Impeller Shaft Affixation Using Plastic Intermediary

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing electronic device fans with metal cases face challenges in connecting the metal case to the shaft, leading to increased manufacturing costs and instability due to internal operating temperature issues.

Innovation Solution

An impeller design incorporating a metal housing with a shaft mounting hole featuring contact points closer to the shaft, combined with a plastic member that contacts the shaft and metal housing, allowing for secure affixation and reduced manufacturing costs through a combination of metal and plastic components.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If a metal case is used to prevent electromagnetic interference, then electromagnetic shielding is improved, but the connection difficulty between the metal case and shaft increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveelectromagnetic interferenceVSAvoidconnection difficulty
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a plastic member as an intermediary component between the metal housing and the shaft. This plastic member includes a first portion that contacts the shaft and a second portion that contacts the metal housing, facilitating the connection between metal and shaft while avoiding direct metal-to-metal attachment difficulties. The intermediary plastic component resolves the connection challenge while preserving the electromagnetic shielding benefits of the metal housing.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Object-affected harmful factors

If a metal case is used for electromagnetic shielding, then electromagnetic interference protection is improved, but manufacturing cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveelectromagnetic interferenceVSAvoidmanufacturing cost
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs a composite structure combining metal housing, plastic member, and shaft components. The metal housing provides electromagnetic shielding where necessary, while the plastic member handles non-critical structural and connecting functions. This composite approach optimizes material usage, reducing overall manufacturing cost by assigning materials based on their specific functional requirements rather than using expensive metal throughout the entire assembly.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

3Reliability

If the shaft is securely affixed in the metal housing, then reliability is improved, but the complexity of the affixing structure increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveshaft affixation stabilityVSAvoidaffixing structure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the affixing function into two distinct parts: the first portion of the plastic member contacts and secures the shaft, while the second portion contacts the metal housing. This segmentation allows each portion to be optimized for its specific function, achieving reliable shaft affixation through simple contact surfaces rather than complex multi-component fastening mechanisms.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS12129864B2Impeller
Publication Date: 2024.10.29 DELTA ELECTRONICS INC(CN)
  • US12129864B2 patent drawing
  • US12129864B2 patent drawing
  • US12129864B2 patent drawing

AI summary

An impeller is provided, including a metal housing, a shaft, and a plastic member. The metal housing has a shaft mounting hole. The inner surface of the shaft mounting hole includes three or more contact points, and the contact points are closer to the shaft than other portions of the inner surface of the shaft mounting hole. The shaft passes through the shaft mounting hole and is affixed by the contact points. The metal housing divides the shaft into an upper section, a middle section, and a lower section. The plastic member passes through the shaft mounting hole and is in contact with the middle section.