the first portion 12A1 of the first rotor blade 12 to the lower end portion 12Ab of the first portion 12A1 of the rotor blade 12 adjacent to the first rotor blade 12. In addition, the inner peripheral edge 12A of the rotor blade 12 comprises a first portion 12A1 which is a part formed in the cylinder 110 and a second portion 12A2 which is the other part formed in the lid 111. As shown in Figures 3 and 8, in this embodiment, the length of the first portion 12A1 is greater than the length of the second portion 12A2.

[0039] Figure 9 is a plan view of the rotor blade 10. As shown in Figures 3 and 9, the outer edge 12B extends so as to be roughly parallel to the inner edge 12A in a plan view. That is, the outer edge 12B of each of the multiple rotor blades 12 extends roughly along the circumferential direction and lies on a single circumference Cr with a predetermined radius centered on the shaft 30. In Figure 9, for convenience, a dashed line is shown on the part of the circumference Cr excluding the outer edge 12B to indicate the circumference Cr.

[0040] Furthermore, each of the multiple rotor blades 12 is formed such that, in a plan view, the length CL1 of the inner edge 12A and the length CL2 of the outer edge 12B in the circumferential direction are greater than the length CL3 of the rotor blade 12 in the radial direction. Also, in the circumferential direction, the length CL1 of the inner edge 12A is the same as or less than the length CL2 of the outer edge 12B. Specifically, the length CL2 may be between 1 and 1.1 times the length CL1. In addition, in order to minimize the length on the inner edge 12A side of the gap Gm described later, the length CL1 of the inner edge 12A may be formed in the circumferential direction to be the same as or greater than the length CL2 of the outer edge 12B.

[0041] Furthermore, in a plan view, a gap Gm extending in the circumferential direction is formed between a pair of adjacent rotor blades 12, 12, that is, between the upper edge 12C of one rotor blade 12 and the lower edge 12D of the other rotor blade 12 in a pair of rotor blades 12, 12. In other words, multiple gaps Gm are formed in the rotor blade 10. In this embodiment, since three rotor blades 12 are provided as described above, the number of gaps Gm is three. The length of each of the multiple gaps Gm in the circumferential direction is larger towards the outer circumference in a plan view, and the maximum length of the gap Gm in the circumferential direction is CL4. Each of the multiple rotor blades 12 is formed such that the length CL1 of the inner circumferential edge 12A is greater than the maximum length CL4 of the gap Gm. In other words, the rotor blade 10 is formed such that the sum of the lengths CL1 of each of the multiple rotor blades 12 is greater than the sum of the maximum lengths CL4 of the multiple gaps Gm.

[0042] As shown in Figure 8, each of the rotor blades 12 is formed to intersect at the point (intersection) 12X where the inner peripheral edge 12A and the outer peripheral edge 12B intersect when viewed from the side (radially) of the rotor blade 10, and each of the rotor blades 12 has a so-called camber (difference between the chord line and the center line). This intersection 12X may overlap with a part of the cylinder 110 in a side view, and moreover, it may be above the BB line. In addition, the lower end 12Ab of the rotor blade 12 is below the BB line, below the center in the axial direction X of the blower 1, and above the boundary 211X which will be described later.

[0043] As shown in Figures 1, 2, and 4, the housing 20 is a cylindrical member that is substantially rectangular (square in this embodiment) when viewed from the axial direction. The material forming the housing 20 is not particularly limited, but in this embodiment it is made of metal (for example, aluminum). The rotor blades 10, rotor 70, stator 60, bearing frame 51, and shaft 30 are arranged inside the housing 20.

[0044] Figure 10 is a perspective view of the housing 20 from above. As shown in Figures 1, 2, 4, and 10, the housing 20 includes a frame 21, a stator vane 26, and a base 24. The housing 20 may be formed by integrally forming the frame 21, the stator vane 26, and the base 24, or it may be formed by forming the frame 21, the stator vane 26, and the base 24 separately and then joining them together. If the housing 20 is formed separately, for example, only the frame 21 may be made of metal, or the frame 21 and the stator vane 26 may be made of metal.

[0045] As shown in Figures 1 and 4, in the radial direction, a gap Gd is formed between the frame 21 and the upper end 112T of the outer peripheral surface 112b (side surface) of the inclined portion 112 of the rotor blade 10, and this gap Gd is provided by the aforementioned suction port TS1.

[0046] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the frame 21 is a cylindrical member that is substantially rectangular (square in this embodiment) when viewed from the axial direction X, and more precisely, it has a roughly square frame-like shape with curved portions formed at the four corners when viewed from the axial direction X. The frame 21 surrounds the stationary vane 26 and the rotor vane 10 in the radial direction. The frame 21 includes a frame body 21A that extends in the axial direction X, an upper end face 22 which is the upper end face of the frame 21, and a lower end face 23 which is the lower end face of the frame.

[0047] The upper end surface 22 is connected to the upper end of the frame body 21A, and the lower end surface 23 is connected to the lower end of the frame body 21A. The upper end surface 22 has four curved corners 221, and the lower end surface 23 has four curved corners 231. The corners 221 and 231 extend in the second direction Y and the third direction Z. The corners 221 of the upper end surface 22 and the corners 231 of the lower end surface 23 have generally the same configuration. Each of the four corners 221 and the four corners 231 protrudes inward so as to form a roughly right triangle in plan view.

[0048] As shown in Figure 4, a space CS extending in the axial direction X is formed between the inner surface 201, which is the inner surface of the frame 21, and the outer surface of the hub 11 of the rotor blade 10 (i.e., the outer surface 112b of the inclined portion 112 and the outer surface 110b of the cylinder 110), and the fluid flowing in from the suction port TS1 passes through this space CS.

[0049] As shown in Figures 4 and 10, the inner surface 201 of the frame 21 includes a cylindrical surface 211, which is the portion excluding the upper end and its vicinity, and the lower end and its vicinity, in the axial direction X. The dimensions (diameter) of the cylindrical surface 211 in the radial direction are formed to be constant in the axial direction X. That is, the cylindrical surface 211 extends in the axial direction X. As shown in Figures 4 and 10, the cylindrical surface 211 includes a first cylindrical surface 211A located above the boundary 211X and a second cylindrical surface 211B located below the boundary 211X. The first cylindrical surface 211A forms a cylindrical first space CS1, and the second cylindrical surface 211B forms a cylindrical second space CS2. That is, the aforementioned space CS, which is part of the fluid flow path (ventilation passage), includes the first space CS1 and the second space CS2. Furthermore, the dimensions (diameter) of the cylindrical surface 211 in the radial direction may be formed to be constant over the entire circumferential and axial direction X. In this embodiment, the dimensions (diameter) of the cylindrical surface 211 in the radial direction are twice the distance along the radial direction from the central axis of the shaft 30 to the cylindrical surface 211. However, the dimensions (diameter) of the cylindrical surface 211 in the radial direction may differ in the circumferential and axial directions.

[0050] As shown in Figures 1 and 4, multiple rotor blades 12 of the rotor blade 10 are arranged in the first space CS1. On the other hand, as shown in Figures 4 and 10, the stator blade 26 and base 24 are arranged in the second space CS2.

[0051] As shown in Figures 1 and 10, the first cylindrical surface 211A and the corner 221 of the upper end surface 22 of the frame 21 are connected via an inclined surface 223 that protrudes inward as it goes downward. That is, the inner surface 201 of the frame 21 includes the inclined surface 223. In addition, two adjacent corners 221 in the second direction Y or the third direction Z are connected by a side portion 222 that extends in the second direction Y or the third direction Z. The side portion 222 is the part of the upper end surface 22 that has the smallest radial length (thinnest). A surface that extends linearly downward (hereinafter referred to as the "inner circumferential surface 224") is connected to the inner circumferential end of the side portion 222. The radial length of the side portion 222 and the radial length of the inner circumferential surface 224 are the same. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the frame 21 is formed such that the radial distance between opposing inner circumferential sides 224, 224 in the second direction Y or the third direction Z is approximately equal to the dimension (diameter) of the space CS in the radial direction. With this configuration, in this embodiment, a wide first space CS1 for accommodating the rotor blades 12 is formed over the distance between the shortest (thinnest) radially adjacent parts in the second direction Y or the third direction Z (i.e., the radial distance between a pair of opposing side parts 222, 222 in the second direction Y or the third direction Z). By accommodating multiple rotor blades 12 of the rotor blade 10 in this wide first space CS1, the rotor blades 12 are enlarged. Consequently, the amount of air flowing through the space CS increases as the enlarged rotor blades 12 rotate. Furthermore, the radial distance between opposing inner circumferential surfaces 224, 224 in the second direction Y or third direction Z of the frame 21 may differ from the dimension (diameter) of the space CS in the radial direction.

[0052] As shown in Figures 4 and 7, a gap Ga is formed in the radial direction between the first cylindrical surface 211A of the frame 21 and the outer peripheral edge 12B of the rotor blade 12 housed in the first space CS1.

[0053] As shown in Figures 2 and 10, the stator vane 26 has a plurality of blades 25 (hereinafter referred to as "stator vane blades 25"). The plurality of stator vane blades 25 are formed to have substantially the same shape and dimensions when viewed from the axial direction X. However, the shapes and dimensions of the plurality of stator vane blades 25 may differ. The number of plurality of stator vane blades 25 is not particularly limited and may be odd. In this embodiment, nine stator vane blades 25 are provided at equal intervals along the circumferential direction. Therefore, in this embodiment, the number of plurality of stator vane blades 25 (9) is a multiple of the number of plurality of rotor blades 12 (3). Each of the plurality of stator vane blades 25 is formed to extend in a direction that is slightly inclined with respect to the axial direction X.

[0054] As shown in Figures 4 and 10, each of the multiple stator vanes 25 includes an inner edge 25A, which is the inner end, and an outer edge 25B, which is the outer end. The lower portion of the inner edge 25A is connected to the outer periphery 24A of the base 24. On the other hand, the outer edge 25B is connected to the second cylindrical surface 211B of the frame 21 along its entire length. Thus, the stator vanes 26 connect the base 24 and the frame 21.

[0055] As shown in Figures 2 and 4, a gap Ge is formed radially between the outer circumference 24A of the base 24 and the frame 21 at the lower end of the blower 1. The discharge port TS2 described above provides access to this gap Ge. The size (radial length) of the gap Ge, which is the discharge port TS2, is smaller than the size (radial length) of the gap Gd, which is the suction port TS1.

[0056] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the upper portion 25Au, which is the upper part of the inner peripheral edge 25A of the stator blade 25, faces the lower portion 110bd, which is the lower part of the outer peripheral surface 110b (side surface) of the rotor blade 10, in the radial direction. The upper portion 25Au has a first size (length) X1 in the axial direction X. Here, when focusing on any one of the multiple stator blades 25, this single stator blade 25 may be referred to as the "first blade 25".

[0057] As shown in Figures 4 to 6, in the radial direction, a gap Gb is formed between the upper portion 25Au, which is a part of the first blade 25 of the stationary vane 26, and the lower portion 110bd, which is a part of the rotor blade 10.

[0058] As shown in Figures 4 and 10, the outer edge 25B of the first blade 25 includes the upper end 25T (one end in the axial direction X) of the stator blade 25. The upper end 25T of the first blade 25 lies on the boundary 211X between the first cylindrical surface 211A and the second cylindrical surface 211B. Therefore, as shown in Figures 5, 6, and 8, in the axial direction X, the upper end 25T of the first blade 25 and the lower end 12Ab of the rotor blade 12 face each other, and a gap Gc is formed between the upper end 25T of the stator blade 25 and the lower end 12Ab of the rotor blade 12. Here, focusing on any one of the multiple rotor blades 12, this single rotor blade 12 may be referred to as the "first blade 12". In other words, in the axial direction X, the upper end 25T of the first blade 25 of the stator blade 26 (the end of the first blade 25 on the rotor blade 10 side) and the lower end 12Ab of the first blade 12 of the rotor blade 10 (the end of the first blade 12 on the stator blade 26 side) are facing each other, and a gap Gc is formed between the upper end 25T of the first blade 25 and the lower end 12Ab of the first blade 12.

[0059] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the blower 1 is configured such that the size of the gap Gb (second size X2) and the size of the gap Gc (third size X3) are each smaller than the first size X1 of the upper portion 25Au (a part of the first blade 25).

[0060] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 5 and 6, the blower 1 is configured such that the size of the gap Gb (second size X2) and the size of the gap Gc (third size X3) are each larger than the size of the gap Ga (fourth size X4).

[0061] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3, when the rotor blades 10 are not rotating (when the rotor blades 10 are stationary), the blower 1 is configured such that a portion of the stator blades 26 is positioned between the upper edge 12C, which is one end of the first blade 12, and the lower edge 12D, which is the other end of the second blade 12 adjacent to the first blade 12 in the circumferential direction (i.e., the gap Gm). More specifically, when the rotor blades 10 are stationary, the blower 1 is configured such that stator blades 25 are positioned in each of the multiple gaps Gm.

[0062] As described above, the blower 1 comprises a rotor 10 having a plurality of rotor blades 12 provided on the side surfaces (outer circumferential surface 112b of the inclined portion 112 and the outer circumferential surface 110b of the cylinder 110) and a stator 26 having a plurality of stator blades 25. In this blower 1, in the radial direction, the upper portion 25Au, which is a part of the first blade 25 of the stator 26, faces the lower portion 110bd, which is a part of the side surface (outer circumferential surface 110b) of the rotor 10. Also, in the axial direction X, the upper portion 25Au (a part) of the first blade 25 of the stator 26 has a first size X1. Furthermore, in the radial direction, a second gap of size X2 Gb is formed between the upper portion 25Au (a portion) of the first blade 25 of the stator blade 26 and the lower portion 110bd (a portion) of the side surface (outer peripheral surface 110b) of the rotor blade 10. Also, in the axial direction, the lower end portion 12Ab of the first blade 12 of the rotor blade 10 and the upper end portion 25T of the first blade 25 of the stator blade 26 face each other. Also, in the axial direction X, a third gap of size X3 Gc is formed between the lower end portion 12Ab of the first blade 12 of the rotor blade 10 and the upper end portion 25T of the first blade 25 of the stator blade 26, and the second size X2 and the third size X3 are smaller than the first size X1.

[0063] In this type of blower 1, the second size X2 (the size of the gap Gb between the stator vane 26 and the rotor vane 10 in the radial direction) and the third size X3 (the gap Gc between the stator vane 26 and the rotor vane 10 in the axial direction X) are smaller than the first size X1 (the axial length of the portion of the stator vane 26 that faces the rotor vane 10 radially), so the rotor vane 10 and the stator vane 26 are in close proximity. As a result, the airflow (hereinafter referred to as "airflow") that flows into the space CS from the suction port TS1 is compressed in the narrow gaps Gb and Gc between the rotor vane 10 and the stator vane 26, and the pressure of the airflow discharged from the discharge port TS2 is increased. Therefore, the blower 1 makes it possible to discharge a high-pressure airflow and achieve high efficiency.

[0064] Furthermore, the second size X2 and the third size X3 may each be larger than, for example, the size of the gap Ga (the fourth size X4). This allows air to flow more smoothly through the gap between the rotor blades 10 and the stator blades 26 within the blower 1, thereby achieving further efficiency.

[0065] Furthermore, as described above, in the radial direction, a gap Ga is formed between the rotor blade 10 and the frame 21, specifically between the first cylindrical surface 211A of the frame 21 and the outer peripheral edge 12B of the rotor blade 10. The blower 1 is configured such that the size of the gap Gb (second size X2) and the size of the gap Gc (third size X3) are larger than the size of the gap Ga (fourth size X4). In other words, in the blower 1, the gap Ga between the rotor blade 10 and the frame 21 in the radial direction is narrowed to be smaller than the size of the gap Gb between the stator blade 26 and the rotor blade 10 in the radial direction and the size of the gap Gc between the stator blade 26 and the rotor blade 10 in the axial direction X. As a result, the airflow that flows in the opposite direction to the airflow that flows from the upper side (discharge port TS2 side) to the lower side (discharge port TS2 side) in the space CS due to the rotation of the rotor blade 10 is suppressed from flowing from the lower side (discharge port TS2 side) to the upper side (suction port TS1 side). Therefore, the blower 1 can achieve further efficiency.

[0066] Furthermore, as described above, on the suction port TS1 side (upper side) of the blower 1, a gap Gd is formed between the frame 21 and the upper end 112T of the outer peripheral surface 112b (side surface) of the rotor blade 10, forming the suction port TS1. On the discharge port TS2 side (lower side) of the blower 1, a gap Ge is formed between the outer peripheral portion 24A of the base 24 and the inner surface 201 of the frame 21, forming the discharge port TS2. As shown in Figure 4, the size of the gap Ge, which is the discharge port TS2 (sixth size X6), is smaller than the size of the gap Gd, which is the suction port TS1 (fifth size X5). Therefore, with the blower 1, a large amount of air is drawn into the space CS from the large area suction port TS1, and this large amount of air is discharged from the small area discharge port TS2, making it possible to generate higher pressure air and achieve further efficiency.

[0067] Furthermore, as described above, the outer peripheral surfaces 112b and 110b, which are the sides of the rotor blade 10, are inclined to protrude outward from the top to the bottom, and the cylindrical surface 211 that forms the inner surface 201 of the frame 21 has a constant dimension (diameter) along the axial direction X (i.e., extends along the axial direction). As a result, the space CS (airflow path) enclosed by the sides of the rotor blade and the inner surface 201 of the frame 21 gradually narrows from the suction port TS1 side to the discharge port TS2 side. With this configuration, a large amount of air drawn in from the large suction port TS1 is gradually compressed as it flows through the space CS, allowing it to flow smoothly through the space CS. Therefore, the blower 1 can achieve even greater efficiency.

[0068] Furthermore, as described above, since the cylindrical surface 211 forming the inner surface 201 of the frame 21 extends along the axial direction, the radial size of the gap Ga between the rotor blade 10 and the frame 21 is constant along the axial direction X. In other words, in the blower 1, the gap Ga between the rotor blade 10 and the frame 21 narrows continuously along the axial direction X. Therefore, the blower 1 can further suppress the flow of reversed airflow through the space CS, thereby achieving even greater efficiency.

[0069] Furthermore, as described above, since the frame 21 is made of metal in this embodiment, unlike when the frame 21 is made of resin, it is not necessary to consider the draft angle of the mold during resin molding, and it is possible to easily manufacture the frame 21 with high dimensional accuracy so that the inner surface 201 of the frame 21 extends along the axial direction X.

[0070] Furthermore, as described above, the blower 1 includes a hub 11 having a cylinder 110 extending in the axial direction X and a lid 111 having an annular surface (outer peripheral surface 112b of the inclined portion 112) inclined with respect to the cylinder 110, a rotor blade 10 having a plurality of rotor blades 12 provided on the hub 11, a stator blade 26 having a plurality of stator blades 25, and a frame 21 surrounding the stator blades 26 and the rotor blade 10. In this blower 1, the rotor blade 12 has, in the circumferential direction, one end provided on the lid 111 (upper end 12Aa of the inner peripheral edge 12A) and the other end provided on the cylinder 110 (lower end 12Ab of the inner peripheral edge 12A), and in the radial direction, an inner peripheral edge 12A and an outer peripheral edge 12B that straddle the cylinder 110 and the lid 111. Furthermore, in this blower 1, the length CL1 of the inner edge 12A and the length CL2 of the outer edge 12B of the rotor blade 12 in the circumferential direction are greater than the length CL3 of the rotor blade 12 in the radial direction. In the circumferential direction, a part of the stator blade 26 is positioned between one end (upper edge 12C) of the first blade 12 and the other end (lower edge 12D) of the second blade 12 among the multiple rotor blades 12 of the stationary rotor blade 10 (gap Gm).

[0071] In this type of blower 1, a lid 111 is provided which has an inclined annular surface (outer peripheral surface 112b of the inclined portion 112). As a result, the airflow generated by the rotation of the rotor blade 10 is guided by the inclined annular surface (outer peripheral surface 112b) and flows smoothly into the space CS between the hub 11 and the frame 21. One end of the rotor blade 12 (the upper end 12Aa of the inner peripheral edge 12A) is connected to this inclined annular surface (outer peripheral surface 112b). Furthermore, the rotor blade 12 has an inner peripheral edge 12A with a circumferential length CL1 which is greater than the radial length CL3 of the rotor blade 12, and an outer peripheral edge 12B with a circumferential length CL2 which is greater than the length CL3, so that it is formed to span a long distance in the circumferential direction from the lid 111 to the cylinder 110. Therefore, the airflow that is smoothly guided by the inclined annular surface (outer peripheral surface 112b) and reaches one end of the rotor blade 12 (the upper end 12Aa of the inner peripheral edge 12A) is smoothly guided toward the stator blade 26 by the rotor blade 12 which is formed over a long distance from the lid 111 to the cylinder 110. In this way, with the blower 1, the airflow is smoothly guided from one side in the axial direction X (upper side, lid 111 side, suction port TS1 side) to the other side (lower side, stator blade 26 side, discharge port TS2 side), thus enabling high efficiency.

[0072] Those skilled in the art can modify the blower of the present invention as appropriate in accordance with conventionally known knowledge. Such modifications, insofar as they still possess the configuration of the present invention, are of course included within the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0073] 1... Blower, 10... Rotary blade, 12... Rotary blade (blade, 1st blade, 2nd blade), 12Ab... Lower end, 21... Frame, 24... Base, 24A... Outer circumference, 25... Stator blade (blade, 1st blade), 25T... Upper end, 26... Stator blade, 60... Stator, 72... Holder, 110b... Outer surface (side), 112b... Outer surface (side), 201... Inner surface, 221... Corner, 222... Side, TS1... Suction port, TS2... Discharge port, Ga, Gb, Gc, Gd, Ge, Gm... Gap, X1... 1st size, X2... 2nd size, X3... 3rd size, X4... 4th size, X5... 5th size, X6... 6th size

Claims

1. A rotor blade having a side surface and a plurality of blades provided on that side surface, It has stator wings with multiple feathers, Equipped with, In the radial direction, a portion of the first blade of the stationary vane faces a portion of the side surface of the rotor blade, In the axial direction, a portion of the first blade of the stationary vane has a first size, In the radial direction, a gap of a second size is formed between a portion of the first blade of the stationary vane and a portion of the side surface of the rotor blade. In the axial direction, the lower end of the first blade of the rotor blade and the upper end of the first blade of the stator blade face each other. In the axial direction, a gap of a third size is formed between the lower end of the first blade of the rotor blade and the upper end of the first blade of the stator blade. A blower having a second and third size that is smaller than the first size.

2. Equipped with a frame, A fourth gap of a certain size is formed between the rotor blade and the frame. The blower according to claim 1, wherein the second and third dimensions are larger than the fourth dimension.

3. The system comprises a base surrounded by the frame, and stationary vanes connecting the frame and the base, In the radial direction, a fifth gap of size is formed between the side surface of the rotor blade on the suction port side and the frame. In the radial direction, a sixth gap of size is formed between the outer circumference of the base on the discharge port side and the frame. The blower according to claim 2, wherein the sixth size is smaller than the fifth size.

4. The blower according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the inner surface of the frame extends along the axial direction.

5. The frame comprises a plurality of corners and a plurality of side portions connecting the plurality of corners, The blower according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the side portion of the rotor blade facing the first blade in the radial direction has the thinnest portion.

6. The blower according to any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein the rotor blades, the stator blades, and the frame are made of metal.

7. A holder fixed to the aforementioned rotor blade, stator and, A blower according to any one of claims 1 to 6, comprising:

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