Fan Grill with Handle and Apertures for Airflow
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fan grills do not provide adequate protection for fan blades while allowing minimal airflow restriction, and they are not easily removable or replaceable, which can lead to increased downtime in electrical equipment due to dirt accumulation and frequent fan failures.
Innovation Solution
A grill with a substantially planar portion and a handle extending from it, featuring apertures for airflow and struts for support, allowing easy mounting and removal, and potentially stacking for efficient packaging, constructed from shaped wire to minimize material usage and enhance strength.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a grill is provided to protect fan blades, then protection is improved, but airflow restriction increases
Solution Approach 1:
The grill is constructed with a porous structure comprising multiple apertures distributed across its surface. These apertures allow air to pass through while the surrounding grill structure provides protection for the fan blades, thus resolving the contradiction between protection and airflow restriction.
2Strength
If a grill is designed with complex structure for strong protection, then strength is improved, but ease of manufacture deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The grill is segmented into multiple functional elements including apertures, struts, and mounting formations, all formed from a single piece of shaped wire. This segmentation allows each element to be optimized for its specific function while the integral construction simplifies manufacturing by eliminating the need for separate components and assembly operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The grill utilizes parameter changes in the wire form, including varying wire diameters, loop configurations, and strut orientations, to achieve optimal strength characteristics while maintaining ease of manufacture through a single-piece construction process.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a grill is made from multiple components for functionality, then functionality is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The grill combines multiple functional elements - protection structure, mounting formations, and handle - into a single integral component formed from one piece of shaped wire. This merging eliminates the need for separate parts and assembly operations, reducing device complexity while maintaining all necessary functionalities.
4Ease of operation
If a grill is designed for easy removal, then ease of operation is improved, but reliability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting formations are designed with dynamic characteristics that allow the grill to be securely mounted during operation but easily removed when needed. The shaped wire construction enables simple insertion and removal actions while maintaining reliable attachment during normal use, thus resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and mounting security.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides a grill 10 for use in electrical equipment comprising a fan. The grill 10 comprises a substantially planar portion 90 that provides protection for (and indeed from) the blades of a fan and a handle 100 that provides means by which the grill may be held. The substantially planar portion 90 may comprise an opening 94 that facilitates stacking of a plurality of like grills 10.