Fan Assembly Tensioner Mechanism for Guard Security
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Solution Overview
Problem
Large industrial fans are time-consuming to assemble due to the need for numerous fasteners to secure guards to the housing, which can become loose over time due to vibrations.
Innovation Solution
A fan assembly design featuring a housing with radial extensions and a tensioner mechanism that secures guards without additional fasteners, using a tensioner mechanism such as bolts, springs, or draw latches to reduce assembly time and enhance structural integrity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple fasteners are used to secure guards to the housing, then the guards are securely attached, but the assembly time increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple fastening functions into a single tensioning mechanism that simultaneously secures both guards to the housing. The tensioning mechanism applies radial force to compress the housing halves together, securing the guards in place without requiring separate fasteners for each guard, thereby reducing assembly time while maintaining attachment security.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the fastening function from traditional multiple fasteners and concentrates it into a single tensioning mechanism. By removing the need for numerous individual fasteners and replacing them with one centralized tensioning system, the assembly process is simplified and time is reduced while the guards remain securely attached through the radial compressive force.
2Reliability
If multiple fasteners are used to secure guards, then the guards are firmly attached, but the number of parts increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the function of multiple fasteners into a single tensioning mechanism that secures both guards simultaneously. This consolidation reduces the total number of parts while maintaining the security of guard attachment through radial compressive force applied by the tensioning mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The tensioning mechanism serves multiple functions: it secures the first guard, secures the second guard, and maintains the structural integrity of the housing assembly. This multi-functional design eliminates the need for separate fasteners for each guard, reducing part complexity while ensuring reliable attachment.
3Reliability
If traditional fastening methods are used, then guards can be secured, but they become loose over time due to vibrations
Solution Approach 1:
The tensioning mechanism continuously applies radial compressive force to counteract the loosening effect of vibrations. By maintaining constant compression between the housing halves, the mechanism prevents fasteners from becoming loose over time, thereby improving attachment stability and fastener durability under vibrational conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The tensioning mechanism provides dynamic, continuous pressure rather than static fastening. This ongoing radial force adapts to vibrational movements, maintaining secure attachment of the guards throughout the operational life of the device, preventing the loosening that occurs with traditional static fasteners.
Data Source
AI summary
A fan assembly designed for quick assembly and disassembly can include a housing, a fan and a motor disposed within the housing, a first guard located on a first side and a second guard located on a second side of the housing. The fan assembly can include a tensioner mechanism provided on an exterior of the housing to secure the first and the second guards to the housing. The fan assembly can be assembled by securing a plurality of struts to an interior side of a housing, mounting a fan and motor to the plurality of struts, inserting first and second guards within the housing proximate the inlet and outlet ends, and tensioning the first and second free ends of the housing to secure the first and second guards within the housing.