Fan and 3D printer

Abstract

A fan (100) and a 3D printer (200). The fan (100) comprises a hub (10), a driving member (20), and a plurality of blades (30). The driving member (20) is drivingly connected to the hub (10) and is used for driving the hub (10) to rotate; the plurality of blades (30) are connected to the outer peripheral surface of the hub (10) at intervals in the circumferential direction of the hub (10); each blade (30) comprises a first end part (31), a middle section (32), and a second end part (33); the first end part (31) is connected to the outer periphery of the hub (10), the middle section (32) is located between the first end part (31) and the second end part (33) and is connected to the first end part (31) and the second end part (33); in a rotating direction of the hub (1), the second end part (33) is connected to the middle section (32) of the next adjacent blade (30); and an air passage (301) is formed between the blade (30) and a covered section of the next adjacent blade (30). The structure in which the blades are stacked can reduce noise generated when the fan works, and improve the experience of using a 3D printer.

Description

Fans and 3D printers

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the China Patent Office on January 23, 2024, with application number 202420171714.8, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

[0003] The present application relates to the field of 3D printing technology, and in particular to a fan and a 3D printer. Background Art

[0004] When a 3D printer is operating, the temperature near its nozzle is high, requiring a fan to dissipate heat to prevent the nozzle from aging after prolonged operation at high temperatures. Currently, the fans used in 3D printers are noisy, impacting the user experience. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The present application provides a fan and a 3D printer to solve the problem of high fan noise used in 3D printers in the prior art.

[0006] In the first aspect, the present application provides a fan, comprising a hub, a driving member and a plurality of blades; the driving member is driven and connected to the hub for driving the hub to rotate; the plurality of blades are connected to the outer circumference of the hub at intervals along the circumference of the hub; the blades comprise a first end, a middle section, and a second end: wherein the first end is connected to the outer circumference of the hub, the middle section is located between the first end and the second end, and connects the first end and the second end, and along the rotation direction of the hub, the second end is connected to the middle section of an adjacent blade, and forms an air duct between the blade and the covered section of the adjacent blade.

[0007] In a possible embodiment, the end surface of the first end portion connected to the hub has a first contour line and a second contour line. Along the rotation direction of the hub, the first contour line is arranged parallel to the front side of the second contour line and has a first endpoint and a second endpoint.

[0008] Along the axial direction of the hub, the first endpoint is located in front of the second endpoint, and along the rotation direction of the hub, the first endpoint is located behind the second endpoint.

[0009] In a possible implementation, along the axial direction of the hub, a projection of the first contour line on the front end surface of the hub coincides with an outer circumference of the front end surface of the hub;

[0010] Along the axial direction of the hub, a projection of the second contour line on the rear end surface of the hub coincides with an outer circumference of the rear end surface of the hub.

[0011] In one possible embodiment, along the axial direction of the hub, the projection of the first contour line on the front end surface of the hub has a first chord length, along the rotation direction of the hub, there is a second chord length between the front sides of two adjacent first end portions, and the ratio of the length of the first chord length to the length of the second chord length is 1 / 2 to 3 / 5.

[0012] In a possible implementation manner, the second end portion has a third contour line, the third contour line is located at an end surface where the second end portion is connected to the middle section, and has a third endpoint and a fourth endpoint;

[0013] Along the axial direction of the hub, the third endpoint is located in front of the fourth endpoint, and along the rotation direction of the hub, the third endpoint is located in the rear of the fourth endpoint.

[0014] In a possible implementation manner, the area of ​​the blade covered by an adjacent blade has a third chord length, and the third chord length accounts for 1 / 5 to 1 / 4 of the total chord length of the end surface of the blade.

[0015] In a possible embodiment, the extension direction of the blade is set at an angle with the axial direction of the hub, and the angle is 60° to 80°; the curvature of the blade first increases and then decreases along the rotation direction of the hub.

[0016] In a possible embodiment, the fan further includes a fan frame, the fan frame is provided with a through slot, the extension direction of the through slot is parallel to the axial direction of the hub, the hub and the multiple blades are located in the through slot, and the blades are spaced apart from the peripheral wall of the through slot.

[0017] In a possible embodiment, the fan further includes a pre-rotation blade, which is connected to the through slot and is located on the rear side of the blade along the axial direction of the hub, and is used to guide the airflow to rotate and then flow to the blade.

[0018] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application further provides a 3D printer, comprising a printer body, a nozzle and the above-mentioned fan, wherein the nozzle is connected to the printer body, and the fan is connected to one side of the nozzle for dissipating heat from the nozzle. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] FIG1 is a schematic perspective view of a fan according to one or more embodiments of the present application.

[0020] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of the front side structure of the blades of the fan in one or more embodiments of the present application.

[0021] FIG3 is a schematic top plan view of the blades of the fan in one or more embodiments of the present application.

[0022] FIG4 is a schematic front plan view of a blade of the fan in one or more embodiments of the present application.

[0023] FIG5 is a schematic diagram of the rear side structure of the blades of the fan in one or more embodiments of the present application.

[0024] FIG6 is a schematic plan view of the rear side of the blades of the fan in one or more embodiments of the present application.

[0025] FIG7 is a schematic diagram of an explosion of the fan in one or more embodiments of the present application.

[0026] FIG8 is a schematic structural diagram of a 3D printer according to one or more embodiments of the present application.

[0027] Meanings of the numbers in the accompanying drawings: Fan 100 Outlet side 1 Inlet side 2 Hub 10 Front face 101 Rear face 102 Mounting slot 103 Driving member 20 Blade 30 Air duct 301 First end 31 Middle section 32 Second end 33 Fan frame 40 Through slot 41 Pre-rotation blade 50 Center portion 51 Blade portion 52 Guide slope 520 Rotation direction S Axial direction Z First contour line L1 Second contour line L2 Third contour line L3 First endpoint P1 Second endpoint P2 Third endpointP3 Fourth endpoint P4 First chord length A1 Second chord length A2 Third chord length A3 Angle R 3D printer 200 Printer body 210 Nozzle 220 Heat dissipation fins 230

[0028] The following specific implementation methods will further illustrate the present application in conjunction with the above-mentioned drawings. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] The following description will refer to the accompanying drawings to more fully describe the contents of this application. Illustrated in the accompanying drawings are exemplary embodiments of the present application. However, the present application can be implemented in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the exemplary embodiments set forth herein. These exemplary embodiments are provided to make this application thorough and complete and to fully convey the scope of this application to those skilled in the art. Like reference numerals represent identical or similar components.

[0030] The terms used herein are for the purpose of describing specific exemplary embodiments only and are not intended to limit the present application. As used herein, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well. In addition, when used herein, "includes" and / or "comprising" and / or "having" integers, steps, operations, components and / or components do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, regions, integers, steps, operations, components and / or groups thereof.

[0031] Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application belongs. In addition, unless explicitly defined herein, terms such as those defined in common dictionaries should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with their meaning in the relevant art and the content of this application, and will not be interpreted as idealized or overly formal meanings.

[0032] The specific implementation methods of the present application will be described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 , an embodiment of the present application provides a fan 100 , including a hub 10 , a driving member 20 , and a plurality of blades 30 .

[0034] The driving member 20 is connected to the hub 10 for driving the hub 10 to rotate. A plurality of blades 30 are connected to the outer periphery of the hub 10 at intervals along the circumference of the hub 10 so as to rotate synchronously with the hub 10. The rotation of the blades 30 drives the airflow around the blades 30 to move, forming an airflow, and blowing the airflow out from one side of the blades 30.

[0035] The blade 30 includes a first end 31, a middle section 32, and a second end 33. The first end 31 is connected to the outer circumference of the hub 10. The middle section 32 is located between the first end 31 and the second end 33, with one end of the middle section 32 connected to the first end 31 and the other end connected to the second end 33. The middle section 32 is integrally formed with the first end 31 and the second end 33. The first end 31, middle section 32, and second end 33 have the same thickness, preventing noise caused by sudden changes in airflow velocity in a certain section of the blade 30.

[0036] Along the rotational direction S of the hub 10, the second end portion 33 connects to the middle section 32 of the next adjacent blade 30, forming an air duct 301 between the blade 30 and the covered section of the next adjacent blade 30. Air duct 301 allows air to pass through, so that the airflow pushed by the blade 30 is blown out from one end of the air duct 301. The blades 30 and the hub 10 are integrally formed to avoid adding additional connecting structures that may affect the flow direction of the airflow or even generate noise.

[0037] At the same time, the blades 30 overlap each other around the outer circumference of the hub 10 to form an annular structure. The inner circumference of the annular structure is connected to the outer circumference of the hub 10, which can improve the stability of the connection of each blade 30 and reduce the amplitude of each blade 30 during rotation, thereby reducing noise.

[0038] In this way, in the fan 100 of the present application, the first end 31 of the blade 30 is connected to the hub 10 so that the blade 30 rotates with the hub 10, and the middle section 32 of the blade 30 is bent so that the second end 33 overlaps the middle section 32 of another blade 30. Compared with most structures in which the second end 33 is set as a free end, the second end 33 can be prevented from generating noise due to vibration, thereby improving the silent effect of the fan 100 and reducing the noise generated when the fan 100 is working.

[0039] Referring again to Figures 1 to 4 , in one embodiment, the first end portion 31 is generally rectangular, and the end surface of the first end portion 31 connected to the hub 10 has a first contour line L1 and a second contour line L2. Along the rotational direction S of the hub 10, the first contour line L1 is parallel to and located in front of the second contour line L2 and has a first endpoint P1 and a second endpoint P2.

[0040] Along the axial direction Z of the hub 10, the first endpoint P1 is located forward of the second endpoint P2. It is worth noting that, along the axial direction Z of the hub 10, the side of the hub 10 closer to the driver 20 is the rear side, i.e., the air inlet side 2 of the fan 100, while the side of the hub 10 farther from the driver 20 is the front side, i.e., the air outlet side 1 of the fan 100. Thus, the first endpoint P1 is located on the air outlet side 1 of the first end portion 31, and the second endpoint P2 is located on the air inlet side 2 of the first end portion 31.

[0041] Along the rotation direction S of the hub 10, the first endpoint P1 is located behind the second endpoint P2, so that the first contour line L1 is inclined to the axial direction Z of the hub 10, so that the blade 30 can have a lateral thrust on the airflow in the rotation direction S of the hub 10 when rotating.

[0042] In this way, when the air flow flows into the air duct 301, the air flow is guided into the area covered by the adjacent blades 30 of the blades 30 located on the front side along the rotation direction S of the hub 10, and the air flow is guided out by the blades 30 located on the rear side along the rotation direction S of the hub 10.

[0043] It can be understood that the first contour line L1 can be a straight line or a curve, and along the rotation direction S of the hub 10, the first contour line L1 bends from its first end point P1 toward its second end point P2, so that when the blade 30 guides the airflow, the airflow can flow smoothly through the blade 30 to avoid turbulence and other phenomena.

[0044] Referring again to Figures 4 to 6 , in one embodiment, along the axial direction Z of the hub 10 , the projection of the second contour line L2 on the rear end surface 102 of the hub 10 coincides with the outer periphery of the rear end surface 102 of the hub 10 , so that when the blades 30 located at the front side along the rotation direction S of the hub 10 guide the airflow into the air duct 301 , the airflow enters the air duct 301 in a direction roughly tangential to the rotation direction S of the hub 10 , and the airflow entering the air duct 301 is subjected to a more stable lateral thrust by the blades 30, thereby avoiding loud noise when the airflow flows in the air duct 301 .

[0045] Along the axial direction Z of the hub 10, the projection of the first contour line L1 on the front end surface 101 of the hub 10 coincides with the outer periphery of the front end surface 101 of the hub 10, so that when the blades 30 located on the rear side along the rotation direction S of the hub 10 guide the airflow entering the air duct 301 to flow out, its guiding direction is roughly the same as the guiding direction of the blades 30 located on the front side along the rotation direction S of the hub 10 when guiding the airflow into the air duct 301, thereby avoiding turbulence of the airflow in the air duct 301.

[0046] Referring again to Figures 2 to 4 , in one embodiment, along the axial direction Z of the hub 10, the projection of the first contour line L1 onto the front end surface 101 of the hub 10 has a first chord length A1. Furthermore, as described above, the second contour line L2 is parallel to the first contour line L1, and the projection of the second contour line L2 onto the rear end surface 102 of the hub 10 coincides with the outer circumference of the rear end surface 102 of the hub 10. Therefore, the chord length of the projection of the second contour line L2 onto the rear end surface 102 of the hub 10 is the same as the first chord length A1.

[0047] Along the rotation direction S of the hub 10, there is a second chord length A2 between the front sides of two adjacent first end portions 31, and the ratio of the length of the first chord length A1 to the length of the second chord length A2 is 1 / 2 to 3 / 5, so that the width of the blade 30 located on the front side along the rotation direction S of the hub 10 in the rotation direction S of the hub 10 is approximately the same as the width of the blade 30 located on the rear side along the rotation direction S of the hub 10 in the rotation direction S of the hub 10, and the sum of the widths of the two is approximately the same as the width of the two adjacent blades 30 in the rotation direction S of the hub 10, so that the diameters of the opening on the air inlet side 2 and the opening on the air outlet side 1 of the air duct 301 are approximately the same.

[0048] It is understandable that the ratio of the length of the first chord length A1 to the length of the second chord length A2 may also be other ratios, and the specific values ​​may be adaptively adjusted according to actual design requirements.

[0049] Referring again to Figures 2 and 3 , in one embodiment, the second end portion 33 is substantially rectangular in structure. The second end portion 33 has a third contour line L3 located along the long side of the end surface of the second end portion 33 connected to the middle section 32 and having a third endpoint P3 and a fourth endpoint P4.

[0050] Along the axial direction Z of the hub 10, the third endpoint P3 is located forward of the fourth endpoint P4. That is, the third endpoint P3 is located on the outlet side 1 of the second end portion 33, and the fourth endpoint P4 is located on the inlet side 2 of the second end portion 33. Along the rotational direction S of the hub 10, the third endpoint P3 is located rearward of the fourth endpoint P4. This causes the third profile line L3 to be inclined relative to the axial direction Z of the hub 10. This allows the blades 30 to exert lateral thrust on the airflow in the rotational direction S of the hub 10 during rotation.

[0051] It can be understood that the third contour line L3 can be a straight line or a curve, and along the rotation direction S of the hub 10, the third contour line L3 bends from its third endpoint P3 toward its fourth endpoint P4, so that when the blade 30 guides the airflow, the airflow can flow smoothly through the blade 30 to avoid turbulence and other phenomena.

[0052] Referring again to Figure 4 , in one embodiment, the area of ​​a blade 30 encompassed by an adjacent blade 30 has a third chord length A3. The front or rear surface of the blade 30 along the axial direction Z of the hub 10 is curved, and the third chord length A3 accounts for 1 / 5 to 1 / 4 of the total chord length of the end surface of the blade 30. This allows each blade 30 to occupy a larger area within the circle formed by the overlapping blades 30, thereby increasing the airflow rate of the fan 100 within a limited volume.

[0053] It is understandable that the ratio of the third chord length A3 to the total chord length of the end surface of the blade 30 may also be other ratios, and its specific value may be adaptively adjusted according to actual design requirements.

[0054] Referring again to Figure 3 and Figure 1 , in one embodiment, the blades 30 are generally fan-shaped and partially twisted from the outside inward. The blades 30 extend at an angle R with the axial direction Z of the hub 10 . Angle R is between 60° and 80°. This increases the width of the blades 30 in the rotational direction S of the hub 10 , broadening the area of ​​effect of the blades 30 on the airflow entering the air duct 301 , thereby increasing the thrust of the airflow and thereby increasing the wind speed of the fan 100 .

[0055] It is understandable that the angle R may also be other values, and its specific value may be adaptively adjusted according to actual design requirements.

[0056] Referring again to Figures 3 and 6 , in one embodiment, the curvature of the blades 30 increases first and then decreases along the rotational direction S of the hub 10, making the airflow directed by the blades 30 into and out of the air duct 301 smoother at both ends, thereby preventing turbulence that could cause loud noise when the air flows into or out of the air duct 301. Furthermore, the curvature of the central region of the blades 30 is greater, allowing some airflow flowing away from the hub 10 to be quickly directed to change direction and then flow out of the air duct 301.

[0057] Referring again to Figure 7 and referring to Figures 1 and 5 , in one embodiment, the fan 100 further includes a fan frame 40 having a through slot 41 formed therein. The through slot 41 has a circular cross-section to conform to the shape of the structure formed by the overlapping blades 30. The through slot 41 extends parallel to the axial direction Z of the hub 10. The hub 10 and the plurality of blades 30 are positioned within the through slot 41. The blades 30 are spaced apart from the circumferential wall of the through slot 41 so that the inner circumferential wall of the through slot 41 does not interfere with the rotation of the blades 30.

[0058] Furthermore, the fan 100 also includes a pre-rotation blade 50, which is connected to the through slot 41 and is located on the rear side of the blade 30 along the axial direction Z of the hub 10, for guiding the airflow to rotate and then flow to the blade 30.

[0059] The pre-rotation vanes 50 include a central portion 51 and multiple vanes 52, which are evenly spaced around the periphery of the central portion 51. One end of the vanes 52 is connected to the central portion 51, and the other end is connected to the inner circumferential wall of the through-slot 41. The vanes 52, central portion 51, and fan frame 40 can be integrally formed to simplify assembly steps.

[0060] Along the rotational direction S of the hub 10, the end of the blade 52 closest to the hub 10 is located forward of the end remote from the hub 10, and the blade 52 curves and extends from the end closest to the hub 10 to the end remote from the hub 10. Along the axial direction Z of the hub 10, a guide slope 520 is provided on the front side of the blade 52. The guide slope 520 is inclined inward and forward from the rear side along the rotational direction S of the hub 10 to the front side along the rotational direction S of the hub 10. This guide slope 520 guides the airflow entering the pre-rotation vanes 50 in a direction consistent with the direction of airflow guided by the subsequent blades 30, thereby increasing airflow and reducing noise.

[0061] Furthermore, a mounting slot 103 is defined on the rear side of the hub 10, and the driver 20 is located within the mounting slot 103, thereby reducing the thickness of the entire fan 100. The driver 20 is a power element such as a motor, one end of which is connected to the bottom wall of the mounting slot 103 and the other end of which is mounted on the central portion 51.

[0062] As shown in FIG8 , the embodiment of the present application further provides a 3D printer 200, comprising a printer body 210, a nozzle 220, and the fan 100. The nozzle 220 is connected to the printer body 210 and can slide relative to the printer body 210.

[0063] The fan 100 is connected to one side of the nozzle 220 to dissipate heat from the nozzle 220. Specifically, stacked heat sink fins 230 are connected to the outside of the nozzle 220. The heat sink fins 230 are thermally connected to the nozzle 220 to facilitate heat transfer between the fins 230 and the nozzle 220. The fan 100 is mounted on the heat sink fins 230 and blows air toward the fins 230 to dissipate heat from the fins 230, thereby dissipating heat from the nozzle 220.

[0064] Thus, the 3D printer 200 , because it includes the fan 100 and the stacked structure of the blades 30 of the fan 100 , can reduce the noise generated when the fan 100 is working and improve the user experience of the 3D printer 200 .

[0065] The specific embodiments of the present application have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications and substitutions may be made to the specific embodiments of the present application without departing from the scope of the present application. Such modifications and substitutions are within the scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A fan, characterized in that: include: wheel hub; A driving member, drivingly connected to the wheel hub, and used to drive the wheel hub to rotate; A plurality of blades are connected to the outer periphery of the hub at intervals along the circumference of the hub; the blades include a first end, a middle section, and a second end; The first end portion is connected to the outer circumferential surface of the hub, the middle section is located between the first end portion and the second end portion, and connects the first end portion and the second end portion. Along the rotation direction of the hub, the second end portion is connected to the middle section of the adjacent next blade, and forms an air duct between the blade and the covered section of the adjacent next blade.

2. The fan according to claim 1, wherein The end surface of the first end portion connected to the hub has a first contour line and a second contour line. Along the rotation direction of the hub, the first contour line is arranged in parallel to the front side of the second contour line and has a first end point and a second end point. Along the axial direction of the hub, the first endpoint is located in front of the second endpoint, and along the rotation direction of the hub, the first endpoint is located behind the second endpoint.

3. The fan according to claim 2, wherein Along the axial direction of the hub, a projection of the first contour line on the front end surface of the hub coincides with an outer circumference of the front end surface of the hub; Along the axial direction of the hub, a projection of the second contour line on the rear end surface of the hub coincides with an outer circumference of the rear end surface of the hub.

4. The fan according to claim 3, wherein Along the axial direction of the hub, the projection of the first contour line on the front end surface of the hub has a first chord length, and along the rotation direction of the hub, there is a second chord length between the front sides of two adjacent first end portions, and the ratio of the length of the first chord length to the length of the second chord length is 1 / 2 to 3 / 5.

5. The fan according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that The second end portion has a third contour line, the third contour line is located at the end surface where the second end portion is connected to the middle section, and has a third endpoint and a fourth endpoint; Along the axial direction of the hub, the third endpoint is located in front of the fourth endpoint, and along the rotation direction of the hub, the third endpoint is located in the rear of the fourth endpoint.

6. The fan according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that The area of the blade covered by the adjacent blade has a third chord length, and the third chord length accounts for 1 / 5 to 1 / 4 of the total chord length of the end surface of the blade.

7. The fan according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that The extension direction of the blade is set at an angle with the axial direction of the hub, and the angle is 60° to 80°; the curvature of the blade first increases and then decreases along the rotation direction of the hub.

8. The fan according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that The fan further includes a fan frame, which is provided with a through slot. The extending direction of the through slot is parallel to the axial direction of the hub. The hub and the plurality of blades are located in the through slot, and the blades are spaced apart from the inner circumferential wall of the through slot.

9. The fan according to claim 8, wherein The fan further includes a pre-rotation blade connected to the through slot and arranged along the axial direction of the hub. The pre-rotation blade is located at the rear side of the blade and is used to guide the airflow to rotate before flowing toward the blade.

10. A 3D printer, characterized in that: The printer comprises a printer body, a nozzle and a fan according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the nozzle is connected to the printer body, and the fan is connected to one side of the nozzle for dissipating heat from the nozzle.

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