Fan shroud assembly

Abstract

The present invention relates to a fan shroud assembly and, more specifically, to a fan shroud assembly that is applied to a vehicle. The fan shroud assembly of the present invention comprises a backflow prevention ring which is located at the outer side relative to the inside of a fan band in the radial direction, and thus, has the effects of suppressing recirculation flow through a gap between wingtips, increasing the air volume of a cooling fan, and greatly reducing broadband noise in a low-frequency region (in particular, in a high static pressure region).

Description

Fan shroud assembly

[0001] The present invention relates to a fan shroud assembly, and more particularly, to a fan shroud assembly applied to a vehicle.

[0002]

[0003] Typically, vehicles are equipped with various air conditioning and cooling systems. Broadly speaking, the air conditioning system includes heating and cooling modules that regulate the temperature and humidity of the interior space where occupants reside, while the cooling system includes modules that cool components such as the engine and motor to prevent overheating. These various modules circulate heat exchange media, such as refrigerants and coolant, to transfer heat, thereby achieving the desired cooling, heating, and cooling functions.

[0004] Such air conditioning or cooling systems include various heat exchangers, among which there is an air-cooled heat exchanger that cools the internal heat exchange medium by outside air. As is well known, the faster the air flowing into the core of an air-cooled heat exchanger, the higher the heat exchange efficiency. Therefore, rather than simply allowing heat exchange through the driving wind, it is common to attach a fan shroud to the front of the air-cooled heat exchanger to force air toward the heat exchanger core. A fan shroud is a type of device assembly component that stably supports a fan including a hub and a plurality of blades and a motor for rotating the fan, allowing it to be connected to other devices.

[0005] Fig. 1 illustrates an embodiment of a conventional fan shroud assembly. As illustrated, a conventional fan shroud (2) is provided with a cooling fan (1) for blowing air and a motor for driving the cooling fan (1). At this time, the rotating cooling fan (1) and the stationary fan shroud (2) are inevitably provided at a predetermined distance apart, and as a relatively low pressure is formed at the inlet side of the fan due to the rotating fan and a high pressure is formed at the outlet side, an air recirculation flow due to a pressure imbalance occurs along the gap between the fan shroud (2) and the cooling fan (1).

[0006] This recirculating flow causes reduced efficiency and noise at the wingtips, and as the required airflow and operating static pressure of the cooling fan increase, the rotational speed increases, making the problem more pronounced.

[0007]

[0008] The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and the purpose of the present invention is to provide a fan shroud assembly that includes a backflow prevention ring positioned radially outside the fan band, thereby suppressing recirculation flow through a gap at the tip of the blade, increasing the air volume of the cooling fan, and significantly reducing broadband noise in the low-frequency region (especially in the static pressure region).

[0009]

[0010] In order to solve the above-described problem, a fan shroud assembly according to one embodiment of the present invention is characterized by including a cooling fan that blows air from one side to the other, a band that is formed by bending radially outwardly based on a rotational axis of the motor and is coupled to the outer surface of the blade and a blade that rotates by a motor, a ventilation hole formed at a position corresponding to the cooling fan, a mount that is positioned at the center of the ventilation hole and supports the motor, and a backflow prevention ring coupled to the edge of the ventilation hole.

[0011] In addition, the backflow prevention ring is characterized by including a vertical extension portion that is fixed at one end to a corner of the ventilation hole and extends along the axial direction of the cooling fan to one side of the cooling fan, and a shield portion that extends from the other end of the vertical extension portion to the center of the fan.

[0012] Additionally, the distance from the center of the cooling fan to the end of the shield is characterized by being located radially outside the distance from the center of the cooling fan to the end of the blade.

[0013] In addition, the extension length of the vertical extension is characterized by satisfying the following formula.

[0014]

[0015] (At this time, : The distance from the center of the cooling fan to the tip of the blade, : The distance from the center of the cooling fan to the end of the band, : distance from the center of the cooling fan to the end of the shield, h: extension length of the vertical extension)

[0016] In addition, the extension length of the vertical extension is characterized by satisfying the following formula.

[0017]

[0018] (At this time, : The distance from the center of the cooling fan to the end of the band, : distance from the center of the cooling fan to the end of the shield, h: extension length of the vertical extension)

[0019] Additionally, the shielding portion is characterized by being formed in a rounded shape so as to be convex toward one side of the cooling fan.

[0020] In addition, the shielding part is characterized by including a first shielding part extending from the other end of the vertical extension part toward the center of the fan and a second shielding part extending from the end of the first shielding part, but extending in the axial direction of the cooling fan and toward the cooling fan.

[0021] In addition, the backflow prevention ring is characterized in that one end is fixed to a corner of the ventilation hole and extends at a predetermined angle that is not perpendicular and parallel to the axial direction of the cooling fan, but includes a diagonal extension that extends to one side of the cooling fan.

[0022] In addition, the backflow prevention ring is characterized by further including a support portion that extends radially outwardly from the other end of the vertical extension portion or the diagonal extension portion of the cooling fan.

[0023] Additionally, the support member is characterized by including a protrusion or groove formed on a surface that contacts the fan shroud.

[0024] Additionally, the backflow prevention ring is characterized by including a fixed step formed by extending from the other end of the vertical extension or the diagonal extension to the other side of the cooling fan.

[0025] Additionally, the backflow prevention ring is characterized by being formed integrally with the fan shroud.

[0026]

[0027] The fan shroud assembly of the present invention having the above configuration includes a backflow prevention ring positioned radially outside the fan band, thereby suppressing recirculation flow through the gap at the tip of the blade, increasing the airflow of the cooling fan, and significantly reducing broadband noise in the low-frequency region (especially in the static pressure region).

[0028]

[0029] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the prior art.

[0030] Figure 2 is a perspective view of the fan shroud assembly of the present invention.

[0031] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a fan shroud assembly to which a backflow prevention ring of the present invention is applied.

[0032] Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a fan shroud assembly to which a backflow prevention ring of the present invention is applied.

[0033] Figure 5 is a graph showing the PQ curve of a cooling fan depending on whether or not the backflow prevention ring of the present invention is applied.

[0034] Figure 6 is a graph showing the efficiency curve of a cooling fan depending on whether or not the backflow prevention ring of the present invention is applied.

[0035] Figure 7 is a graph showing the noise level when the cooling fan is operated depending on whether or not the backflow prevention ring of the present invention is applied.

[0036] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram showing a first embodiment of a backflow prevention ring of the present invention.

[0037] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram illustrating a second embodiment of a backflow prevention ring of the present invention.

[0038] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating a third embodiment of a backflow prevention ring of the present invention.

[0039] Fig. 11 is a schematic diagram showing a fourth embodiment of a backflow prevention ring of the present invention.

[0040] Fig. 12 is a schematic diagram showing a fifth embodiment of a backflow prevention ring of the present invention.

[0041]

[0042] Hereinafter, the technical concept of the present invention will be described in more detail using the attached drawings. Prior to this, it should be noted that the terms and words used in this specification and claims should not be construed as limited to their conventional or dictionary meanings. Based on the principle that the inventor can appropriately define the concept of a term to best explain his or her invention, they should be interpreted in a way that aligns with the technical concept of the present invention.

[0043] Hereinafter, the basic configuration of the fan shroud assembly (1000) of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 2.

[0044] The fan shroud assembly (1000) of the present invention may include a cooling fan (100) and a fan shroud (200). More specifically, the cooling fan (100) may include a blade (110) that rotates by a motor and a band (120) that is coupled to the outer surface of the blade (110) and is bent radially outward with respect to the rotational axis of the motor, thereby allowing air to be blown from one side to the other. At this time, the band (120) may be bent in an 'ㄱ' shape or a 'ㄷ' shape. By forming the band (120) in this manner, the recirculation flow that occurs through the gap between the cooling fan (100) and the fan shroud (200) may be minimized.

[0045] In addition, the fan shroud (200) of the fan shroud assembly (1000) of the present invention may include a ventilation hole (210) formed at a position corresponding to the cooling fan (100), and may include a mount (220) positioned at the center of the ventilation hole (210) to accommodate and support a motor. The mount (220) may be connected to the edge of the ventilation hole (210) by a frame formed to extend in the radial direction of the cooling fan (100) so as to be fixed in position.

[0046] In addition, the fan shroud assembly (1000) of the present invention may include a backflow prevention ring (300) coupled to the edge of the ventilation hole (210). The backflow prevention ring (300) may be formed of a stiff material having a predetermined or higher rigidity. The backflow prevention ring (300) is coupled to the edge of the ventilation hole (210) to have a fixed position, and exists as a separate configuration from the blade (110) and band (120) of the rotating cooling fan (100), but extends radially inward of the cooling fan (100) beyond the end of the band (120), thereby blocking recirculating air. Accordingly, the fan shroud assembly (1000) of the present invention can significantly reduce noise caused by recirculating flow.

[0047] Hereinafter, the structure of the backflow prevention ring (300) of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 3 to 7.

[0048] As illustrated in FIG. 3, the backflow prevention ring (300) may include a vertical extension portion (310) that is fixed at one end to a corner of the ventilation hole (210) and extends along the axial direction of the cooling fan (100) to one side of the cooling fan (100), and a shield portion (320) that extends from the other end of the vertical extension portion (310) toward the center of the fan. It is preferable that the vertical extension portion (310) and the shield portion (320) are made of the same material and are formed integrally. In this case, in one embodiment, the end of the shield portion (320) may be positioned radially inward of the cooling fan (100) than the end of the band (120). Accordingly, as illustrated in FIG. 3, air recirculating from the outlet side to the inlet side can be blocked.

[0049] In addition, the backflow prevention ring (300) may further include a support portion (330) that extends radially outwardly from the other end of the vertical extension portion (310) of the cooling fan (100). The support portion (330) may be coupled to the fan shroud (200) to fix the position of the backflow prevention ring (300). The support portion (330) may be made of the same material as the vertical extension portion (310) and the shield portion (320) described above and may be formed integrally. At this time, the fan shroud (200) may have a groove formed into which the support portion (330) is inserted, thereby increasing the bonding force between the support portion (330) and the fan shroud (200), thereby increasing the performance of the cooling fan (100), and thus preventing the backflow prevention ring (300) from being removed even if the flow rate of recirculated air blocked by the backflow prevention ring (300) increases.

[0050] At this time, as shown in Fig. 4, the distance from the center of the cooling fan (100) to the end of the shield (320) is the distance from the center of the cooling fan (100) to the end of the blade (110). It can be positioned more radially outward. At this time, it is preferable that the extension length of the vertical extension (310) satisfies the following equations 1 and 2.

[0051] Formula 1:

[0052] ( : The distance from the center of the cooling fan (100) to the end of the blade (110), : The distance from the center of the cooling fan (100) to the end of the band (120), : Distance from the center of the cooling fan (100) to the end of the shield (320), h: Extension length of the vertical extension (310)

[0053] Formula 2:

[0054] ( : Distance from the center of the cooling fan (100) to the end of the band (120) : Distance from the center of the cooling fan (100) to the end of the shield (320), h: Extension length of the vertical extension (310)

[0055] At this time, , , , the length unit of h may be mm. That is, Equations 1 and 2 may be said to be relationships that represent the extension length of the vertical extension portion (310) according to the extension length of the bent portion of the band (120) and the extension length of the shielding portion (320). Referring to FIG. 4, when the end of the shielding portion (320) is positioned closer to the rotational axis of the cooling fan (100) than the end of the band (120), but is positioned radially outward by a predetermined distance from the end of the blade (110), the extension length of the vertical extension portion (310) is formed to be somewhat longer to support it (Formula 1), and when the end of the shielding portion (320) is positioned at the same distance or further outward from the end of the band (120) and the center of the cooling fan (100) in the radial direction, the extension length of the vertical extension portion (310) can also be formed to be somewhat shorter (Formula 2). The extension lengths of the shielding portion (320) and the vertical extension portion (310) described above may be applied differently depending on the performance of the cooling fan (100).

[0056] In order to confirm the difference in effect before and after adopting such a structure, an experiment was conducted and the results were plotted in a graph. This is illustrated in FIGS. 5 to 7. To explain in more detail, as illustrated in FIG. 5, when analyzing the PQ curve of the cooling fan (100), it was confirmed that the static pressure was generally maintained higher after applying the backflow prevention ring (300) than before, and further, as illustrated in FIG. 6, it was confirmed that the ventilation efficiency of the cooling fan (100) slightly increased after applying it than before. That is, it was confirmed that there was no loss in the performance of the cooling fan (100) even when the fan shroud assembly (1000) of the present invention was applied.

[0057] In addition, as shown in Fig. 7, the results of noise measurement showed that after applying the backflow prevention ring (300), the noise increase in a specific noise generation section was lower than in the case where the backflow prevention ring (300) was not applied. Finally, it was confirmed that when the fan shroud assembly (1000) of the present invention was applied, a noise reduction effect was achieved without loss of performance of the cooling fan (100).

[0058] Hereinafter, other embodiments of the backflow prevention ring (300) of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 8 to 12.

[0059] As illustrated in FIG. 8, in the first embodiment of the backflow prevention ring (300), the shielding portion (320) may be formed to be roundly curved so as to be convex toward one side of the cooling fan (100). Accordingly, the flow recirculating from the outlet side of the cooling fan (100) to the inlet side may naturally flow toward the cooling fan (100) along the surface of the roundly curved shielding portion (320). In other words, air recirculation can be more efficiently blocked.

[0060] In addition, as illustrated in FIG. 9, in the second embodiment of the backflow prevention ring (300), the shielding portion (320) may include a first shielding part (321) extending from the other end of the vertical extension part (310) toward the center of the fan, and a second shielding part (322) extending from the end of the first shielding part (321), but extending in the axial direction of the cooling fan (100) and toward the cooling fan (100). That is, the vertical extension part (310) and the shielding portion (320) may be formed in a 'ㄷ' shape. Accordingly, the flow recirculating from the outlet side of the cooling fan (100) to the inlet side may naturally flow toward the cooling fan (100) along the surface of the shielding portion (320) curved in the 'ㄷ' shape. That is, air recirculation can be blocked more efficiently.

[0061] In addition, as illustrated in FIG. 10, in the third embodiment of the backflow prevention ring (300), the backflow prevention ring (300) may include a diagonal extension (340) that is fixed at one end to a corner of the ventilation hole (210) and extends at a predetermined angle that is not perpendicular and parallel to the axial direction of the cooling fan (100), but extends to one side of the cooling fan (100). At this time, the ratio of the axial extension length and the radial extension length of the diagonal extension (340) may follow the relationship between the extension length of the shielding portion (320) described above and the extension length of the vertical extension (310) (Formulas 1 and 2). At this time, the backflow prevention ring (300) may further include a support portion (330) that extends radially outward from the other end of the diagonal extension portion (340) of the cooling fan (100). The support portion (330) may be coupled to the fan shroud (200) to fix the position of the backflow prevention ring (300). The support portion (330) may be made of the same material as the vertical extension portion (310) and the shielding portion (320) described above and may be formed integrally.

[0062] In addition, as illustrated in FIG. 11, in the fourth embodiment of the backflow prevention ring (300), the support member (330) may include a protrusion or a groove formed on a surface that comes into contact with the fan shroud (200). The protrusion or the groove may be formed regularly, or may be formed along the edge of the support member (330). In this case, the fan shroud (200) may also have a protrusion or a groove formed in a shape corresponding to the protrusion or the groove formed in the support member (330). In addition, an adhesive may be applied between the support member (330) and the surface of the fan shroud (200). By adopting such a configuration, the bonding force between the support member (330) and the fan shroud (200) is increased, and as the performance of the cooling fan (100) is increased, the backflow prevention ring (300) can be prevented from being removed even if the flow rate of the recirculated air blocked by the backflow prevention ring (300) increases.

[0063] In addition, as illustrated in FIG. 12, in the fifth embodiment of the backflow prevention ring (300), the backflow prevention ring (300) may include a fixed step (350) that extends from the other end of the vertical extension (310) or the diagonal extension (340) to the other side of the cooling fan (100). The fixed step (350) may be made of the same material as the vertical extension (310), the diagonal extension (340), the shield (320), and the support (330), and may be formed integrally with each of them. The fixed step and the fan shroud (200) may have protrusions or grooves formed in corresponding areas, and each protrusion and groove may be fitted together so that the fixed step (350) may be fixed to the fan shroud (200). In addition, an adhesive may be applied between the fixed step (350) and the surface of the fan shroud (200). By adopting such a configuration, the bonding force between the backflow prevention ring (300) and the fan shroud (200) is increased, and as the performance of the cooling fan (100) is improved, the backflow prevention ring (300) can be prevented from being removed even if the flow rate of recirculated air blocked by the backflow prevention ring (300) increases.

[0064] The technical concept of the present invention should not be construed solely based on the above-described embodiments. The scope of application is diverse, and various modifications and variations are possible within the scope of those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed in the claims. Therefore, such improvements and modifications, as long as they are obvious to those skilled in the art, fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A cooling fan that blows air from one side to the other, including a blade that rotates by a motor and a band that is formed by bending radially outward based on the rotational axis of the motor and is connected to the outer surface of the blade; A fan shroud including a ventilation hole formed at a position corresponding to the cooling fan, and a mount positioned at the center of the ventilation hole to receive and support the motor; and A fan shroud assembly characterized by comprising a backflow prevention ring coupled to the edge of the vent.

2. In paragraph 1, The above anti-reflux ring is, A vertical extension portion that is fixed to the corner of the above-mentioned ventilation hole and extends along the axial direction of the above-mentioned cooling fan to one side of the above-mentioned cooling fan, and A fan shroud assembly characterized by including a shield extending from the other end of the vertical extension toward the center of the cooling fan.

3. In paragraph 2, A fan shroud assembly characterized in that the distance from the center of the cooling fan to the end of the shield is located radially outside the distance from the center of the cooling fan to the end of the blade.

4. In paragraph 3, The extension length of the above vertical extension is A fan shroud assembly characterized by satisfying the following formula. (At this time, : The distance from the center of the cooling fan to the tip of the blade : The distance from the center of the above cooling fan to the end of the above band : The distance from the center of the cooling fan to the end of the shield h: extension length of the above vertical extension) 5. In paragraph 3, The extension length of the above vertical extension is A fan shroud assembly characterized by satisfying the following formula. (At this time, : The distance from the center of the above cooling fan to the end of the above band : The distance from the center of the cooling fan to the end of the shield h: extension length of the above vertical extension) 6. In paragraph 2, The above shielding part, A fan shroud assembly characterized by being formed by being roundly curved so as to be convex on one side of the cooling fan.

7. In paragraph 2, The above shielding part, A first shielding part extending from the other end of the vertical extension to the center of the cooling fan, and A fan shroud assembly characterized by including a second shielding part that extends from the end of the first shielding part and extends in the axial direction of the cooling fan and toward the cooling fan.

8. In paragraph 1, The above anti-reflux ring is, A fan shroud assembly characterized in that it is fixed to a corner of the above-mentioned ventilation hole and extends at a predetermined angle that is not perpendicular and parallel to the axial direction of the above-mentioned cooling fan, and includes a diagonal extension that extends to one side of the above-mentioned cooling fan.

9. In paragraph 2 or paragraph 8, The above anti-reflux ring is, A fan shroud assembly further comprising a support member extending radially outwardly from the other end of the vertical extension member or the diagonal extension member of the cooling fan.

10. In paragraph 9, The above support part, A fan shroud assembly characterized by including a protrusion or groove formed on a surface in contact with the fan shroud.

11. In paragraph 9, The above anti-reflux ring is, A fan shroud assembly characterized by including a fixed step extending from the other end of the vertical extension or the diagonal extension to the other side of the cooling fan.

12. In paragraph 1, The above anti-reflux ring is, A fan shroud assembly characterized in that it is formed integrally with the above fan shroud.

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