Ceiling Fan Rotary Shaft Structure for Lower Weight and Power Use
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional ceiling fans with metal rotary shafts are bulky, heavy, and costly due to their significant weight and volume, leading to increased power consumption and reduced service life, as well as higher transportation costs.
Innovation Solution
A rotary shaft with a semi-circular seat, semi-spherical guiding portion, and through recess, which is lightweight and easier to manufacture, allowing for reduced volume and weight, and is securely connected to a driving device via fasteners, with a coordinating sealing ring for smooth rotation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the rotary shaft is made of metal with significant volume, then the strength and durability are improved, but the weight increases and power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The rotary shaft is constructed as a composite structure combining a metal reinforcing rib with a non-metallic body (such as plastic or polymer material). This composite design maintains the necessary strength through the metal rib while the non-metallic material reduces the overall weight and volume of the rotary shaft, thereby lowering power consumption without sacrificing structural integrity
2Stability of the object's composition
If the rotary shaft is made of metal with significant volume, then the structural integrity is improved, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The rotary shaft is divided into distinct segments: a metal reinforcing rib and a non-metallic body. These segments can be manufactured separately using different processes optimized for each material, then assembled together. This segmentation simplifies manufacturing by allowing specialized production methods for each component rather than requiring complex metal forming operations for the entire shaft
Solution Approach 2:
The metal reinforcing rib and non-metallic body are combined into an integrated composite structure where the metal rib is embedded within or attached to the non-metallic material. This merging provides structural integrity through the metal component while the non-metallic material fills the remaining volume, achieving both strength and manufacturing simplicity
3Force
If the rotary shaft has significant volume, then the load-bearing capacity is improved, but the power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The composite construction with metal reinforcing rib and non-metallic body creates a structure with high strength-to-volume ratio. The metal rib provides the necessary load-bearing capacity while the non-metallic material provides structural support with minimal weight, reducing the moment of inertia and thereby lowering the power consumption required to rotate the shaft
Data Source
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AI summary
A ceiling fan includes at least one rotary shaft (10) that has a seat (11) being semi-circular and a guiding portion (12) being semi-spherical and having a guiding surface (121). A lower sealing ring (50) of the ceiling fan has at least one protrusion (52). The guiding portion (12) is mounted through the lower sealing ring (50) and the guiding surface (121) abuts against the at least one protrusion (52). With the semi-circular seat (11) and the semi-spherical guiding portion (12), when the rotary shaft (10) is rotated, the guiding surface (121) and the at least one protrusion (52) coordinate with each other to rotate. The rotary shaft (10) has reduced volume. Accordingly, the ceiling fan having the rotary shaft (10) is lightweight, has reduced power consumption and manufacturing cost, and is easy for installation.