Holding member, motor and blower

Abstract

The retaining member (40) for the bearing (24) on which the shaft is supported includes an abutment surface (53) that abuts against one axial end (D2) of the bearing (24), and a protrusion (41) formed radially outward from the abutment surface (53) and that retains the bearing (24), and is equipped with a main body (11d) that extends in a direction intersecting the axial direction. The protrusion (41) has a base (42) that protrudes radially inward from a formation point (11g) relative to the main body (11d), and a retaining portion (49) that is located on the other axial end (D1) side of the base (42) and retains the bearing (24).

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a holding member for holding a bearing, a motor to which this holding member is applied, and a blower to which this motor is applied. [Background technology]

[0002] In a motor, a structure for fixing a bearing (e.g., a ball bearing) that supports the rotating shaft of a rotor is known, for example, in which a cylindrical tube portion is provided inside an annular core back of a stator core, and the bearing is held on the inner peripheral surface of the tube portion (for example, Patent Document 1). In this structure, the radially inner ends of multiple protrusions that protrude radially inward from the inner peripheral surface of the core back are brought into contact with the outer peripheral surface of the tube portion to hold the bearing in place. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6693148 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] During motor operation, vibrations can occur as the rotor rotates, and these vibrations can be directly transmitted to the bearings. However, in a configuration in which a bearing is held on the inner surface of a cylindrical tubular portion, as in Patent Document 1, it is structurally difficult to provide a vibration-damping function to suppress bearing vibration on the inner surface of the tubular portion, making it difficult to suppress bearing vibration. Furthermore, if a vibration-damping function to suppress bearing vibration is provided in the bearing holding structure, it is preferable to ensure a sufficient axial dimension and a stroke width to absorb radial movement of the bearing. However, an increase in the axial dimension increases the size of the motor. Therefore, there is room for improvement in the bearing holding structure in order to provide sufficient vibration-damping function while suppressing axial size. Furthermore, this issue is not limited to bearing holding structures that support motor shafts, but can similarly occur in bearing holding structures for all devices and equipment.

[0005] The retaining member, motor, and blower of the present invention were devised in consideration of these problems, and one of the objects of the present invention is to provide vibration damping function while suppressing an increase in axial size. However, other objects of the present invention are not limited to this object, but are to achieve effects that cannot be obtained by conventional techniques, which are derived from the configurations shown in the detailed description of the invention described below. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The disclosed holding member, motor, and blower can be realized as the following disclosed embodiments (application examples), which solve at least part of the above-mentioned problems. Embodiments 2 to 5 are all embodiments that can be selected as appropriate and are all embodiments that can be omitted. None of Embodiments 2 to 5 discloses an embodiment or configuration that is essential to the present invention.

[0007] Aspect 1. Disclosure First toThe retaining member is a retaining member for a bearing on which a shaft is journaled, and includes an abutment surface that abuts against one end side of the bearing in the axial direction, and a protrusion formed radially outward from the abutment surface and for holding the bearing, and is equipped with a main body portion that is expanded in a direction intersecting the axial direction, and the protrusion portion includes a base portion that protrudes radially inward from a formation position relative to the main body portion, and a retaining portion that is disposed on the other end side in the axial direction relative to the base portion and for holding the bearing, a curved portion extending in a curved shape from a tip of the base portion radially inward and toward the other end and connected to the holding portion; It has.

[0009] Aspects 2 . The second retaining member disclosed is a retaining member for a bearing on which a shaft is journaled, and includes an abutment surface that abuts against one axial end side of the bearing, and a protrusion formed radially outward from the abutment surface and for holding the bearing, and is equipped with a main body portion that is expanded in a direction intersecting the axial direction, and the protrusion portion has a base portion that protrudes radially inward from a formation position relative to the main body portion, and a retaining portion that is disposed on the other axial end side relative to the base portion and for holding the bearing, The retaining portion has a pillar portion arranged along the axial direction, and a protrusion portion that protrudes radially inward from the pillar portion and has a predetermined width along the circumferential direction of the bearing, the protrusion portion has a predetermined thickness along the axial direction that is arranged in contact with the outer ring of the bearing, the predetermined thickness is smaller than the thickness of the outer ring in the axial direction, and the center position of the protrusion in the axial direction is arranged closer to the other end of the pillar portion than the center position of the outer ring in the axial direction. do.

[0010] Aspects 3 . A third retaining member disclosed is a retaining member for a bearing on which a shaft is journaled, and includes an abutment surface that abuts against one axial end side of the bearing, and a protrusion that is formed radially outward from the abutment surface and that holds the bearing, and is equipped with a main body that is expanded in a direction intersecting the axial direction, and the protrusion has a base that protrudes radially inward from a formation position relative to the main body, and a retaining portion that is arranged on the other axial end side relative to the base and that holds the bearing, a plurality of protrusions are arranged at intervals along the circumferential direction of the bearing, and the main body portion has convex portions protruding from the surface of the main body portion on the other end side toward the other end side between the plurality of protrusions, and the radially inner end faces of the convex portions are provided radially outward from the radially inner end faces of the protrusions when the bearing is held, and are provided radially inward from the displacement positions of the end faces of the protrusions when the protrusions are deformed radially outward to the maximum. do.

[0011] Aspects 4 The above aspects 3 In the present invention, the protrusion preferably has an inclined portion inclined radially outward from the end face of the protrusion toward the other end.

[0012] Aspects 5 The disclosed motor is the motor according to the above aspects 1 to 3. 4The rotor comprises a housing to which a retaining member described in any one of the above is applied, a stator accommodated in the housing, and a rotor arranged radially opposite the stator, wherein the retaining member holds a bearing that supports a shaft that rotates integrally with the rotor.

[0013] Aspects 6 The disclosed blower has the above-mentioned features. 5 and an impeller fixed to the shaft. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] According to the disclosed holding member, motor, and blower, the protrusion holds the bearing, thereby preventing the axial size from increasing and providing a vibration damping function. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] 3 is a cross-sectional view (a cross-sectional view taken along the arrow AA in FIG. 2) of a blower provided with a holding member according to the embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a housing of the blower shown in FIG. [Figure 3] 3 is a cross-sectional perspective view showing the configuration of a holding member applied to the housing of FIG. 2. FIG. [Figure 4] 4 is a cross-sectional perspective view showing a protrusion of the holding member of FIG. 3. FIG. [Figure 5] 3 is an enlarged view of a holding member in the housing of FIG. 2. FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the bottom of the housing of FIG. 2. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0016] A holding member, a motor, and a blower will be described as embodiments with reference to the drawings. The embodiments described below are merely examples, and are not intended to exclude various modifications or applications of techniques not explicitly described in the following embodiments. The components of the present embodiment can be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit of the invention. Furthermore, they can be selected or combined as needed.

[0017] The retaining member is a member for holding a bearing that supports a shaft, and has a main body portion with at least two portions: an abutment surface and a protrusion. The abutment surface is the portion that abuts against the bearing in the axial direction, and the protrusion is the portion that holds the bearing. The retaining member may be provided as a stand-alone member that is assembled to another member, or may be provided as part of a certain member. The type of bearing is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, a rolling bearing (ball bearing, roller bearing, needle bearing) or a plain bearing. In the following embodiment, a configuration in which the retaining member is applied to a motor housing is exemplified as an example of the retaining member, and the retaining member holds a bearing provided in the motor. In this embodiment, the motor is applied to a blower.

[0018] In the following description, the direction in which the motor shaft (rotational axis) extends (rotational axis direction) is defined as the axial direction, and the direction perpendicular to the axial direction, away from the shaft and toward the shaft, is defined as the radial direction. Furthermore, in the radial direction, the shaft side is defined as the radially inner side, and the opposite side (the side away from the shaft) is defined as the radially outer side. The direction perpendicular to the axial direction and going around the shaft is defined as the circumferential direction.

[0019] [1. Configuration] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view (cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 2) of a blower 1 equipped with a holding member 40 according to this embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a blower housing 11 (hereinafter simply referred to as "housing 11") of the blower 1 shown in FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 1, the blower 1 of this embodiment is a fan that has a motor 10 and an impeller 2 fixed to a shaft 21 of the motor 10, and sends gas (e.g., air) by the rotation of the impeller 2. In FIG. 1, a portion of the motor 10 is indicated by a dashed line.

[0020] The blower 1 includes the motor 10 and a housing 11 that forms a case body that houses the impeller 2 and the motor 10. The motor 10 is a drive source for the impeller 2 and is, for example, an inner rotor type brushless motor. The motor 10 includes a shaft 21 having a rotation center X, a rotor 20 that rotates integrally with the shaft 21, and a stator 30 that is positioned radially outward (hereinafter simply referred to as "outward") of the rotor 20. The stator 30 is housed in the housing 11, and the rotor 20 is disposed opposite the stator 30 in the radial direction (in the present embodiment, radially inward).

[0021] Rotor 20 has a magnet 22 fixed to shaft 21 and two balancers 23 that axially sandwich magnet 22, and is rotatably fixed to housing 11 and an end bell (not shown) by bearings 24 (e.g., ball bearings). Stator 30 has a stator core 31 fixed to the inner circumferential surface of housing 11 and a coil 35 wound around stator core 31 with insulator 32 interposed between them. The end bell is a cover member that is combined with housing 11, and is fixed to one side of housing 11 in the axial direction (upper side in FIG. 1). Hereinafter, the direction in which the end bell is attached to housing 11 is referred to as a first axial direction D1, and the direction opposite to first axial direction D1 (lower side in FIG. 1) is referred to as a second axial direction D2.

[0022] The impeller 2 is fixed to one end of the shaft 21 in the second axial direction D2. The impeller 2 is an impeller for blowing air, and is configured, for example, to include a disk-shaped base portion fixed to the shaft 21 and a plurality of fins radially extending from the disk surface of the base portion. When the motor 10 operates and the shaft 21 rotates, the impeller 2 rotates integrally with the shaft 21.

[0023] The housing 11 has a bottomed cylindrical portion 11A and an annular portion 11B as portions for accommodating the impeller 2 and the motor 10. The cylindrical portion 11A is a portion that forms an arrangement space for the motor 10 (i.e., the rotor 20 and the stator 30) therein, and has a cylindrical side wall portion 11c and a bottom portion 11d that closes the end of the side wall portion 11c on the second axial direction D2 side. The side wall portion 11c is, for example, cylindrical, and the bottom portion 11d is a surface portion that extends in a direction intersecting the axial direction (for example, a surface portion that is circular when viewed from the axial direction). The bottom portion 11d may extend in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction, or may have a cone shape that slopes toward the second axial direction D2 as it extends radially inward, as shown in FIG. 1.

[0024] The annular portion 11B is a portion outside the cylindrical portion 11A that forms a space for arranging the impeller 2 between itself and a cover member (not shown). The annular portion 11B is formed continuously outward from the outer circumferential surface of the side wall portion 11c of the cylindrical portion 11A. The upper end of the annular portion 11B functions as a flange portion 11f that extends outward from the side wall portion 11c. An end bell may be fixed to this flange portion 11f.

[0025] Furthermore, in the housing 11 of this embodiment, a through hole 55 through which the shaft 21 is inserted and a retaining member 40 that retains the bearing 24 are provided in the bottom 11d of the cylindrical portion 11A. That is, the retaining member 40 of this embodiment is provided as part of the housing 11. One end of the shaft 21 in the second axial direction D2 protrudes from the through hole 55 toward the second axial direction D2 side of the housing 11, and the impeller 2 is fixed to this end. A cover member is attached to the second axial direction D2 side of the housing 11.

[0026] In this embodiment, the housing 11 is combined with an end bell and a cover member to form the case body of the blower 1. In other words, the housing 11 is one of the components that make up the case body. This case body has a substantially circular appearance when viewed from the axial direction, and the impeller 2 and motor 10 are disposed (accommodated) inside. The dimensions of the case body of the blower 1 are set so that at least the impeller 2 and motor 10 can be housed inside.

[0027] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional perspective view showing the configuration of the retaining member 40 according to this embodiment, and shows an enlarged view of the vicinity of the bearing 24 in the cross-sectional view shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional perspective view showing a protrusion 41 (described later) of the retaining member 40 in FIG. 3. FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of the retaining member 40 in the housing 11 in FIG. 2. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the bottom 11d of the housing 11 in FIG. 2 as seen from the second axial direction D2 side, and shows the back side of the retaining member 40 shown in FIG. 5. Note that in FIG. 6, the flange portion 11f of the housing 11 and the like are omitted from the illustration.

[0028] 1 to 3, the holding member 40 has a function of holding the bearing 24 and includes a bottom portion 11d as a main body portion. As described above, the bottom portion 11d is a portion that extends in a direction intersecting the axial direction, and is an example of the main body portion described above. That is, in this embodiment, the main body portion of the holding member 40 is provided as the bottom portion 11d that is part of the cylindrical portion 11A, and is formed integrally with the housing 11.

[0029] The bottom portion 11d includes a bottom abutment surface 53 (abutment surface) that abuts against the bearing 24 from the second axial direction D2 side (one axial end side). As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, the bottom abutment surface 53 is a surface of the bottom portion 11d facing the first axial direction D1 side (the other axial end side) and is an annular flat surface with the through hole 55 as its center circle. The bottom abutment surface 53 extends in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction. An end face of the bearing 24 (e.g., an outer ring) on ​​the second axial direction D2 side abuts against the bottom abutment surface 53.

[0030] The radially inner portion of the bottom abutment surface 53 has a stepped shape that is one step downward toward the second axial direction D2. The portion of the bottom abutment surface 53 that is one step downward so as to surround the through hole 55 is called the bottom non-abutment surface 56. The bottom non-abutment surface 56 also extends in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction. However, the bottom non-abutment surface 56 does not abut against the bearing 24. The bottom non-abutment surface 56 faces the end face of the bearing 24 (e.g., the inner ring) on ​​the second axial direction D2 side, with a gap between them. As a result, the bottom non-abutment surface 56 does not interfere with the rotation of the inner ring of the bearing 24.

[0031] 2 and 3, the bottom 11d includes a protrusion 41 formed radially outward from the bottom abutment surface 53. As described above, the protrusion 41 has the function of holding the bearing 24, and is a portion that protrudes in a columnar shape toward the first axial direction D1 from the bottom 11d serving as the main body. In the holding member 40 of this embodiment, multiple protrusions 41 are formed radially outward from the bottom abutment surface 53 on the first axial direction D1 side of the bottom 11d. In other words, the multiple protrusions 41 have the function of holding the bearing 24 placed on the bottom abutment surface 53 from its radially outer side.

[0032] The surface abutting the end surface of the bearing 24 on the second axial direction D2 side (one end side of the axial direction) may be formed wider than the examples shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 to a position radially outward beyond the area overlapping with the bearing 24 as viewed from the axial direction. In such a case, the area overlapping with the bearing 24 as viewed from the axial direction may be referred to as the bottom abutment surface 53. In this case, the expression "the protrusion 41 is formed radially outward from the bottom abutment surface 53" means "the protrusion 41 is formed radially outward from the area overlapping with the bearing 24 on the surface of the bottom 11d on the first axial direction D1 side." Note that the multiple protrusions 41 have the same configuration, and here, a configuration in which three protrusions 41 are formed at equal intervals along the outer periphery of the bottom abutment surface 53 is illustrated. That is, in the retaining member 40 of this embodiment, the three protrusions 41 form a three-fold rotationally symmetric shape.

[0033] Each protrusion 41 has a base 42 that protrudes radially inward from a formation position relative to the bottom 11d, and a retaining portion 49 that is disposed on the first axial direction D1 side of the base 42 and holds the outer ring of the bearing 24. The base 42 is a portion on the root side of the protrusion 41, and the retaining portion 49 is a portion on the tip side of the protrusion 41. In this embodiment, each protrusion 41 has a curved portion 43 in addition to the base 42 and retaining portion 49.

[0034] The base 42 protrudes radially inward from a location where the protrusion 41 is formed continuously with respect to the bottom 11d. In other words, the above-mentioned formation location can be considered to be a location where the protrusion 41 is connected to the bottom 11d. In the bottom 11d, a bottom notch 54 is formed at the location where each protrusion 41 is formed to ensure space for the base 42 to protrude radially inward. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 , each bottom notch 54 is an opening (through hole) that penetrates the bottom 11d in the axial direction and has a U-shape that surrounds the base 42 on three sides, including the radially inner side and both circumferential sides, when viewed from the axial direction. The bottom notch 54 can also be considered to be formed outside the bottom non-abutment surface 56 and between the bottom abutment surface 53 and the location where each protrusion 41 is formed.

[0035] 3 and 4, the surface of the bottom cutout 54 facing the rotation center X (the inner peripheral end surface, hereinafter referred to as the "bottom inward surface 11g") is a curved surface facing the bearing 24 arranged radially inward. As shown in FIG. 4, each base 42 protrudes radially inward from the bottom inward surface 11g of each bottom cutout 54. The bottom inward surface 11g is an example of the location where the base 42 is formed relative to the bottom 11d.

[0036] The curved portion 43 is a portion that extends in a curved shape from the tip of the base portion 42 radially inward and toward the first axial direction D1, and the holding portion 49 is connected to the tip of the curved portion 43. In other words, the curved portion 43 is connected to both the base portion 42 and the holding portion 49, and connects the base portion 42 and the holding portion 49. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 , the curved portion 43 is curved in a substantially arc shape when viewed in the circumferential direction, and the center of the curvature is located closer to the first axial direction D1 than the bottom portion 11d and radially outward than the holding portion 49. The plate thickness is substantially uniform from the base portion 42 to the curved portion 43. The curved portion 43 is provided so that the protruding portion 41 can easily deform elastically.

[0037] The protrusion 41, which has the base 42 and curved portion 43 described above and the retaining portion 49 described later, has a substantially L-shaped cross section with rounded corners when viewed in the circumferential direction. Each protrusion 41 has a width along the circumferential direction of the outer ring of the bearing 24, and this width is set to be larger than the radial dimension (thickness) of the protrusion 41. The protrusion 41 is made of an elastic material such as resin. In this embodiment, the protrusion 41 is also formed integrally with the housing 11. That is, the housing 11 is also made of an elastic material.

[0038] Next, the detailed configuration of the holding portion 49 will be described. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 , the retaining portion 49 has a pillar portion 48 arranged along the axial direction and a protrusion portion 44 protruding radially inward from the pillar portion 48. As shown in FIG. 4 , the pillar portion 48 is a columnar portion extending in the axial direction, and has a rectangular parallelepiped shape with two corners extending in the axial direction chamfered in an R-shape. Both of the chamfered corners are located radially inward and are hereinafter referred to as "rounded portions 47." The rounded portions 47 are formed, for example, in a portion between the position (inner end) connected to the base portion 42 and the position (lower end) connected to the protrusion portion 44. By forming the rounded portions 47 on the pillar portion 48, stress concentration in the protrusion portion 41 is suppressed, thereby improving strength.

[0039] The protrusion 44 is provided at the end of the column portion 48 on the first axial direction D1 side, protruding radially inward from the radially inner surface of the column portion 48. The protrusion 44 has a predetermined width along the circumferential direction of the bearing 24 and is arranged in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the bearing 24. The surface of the protrusion 44 facing the outer peripheral surface of the bearing 24 forms a holding surface 45 for the outer peripheral surface of the bearing 24.

[0040] The holding surface 45 of the protrusion 44 is provided so as to come into surface contact with the outer peripheral surface of the bearing 24 when the bearing 24 is placed in the holding member 40. It is desirable that this holding surface 45 be formed as an arcuate surface with the same curvature as the outer peripheral surface of the bearing 24. Note that by forming the circumferential dimension of the protrusion 44 to be wide with a predetermined width, the contact area with the outer peripheral surface of the bearing 24 increases, and the bearing 24 is held stably.

[0041] Furthermore, the corners of the protrusions 44 on the first axial direction D1 side and radially inward are chamfered. As a result, an inclined surface 46 is formed between the end face of the protrusions 44 on the first axial direction D1 side and the retaining surface 45. The normal of this inclined surface 46 points in the first axial direction D1 and radially inward, and is curved in an arc shape when viewed from the axial direction. The inclined surface 46 can function as a guide when inserting the bearing 24 between the multiple protrusions 41 from the first axial direction D1 side to retain the bearing 24 in the retaining member 40. This improves the ease of installation of the bearing 24.

[0042] As described above, the protrusion 44 is provided on the end of the column portion 48 on the first axial direction D1 side, but the axial length of the protrusion 44 is set to a length that does not reach the edge of the outer ring of the bearing 24 on the second axial direction D2 side when the bearing 24 is held by the retaining member 40. In other words, the edge of the protrusion 44 on the second axial direction D2 side is located closer to the first axial direction D1 than the edge of the outer ring on the second axial direction D2 side, and the protrusion 44 does not interfere with the edge of the outer ring on the second axial direction D2 side when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the axial direction. In other words, the axial length of the protrusion 44 is set so that the outer ring of the bearing 24 protrudes further toward the second axial direction D2 than the protrusion 44.

[0043] In other words, the structure of the protrusions 44 has a predetermined thickness (predetermined axial thickness) along the axial direction where they are arranged in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the outer ring, and this predetermined thickness is smaller than the axial thickness of the outer ring of the bearing 24. The axial center position of the protrusions 44 having this predetermined thickness is located closer to the first axial direction D1 of the column portion 48 than the axial center position of the outer ring. As a result, the outer peripheral surface of the outer ring has a portion on the second axial direction D2 side that does not come into contact with the retaining surface 45 of the protrusions 44.

[0044] Finally, the configuration of the bottom portion 11d as the main body will be described. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, in the retaining member 40 of this embodiment, a plurality of protrusions 41 are arranged at intervals along the circumferential direction of the bearing 24, and a convex portion 50 is provided between two circumferentially adjacent protrusions 41. The convex portion 50 is a portion that protrudes toward the first axial direction D1 from the surface of the bottom portion 11d on the first axial direction D1 side, is located radially outward of a bottom abutment surface 53 of the bottom portion 11d, and extends to a radial position that does not interfere with the insulator 32, as shown in FIG. 1. The convex portion 50 is provided to prevent damage to the protrusions 41 in the event that the bearing 24 is excessively displaced due to vibration during rotation of the motor 10.

[0045] In the holding member 40 of this embodiment, the protrusion 50 has a plate shape (block shape) on the surface of the bottom 11d on the first axial direction D1 side, where the protrusion 50 has a rectangle with its long sides arranged along the radial direction and protruding toward the first axial direction D1. Furthermore, bases 50a are formed adjacent to both circumferential side surfaces of the protrusion 50. The bases 50a are columnar, with a fan shape formed by excluding the portions constituting the through-hole 55, the bottom contact surface 53, and the bottom non-contact surface 56 from a sector centered on the rotation center X when viewed from the axial direction, and protruding toward the first axial direction D1 from the bottom 11d. The axial dimension of the base 50a is shorter than the axial dimension of the protrusion 50. The base 50a may be formed integrally with the protrusion 50. The bases 50a support the protrusion 50 from both circumferential sides, thereby improving the strength of the protrusion 50.

[0046] The radially inner end surface of the protrusion 50 is referred to as the stopper surface 52. The stopper surface 52 may include the radially inner end surface of the base 50a. The stopper surface 52 is provided radially outward of the holding surface 45 (radially inner end surface) of the protrusion 41 when the bearing 24 is held therein. This prevents the bearing 24 from interfering with the protrusion 50 when held by the protrusion 41.

[0047] Furthermore, the stopper surface 52 is located radially inward relative to the displacement position of the radially inner end surface of the protrusion 41 when the protrusion 41 is deformed radially outward to its maximum extent. This prevents damage to the protrusion 41, for example, when the bearing 24 is excessively displaced due to vibration during rotation of the motor 10. Therefore, the bearing 24 abuts against the stopper surface 52 of the convex portion 50 before the protrusion 41 is damaged. Furthermore, when the stopper surface 52 includes the radially inner end surface of the base 50a, the stopper surface 52 has a fan shape when viewed from the radially inner side. That is, the stopper surface 52 may include an end surface newly formed by providing the base 50a adjacent to the convex portion 50. This allows the bearing 24 to abut against the stopper surface 52 of the base 50a even when the bearing 24 is displaced from the rotation center X in a direction other than the direction in which the convex portion 50 is formed. This also prevents damage to the protrusion 41.

[0048] Furthermore, the protruding portion 50 has an inclined portion 51 that is inclined radially outward from its radially inner end face toward the first axial direction D1 side. In this embodiment, the inclined portion 51 is formed on the radially inner end face of the protruding portion 50. The inclined portion 51 can function as a guide for inserting the bearing 24 between the multiple protruding portions 41 when inserting the bearing 24 from the first axial direction D1 side when assembling the bearing 24 into the holding member 40. As a result, when assembling the bearing 24 into the holding member 40, the inclined portions 51 guide the bearing 24 between the multiple protruding portions 41, making it possible to suppress deformation of the protruding portions 41 due to contact between the bearing 24 and the protruding portions 41 and maintain the quality and performance of the protruding portions 41.

[0049] Further, a support protrusion 57 is formed on the radial outer side of each protrusion 41, protruding from the surface of the bottom portion 11d on the first axial direction D1 side toward the first axial direction D1 side. As shown in FIG. 3, the support protrusion 57 extends, for example, from a position radially outer than the bottom inward surface 11g of the bottom portion 11d to a position on the radially inner surface of the cylindrical portion 11A. Note that the support protrusion 57 is not shown in FIG. 4. The support protrusion 57 may have a block shape formed by a rectangle with its long sides arranged along the radial direction protruding toward the first axial direction D1 side on the surface of the bottom portion 11d on the first axial direction D1 side. The support protrusion 57 can increase the rigidity of the bottom portion 11d and compensate for the strength of the bottom portion 11d that may be reduced by forming the bottom notch 54.

[0050] [2.Effects] (1) In the above-described holding member 40, the main body portion (bottom portion 11d in this embodiment) includes a protruding portion 41 that is formed radially outward of a bottom abutment surface 53 that abuts on the second axial direction D2 side of the bearing 24 and holds the bearing 24. The protruding portion 41 also has a base portion 42 and a holding portion 49 that holds the bearing 24.

[0051] The base 42 of the protrusion 41 protrudes radially inward from a location where it is formed relative to the bottom 11d, and the bearing 24 is held by a holding portion 49 that is disposed on the first axial direction D1 side of the base 42. Therefore, according to the holding member 40, the axial dimension of the protrusion 41 is the combined length of the axial dimensions of the base 42 and the holding portion 49, that is, the length from the lower end of the base 42 to the tip of the holding portion 49. Therefore, the axial dimension of the protrusion 41 can be ensured to be long by the length of the base 42. By holding the bearing 24 with the protrusion 41 configured in this manner, it is possible to hold the bearing 24 while suppressing an increase in size in the axial direction.

[0052] Furthermore, by giving the protruding portion 41 the combined length of the base portion 42 and the holding portion 49, the protruding portion 41 can be lengthened, and the stress acting on the protruding portion 41 due to displacement of the bearing 24 caused by vibrations or the like when the motor 10 rotates can be dispersed. This improves the strength of the protruding portion 41 and provides it with a high vibration-damping function.

[0053] Furthermore, by providing the base 42 to protrude radially inward from the formation location of the bottom 11d (for example, the bottom inward surface 11g), the protruding portion 41 can be given a length equal to the combined length of the base 42 and the holding portion 49. In other words, compared to the structure (comparative example) that does not have the base 42, the axial dimension of the protruding portion 41 can be shortened in the above-described holding member 40, and therefore the housing 11 and the motor 10 can be made thinner (more compact) in the axial direction. Furthermore, in the holding member 40 of this embodiment, the protruding portion 41 is formed of an elastic material, thereby improving the vibration damping effect.

[0054] (2) In the retaining member 40 described above, the protruding portion 41 has a curved portion 43 that extends in a curved shape from the tip of the base portion 42 radially inward and toward the first axial direction D1 and is connected to the retaining portion 49. Therefore, even if the bearing 24 is displaced due to vibrations during rotation of the motor 10, the curved portion 43 elastically deforms, and the stress that the protruding portion 41 receives from the bearing 24 can be dispersed.

[0055] (3) In the retaining member 40 described above, the retaining portion 49 has a pillar portion 48 arranged along the axial direction, and a protrusion 44 that protrudes radially inward from the pillar portion 48 and has a predetermined width along the circumferential direction of the outer ring. The protrusion 44 has a predetermined thickness along the axial direction where it is arranged in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the outer ring, this predetermined thickness is smaller than the axial thickness of the outer ring, and the axial center position of the protrusion is located closer to the first axial direction D1 of the pillar portion 48 than the axial center position of the outer ring.

[0056] As a result, even if bearing 24 is displaced due to vibrations during rotation of motor 10 and protrusion 41 is bent, the line contact position between protrusion 41 and bearing 24 is fixed, and the contact state between protrusion 41 and bearing 24 can be maintained. Therefore, even if bearing 24 is displaced due to vibrations during rotation of motor 10, when the entire protrusion 41 functions as a spring (elastic body), the effective length over which the protrusion 41 can function as a spring is fixed. This makes it possible to ensure in advance any effective length (for example, the axial dimension of protrusion 41 that is sufficient to ensure vibration-damping function).

[0057] (4) In the above-described retaining member 40, the protrusions 41 are arranged at intervals along the circumferential direction of the bearing 24, and the bottom 11d is provided with convex portions 50 between the protrusions 41, the convex portions 50 protruding toward the first axial direction D1 from the surface of the bottom 11d on the first axial direction D1 side. The stopper surfaces 52 (radially inner end surfaces) of the convex portions 50 are provided radially outward of the stopper surfaces 52 of the protrusions 41 when the bearing 24 is retained. With this configuration, it is possible to prevent the bearing 24 retained by the protrusions 41 from interfering with the convex portions 50.

[0058] Furthermore, the stopper surface 52 of the protrusion 50 is provided inside the displacement position of the radially inner end face of the protrusion 41 when the protrusion 41 is deformed radially outward to the maximum extent. As a result, in the event that the bearing 24 is excessively displaced due to vibrations during rotation of the motor 10, the bearing 24 comes into contact with the stopper surface 52 of the protrusion 50 before the protrusion 41 is damaged, thereby preventing damage to the protrusion 41.

[0059] (5) In the above-described retaining member 40, the protruding portion 50 has an inclined portion 51 that extends radially outward from the radially inner end face of the protruding portion 50 toward the first axis direction D1. When the bearing 24 is assembled into the retaining member 40, this inclined portion 51 can function as a guide. This makes it possible to suppress deformation of the protruding portion 41 due to contact between the bearing 24 and the protruding portion 41 when the bearing 24 is assembled into the retaining member 40, thereby suppressing fluctuations in performance of the protruding portion 41.

[0060] (6) A motor 10 including a housing 11 to which the above-described holding member 40 is applied, a stator 30 housed in the housing 11, and a rotor 20 disposed radially opposite the stator 30 can achieve at least the same effect as that described in (1) above. Furthermore, a motor 10 including a housing 11 having the configurations described in (2) to (5) above can also achieve the same effects as those described in (2) to (5) above.

[0061] (7) Furthermore, according to the blower 1 including the motor 10 including the housing 11 to which the above-described holding member 40 is applied and the impeller 2 fixed to the shaft 21 of the motor 10, at least the same effect as that described in (1) above can be obtained. Furthermore, by providing the blower 1 with the holding member 40 having the configuration described in (2) to (5) above, the same effect as that described in (2) to (5) above can also be obtained.

[0062] [3. Other] The above-described holding member 40, motor 10, and blower 1 are merely examples, and are not limited to the above configurations. For example, the number of protrusions 41 formed on the bottom 11d is not limited to three, but may be two or less or four or more, and various modifications can be made.

[0063] Similarly, the number of protrusions 50 formed on the bottom 11d is not limited to three, but may be two or less, four or more, and various modifications can be made. The shape of the protrusions 50 is not limited to the above-described configuration. For example, at least a portion of the base 50a in the above-described configuration may be replaced with a protrusion 50. The inclination angle of the inclined portion 51 formed on the protrusion 50 can be modified as appropriate. For example, the inclination angle of the inclined portion 51 may be set to 45°. The inclination angle may be set taking into account ease of assembly when incorporating the bearing 24 into the holding member 40. Furthermore, the inclination angle may be set taking into account the assembly force required for each inclined portion 51 to guide the bearing 24 between the multiple protrusions 41. The protrusions 50 may be omitted.

[0064] The curvature of the arc of the curved portion 43 may be appropriately modified. The curved portion 43 may be omitted from the protruding portion 41. In this case, the holding portion 49 is formed continuously from the tip of the base portion 42, but even in this case, the effect (1) described above can be obtained. Furthermore, the retaining surface 45 of the protrusion 44 may be processed to increase frictional force. Furthermore, the inclination angle of the inclined surface 46 of the protrusion 44 may be appropriately modified. Note that the rounded portion 47 may be omitted from the pillar portion 48 of the retaining portion 49, and the protrusion 44 may be provided at a position equivalent to or slightly protruding from the edge of the outer ring of the bearing 24 on the first axial direction D1 side.

[0065] In the above-described embodiment, the holding member 40 is applied to a structure for holding the bearing 24 on the second axial direction D2 side of the bearings 24 included in the motor 10, but the present invention is not limited to this. A bearing provided on the first axial direction D1 side of the magnet 22 in the motor 10 may also be held by a holding member configured in a similar manner.

[0066] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the holding member 40 is configured as a part of the housing 11 (bottom portion 11d), but the configuration of the holding member 40 is not limited to this. The holding member 40 may be provided separately from the bottom portion 11d, or may be provided so that the holding member 40 is integrated with the housing 11 by being later assembled to the housing 11.

[0067] Furthermore, the type of motor 10 is not limited to an inner rotor brushless motor, and the configuration of the holding member 40 described above may be applied to an outer rotor motor or a brushed motor.

[0068] The application of the above-described holding member 40 is not limited to motors, but can also be applied to devices other than motors. The housing 11 to which the above-described holding member 40 is applied may be applied to equipment other than the blower 1. For example, the configuration of the above-described holding member 40 can be applied to any equipment that requires the housing to be thin (small) in the axial direction. An example of an object other than the blower 1 is a plastic gear box. [Explanation of symbols]

[0069] 1 blower 10 Motor 11 Blower housing (housing) 11d Bottom (main body) 11g Bottom inward surface (formation location) 21 Shaft 24 Bearings 30 Stator 40 Retaining member 41 Protrusion 42 Base 43 Curved section 44 Protrusion 45 Holding surface 48 Pillar section 49 Holding part 50 convex part 51 Slope 52 Stopper surface 53 Bottom contact surface (contact surface) 54 Bottom cutout 55 Through hole 56 Bottom non-contact surface X rotation center

Claims

1. A retaining member for a bearing on which a shaft is supported, a contact surface that contacts one end side of the bearing in the axial direction, and a protrusion that is formed radially outward of the contact surface and that holds the bearing; and a main body that is expanded in a direction that intersects with the axial direction, The protrusion has a base portion protruding radially inward from a formation position on the main body portion, a holding portion that is disposed on the other end side of the base portion in the axial direction and holds the bearing, and a curved portion that extends in a curved shape from a tip of the base portion radially inward and toward the other end side and is connected to the holding portion. A holding member characterized by:

2. A retaining member for a bearing on which a shaft is supported, a contact surface that contacts one end side of the bearing in the axial direction, and a protrusion that is formed radially outward of the contact surface and that holds the bearing; and a main body that is expanded in a direction that intersects with the axial direction, the protruding portion has a base portion protruding radially inward from a formation position relative to the main body portion, and a retaining portion disposed on the other end side in the axial direction relative to the base portion and configured to retain the bearing, the retaining portion has a pillar portion arranged along the axial direction, and a protrusion portion that protrudes radially inward from the pillar portion and has a predetermined width along the circumferential direction of the bearing, the protrusion has a predetermined thickness along the axial direction and is disposed in contact with the outer ring of the bearing, the predetermined thickness being smaller than a thickness of the outer ring in the axial direction; The center position of the protrusion in the axial direction is located closer to the other end of the base portion than the center position of the outer ring in the axial direction. A holding member characterized by:

3. A retaining member for a bearing on which a shaft is supported, a contact surface that contacts one end side of the bearing in the axial direction, and a protrusion that is formed radially outward of the contact surface and that holds the bearing; and a main body that is expanded in a direction that intersects with the axial direction, the protruding portion has a base portion protruding radially inward from a formation position relative to the main body portion, and a retaining portion that is disposed on the other end side of the base portion in the axial direction and that retains the bearing, and the protruding portion is disposed in plurality at intervals along the circumferential direction of the bearing, the main body portion has a convex portion that protrudes from a surface of the main body portion on the other end side toward the other end side between the plurality of protrusions, The radially inner end surface of the convex portion is provided radially outward from the radially inner end surface of the protruding portion when the bearing is held, and is provided radially inward from the displacement position of the end surface of the protruding portion when the protruding portion is maximally deformed radially outward. A holding member characterized by:

4. The protruding portion has an inclined portion inclined radially outward from the end surface of the protruding portion and toward the other end side. The holding member according to claim 3 , characterized in that:

5. A housing to which the holding member according to any one of claims 1 to 4 is applied; a stator accommodated in the housing; a rotor disposed radially opposite the stator, The holding member holds a bearing that supports a shaft that rotates integrally with the rotor. A motor characterized by:

6. The motor according to claim 5; an impeller fixed to the shaft; A blower characterized by:

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