Cooling Fan Base Structure With Interlocked Metal Shaft Sleeve
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current cooling fan assemblies for portable electronic products face challenges in achieving compact size, high heat dissipation, and cost-effectiveness while maintaining structural strength and durability.
Innovation Solution
A base structure for a cooling fan comprising a bearing, a shaft sleeve made of a rigid material, and a base made of a less rigid material, where the shaft sleeve has a protrusion and engagement structures that interlock with the base during injection molding, preventing relative motion between the shaft sleeve and the base.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the shaft sleeve is made of a rigid material (metal) and the base is made of a less rigid material (plastic), then the structural strength and durability are improved, but the manufacturing complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the shaft sleeve and base into a single integrated structure through injection molding. The shaft sleeve is formed as an embedded component within the base during the injection molding process, eliminating the need for separate manufacturing and assembly steps. This merging of components maintains the structural strength of metal shaft sleeve while simplifying manufacturing by using a single plastic molding process.
Solution Approach 2:
The shaft sleeve is nested within the base structure, with the metal shaft sleeve embedded inside the plastic base. This nesting arrangement allows the rigid metal component to provide structural strength while the plastic base provides support and integration, achieving both strength requirements and manufacturing simplicity through a unified structure.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the shaft sleeve and base are made as separate components requiring assembly, then the manufacturing flexibility is improved, but the production time and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The shaft sleeve and base are merged into a single integrated component formed by injection molding. The metal shaft sleeve is embedded within the plastic base during the molding process, eliminating separate assembly steps. This integration significantly reduces production time while maintaining manufacturing flexibility through the versatility of injection molding technology.
3Temperature
If the shaft sleeve is made of metal material, then the rigidity and heat dissipation performance are improved, but the production cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by using metal material specifically for the shaft sleeve where high rigidity and heat dissipation are critical, while the base is made of plastic where these properties are less critical. This localized application of materials optimizes heat dissipation performance at the shaft sleeve interface while controlling overall production costs through the use of less expensive plastic for the base structure.
Data Source
AI summary
A base structure of a cooling fan and a manufacturing method of the base structure are provided. The base structure includes a bearing, a shaft sleeve and a base. The bearing defines therein a first cylindrical cavity for receiving a shaft of the cooling fan. The shaft sleeve is made of a first material and defines therein a second cylindrical cavity. The shaft sleeve includes a protrusion part and a first engagement structure arranged at a first end and a second end of the shaft sleeve, respectively. The base is made of a second material and includes a second engagement structure. The second engagement structure is interlocked with the first engagement structure since the second engagement structure is integrally formed with the base. The first material has a greater rigidity than the second material.