Wire Fan Guard Structure for Low-Resistance Motor Support
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fan guards for air conditioning units lack a cost-effective design that provides sufficient mechanical strength to support the fan motor's weight and rotational forces while minimizing airflow resistance and energy consumption.
Innovation Solution
A fan guard made of steel wire with a simplified construction, featuring radially oriented elements and a central ring for enhanced mechanical strength, eliminates the need for a central plate, using a spiral or concentric ring design with perforated flattened portions for secure fastening and a modified ovoid cross-section to reduce airflow resistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a central plate made of steel sheet is used to provide mechanical strength to the guard, then the structural strength is improved, but the fabrication cost and device complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention removes the central plate component from the guard structure, extracting only the essential function of providing mechanical strength. This is achieved by redesigning the radial elements to incorporate flattened portions that directly engage with the motor housing, eliminating the need for a separate central plate while maintaining structural integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention merges the function of the central plate with the radial elements by integrating the motor-supporting flattened portions directly into the radial elements. This combination consolidates multiple functions (structural support and motor mounting) into a single component system, reducing overall device complexity.
2Reliability
If a traditional fan guard design is used, then safety protection is provided, but airflow resistance increases and energy consumption rises
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies local quality by modifying only the cross-sectional geometry of the radial elements (creating flattened portions) rather than changing the overall guard structure. This localized modification reduces airflow resistance in critical areas while preserving the safety protection function provided by the complete radial element structure.
3Ease of manufacture
If a simplified guard construction is used, then fabrication cost decreases, but mechanical strength to support motor weight and rotational forces may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the geometric parameters of the radial elements by introducing flattened portions with specific dimensional characteristics. These parameter changes enable the elements to provide adequate mechanical strength for motor support while using less material and simplifying the construction, thereby reducing fabrication costs.
Data Source
AI summary
A fan guard for a condenser unit of an air conditioner which supports the fan motor made of wire formed into a plurality of concentric rings or rectangles, or a spiral, secured to a spaced plurality of first radially-oriented elements each having at its peripherally-positioned end an orifice for fastening the guard to the unit and to an interspaced plurality of second radially-oriented elements each having at its end, closest to the fan guard's center, an orifice for fastening the motor to the guard, a third element extending all across the guard, and a sturdy ring affixed to at least the first and second elements proximate to the center. The guard preferably is convex whose wire elements have an elongated cross-sectional shape with lower airflow resistance. The fan guard has low fabrication and materials costs and allows use of motors with lower energy consumption for the same airflow efficiency.