Segmented Fan Wheel Joining via Form-Fitting Recesses
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Solution Overview
Problem
The production of large fan wheels is economically and time-consuming due to high investment costs in injection molding tools and limitations in heating capacity of injection molding machines, leading to complex assembly processes with multiple parts.
Innovation Solution
A fan wheel design with increased joint surface areas through protruding form-fitting parts and associated depressions, allowing for stronger and more stable connections without increasing wall thickness, facilitating easier assembly and using identical segments for reduced tooling costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If fan wheels are manufactured as one piece from fiber-reinforced plastics using injection molding, then manufacturing precision and structural integrity are improved, but investment costs in injection molds and cost per part increase significantly for large sizes
Solution Approach 1:
The fan wheel is divided into multiple segments that are manufactured separately using injection molding and then joined together to form the complete wheel. This segmentation allows each segment to be produced with standard-sized injection molds, avoiding the need for expensive large-capacity molds while maintaining the structural integrity benefits of molded construction.
2Ease of manufacture
If fan wheels are manufactured from multiple parts to reduce injection molding costs, then investment costs are reduced, but the assembly process becomes complex and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple fan wheel segments are joined together in a single assembly operation using a hub ring and cover ring that simultaneously connect all segments. This merging approach consolidates what would otherwise be multiple separate assembly steps into one operation, significantly reducing assembly time and complexity while maintaining the cost benefits of multi-part manufacturing.
3Strength
If the wall thickness of ring sections is increased to strengthen the joining areas, then connection strength is improved, but the overall weight and material usage increase
Solution Approach 1:
The joining areas of the fan wheel segments are locally reinforced with increased wall thickness only where needed for strength, while the rest of the structure maintains its original thin-wall design. This localized quality enhancement provides the necessary connection strength at the joints without increasing the overall weight and material usage of the entire fan wheel.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
Figure 4~5
AI summary
The invention relates to a fan wheel having blades (11) which are distributed over the circumference and are connected to one another in the circumferential direction via at least one ring. The fan wheel consists of at least three integrally formed segments (I to VII). Said segments comprise at least one respective ring portion (1) of at least one ring as well as either a blade (11) or at least a portion of the blades. The segments (I to VII) are joined together to form the fan wheel. The ring portions (1) lie against each other with edges (4, 5) which form the joining areas (15, 16) that are disposed transversely with respect to the circumferential direction of the fan wheel. At least one edge (4) of the ring portion (1) of each segment (I to VII) is provided with at least one projecting form-fitting part (18), and at least one edge (4, 5) of the ring portion (1) of each segment (I to VII) is provided with at least one recess (17) which is at least approximately complementary to the form-fitting part (18).