Patent Application
20090180870
The present invention relates generally to vehicle heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems, and more particularly to a blower motor for a HVAC system.
In some vehicle HVAC systems, a blower motor assembly is oriented with its motor shaft extending upward and is located below an air inlet opening. As the motor turns a blower, air may be sucked from the exterior of the vehicle through the air inlet and then directed into a heat exchanger module. Under certain conditions, it is possible to have water intrusion through this air inlet. For example, this may occur when the vehicle is traveling through a car wash while the blower motor is operating and a recirculation door is positioned to allow for incoming air flow from outside of the vehicle. This water may land on a motor support flange extending around the motor. Water resting on this support flange may end up flowing into a cooling tube of the motor, which would allow the water to get into the inner workings of the motor. If water gets into the motor itself, then the motor can become inoperable, thereby rendering the HVAC system inoperable.
An embodiment contemplates a blower motor assembly for use in a heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system of a vehicle. The blower motor assembly may comprise a motor housing surrounding internal components of the blower motor assembly and including a cooling channel/air intake opening; a motor support flange extending radially outward from the motor housing and having an upward facing surface; and a first water diversion vane extending upward from the upward facing surface and extending radially outward in an arcuate shape, with the first water diversion vane being adjacent to the cooling channel/air intake opening.
An embodiment contemplates a heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system for use in a vehicle. The HVAC system may comprise a module housing and a fan assembly. The module housing may have an air inlet opening configured to accept air flow from outside of the vehicle. The fan assembly may include a blower motor assembly and a blower operatively engaging the blower motor assembly, with the fan assembly located below the air inlet opening. The blower motor assembly may include a motor housing, a motor support flange extending radially outward from the motor housing and having an upward facing surface, and a first water diversion vane extending upward from the upward facing surface and extending radially outward in an arcuate shape that curves in a direction of rotation of the blower as the first water diversion vane extends radially outward.
An embodiment contemplates a method of diverting water off of a motor support flange of a blower motor assembly located below an air inlet opening in a vehicle heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system, the method comprising the steps of: actuating a motor to drive a blower in a predetermined direction of rotation to draw air and air mixed with water through the air inlet opening; allowing the water to settle on an upward facing surface of the motor support flange; and directing the water, along a water diversion vane extending upward from the upward facing surface, radially outward along a curved path having curvature in the direction of rotation of the blower.
An advantage of an embodiment is the water diversion vanes that divert water (and other liquids) that may enter the HVAC system away from the blower motor in order to keep water from entering the motor. This reduces the likelihood that water will enter the motor and damage motor interior components.
Referring to
The fan assembly 22 includes a blower motor assembly 34 having a housing 36 from which a motor support flange 38 extends radially outward. The motor support flange 38 connects to portions of the module scroll housing 24 in order to support the fan assembly 22. A motor shaft 40 extends vertically upward from the blower motor assembly 34 and engages a blower 42. The housing 36 also includes a cooling channel/air intake opening 44, which extends from outside the housing 36 along the motor support flange 38 into the inner components (not shown in detail herein) of the motor 34.
The motor support flange 38 includes an upward facing surface 46, which faces toward the blower 42. A portion of the motor support flange 38 may be located directly below the air inlet opening 32. A first water diversion vane 48, a second water diversion vane 49, a third water diversion vane 50 and a fourth water diversion vane 51 extend upward from the upward facing surface 46 of the motor support flange 38. Each vane 48-51 may extend from the upward facing surface 46 about two millimeters. Each vane 48-51 also has a clockwise curvature as it extends radially outward from an inner vertical flange 54 (as seen looking down on the motor in
The first water diversion vane 48 is located adjacent to the cooling channel/air intake opening 44. The first water diversion vane 48 may have greater curvature than the other three and extend a greater distance so that it extends around a radially outer edge 56 of the opening 44. The first water diversion vane 48 may additionally include an opening surround portion 58 that extends around a radially inner edge 60 of the opening 44 in order to provide additional protection from water intrusion into the opening 44.
The operation of the HVAC system 20 will now be discussed. The motor assembly 34 is activated, which causes the motor shaft 40 to rotate the blower 42. Rotation of the blower 42 draws air in through the recirculated air opening 30, air inlet opening 32 or both. Under certain vehicle operating conditions, air drawn in through the air inlet opening 32 includes some water. As this air/water mixture is drawn through the blower 42, some of the water may settle out onto the upward facing surface 46 of the motor support flange 38. Some of the air coming from the blower will impinge upon the upward facing surface 46, which may cause the water to move somewhat in a clockwise direction (as viewed in
While certain embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail, those familiar with the art to which this invention relates will recognize various alternative designs and embodiments for practicing the invention as defined by the following claims.
