Blower Housing Bearing Support for Easy Assembly and Airflow

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing fan housing assemblies are costly to assemble and disassemble, and they often lack sufficient support for the blower motor, with smaller parts requiring increased wall thickness that obstructs airflow.

Innovation Solution

A blower housing part with an inlet opening and a bearing mount for the motor shaft, featuring star-shaped webs and a bush-shaped elastomer element for vibration decoupling, along with conically tapering ribs for easier assembly and axial ribs for tolerance compensation, allowing for symmetrical force distribution and reduced wall thickness.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If fan housing is assembled from multiple fan housing parts, then assembly flexibility is improved, but assembly and disassembly cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveassembly flexibilityVSAvoidassembly cost
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The fan housing is divided into a main body part and a side part that can be connected and disconnected. The bearing mount is integrated into the side part, allowing modular assembly and disassembly of the motor assembly while maintaining cost-effectiveness through the standardized connection interface.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Strength

If wall thickness of smaller fan housing parts is increased, then mechanical strength is improved, but airflow obstruction increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemechanical strengthVSAvoidairflow obstruction
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The bearing mount is positioned in the axial direction at the inlet opening, utilizing the available space in the axial dimension rather than increasing radial wall thickness. This allows the side part to maintain thin walls for minimal airflow obstruction while still providing adequate mounting support for the motor through the strategically positioned bearing mount.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

3Reliability

If bearing mount is provided for motor mounting, then motor support is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemotor supportVSAvoidhousing structure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The bearing mount is integrated directly into the side part of the fan housing, combining the housing function with the motor mounting function. The bearing bush is formed as part of the bearing mount structure, and the star-shaped webs are integrated into the side part, reducing the total number of separate components while providing adequate motor support.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

4Ease of operation

If bearing bush cross-sectional area is reduced axially, then assembly ease is improved, but structural strength may be compromised

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveassembly easeVSAvoidbearing bush strength
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The bearing bush has conically tapering ribs that create a local reduction in cross-sectional area at the insertion end to facilitate assembly. The bearing bush maintains adequate wall thickness and structural strength in the region where it is spaced axially from the open face, while the tapered ribs only affect the insertion region. This localized geometric modification enables easy motor shaft bearing insertion without compromising the overall structural integrity of the bearing bush.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

Enables quick and simple assembly of the fan housing while providing adequate motor support and minimizing airflow obstruction through symmetrical force distribution and reduced wall thickness.

Implementation Method 1

a bush-shaped elastomer element is arranged in the bearing bush. The bush-shaped elastomeric element is designed to accommodate the motor shaft bearing of the blower motor and is used for vibration decoupling from the adjacent components

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectVibration decoupling: Damping

Data Source

PatentEP3754216B1Blower housing part with bearing support and blower
Publication Date: 2021.11.10 EBM PAPST MULFINGEN GMBH & CO KG
  • EP3754216B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3754216B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3754216B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The invention relates to a blower housing part (1) with an inlet opening (2) for drawing in blower air and a bearing receptacle held in the inlet opening for supporting a blower motor, wherein the bearing receptacle has a bearing bushing (4) open to one side of the motor, which is configured to receive at least one motor shaft bearing (19) of the blower motor. The invention further relates to a blower with a blower housing formed from two interconnected blower housing parts.