Fan Housing Split-Plane Fastening for Extractor Hood Assembly

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing fan units for fume hoods require increased installation effort due to the need for screwing the fan onto the housing, which complicates the assembly process and increases the number of parts required.

Innovation Solution

A fan unit design featuring a fan housing composed of multiple parts with a fastening device integrated at the parting plane, allowing the fan to be easily attached by being pushed into the geometry, eliminating the need for additional fastening means like screws and simplifying the assembly process.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the fan is screwed onto the fan housing, then the fan is reliably fastened, but the installation effort and assembly time increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefastening reliabilityVSAvoidassembly time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The fastening device integrates the fastening function directly into the fan housing structure. The receiving space formed by the two housing parts and the fastening geometry (protrusions and recesses) combine to create a built-in fastening mechanism, eliminating the need for separate screws or fastening components while maintaining reliable attachment of the fan to the housing.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Reliability

If the fan is screwed onto the fan housing, then the fan is securely attached, but the number of parts increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveattachment securityVSAvoidnumber of parts
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The fastening device merges the housing structure with the fastening mechanism. The two housing parts themselves form the fastening system through complementary geometries (protrusions on one part fitting into recesses on the other), eliminating the need for separate fastening components like screws, clips, or brackets, thereby reducing the total part count while maintaining secure attachment.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The housing parts are designed to be self-fastening through their geometric features. The protrusions and recesses are integral to the housing structure, allowing the components to fasten themselves together without requiring additional fastening elements or complex assembly procedures, thus simplifying the overall device structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentEP3101350B1Fan unit for an extractor hood and extractor hood
Publication Date: 2020.05.06 BSH HAUSGERATE GMBH
  • EP3101350B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3101350B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3101350B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The present invention relates to a fan housing for an extractor hood (1), which has at least one fastening device (13) for fastening at least one fan (15) to the fan housing (11). The ventilator housing is characterized in that the ventilator housing (11) consists of at least two housing parts (110, 111), which comprise an upper part (110) and a lower part (111) of the ventilator housing (11), and the fastening device (13) in the area the parting plane (T) of the at least two housing parts (110, 111) is formed in at least one of the housing parts (110, 111). The invention also relates to a fan unit (100) with such a fan housing (11) and an extractor hood (1) with such a fan unit (100).