Robert Boschgmbh

William M Stevens

Markus Liedel

Thomas Helming

Klaus Weickenmeier

Jens Ulrich

Peter Bruder

Robert W Stairs

Hugo Hermann

Britt Weigand

William Murray Black

Stephens Nicholls

Robert J Van Houten

Yoonshik Shin

Michael Strupp

Dana Nicgorski

Andreas Ewert

Mark D Caplan

Alexander Czulak

F Raymond Cot&eacute;

Friedrich Meyer

An axial fan assembly includes blades rotatable about a central axis, a hub connecting the blades at radially-inner ends thereof, and a motor connected to a first portion of the hub. A second portion of the hub supporting the plurality of blades is isolated from the first portion of the hub by a plurality of slots. A plurality of ribs interconnect the first and second hub portions, the ribs defining unsupported regions along bordering ones of the slots. Inner and outer attachment portions of the ribs extend radially inward and radially outward, respectively, from the unsupported regions to attach with the first and second hub portions. As viewed along the central axis, a first thickness defined at each of the unsupported rib portions is less than a second thickness defined at one of the inner and outer attachment portions.

Fan hub isolator

A shroud for an axial-flow fan includes an annular barrel. The barrel includes a cylindrical segment and a conical segment downstream of the cylindrical segment. The conical segment is angled radially inwardly from the cylindrical segment at an angle of between 15 and 35 degrees. The shroud also includes an annular outlet bell coupled to the conical segment at an apex defining a transition between the conical segment and the outlet bell. The outlet bell and barrel contain a plurality of leakage stators. A stator pedestal extends from a radially-inner surface of the outlet bell to a stator pedestal tip, and a depth (a) of the outlet bell measured from an end surface of the outlet bell to the apex is less than one-half a depth (b) measured from the end surface of the outlet bell to the stator tip in the direction of axial airflow through the fan shroud.

Engine cooling fan casing shroud with unobstructed outlet

An airflow assembly includes a fan, a shroud, a plurality of ribs, and a fan support. The fan has a number of fan blades. The shroud includes (i) a plenum defining a plenum opening located adjacent to the number of fan blades, and (ii) a barrel extending from the plenum so as to surround the plenum opening. The plenum further defines at least one airflow opening spaced apart from the plenum opening. Each of the plurality of ribs extends inwardly from the barrel. The fan support is attached to the plurality of ribs and is configured to support the fan. The at least one airflow opening is not an attachment structure or a guiding structure, is not configured to receive a fastening member, and does not function as a water drain.

Airflow assembly having improved acoustical performance

An axial fan assembly includes a hub, a plurality of connection structures, and a plurality of isolated members. The hub is rotatable about an axis of rotation and includes a radially extending face and a cylindrical portion extending axially from the face. The face includes a radially inner face portion and a radially outer face portion. The plurality of connection structures extends radially inwardly from the radially outer face portion and extends radially outward from the radially inner face portion. The plurality of isolated members extends radially outwardly from the radially inner face portion and is isolated from the plurality of connection structures and from the radially outer face portion by a plurality of slots.

Vibration isolating engine cooling fan

The present invention provides an axial fan including a hub adapted for rotation about a central axis and a plurality of blades extending radially outwardly from the hub and arranged about the central axis. Each of the blades includes a root, a tip, a leading edge between the root and the tip, and a trailing edge between the root and the tip. Each of the blades defines a blade radius between the blade tips and the central axis. Each of the blades defines a decreasing skew angle within the outer 20% of the blade radius. The ratio of blade pitch to average blade pitch increases from a lowest value to a highest value within the outer 20% of the blade radius. The highest value is about 30% to about 75% greater than the lowest value.

Axial fan assembly

The present invention provides an axial fan assembly including a motor having an output shaft rotatable about a central axis and a shroud coupled to the motor. The shroud includes a substantially annular outlet bell centered on the central axis. The axial fan assembly also includes an axial fan having a hub coupled to the output shaft for rotation about the central axis, a plurality of blades extending radially outwardly from the hub and arranged about the central axis, a substantially circular band coupled to the tips of the blades, and a plurality of leakage stators positioned radially outwardly from the band and adjacent the outlet bell.

The motor of an automotive cooling fan system is attached to a housing by either bayonet mount, screw mount, or axial-snap features on both motor and housing, as well as a cradle structure on the housing.

Mount for connecting automotive fan motor to housing

An external rotor motor is disclosed, which features a stator () and a rotor () surrounding the stator () while leaving an air gap. A damper () made of an elastic material is arranged on the outside of the rotor () in order to dampen resonant rises in airborne sound, which is emitted by the rotor of the external rotor motor and by an assembly coupled to it. In the case of a rotor () that is designed to be pot-shaped, the damper () is preferably embodied as a damping cap (), which surrounds the pot jacket () and at least partially covers the pot base () ().

External rotor motor

An automotive engine-cooling fan assembly uses pairs of overlapping fans to improve flow uniformity through the heat exchanger cores and to maximize the amount of fan power that can be achieved with limited motor sizes. One fan of each pair has upstream supports and the other has downstream supports, and these supports are so configured to minimize the axial dimension of the assembly. The use of banded fans maximizes fan performance, and blade skew minimizes fan noise.

Growing community of inventors

Maynard, MA, United States of America

William M Stevens