Blower housing, blower wiring structure, and blower

Abstract

This blower housing (11) of a blower (1) having a motor (10) is provided with an accommodation part (40) for accommodating a winding (35) of a stator (30) and a solder part (16) on the radial direction outside with respect to an opening (15) for accommodating the stator (30) of the motor (10). The accommodation part (40) has a bottom surface part (41) and an inner wall part (42). The bottom surface part (41) includes a first part (44) in which a conductive wire is disposed, and a second part (45) in which the solder part (16) is disposed. The second part (45) is recessed to a position deeper than the first part (44), and the dimension in the axial direction from the first part (44) to the upper surface of the inner wall part (42) is set to be longer than the thickness in the axial direction of the conductive wire and shorter than the thickness in the axial direction of the solder part (16), and the dimension in the axial direction from the second part (45) to the upper surface of the inner wall part (42) is set to be longer than the thickness in the axial direction of the solder part (16).

Description

Blower housing, blower wiring structure and blower

[0001] The present invention relates to a blower housing that forms a case body of a blower having an impeller fixed to a rotating shaft of a motor, a blower wiring structure to which this blower housing is applied, and a blower to which this blower wiring structure is applied.

[0002] In a blower having an impeller and a motor used as a drive source for the impeller, a structure in which the motor is built into a blower housing (hereinafter also referred to as "housing") that forms the blower's case body has been known. For such a housing with a built-in motor, a structure has been proposed for accommodating within the housing a connection between a winding wound around the motor's stator and a lead wire for supplying power to the winding. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a structure in which a connection formed by soldering the end of the winding to the lead wire is placed on the top surface of a mounting base disposed above the winding. In this structure, a partition wall is erected from the top surface of the mounting base along the axial direction of the motor, allowing the connection to be housed while being electrically insulated.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-245093

[0004] However, in a structure in which the connection portion is placed on the upper surface of the mounting base, as in Patent Document 1, the height of the partition wall provided on the upper surface of the mounting base must be greater than the outer diameter of the connection portion (i.e., set to a height that ensures insulation of the connection portion). Therefore, a housing employing such a structure inevitably becomes larger in the axial direction by the height of the partition wall. Therefore, conventional technology leaves room for improvement in terms of making the housing thinner (smaller) in the axial direction.

[0005] The blower housing and blower wiring structure of the present invention were devised in consideration of these problems, and one of the objects thereof is to make the blower housing thinner (smaller) in the axial direction. Furthermore, one of the objects of the present blower is to make the blower itself thinner (smaller) in the axial direction by making the blower housing thinner (smaller) in the axial direction. In addition to these objects, another object of the present invention is to achieve effects that cannot be obtained by conventional technology, which are derived from the configurations shown in the detailed description of the invention described below.

[0006] The disclosed blower housing, blower wiring structure, and blower can be realized as the following disclosed embodiments (application examples) and solve at least part of the above problems. Aspects 2 to 5 are all aspects that can be selected as appropriate and are all optional. None of Aspects 2 to 5 discloses an essential aspect or configuration for the present invention.

[0007] Aspect 1. The disclosed blower housing is a case body for a blower having a motor, and includes an opening for accommodating a stator of the motor, and an accommodating portion formed radially outward from the opening to surround the outer periphery of the stator and for accommodating a winding of the stator and a solder portion formed by soldering a conductor including the winding. The accommodating portion has a bottom surface portion forming a surface on which the conductor and the solder portion are arranged, and an inner wall portion disposed from the radially inner edge of the bottom surface portion toward a first axial direction of the stator. The bottom surface portion includes a first portion where the conductor is arranged and a second portion where the solder portion is arranged, and the second portion is recessed to a position deeper in the second axial direction than the first portion, and the axial dimension from the first portion to the upper surface of the inner wall portion is set to be longer than the axial thickness of the conductor and shorter than the axial thickness of the solder portion, and the axial dimension from the second portion to the upper surface of the inner wall portion is set to be longer than the axial thickness of the solder portion.

[0008] Aspect 2. In the above-mentioned aspect 1, it is preferable that the accommodating portion has an outer wall portion disposed from the radially outer edge of the bottom surface portion toward the first direction, and a fixing portion formed to narrow the radial gap between the inner wall portion and the outer wall portion and to which the conductor is fixed. Aspect 3. In the above-mentioned aspect 1 or 2, it is preferable that the first portion and the second portion are connected via an inclined surface in the circumferential direction of the accommodating portion.

[0009] Aspect 4. In the above-mentioned Aspect 3, it is preferable that the fixing portion and the inclined surface are arranged in a position where they at least partially overlap when viewed from the axial direction. Aspect 5. In any one of the above-mentioned Aspects 1 to 4, it is preferable that the bottom surface portion includes a plurality of the second portions, and that one solder portion is arranged for each of the second portions.

[0010] Aspect 6. The disclosed blower wiring structure includes the blower housing according to any one of Aspects 1 to 5 above, and a stator housed in the blower housing, wherein the winding of the stator and a soldered portion where a conductor including the winding is soldered are housed in a housing portion of the blower housing. Aspect 7. The disclosed blower includes an impeller fixed to a rotating shaft of a motor, and the blower wiring structure according to Aspect 6 above.

[0011] The disclosed blower housing and blower wiring structure allow the blower housing to be made thinner (smaller) in the axial direction. Furthermore, the disclosed blower allows the blower housing to be made thinner (smaller) in the axial direction, so the blower itself can also be made thinner (smaller) in the axial direction.

[0012] Fig. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a blower according to an embodiment; Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a blower housing applied to the blower of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of a housing portion of the blower housing of Fig. 2; Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the housing portion of Fig. 3 cut along a circumferential direction;

[0013] A blower housing, a blower wiring structure, 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.

[0014] The blower of the embodiment is a fan having a motor. More specifically, this blower has an impeller fixed to the rotating shaft of the motor, and sends gas (e.g., air) by rotation of the impeller. In the following description, the direction in which the rotating shaft extends (rotational axis direction) is defined as the axial direction, and the direction perpendicular to the axial direction, away from the rotating shaft and toward the rotating shaft, is defined as the radial direction. In addition, in the radial direction, the side of the rotating shaft is defined as the radially inner side, and the opposite side (the side away from the rotating shaft) is defined as the radially outer side. The direction perpendicular to the axial direction and circumferential around the rotating shaft is defined as the circumferential direction.

[0015] [1. Configuration] Fig. 1 is an external perspective view for explaining the configuration of a blower 1 according to this embodiment, with the end bell 12 (see Fig. 2) omitted so that the internal structure can be seen. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A in Fig. 1. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the blower 1 according to this embodiment is a fan that blows air by rotating an impeller 2 (see Fig. 2).

[0016] The blower 1 includes an impeller 2, a motor 10 as a drive source for the impeller 2, and a blower housing 11 (hereinafter simply referred to as the "housing 11") that forms a case body that houses the impeller 2 and the motor 10. The motor 10 is an inner rotor type brushless motor, and is configured by incorporating, in the housing 11, a rotor 20 that rotates integrally with a shaft 21 (rotation axis) having a rotation center X (see FIG. 2), and a stator 30 that is located radially outward of the rotor 20 (hereinafter simply referred to as the "outside").

[0017] 2, the rotor 20 has a magnet 22 fixed to the shaft 21 and two balancers 23 that axially sandwich the magnet 22, and is rotatably fixed to the housing 11 and the end bell 12 by bearings 24. The stator 30 has a stator core 31 fixed to the inner circumferential surface of the housing 11, and coils 35 wound around the stator core 31 via insulators 32. In this embodiment, a stator 30 having six coils 35 arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction will be taken as an example.

[0018] Lead wires 14 for supplying power to the windings 35a are connected by soldering to the ends (winding start or winding end) of the windings 35a that form the coil 35. Furthermore, the ends (winding end or winding start) of the windings 35a that are not connected to the lead wires 14 are connected by soldering to each other. Hereinafter, the soldered portions between the ends of the windings 35a and the conductors including the windings 35a will be referred to as "soldered portions 16." Note that the windings 35a and the lead wires 14 are both elements that are included in the "conductors" defined in the claims.

[0019] The impeller 2 is fixed to one end of the shaft 21. 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.

[0020] 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) inside, and the annular portion 11B is a portion that forms an arrangement space for the impeller 2 between itself and a cover member (not shown) outside the cylindrical portion 11A. The annular portion 11B is formed continuously from the outer peripheral surface of the side wall portion 11c of the cylindrical portion 11A to the outside. The upper end of the annular portion 11B functions as a flange portion 11f that extends outward from the side wall portion 11c.

[0021] The interior of the cylindrical portion 11A, i.e., the space surrounded by the side wall portion 11c and the bottom portion 11d, is the arrangement space for the rotor 20 and the stator 30. For convenience, in the axial direction, the side on which the end bells 12 are arranged with respect to the housing 11 will be referred to as the "first direction," and the opposite side will be referred to as the "second direction." Furthermore, assuming that the axial direction is the up-down direction, the first direction side will be referred to as the "upper" and the second direction side will be referred to as the "lower."

[0022] The housing 11 has an opening 15 for accommodating the stator 30 of the motor 10. Specifically, the opening 15 accommodates the stator 30 from the axial direction. The opening 15 is a region at the upper end of the cylindrical portion 11A, surrounded by the upper edge of the side wall portion 11c, and forms an opening for disposing the rotor 20 and the stator 30 within the cylindrical portion 11A. The opening 15 has a substantially circular outline when viewed from the first direction. Note that the term "substantially circular" does not necessarily mean a perfect circle (circle), but may also include shapes that can be considered circular. For example, the opening 15 may have a polygonal shape that can be considered circular when viewed from the first direction. The opening 15 of the cylindrical portion 11A is covered by an end bell 12, as schematically shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 2 . The end bell 12 is a cover member that is combined with the housing 11. In this embodiment, the outer peripheral end 12 a of the end bell 12 is placed on the flange portion 11 f of the housing 11 , and the end bell 12 is fixed to the housing 11 .

[0023] In the housing 11 of this embodiment, the bottom 11d of the cylindrical portion 11A is provided with a through hole through which the shaft 21 is inserted and a step 11e to which the bearing 24 and the O-ring 25 are fixed. As shown in Fig. 2, the lower end of the shaft 21 protrudes from the through hole to the lower surface of the housing 11, and the impeller 2 is fixed to this lower end. A cover member is attached to the lower surface of the housing 11.

[0024] In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 2, the housing 11 is combined with the end bell 12 and the 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 the 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 the motor 10 can be housed inside.

[0025] As shown in Fig. 1, grooves 14A are formed on the top surface of the housing 11 so that each of the multiple (here, five) lead wires 14 can be pulled out from the interior of the housing 11 and the end bell 12 to the outside. The number of grooves 14A is the same as the number of lead wires 14, and by arranging each lead wire 14 in each groove 14A, the lead wires 14 can be appropriately routed from the interior of the housing 11 to the outside. In this embodiment, three of the five lead wires 14 are connected to the winding 35a, and the remaining two are connected to electronic equipment other than the winding 35a, such as a temperature sensor. However, the number of lead wires 14 and the objects to which they are connected are not limited to this.

[0026] The housing 11 includes a receiving portion 40 for receiving the solder portion 16. The receiving portion 40 is a portion formed radially outward from the opening 15 so as to surround the outer periphery of the stator 30. The receiving portion 40 in this embodiment is formed around the opening 15 so as to surround the outer periphery of the stator 30; in other words, it is formed so as to annularly surround the outer periphery of the stator 30, and is provided on the upper surface side of the housing 11, and receives the solder portion 16 between the housing 11 in which the stator 30 is disposed and the end bell 12.

[0027] The basic performance required of the accommodating portion 40 is the ability to accommodate the solder portion 16 in a predetermined position and the ability to electrically insulate the solder portion 16 from the stator 30. The accommodating portion 40 of this embodiment is configured to enable the housing 11 to be made smaller (thinner in the axial direction) while still satisfying these basic performance requirements.

[0028] As described above, the solder portion 16 accommodated in the accommodation portion 40 is the portion where the end of the winding 35a is soldered to the conductor. Specifically, two types of solder portions 16 are included: a first solder portion 16 where the end of the winding 35a is soldered to the lead wire 14, and a second solder portion 16 where the ends of the windings 35a are soldered together (for example, the ends of each of the three phase windings 35a are soldered together). In other words, the "conductor" includes the lead wire 14 connected to the end of the winding 35a, and the end of another winding 35a connected to the end of another winding 35a. Note that although the accommodation portion 40 can accommodate multiple solder portions 16, only one solder portion 16 is shown in the figure, with the others omitted.

[0029] Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of the accommodating portion 40. Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line B-B in Fig. 3, showing the accommodating portion 40 cut along the circumferential direction. As shown in Figs. 1 to 4, the accommodating portion 40 has at least a bottom surface portion 41 that forms a surface on which the conductor wires (winding 35a and / or lead wires 14) and the solder portions 16 are arranged, and an inner wall portion 42 that is arranged (for example, erected) from a radially inner edge 41A (hereinafter referred to as the inner edge 41A) of the bottom surface portion 41 toward the first direction.

[0030] The bottom surface portion 41 is the bottom surface of the storage portion 40 and has an annular shape (annular in this embodiment) when viewed from the first direction. The storage portion 40 of this embodiment further has an outer wall portion 43 located radially outward of the inner wall portion 42. The inner edge 41A can be considered to be the inner edge of the bottom surface portion 41 on the opening 15 side. The outer wall portion 43 is arranged (e.g., erected) toward the first direction from a radially outer edge 41B (hereinafter referred to as the outer edge 41B) of the bottom surface portion 41. The outer edge 41B can be considered to be the outer edge of the bottom surface portion 41 on the opposite side to the inner edge.

[0031] In this embodiment, both the inner wall portion 42 and the outer wall portion 43 are erected upward (in the first axial direction) from the upper surface side of the housing 11. Both the inner wall portion 42 and the outer wall portion 43 are annular (circular in this embodiment) when viewed from the first direction. In other words, it can be said that the bottom surface portion 41 is provided between the inner wall portion 42 and the outer wall portion 43. The radial dimension of the bottom surface portion 41 (the radial distance between the inner wall portion 42 and the outer wall portion 43) is set to a length that ensures sufficient space for arranging the conducting wires and the solder portions 16.

[0032] As shown in FIGS. 1 , 3 , and 4 , the bottom surface portion 41 includes a first portion 44 where the conductive wires are disposed and a second portion 45 where the solder portion 16 is disposed. The first portion 44 and the second portion 45 are each part of the bottom surface portion 41, and are located at different positions in the circumferential direction of the accommodating portion 40 and at different positions in the axial direction. Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 , the second portion 45 is recessed to a deeper position (a position on the second axial direction side) in the bottom surface portion 41 below the first portion 44. The first portion 44 can also be considered to be a portion of the bottom surface portion 41 other than the second portion 45. The solder portion 16 is not disposed in the first portion 44.

[0033] In this embodiment, the first portion 44 and the second portion 45 are connected in the circumferential direction via an inclined surface 46. Focusing on one second portion 45, an upward inclined surface 46 is formed continuously at each of both circumferential end portions of the second portion 45. The first portion 44 is formed continuously at the edge of each inclined surface 46 on the opposite side from the second portion 45 (i.e., the upper edge that has reached the top of the inclination). In other words, the first portion 44 and the second portion 45 are disposed adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction with the inclined surface 46 sandwiched therebetween.

[0034] The inclined surface 46 is a portion formed in an inclined shape that smoothly connects the first portion 44 and the second portion 45. The inclined surface 46 is a part of the bottom surface portion 41, and is a part separate from the first portion 44 and the second portion 45. A conducting wire or a solder portion 16 may be disposed on this inclined surface 46. Note that the solder portion 16 is disposed only on the second portion 45, and therefore, "the solder portion 16 is disposed on the inclined surface 46" as used herein means that a part of the solder portion 16 disposed on the second portion 45 is also disposed on the inclined surface 46.

[0035] 1, the bottom surface portion 41 of the accommodation portion 40 has a plurality of (four in this example) second portions 45 spaced apart from one another in the circumferential direction. Although not shown in FIG. 1, one solder portion 16 is disposed on each of the second portions 45. In more detail, one first solder portion 16 is disposed on each of three of the four second portions 45, and one second solder portion 16 is disposed on the remaining second portion 45.

[0036] The circumferential dimensions of each second portion 45 may all be the same, or all or some of them may be different. For example, the first solder portion 16 and the second solder portion 16 may have different circumferential dimensions. Therefore, the circumferential dimension of the second portion 45 for arranging the first solder portion 16 may be different from the circumferential dimension of the second portion 45 for arranging the second solder portion 16. The type and number of conductors arranged in each first portion 44 are not particularly limited. For example, one or more windings 35a may be arranged, one lead wire 14, or both a winding 35a and a lead wire 14 may be arranged.

[0037] The inner wall portion 42 functions as a partition wall for mechanically and electrically isolating the solder portion 16 housed in the second portion 45 from the stator 30 in the cylindrical portion 11A. To ensure this function as a partition wall, it is preferable to set the axial dimension (i.e., wall height) of the inner wall portion 42 long. However, if the axial dimension of the inner wall portion 42 is too long, the axial dimension (thickness) of the housing 11 increases. Therefore, from the perspective of miniaturizing the housing 11 (achieving a thinner axial dimension), it is preferable to reduce the axial dimension of the inner wall portion 42. The axial dimension of the inner wall portion 42 refers to the axial length (height) from the bottom surface portion 41 to the upper surface 42A of the inner wall portion 42, as shown in FIG. 4 . The upper surface 42A is the end surface of the inner wall portion 42 located on the upper side (first direction side) of the inner wall portion 42.

[0038] From the viewpoints of both ensuring the function as a partition wall and achieving a thin design, the axial dimension of the inner wall portion 42 is set to satisfy both the following conditions 1 and 2. Condition 1: The axial dimension T1 from the first portion 44 to the upper surface 42A of the inner wall portion 42 is longer than the axial thickness of the conductor disposed in the first portion 44, and the axial thickness of the solder portion 16 is also shorter. Condition 2: The axial dimension T2 from the second portion 45 to the upper surface 42A of the inner wall portion 42 is longer than the axial thickness of the solder portion 16.

[0039] Condition 1 is set as a condition for minimizing dimension T1 while ensuring the minimum dimension (i.e., ensuring accommodation) that allows the conductor wires to be arranged in the first portion 44 while being isolated from the stator 30 by the inner wall portion 42. Although it is not anticipated that the solder portion 16 will be arranged in the first portion 44, the axial thickness of the solder portion 16 is used as the criterion for limiting dimension T1. Note that the "axial thickness of the solder portion 16" here refers to the length of the portion corresponding to the outer diameter when the solder portion 16 is considered to be approximately cylindrical. In reality, the shape of the solder portion 16 is not necessarily approximately cylindrical, so the "axial thickness of the solder portion 16" can also be considered the axial dimension (height) of the solder portion 16 when placed on the bottom surface portion 41.

[0040] As described above, one or more windings 35a, one lead wire 14, or both the windings 35a and the lead wire 14 may be arranged in the first portion 44, and therefore the axial thickness of the conductor may be either the outer diameter of one winding 35a or the outer diameter of one lead wire 14, or the axial thickness of the entire conductors arranged overlapping in the axial direction.

[0041] When only one winding 35a or one lead wire 14 is arranged in the first portion 44, the "axial thickness of the conductor" refers to the outer diameter of one winding 35a or one lead wire 14. When two or more windings 35a are arranged in the first portion 44, or when a winding 35a and a lead wire 14 are arranged, there is a possibility that the multiple conductors will be arranged overlapping in the axial direction. Therefore, in these cases, the "axial thickness of the conductor" refers to the axial thickness of the multiple conductors as a whole that are arranged overlapping in the axial direction.

[0042] Condition 2 is set as a condition for ensuring the minimum dimension T2 (i.e., ensuring containment capacity) that allows the inner wall portion 42 to isolate the solder portion 16 from the stator 30. Since the upper limit of the axial dimension of the inner wall portion 42 is limited by condition 1 above, dimension T2 is realized by taking into consideration both the axial position of the upper surface 42A of the inner wall portion 42 and the depth to which the second portion 45 is recessed.

[0043] The "axial thickness of the solder portion 16" is as defined above. If the dimension T2 is shorter than the axial thickness of the solder portion 16, the inner wall portion 42 may not be able to isolate the solder portion 16 from the stator 30, resulting in insufficient electrical insulation. In other words, condition 2 is intended to ensure sufficient electrical insulation. Note that the winding 35a and the lead wires 14 are covered with an insulating material except for the solder portion 16, and therefore electrical insulation can be ensured in the areas other than the solder portion 16 even if they are not isolated by the inner wall portion 42.

[0044] As described above, the axial thickness of the conductor differs between the outer diameter of a single winding 35a or a single lead wire 14 and the axial thickness of multiple conductors arranged overlapping in the axial direction. Variations may also occur in the axial thickness of the solder portion 16. Therefore, dimensions T1 and T2 can be appropriately set based on the expected dimensions of the axial thickness of the conductor and the axial thickness of the solder portion 16 so as to satisfy both Condition 1 and Condition 2. As an example, dimensions T1 and T2 may be set based on the expected maximum dimensions of the axial thickness of the conductor and the axial thickness of the solder portion 16.

[0045] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 , the inner wall 42 has a plurality of cutouts 42B formed by cutting away the upper end. The cutouts 42B are portions of the inner wall 42 where the axial dimension is intentionally shortened (the height is reduced) to facilitate drawing the winding 35a from the radially inner side to the outside of the inner wall 42. In this embodiment, the plurality of cutouts 42B are spaced apart circumferentially around the accommodating portion 40. The circumferential position of each cutout 42B is preferably set to a position corresponding to the first portion 44 (i.e., a position that is partially or entirely the same as the circumferential position of the first portion 44). Note that, because the solder portion 16 is not disposed in the first portion 44, electrical insulation is maintained even though the axial dimension of the inner wall 42 is shortened by the cutouts 42B.

[0046] 1 to 3, the accommodating portion 40 has a fixing portion (here, press-fit portion 47) to which the conductors arranged in the accommodating portion 40 are fixed (for example, press-fit). Of the conductors and solder portions 16 arranged on the bottom surface portion 41, the conductors arranged in the press-fit portion 47 are fixed to the accommodating portion 40. In other words, the conductors and solder portions 16 located in the portions of the accommodating portion 40 other than the press-fit portion 47 are not fixed (are simply placed and are free).

[0047] The press-fit portion 47 is formed to narrow the radial gap between the inner wall portion 42 and the outer wall portion 43. In this embodiment, the press-fit portion 47 is provided as a portion that protrudes inward from the radially inward surface of the outer wall portion 43. The radial gap between the inner wall portion 42 and the outer wall portion 43 is narrowed by the dimension by which the press-fit portion 47 protrudes inward from the outer wall portion 43. The dimension by which the press-fit portion 47 protrudes inward from the outer wall portion 43 is set to an appropriate dimension that allows the conductor wire to be press-fitted.

[0048] Because the press-fit portion 47 is a portion into which the conductor wire is press-fitted, it is formed at a position overlapping the first portion 44 as viewed from the first direction. As shown in Fig. 3 , in the housing 11 of this embodiment, it is preferable that the inclined surface 46 and the press-fit portion 47 are arranged at positions where they at least partially overlap as viewed from the axial direction. For example, in the inclined surface 46 and the press-fit portion 47 of Fig. 3 , the ends 46A, 47A opposite to the end close to the second portion 45 in the circumferential direction are arranged at the same position in the circumferential direction.

[0049] 1 to 4. When assembling the housing 11, the rotor 20 and stator 30 are first placed inside the cylindrical portion 11A of the housing 11. Next, the winding 35a and the conductor are soldered. Then, the solder portion 16 and the conductor are placed in the accommodating portion 40, and the conductor placed in the press-fit portion 47 is press-fitted. After that, the end bell 12 is combined with the housing 11 to cover the opening 15.

[0050] Finally, the blower wiring structure will be described. The blower wiring structure is a wiring structure provided in the blower 1, and specifically includes the housing 11 described above and the stator 30 housed in the housing 11. This blower wiring structure refers to the structure itself in which the winding 35a of the stator 30 and the solder portion 16 to which the above-mentioned conductor is soldered are housed in the housing portion 40 of the housing 11 described above. Note that the blower 1 of this embodiment is configured to include this blower wiring structure and the impeller 2 fixed to the shaft 21 (rotating shaft) of the motor 10.

[0051] [2. Effects] (1) The housing 11 described above includes an accommodating portion 40 formed radially outward of the opening 15 for accommodating the stator 30 of the motor 10, surrounding the outer periphery of the stator 30. The accommodating portion 40 has a second portion 45 of the bottom surface 41 where the solder portion 16 is disposed, recessed to a position lower and deeper than a first portion 44 where the conductor (winding 35 a and / or lead wire 14) is disposed. This reduces the axial dimension of the inner wall portion 42 compared to a conventional structure in which the conductor and the solder portion 16 are accommodated in the same axial position. Therefore, the housing 11 can be made thinner (smaller) in the axial direction while still satisfying the basic performance requirements of accommodating the solder portion 16 in a predetermined position and electrically insulating the solder portion 16 from the stator 30.

[0052] (2) The accommodating portion 40 of the housing 11 described above may have a fixing portion (here, the press-fit portion 47) to which the conductor is fixed, which is formed so as to narrow the radial gap between the inner wall portion 42 and the outer wall portion 43. In this case, the conductor arranged in the fixing portion can be fixed, thereby improving the retention of the solder portion 16 in a state where it is accommodated within the accommodating portion 40.

[0053] (3) In the accommodating portion 40 of the housing 11 described above, the first portion 44 and the second portion 45 of the bottom surface portion 41 may be connected to each other via an inclined surface 46 in the circumferential direction of the accommodating portion 40. The inclined surface 46 allows the conductor wires to be directed diagonally downward from the first portion 44 to the second portion 45, making it easier to guide the conductor wires and the solder portion 16 toward the second portion 45. This makes it easier to position the solder portion 16 in the second portion 45. The accommodating portion 40 may be formed by integral molding with resin, for example, so that the axial thickness of the inclined surface 46 gradually increases from one side to the other in the circumferential direction of the inclined surface 46. This allows for a greater wall thickness than when the first portion 44 and the second portion 45 are connected in a stepped manner without the inclined surface 46, thereby improving the rigidity of the housing 11.

[0054] (4) Furthermore, in the above-described housing 11, the press-fit portion 47 and the inclined surface 46 may be positioned so that they at least partially overlap when viewed in the axial direction. By positioning the press-fit portion 47 and the inclined surface 46 so that they at least partially overlap when viewed in the axial direction, when the conductor is press-fitted into the press-fit portion 47, the conductor is more likely to remain positioned along the inclined surface 46 (the conductor is less likely to lift up). This makes it easier to guide the conductor and solder portion 16 toward the second portion 45, and makes it easier to stably position the solder portion 16 in the second portion 45.

[0055] (5) In the above-described housing 11, the bottom surface 41 may include a plurality of second portions 45, and one solder portion 16 may be disposed for each second portion 45. This allows the plurality of solder portions 16 to be disposed individually in the second portion 45, making it easier to ensure containment and insulation.

[0056] (6) A blower wiring structure including the above-described housing 11 and the stator 30 housed in this housing 11, with the conductors (windings 35a and / or lead wires 14) and soldered portions 16 housed in the housing portion 40 of the housing 11, can provide at least the same effects as those described above in (1) for the housing 11. Furthermore, a blower wiring structure including a housing 11 having the configurations described above in (2) to (5) can also provide the same effects as those described above in (2) to (5).

[0057] (7) Furthermore, the blower 1 including the above-described blower wiring structure including the housing 11 and the impeller 2 fixed to the shaft 21 of the motor 10 can achieve at least the same effects as those described above for the housing 11 in (1). That is, since the housing 11 can be made thinner (smaller) in the axial direction, the blower 1 itself can also be made thinner (smaller) in the axial direction. Note that by providing the blower 1 with a blower wiring structure including the housing 11 having the configurations described above in (2) to (5), the blower 1 can also achieve the same effects as those described above in (2) to (5).

[0058] [3. Other] The above-described housing 11, blower wiring structure, and blower 1 are merely examples and are not limited to the above-described configurations. For example, the accommodating portion 40 may have a structure that does not include the outer wall portion 43 and the press-fit portion 47. In this case, the axial dimension of the inner wall portion 42 may be shortened, thereby achieving the effect of making the housing 11 thinner (more compact) in the axial direction. Furthermore, the bottom surface portion 41 may not include the inclined surface 46, i.e., the first portion 44 and the second portion 45 may be disposed adjacent to each other without the inclined surface 46 sandwiched therebetween.

[0059] Furthermore, the end 47A of the press-fit portion 47 and the end 46A of the inclined surface 46 may be set at different positions in the circumferential direction. In this case, fixing the conductor arranged in the press-fit portion 47 can improve the retention of the solder portion 16, and the inclined surface 46 can orient the conductor, which has the effect of making it easier to guide the conductor and solder portion 16 toward the second portion 45. Furthermore, the bottom surface portion 41 may include only one second portion 45. In this case, multiple solder portions 16 may be arranged on one second portion 45.

[0060] Furthermore, the type of motor is not limited to an inner rotor brushless motor, but may be an outer rotor motor, or may be a brushed motor if lead wires are used. The application of the housing 11 having the above-described accommodating portion 40 is not limited to blowers, and it can be applied to any device that requires the housing to be thin (small) in the axial direction. An example of an object other than a blower to which a housing having an accommodating portion can be applied is a plastic gearbox.

[0061] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 blower 2 impeller 10 motor 11 housing (blower housing) 14 lead wire (conductor) 15 opening 16 soldered portion 21 shaft 30 stator 35 coil 35a winding 40 accommodation portion 41 bottom surface portion 41A inner edge (inner edge) 41B outer edge (outer edge) 42 inner wall portion 42A upper surface 43 outer wall portion 44 first portion 45 second portion 46 inclined surface 47 press-fit portion (fixed portion)

Claims

1. A blower housing forming a case body for a blower having a motor, comprising: an opening for accommodating a stator of the motor; and a accommodating section formed radially outward from the opening so as to surround the outer periphery of the stator, for accommodating windings of the stator and solder sections formed by soldering conductors including the windings, wherein the accommodating section has a bottom surface section forming a surface on which the conductors and the solder sections are arranged, and an inner wall section arranged from the radially inner edge of the bottom surface section toward a first axial direction of the stator, wherein the bottom surface section includes a first section in which the conductors are arranged and a second section in which the solder sections are arranged, wherein the second section is recessed to a position deeper in the second axial direction than the first section, and the axial dimension from the first section to the upper surface of the inner wall section is set to be longer than the axial thickness of the conductors and shorter than the axial thickness of the solder sections, a dimension in the axial direction from the second portion to the upper surface of the inner wall portion is set to be longer than a thickness in the axial direction of the solder portion.

2. A blower housing as described in claim 1, characterized in that the accommodating portion has an outer wall portion arranged from the radially outer edge of the bottom surface portion toward the first direction, and a fixing portion formed to narrow the radial gap between the inner wall portion and the outer wall portion and to which the conducting wire is fixed.

3. The blower housing according to claim 2, characterized in that the first part and the second part are connected via an inclined surface in the circumferential direction of the accommodating part.

4. The blower housing according to claim 3, wherein the fixing portion and the inclined surface are positioned so as to at least partially overlap when viewed from the axial direction.

5. The blower housing according to claim 1, wherein the bottom surface portion includes a plurality of the second portions, and one of the solder portions is disposed for each of the second portions.

6. A blower wiring structure comprising: a blower housing according to any one of claims 1 to 5; and a stator housed in said blower housing, wherein the winding of said stator and a soldered portion where a conductor including said winding is soldered are housed in a housing portion of said blower housing.

7. A blower comprising: an impeller fixed to the rotating shaft of a motor; and the blower wiring structure according to claim 6.

Images