Fan plenum assembly and attachment in a merchandiser
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional fan plenums in merchandisers are difficult to remove for cleaning or maintenance and often fail to provide a proper seal against the interior bottom surface, leading to poor air recirculation.
Innovation Solution
A fan plenum assembly with a plenum housing and a bearing system that allows axial adjustment while inhibiting rotational movement, enabling easy access for maintenance and improved sealing by engaging a positioning element with an elongated aperture and slot extension, ensuring the plenum housing securely fits against the merchandiser's base.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of repair
If conventional fan plenums are used, then the structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the fan plenum cannot be easily removed for cleaning or maintenance
Solution Approach 1:
The fan plenum assembly is divided into separable components: the plenum housing and the bearing assembly. The bearing assembly can be removed independently from the plenum housing, allowing the fan to be accessed for cleaning and maintenance without removing the entire plenum assembly from the merchandiser.
Solution Approach 2:
The bearing assembly is designed with a hinge pin that allows it to pivot between a horizontal operating position and a vertical maintenance position. This dynamic positioning capability enables easy access to the fan while maintaining structural integrity during operation.
2Reliability
If conventional fan plenums are used, then the structure is simple, but the plenum housing does not properly seal against the interior bottom surface
Solution Approach 1:
The bearing assembly includes a bearing housing with a specific geometry designed to engage with the merchandiser base. The bearing housing includes a bottom surface that contacts the base and side surfaces that engage with slots in the base, creating a localized sealing interface that prevents air infiltration without requiring complex sealing mechanisms throughout the entire plenum.
3Reliability
If the plenum housing is fixed in position, then the structure is stable, but axial adjustment is needed to achieve proper sealing against the base
Solution Approach 1:
The bearing assembly is designed to slide axially within the plenum housing along a defined path. The hinge pin allows the bearing assembly to move vertically relative to the plenum housing, enabling axial adjustment to achieve proper sealing contact with the merchandiser base while maintaining rotational stability during operation.
Data Source
AI summary
A fan plenum assembly for a merchandiser. The fan plenum assembly includes a plenum housing that defines an opening configured to receive a fan, and that has a side wall with a slot and a slot extension continuous with the slot. The slot has a major axis extending through a center of the slot. A bearing is configured to rotationally support a hinge pin and is coupled to the side wall. The bearing includes a positioning element that is disposed in the slot and in the slot extension. The positioning element is movable within the slot and the slot extension such that the bearing is movable along the major axis to permit axial adjustment of a position of the bearing relative to the plenum housing and the bearing is immovable rotationally relative to the plenum housing.