Unitary Blower Casing with Snap-Fit Housings for Reduced Axial Thickness
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional blower apparatuses face challenges in reducing thickness due to the need for minimum rib thickness for impact resistance and reliability, leading to increased axial length, and suffer from vibration and noise issues caused by manufacturing distortions during casing bonding.
Innovation Solution
A blower apparatus with a unitary casing structure and integrally formed ribs, where the second housing is fixed to the first housing using a snap-fit mechanism, reducing the axial thickness and eliminating vibration and noise issues by simplifying assembly and eliminating the need for separate casing bonding.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the first casing and the second casing are connected through bonding, then assembly is facilitated, but the axial length increases and distortion occurs causing vibration and noise
Solution Approach 1:
The first casing and second casing are merged into a single unitary casing structure, eliminating the need for bonding connections. This integration reduces the axial length by removing interface thickness while maintaining assembly ease through the monolithic design.
Solution Approach 2:
The unitary casing is segmented into functional regions (first casing region and second casing region) that can be independently designed and manufactured, then assembled with other components. This allows facilitation of assembly while maintaining the thin-profile benefit of the integrated structure.
2Ease of manufacture
If the first casing and the second casing are connected through bonding, then assembly is facilitated, but distortion occurs causing rattling and noise
Solution Approach 1:
The first casing and second casing are merged into a single unitary casing structure, eliminating bonding interfaces that are prone to distortion. This integration removes the source of rattling and noise while maintaining assembly facilitation through the simplified monolithic design.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of connecting two separate casings through bonding (which causes distortion), the invention inverts the approach by forming a single unitary casing that is then segmented into functional regions. This reversal eliminates the bonding distortion problem while achieving the same assembly facilitation.
3Reliability
If minimum necessary rib thickness is ensured for impact resistance, then reliability is improved, but the axial length of the casing increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple ribs are merged into an integrated rib structure that spans across the functional regions. This allows the ribs to maintain minimum necessary thickness for impact resistance while reducing the overall axial length by eliminating redundant rib sections at bonding interfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The rib structure transitions from separate axial segments to a continuous three-dimensional form that provides structural support. This dimensional integration maintains impact resistance through optimized rib geometry while reducing the axial length requirement.
Data Source
AI summary
A blower apparatus includes a casing, ribs located radially inward of the casing and integrally provided with the casing, a motor housing located radially inward of the ribs and integrally provided with the ribs, a first housing located radially inward of the motor housing, a first motor supported on one side in an axial direction by the first housing, a first impeller rotatable around the central axis on one side in the axial direction by the first motor, a second housing located on the other side of the first housing in the axial direction, a second motor supported on the other side in the axial direction by the second housing, and a second impeller rotatable around the central axis on the other side in the axial direction by the second motor. The second housing is fixed to the first housing.