Shielded Impeller Ring Segmentation for Slide-Free Molding

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing shielded impellers with radially widening shield rings are expensive to produce due to the need for injection molding tools with slides, which wear out quickly, and they are affected by increased production costs and reduced efficiency.

Innovation Solution

Designing the shielded impeller with a shield ring that has intermittent radial widenings and a cylindrical front edge, allowing production using an injection molding tool without slides, reducing wear and cost while maintaining efficiency.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If the shield ring is designed with continuous radial widening in the flow direction, then aerodynamic efficiency and flow volume are improved, but production cost increases and tool wear accelerates due to the need for slides in injection molding

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaerodynamic efficiencyVSAvoidproduction cost

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The continuous radial widening of the shield ring is segmented into intermittent widenings separated by non-widened sections. These non-widened sections create contact points where the rear edges of the blades contact the shield ring, allowing the use of injection molding tools without slides while maintaining aerodynamic efficiency through the widened portions

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Quantity of substance

If the shield ring is designed with continuous radial widening, then flow volume increases, but the injection molding tool requires slides that wear out quickly and reduce output rate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveflow volumeVSAvoidoutput rate

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The radial widening is segmented into intermittent sections rather than continuous, creating a pattern of widened and non-widened areas around the shield ring circumference. This segmentation allows the mold to open without slides while preserving flow volume enhancement in the widened sections

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

3Productivity

If the shield ring has radial widenings, then aerodynamic performance improves, but tool complexity and wear increase due to required slides

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaerodynamic performanceVSAvoidtool complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

By segmenting the radial widening into intermittent sections with non-widened contact points, the invention eliminates the need for complex sliding mechanisms in the injection molding tool, simplifying tool design while maintaining aerodynamic performance benefits

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The invention extracts the sliding mechanism from the injection molding tool by redesigning the shield ring geometry to allow mold opening without slides, thereby reducing tool complexity and wear

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentUS12416314B2Method for the production of a shielded impeller, shielded impeller and fan

Publication Date: 2025.09.16 MAHLE INT GMBH

AI summary

A method for the production of a shielded impeller is provided,wherein the shielded impeller contains blades extending from a hub and a shield ring encompassing the ends of the blades that rotates with the shielded impeller,wherein the shield ring has radial widenings on the back edge and points without radial wideningswherein the shielded impeller is produced in a plastic injection molding process.The shielded impeller can be produced quickly and inexpensively by this means.