Blower Fan Blocking Structure for Dust-Protected Bearings

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional blowers suffer from minute foreign matters such as sand and dust entering the motor bearing, leading to noise and reduced motor lifespan, especially in dusty environments.

Innovation Solution

A blower design featuring a fan with blocking members positioned radially between the main plate and motor case, surrounding the shaft, to prevent foreign matter entry, along with a boss on the shaft to maintain a controlled gap and reduce interference.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Temperature

If the blower is used in a dusty environment to achieve cooling function, then the cooling performance is improved, but minute foreign matters enter the motor bearing causing damage

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecooling performanceVSAvoidmotor bearing durability

Core Design Contradiction:

TemperatureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

A blocking member is introduced as an intermediary element between the fan main plate and the motor case. This blocking member acts as a mediator that allows the airflow needed for cooling to pass through while physically blocking minute foreign matters from reaching the motor bearing, thus resolving the contradiction between cooling performance and bearing durability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The space between the fan main plate and motor case is segmented by the blocking member into different functional zones. The blocking member creates a protected zone around the motor bearing while maintaining the airflow path for cooling, separating the cooling function from the protection function

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Reliability

If blocking members are added to prevent foreign matter entry, then motor bearing protection is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemotor bearing protectionVSAvoidfan structure complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The blocking member is designed as a thin, simple structural element that can be easily integrated into the existing fan assembly. Its simple geometry and straightforward installation minimize the increase in device complexity while effectively performing the protection function

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of making the motor case or bearing more complex to achieve protection, the solution inverts the approach by adding a simple blocking member to the fan side. This reverses the traditional approach of protecting the motor from the outside and achieves protection through a simpler structural modification

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Data Source

PatentUS11808284B2Blower

Publication Date: 2023.11.07 PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO LTD

AI summary

A blower includes a fan and a motor, wherein the motor includes a shaft, a bearing that supports the shaft, and a motor case that covers at least a part of the bearing, the fan includes a main plate having a first surface facing the motor case and a second surface opposite to the first surface, and connected to the shaft, and a plurality of blades erected on the second surface of the main plate, and arranged radially with respect to an axis of the shaft, at least one of the fan and the motor case includes blocking members, and each of the blocking members is located apart from the shaft between the first surface of the main plate and the motor case, and surrounds the shaft.