blower

Abstract

To provide an air sending machine which has a grommet with an excellent versatility and can secure the airtightness.SOLUTION: The air sending machine includes: a case with an opening; an impeller arranged in the case; a motor arranged in the case, the motor driving the impeller; a grommet arranged in the case; a wire; and a plug member. The grommet has a first hole and a second hole connecting the inside and the outside of the case via the opening. The wire is inserted in the first hole. The plug member blocks the second hole.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a blower. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART A fan having a grommet through which wires are inserted is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-131021 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The number of wires used varies depending on the model of blower. Therefore, it is conceivable to use grommets with different numbers of holes for each model of blower. However, in this case, it is necessary to manufacture multiple types of grommets, which may increase manufacturing costs. Therefore, it is conceivable to manufacture a grommet with the same number of holes as the maximum number of wires that can be used in the blower and share this grommet with different models of blowers. This improves the versatility of the grommet. However, if such a grommet is used in common, there is a risk that the airtightness of the blower will be reduced through the unused holes in the grommet. This may result in a decrease in blowing efficiency.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a blower that has a grommet that is highly versatile and ensures airtightness. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The above object can be achieved by a blower comprising a case having an opening, an impeller arranged in the case, a motor arranged in the case and driving the impeller, a grommet arranged in the case, wiring, and a plug member, wherein the grommet has first and second holes that connect the inside and outside of the case via the opening, the wiring is inserted into the first hole, and the plug member blocks the second hole. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] It is possible to provide a blower that has a grommet that is highly versatile and ensures airtightness. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of the first type of blower. [Figure 2] 2A and 2B are external perspective views of the grommet. [Figure 3] 3A and 3B are external perspective views of the plug member. [Figure 4] 4A and 4B are external perspective views of a grommet and a plug member used in a first type of fan. [Figure 5] 5A and 5B are explanatory diagrams showing the restriction of removal of the plug member from the grommet to the inside of the motor case. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the second type of blower. [Figure 7] 7A and 7B are external perspective views of a grommet and a plug member used in a second model of blower. [Figure 8] 8A and 8B are external perspective views of a grommet and a plug member used in a third type of blower. [Figure 9] FIG. 9A is an external perspective view of a plug member of a first modified example, and FIG. 9B is an external perspective view of a plug member of a second modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] [First model blower] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a first-model blower 1. The blower 1 includes an impeller case 10, a motor case 20, a grommet case 30, a bearing retaining member 40, an impeller I, a motor M, a grommet 70, and a plug member 80. The impeller I is housed in the impeller case 10. The motor M is housed in the motor case 20. The grommet 70 is held in the grommet case 30. The impeller case 10 includes an upper case 11 and a lower case 12. An inlet 13 is formed in the center of the upper case 11 to draw gas into the impeller case 10. The upper case 11 faces the upper surface of the impeller I. An annular air passage 14 is defined by a portion of the upper case 11 radially outward of the impeller I and the lower case 12. The air introduced into the air passage 14 through the inlet 13 is discharged from an outlet (not shown) formed in the impeller case 10. The lower case 12 is attached to the motor case 20 via a ring-shaped seal member S. The impeller I is fixed to the tip of a rotary shaft 51, which will be described later.

[0010] The bearing retaining member 40 includes a cylindrical portion 41 and a flange portion 42. The cylindrical portion 41 and the flange portion 42 face the underside of the impeller I. The cylindrical portion 41 is approximately cylindrical. Two bearings B that rotatably support the rotary shaft 51 are held inside the cylindrical portion 41. The flange portion 42 is fixed to the upper end of the cylindrical portion 41. A collar 44 is fixed to the outer periphery of the cylindrical portion 41. A vibration-isolating material 45 is disposed between the collar 44 and the lower case 12. A nut 46 is threadedly engaged with the outer periphery of the cylindrical portion 41. The collar 44 and the vibration-isolating material 45 are held between the nut 46 and the flange portion 42. The vibration-isolating material 45 separates the space in which the impeller I is housed from the space in which the motor M is housed.

[0011] The motor M includes a rotor 50, a stator 54, coils 55, an insulator 56, and a printed circuit board 57. The rotor 50 includes a rotating shaft 51, a yoke 52, and a magnet 53. The yoke 52 is fixed to the rotating shaft 51. The magnet 53 is held on the outer periphery of the yoke 52. The magnet 53 is cylindrical and is magnetized with different polarities in the circumferential direction. The rotating shaft 51, the yoke 52, and the magnet 53 rotate together. The stator 54 is disposed radially outside the magnet 53. A plurality of coils 55 are wound around the stator 54, each with an insulator 56 interposed therebetween. The plurality of coils 55 are electrically connected to a printed circuit board 57. The printed circuit board 57 is disposed on the opposite side of the rotor 50, the stator 54, the coils 55, and the insulator 56 from the impeller I. Furthermore, the printed circuit board 57 is connected to a wiring C1 as described below, and is connected to an electronic circuit provided outside the motor M via the wiring C1, thereby controlling the energization of the multiple coils 55. When the multiple coils 55 are energized, a magnetic force is generated between the stator 54 and the magnet 53. This causes the impeller I to rotate together with the rotor 50.

[0012] A wire C1 is connected to the printed circuit board 57. The wire C1 supplies power to the motor M. More specifically, the wire C1 energizes the multiple coils 55. Although only one wire C1 is shown in FIG. 1, in this embodiment, three wires C1 are lined up in the direction from the front to the back of the page.

[0013] An opening 21 is formed in a portion of the lower side wall of the motor case 20. The grommet case 30 is attached to the motor case 20 so as to cover this opening 21. A grommet 70 held within the grommet case 30 has three holes h1 formed therein, as will be described in detail below. Three wires C1 are inserted through the three holes h1, respectively. Five holes h2 are also formed in the grommet 70. The five holes h2 are closed by plug members 80. The grommet 70 has three insertion holes 31 formed therein, through which the three wires C1 are respectively inserted, and five insertion holes 32 formed therein corresponding to the five holes h2, as will be described in detail below.

[0014] [Grommet and plug components] 2A and 2B are perspective views of the grommet 70. The grommet 70 is made of rubber. The grommet 70 includes an inner surface 71, an outer surface 72, and an outer peripheral surface 73. The inner surface 71 and the outer surface 72 face each other. As shown in FIG. 1, the inner surface 71 faces the inside of the motor case 20, and the outer surface 72 faces the outside of the motor case 20. A rib 74 protruding from the outer peripheral edge of the outer surface 72 is formed. The grommet 70 has multiple holes h1, h2, and h3 that penetrate the inner surface 71 and the outer surface 72. In this embodiment, three holes h1, five holes h2, and two holes h3 are formed in the grommet 70. The diameter of the hole h1 is larger than the diameters of the holes h2 and h3. The diameters of the holes h2 and h3 are approximately the same. The five holes h2 are aligned in the longitudinal direction of the grommet 70. The three holes h1 and the two holes h3 are arranged in a different row from the five holes h2 in the longitudinal direction of the grommet 70. The grommet case 30 has three insertion holes 31 corresponding to the three holes h1, five insertion holes 32 corresponding to the five holes h2, and two insertion holes corresponding to the two holes h3. The insertion holes formed in the grommet case 30 are not limited to this. For example, the insertion holes formed in the grommet case 30 may be elongated holes corresponding to at least two of the multiple holes h1, h2, and h3. For example, the grommet case 30 may have one elongated insertion hole corresponding to the three holes h1 and the two holes h3, and one elongated insertion hole corresponding to the five holes h2.

[0015] As described above, hole h1 is formed for the insertion of wiring C1 for supplying power to motor M. Hole h2 is not employed in blower 1 of FIG. 1, but is formed for the insertion of wiring connected to a position sensor that detects the rotational position of rotor 50. Hole h3 is not employed in blower 1 of FIG. 1, but is formed for the insertion of wiring connected to a temperature sensor that detects the temperature of motor M. The position sensor is, for example, a Hall element. The temperature sensor is, for example, a thermistor.

[0016] 3A and 3B are external perspective views of plug members 80 and 80a. The plug member 80 includes five insertion portions 81 and a support portion 82 that supports the five insertion portions 81. The five insertion portions 81 extend parallel to one another at equal intervals. The support portion 82 is formed in a substantially plate shape. The plug member 80a includes two insertion portions 81a and a support portion 82a that supports the two insertion portions 81a. The two insertion portions 81a extend parallel to one another at equal intervals. The support portion 82a connects the base ends of the two insertion portions 81a. The plug member 80 closes the hole h2. The plug member 80a closes the hole h3. The plug members 80 and 80a are made of resin. The plug members 80 and 80a have higher rigidity than the grommet 70.

[0017] 4A and 4B are external perspective views of the grommet 70 and plug members 80 and 80a used in the first model of blower 1. The insertion portion 81 of the plug member 80 is inserted into the hole h2 from the inner surface 71 side of the grommet 70. Similarly, the insertion portion 81a of the plug member 80a is inserted into the hole h3 from the inner surface 71 side. This blocks the holes h2 and h3 of the grommet 70 that are not used in the blower 1. This ensures the airtightness of the blower 1. Note that, as described above, the hole h1 is formed to allow the wiring C1 for supplying power to the motor M to pass through, and therefore the hole h1 is not blocked by the plug member. The hole h1 corresponds to the first hole. The holes h2 and h3 correspond to the second hole.

[0018] The support portion 82 is sized so that it cannot be inserted into the hole h2. Similarly, the support portion 82a is sized so that it cannot be inserted into the hole h3. This prevents the plug members 80 and 80a from being removed from the grommet 70 to the outside of the motor case 20, as shown in Figure 1. Note that in Figure 1, the plug member 80a is located on the front side of the page.

[0019] Furthermore, the five insertion portions 81 are supported by one support portion 82. This allows the worker to hold the support portion 82 and simultaneously insert the five insertion portions 81 into the five holes h2 of the grommet 70. The same is true for the plug member 80a. In this way, workability is ensured.

[0020] Furthermore, the plug members 80 and 80a are made of resin, and the grommet 70 is made of rubber. Therefore, the plug members 80 and 80a each have higher rigidity than the grommet 70. This reduces the friction between the plug members 80 and 80a and the grommet 70. This makes it easy to insert the insertion portions 81 and 81a into the holes h2 and h3 of the grommet 70, respectively. In this way, workability is ensured.

[0021] Next, we will explain how to prevent the plug member 80 from being removed from the grommet 70 toward the inside of the motor case 20. An example of a situation in which such removal may occur is when a user of the blower 1 presses the tips of the insertion portions 81 and 81a, exposed through the holes h2 and h3, with a pen tip or the like, as shown in FIG. 4A . As mentioned above, to ensure the airtightness of the blower 1, it is desirable to prevent the plug member 80 from being removed from the grommet 70 toward the inside of the motor case 20. In such a case, it is possible to bond the plug member 80 to the grommet 70 with an adhesive. However, adhesives are not desirable from a manufacturing standpoint. Furthermore, the use of adhesives may be restricted depending on the application of the blower. Therefore, the blower 1 of this embodiment has the following structure.

[0022] 5A and 5B are explanatory diagrams illustrating the restriction of removal of the plug member 80 from the grommet 70 toward the inside of the motor case 20. The edge of the printed circuit board 57 exists on the axial extension of the hole h2. The length L1 of the plug member 80 in the axial direction of the hole h2 is longer than the distance L2 from the inner surface 71 of the grommet 70 to the edge of the printed circuit board 57 in the same direction. Therefore, even if the plug member 80 moves toward the inside of the motor case 20 after the insertion portion 81 of the plug member 80 is inserted into the hole h2 as shown in FIG. 5A, the support portion 82 contacts the edge of the printed circuit board 57 before the plug member 80 falls out of the grommet 70 as shown in FIG. 5B. In this manner, removal of the plug member 80 from the grommet 70 toward the inside of the motor case 20 is restricted. In this embodiment, the edge of the printed circuit board 57 does not exist on the axial extension of the hole h3. For this reason, if the plug member 80a moves toward the inside of the motor case 20 while the insertion portion 81a of the plug member 80a is inserted, there is a risk that the plug member 80a will be removed from the grommet 70 into the motor case 20 without the support portion 82a coming into contact with the edge of the printed circuit board 57. In such a case, the insulator 56 may be used instead of the printed circuit board 57. For example, a wall may be provided in part of the insulator 56, or the relative position of the grommet 70 and the motor M may be changed so that the insulator 56 is positioned on the axial extension of the holes h2 and h3. In this way, removal of the plug member from the grommet 70 into the motor case 20 can be prevented without using adhesive or the like, thereby ensuring airtightness.

[0023] The plug members 80 and 80a have a different color brightness from the grommet 70. In this embodiment, the plug members 80 and 80a are black, and the grommet 70 is also black. However, as described above, the brightness is different. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 4A , the tips of the insertion portions 81 and 81a are exposed from the holes h2 and h3, respectively. Therefore, the tips of the insertion portions 81 and 81a can be visually confirmed through the insertion hole 32 of the grommet case 30 that holds the grommet 70. Therefore, after the blower 1 is completed, it is easy to check whether the holes h2 and h3 of the grommet 70 are properly closed by the plug members 80 and 80a, respectively. The colors of the plug members 80 and 80a and the grommet 70 are not limited to black.

[0024] [Second, third and fourth model blowers] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a second model of fan 1a. Regarding fan 1a, only the differences from fan 1 will be described. Fan 1a is a different model from fan 1. A printed circuit board 57a of motor Ma of fan 1a is provided with a position sensor 58 for detecting the rotational position of rotor 50. Five wires C2 are connected to position sensor 58 via printed circuit board 57a. Wires C2 are inserted through hole h2 of grommet 70. Therefore, in fan 1a, plug member 80 is not inserted into hole h2 of grommet 70.

[0025] 7A and 7B are external perspective views of the grommet 70 and plug member 80a used in the second model fan 1a. Since the fan 1a is not provided with a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the motor Ma, the hole h3 is closed by the plug member 80a. This ensures the airtightness of the fan 1a.

[0026] 8A and 8B are external perspective views of grommet 70 and plug member 80 used in a third-type blower. The third-type blower does not have a position sensor that detects the rotational position of rotor 50, but is provided with a temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the motor. In this case, only hole h2 of grommet 70 is blocked by plug member 80. The fourth-type blower is equipped with a position sensor and a temperature sensor. For this reason, the fourth-type blower uses grommet 70 without using plug members 80 and 80a.

[0027] As described above, the grommet 70 can be shared by multiple models of blowers, improving the versatility of the grommet 70. This reduces manufacturing costs compared to manufacturing a dedicated grommet for each model. Furthermore, as described above, the hole h1 is not blocked by a plug member.

[0028] [Modification of plug member] 9A is an external perspective view of a plug member 80b of a first modified example. The plug member 80b includes one insertion portion 81b and a support portion 82b that supports the insertion portion 81b. The insertion portion 81b is cylindrical, and the support portion 82b is prismatic. The width of the support portion 82b is greater than the diameter of the insertion portion 81b. Therefore, the support portion 82b is too large to be inserted into holes h2 and h3.

[0029] 9B is an external perspective view of a plug member 80c of a second modified example. The plug member 80c includes six insertion portions 81c and a support portion 82c that supports the six insertion portions 81c. An expanded diameter portion 81c1 with an expanded diameter is formed at the tip of the insertion portion 81c. When the insertion portion 81c is inserted into a hole in the grommet, the expanded diameter portion 81c1 protrudes from the tip of the hole, thereby preventing the insertion portion 81c from being removed from the hole. A groove portion 82c1 is formed in the support portion 82c between adjacent insertion portions 81c. An operator can separate the support portion 82c by bending the support portion 82c around the groove portion 82c1.

[0030] The number, size, position, and shape of holes h1, h2, and h3 are not limited to the examples shown in Figures 2A and 2B. Holes may be provided in grommet 70 for inserting wiring for purposes other than wiring for supplying power to the motor and wiring connected to a position sensor or temperature sensor. For example, holes may be provided for inserting wiring connected to a torque sensor, speed sensor, acceleration sensor, vibration sensor, air pressure sensor, etc.

[0031] Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to such specific embodiments, and modifications and variations are possible within the scope of the gist of the present invention as defined in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0032] 1, 1a blower 70 Grommet h1, h2, h3 holes 80, 80a plug member 81, 81a Insertion part 82, 82a Support part

Claims

1. a case having an opening; an impeller disposed within the case; a motor disposed within the case and configured to drive the impeller; a grommet disposed within the case; Wiring and a plug member; the grommet has first and second holes that communicate the inside and outside of the case through the opening, The wiring is inserted through the first hole, the plug member closes the second hole, the plug member includes an insertion portion inserted into the second hole, and a support portion having a size that prevents insertion into the second hole and that supports the insertion portion, the support portion is located more inwardly than the insertion portion in the case, By restricting insertion of the support portion into the second hole, removal of the plug member from the second hole to the outside of the case is restricted, The plug member is a separate member from the grommet.

2. The blower according to claim 1 , wherein the support portion abuts against a part of the motor, thereby restricting removal of the plug member from the second hole toward the inside of the case.

3. the motor includes a printed circuit board; The blower of claim 2 , wherein the motor is part of the printed circuit board.

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