Patent Grant
11767857
The application claims the benefit of Taiwan application serial No. 110131871, filed on Aug. 27, 2021, and the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
The present invention relates to a cooling fan and, more particularly, to a cooling fan for assisting in cooling electronic devices.
The operational noise of the conventional cooling fan 9 can be reduced by the structural design of the impeller 92 at the cost of a complicated structure of the impeller 92, causing difficulties in making molds. Thus, it is difficult to produce the conventional cooling fan 9, leading to adverse influence on the production efficiency and the yield. Furthermore, the conventional cooling fan 9 has no structure for increasing the airflow and/or the air pressure. Thus, there is still room for improvement to the performance of the fan.
To solve the above problems, it is an objective of the present invention to provide a cooling fan that is easy to manufacture while increasing the airflow.
It is another objective of the present invention to provide a cooling fan that is easy to manufacture while increasing the air pressure.
It is a further objective of the present invention to provide a cooling fan that is easy to manufacture while reducing the operational noise.
As used herein, the term “a” or “an” for describing the number of the elements and members of the present invention is used for convenience, provides the general meaning of the scope of the present invention, and should be interpreted to include one or at least one. Furthermore, unless explicitly indicated otherwise, the concept of a single component also includes the case of plural components.
As used herein, the term “coupling”, “engagement”, “assembly”, or similar terms is used to include separation of connected members without destroying the members after connection or inseparable connection of the members after connection. A person having ordinary skill in the art would be able to select according to desired demands in the material or assembly of the members to be connected.
A cooling fan according to the present invention includes a fan frame and an impeller. The fan frame includes a substrate, a sidewall connected to the substrate, and a lid connected to the sidewall and opposite to the substrate. An air inlet is formed in the lid. The substrate, the sidewall, and the lid together define at least one air outlet. The impeller is rotatably mounted in the fan frame. A plurality of bulges protrudes from at least one of an inner face of the sidewall and an inner face of the lid.
Thus, in the cooling fan according to the present invention, the fan frame can be improved by a simple structure. By providing the plurality of bulges on the inner face of the sidewall and/or the inner face of the lid, the effects of increasing the airflow and the air pressure and/or reducing the noise can be achieved, thereby improving the performance of the cooling fan. Furthermore, in comparison with the conventional cooling fans, the cooling fan according to the present invention is easy to manufacture and form, increasing the production efficiency and yield.
In an example, a first reference plane extends parallel to the at least one air outlet and passes through an axis of the impeller. An output zone is formed between the first reference plane and the at least one air outlet. At least a half of a quantity of the plurality of bulges is located in the output zone. Thus, the air currents passing through the output zone can be affected by the plurality of bulges to increase the airflow and the air pressure in the output zone.
In an example, a portion of the inner face of the sidewall forms a tail section contiguous to the at least one air outlet, and at least 80% of the quantity of the plurality of bulges on the sidewall is located in the tail section. Thus, the airflow can be significantly increased while excellently increasing the air pressure and excellently reducing the noise, thereby improving the performance of the cooling fan.
In an example, the sidewall includes a tongue adjacent to the at least one air outlet. The inner face of the sidewall has an outwardly enlarged section and a tail section. The outwardly enlarged section is connected to the tongue and extends to the at least one air outlet. The tail section is contiguous to the at least one air outlet and is opposite to the tongue. The plurality of bulges on the sidewall is disposed from the tail section along the inner face of the sidewall to a position adjacent to the tongue. The plurality of bulges is neither disposed on the tongue nor the outwardly enlarged section. Thus, the air currents can contact the plurality of bulges along the entire flow path in the fan frame, thereby improving the performance of the cooling fan.
In an example, the plurality of bulges on the sidewall is located between a half of a height of the inner face of the sidewall and an intersection of the sidewall and the substrate. Thus, the effects of increasing the airflow and the air pressure and reducing the noise can be further improved, thereby improving the performance of the cooling fan.
In an example, the plurality of bulges on the sidewall is contiguous to the intersection of the sidewall and the substrate. Thus, the effects of increasing the airflow and the air pressure and reducing the noise can be further improved, and the plurality of bulges can be more reliably disposed in predetermined locations in the fan frame, thereby improving the performance and the manufacturing convenience of the cooling fan.
In an example, all of the plurality of bulges is located on the sidewall. Thus, the fan frame is easy to manufacture and form, and the effects of increasing the airflow and the air pressure and reducing the noise can be further improved, thereby improving the manufacturing convenience and the performance of the cooling fan.
In an example, a portion of the inner face of the sidewall forms a tail section. The tail section is contiguous to the at least one air outlet. A second reference plane is orthogonal to the at least one air outlet and passes through an axis of the impeller. The plurality of bulges on the lid is located between the tail section and the second reference plane. Thus, the air pressure can be significantly increased.
In an example, a first reference plane extends parallel to the at least one air outlet and passes through an axis of the impeller. An output zone is formed between the first reference plane and the at least one air outlet. The plurality of bulges is located in the output zone. Thus, the air currents passing through the output zone can be affected by the plurality of bulges to increase the air pressure in the output zone and to reduce the operational noise.
In an example, the cooling fan further includes a flow guiding plate located in the at least one air outlet. The flow guiding plate has two ends connected to the inner face of the sidewall. Thus, the sound quality of the cooling fan can be improved, thereby reducing the noise.
In an example, the fan frame includes a supporting peg located in the at least one air outlet. The supporting peg is connected to the substrate and/or the lid. The flow guiding plate is coupled to the supporting peg. Thus, the supporting peg can prevent interference between the fan frame and the impeller while improving the stability of the flow guiding plate.
In an example, a cross sectional shape of the flow guiding plate is in a form of an airfoil. Thus, the sound quality of the cooling fan can be further improved, providing a better noise-reducing effect.
In an example, the impeller includes a plurality of blades. An edge of the flow guiding plate facing the impeller is aligned with 40-60% of a height of the plurality of blades. Thus, the sound quality of the cooling fan can be further improved, providing a better noise-reducing effect.
In an example, the substrate includes a slot extending parallel to the at least one air outlet. The slot is located below the flow guiding plate. An area of a projection of the flow guiding plate on the substrate at least partially overlaps with the slot. Thus, the effects of increasing the airflow and the air pressure and reducing the noise can be improved, thereby improving the performance of the cooling fan.
In an example, a height of the inner face of the sidewall is smaller than or equal to eight times a thickness of each of the plurality of bulges protruding from the inner face. Thus, the size of the plurality of bulges is proper to provide a better effect in improving the performance of the cooling fan.
In an example, each of the plurality of bulges has a thickness protruding beyond the inner face and ranging between 0.25 and 0.5 mm. Thus, the size of the plurality of bulges is proper to provide a better effect in improving the performance of the cooling fan.
In an example, each of the plurality of bulges has a maximum width ranging between 1.25 and 1.5 mm. Thus, the size of the plurality of bulges is proper to provide a better effect in improving the performance of the cooling fan.
The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given hereinafter and the accompanying drawings which are given by way of illustration only, and thus are not limitative of the present invention, and wherein:
When the terms “front”, “rear”, “left”, “right”, “up”, “down”, “top”, “bottom”, “inner”, “outer”, “side”, and similar terms are used herein, it should be understood that these terms have reference only to the structure shown in the drawings as it would appear to a person viewing the drawings and are utilized only to facilitate describing the invention, rather than restricting the invention.
The fan frame 1 includes a substrate 11, a sidewall 12 connected to the substrate 11, and a lid 13 connected to the sidewall 12. The lid 13 is opposite to the substrate 11. Each of the sidewall 12 and the lid 13 has an inner face W facing an interior of the fan frame 1. The fan frame 1 includes an air inlet 14 located in the lid 13. The substrate 11, the sidewall 12, and the lid 13 together define an air outlet 15. In this embodiment, the substrate 11 may be made of metal, the sidewall 12 may be made of plastic material, and the sidewall 12 may be integrally formed with the substrate 11 by injection molding. Thus, the fan frame 1 may have a proper structural strength, and the sidewall 12 can be easily formed to have various shapes according to different needs. The lid 13 may be made of metal or plastic material according to need.
With reference to
The impeller 2 includes a hub 21 and a plurality of blades 22 disposed around the hub 21. The impeller 2 includes a shaft 23 and a magnetic member 24 which are separately and securely positioned on the hub 21. A longitudinal axis of the shaft 23 defines an axis X of the impeller 2. The shaft 23 is rotatably mounted to a center of the stator 16. The magnetic member 24 and the stator 16 are opposite to each other and are spaced from each other by a magnetic induction gap. Thus, when the stator 16 is energized to generate a magnetic field, the whole impeller 2 is driven to rotate, driving air currents to flow via the air inlet 14 into the interior of the fan frame 1 and then flow outward via the air outlet 15. A first reference plane S1 extends parallel to the air outlet 15 and passes through the axis X of the impeller 2. An output zone Z is formed between the first reference plane S1 and the air outlet 15. The tongue 121, the outwardly enlarged section 122, and the tail section 123 of the sidewall 12 may be located in the output zone Z. A second reference plane S2 is orthogonal to the air outlet 15 and passes through the axis X of the impeller 2.
The plurality of bulges 3 protrudes from the inner face W of the sidewall 12 and/or the inner face W of the lid 13 to affect the air currents flowing in the interior of the fan frame 1. In this embodiment, all of the plurality of bulges 3 may be located on the inner face W of the sidewall 12. Furthermore, at least a half of the plurality of bulges 3 may be located in the output zone Z. Thus, the air currents passing through the output zone Z can be affected by the plurality of bulges 3. Turbulence can be generated on the surfaces of the plurality of bulges 3 to delay separation of the air currents, thereby generating small vortexes and reducing the resistance. Thus, effects of increasing the airflow and the air pressure and/or reducing the noise can be provided, and these effects can be proven by experiments, which will be set forth hereinafter.
With reference to
With reference to
Specifically, the plurality of bulges 3 may be disposed from the tail section 123 along the inner face W of the sidewall 12 to a position adjacent to the tongue 121, and the tongue 121 and the outwardly enlarged section 122 are free of the plurality of bulges 3. Thus, the air currents can contact the plurality of bulges 3 along the entire flow path in the interior of the fan frame 1.
Specifically, the plurality of bulges 3 of this embodiment may be distributed on the inner face W of the lid 13 in an array. The plurality of bulges 3 may be located between the tail section 123 and the second reference plane S2. Preferably, the plurality of bulges 3 is adjacent to the tail section 123 and remote from the second reference plane S2. Alternatively, all of the plurality of bulges 3 may be located in the output zone Z. Thus, the effects of increasing the air pressure and reducing the noise can also be achieved, and the effect of increasing the air pressure is more obvious (which can be proven by experiments set forth hereinafter). Furthermore, since the plurality of bulges 3 is disposed on the lid 13 in this embodiment, the plurality of bulges 3 may be formed by a pressing process when the lid 13 is made of metal, such that a plurality of dimples can be formed on an outer face of the lid 13 while forming a plurality of bulges 3 on the inner face W of the lid 13. Furthermore, in a case that the lid 13 is made of plastic material, the plurality of bulges 3 may be formed while forming the lid 13, such that the plurality of bulges 3 can be integrally formed and connected with the lid 13. Alternatively, the plurality of bulges 3 can be adhered to the inner face W of the lid 13 after formation of the lid 13. The present invention is not limited in this regard.
Specifically, in the fan frame 1 of this embodiment, the sidewall 12 may include a first section 12a and a second section 12b discontinuous to the first section 12a. As viewed from top of the fan frame 1, the substrate 11 may be substantially rectangular. The first section 12a of the sidewall 12 may be substantially L-shaped and is connected to two adjoining edges of the substrate 11. The second section 12b of the sidewall 12 may be connected to an intersection of another two adjoining edges of the substrate 11. After the lid 13 is connected to the first section 12a and the second section 12b of the sidewall 12, one of the two air outlets 15 may be located between the second section 12b and an end of the first section 12a, and another of the two air outlets 15 may be located between the second section 12b and another end of the first section 12a, such that the orientations of the two air outlets 15 are substantially orthogonal to each other. Nevertheless, the present invention is not limited in this regard.
The outwardly enlarged section 122 and the tail section 123 of the sidewall 12 may be located on the two ends of the first section 12a of the sidewall 12, respectively. The second section 12b of the sidewall 12 may also form a tongue 121. Generally, the air outlet 15 between the tail section 123 and the tongue 121 of the second section 12b of the sidewall 12 is the primary air outlet 15, whereas the air outlet 15 between the outwardly enlarged section 122 and the tongue 121 of the second section 12b of the sidewall 12 is the auxiliary air outlet 15. Thus, the plurality of bulges 3 is preferably disposed adjacent to the primary air outlet 15. The first reference plane S1 and the second reference plane S2 (see
Furthermore, the fan frame 1 may further include at least one supporting peg 18. The supporting peg 18 is connected to the substrate 11 and/or the lid 13 to prevent interference with the rotating impeller 2 when the substrate 11 or the lid 13 is subject to pressure. The supporting peg 18 is located in the air outlet 15 to achieve a better supporting effect. In this embodiment, each of the two air outlets 15 has a supporting peg 18 disposed therein to thoroughly prevent interference between the fan frame 1 and the impeller 2.
Specifically, when there is only one flow guiding plate 4, the flow guiding plate 4 is preferably located in the primary air outlet 15. When there are two flow guiding plates 4, the two flow guiding plates 4 are disposed in the two air outlets 15, respectively. Two ends of the flow guiding plate 4 may be connected to the inner face W of the sidewall 12. According to the type of the fan frame 1 of this embodiment, an end of the flow guiding plate 4 may be connected to the first section 12a of the sidewall 12, whereas the other end of the flow guiding plate 4 may be connected to the second section 12b of the sidewall 12, such that the flow guiding plate 4 extends transversely in the air outlet 15. In the embodiment including the supporting peg 18, the flow guiding plate 4 may be coupled to the supporting peg 18. For example, the supporting peg 18 is coupled by extending through the flow guiding plate 4 to improve the stability of the flow guiding plate 4.
With reference to
Specifically, the slot 111 of the substrate 11 may extend parallel to the air outlet 15. In this embodiment, two ends of the slot 111 extends to the sidewall 12. Nevertheless, the present invention is not limited in this regard. Furthermore, the slot 111 of the substrate 11 may be located below the flow guiding plate 4, such that an area of a vertical projection of the flow guiding plate 4 formed on the substrate 11 at least partially overlaps with the slot 111.
To prove the above effects, the present invention uses a comparative cooling fan, a first cooling fan, a second cooling fan, a third cooling fan, and a fourth cooling fan to proceed with tests of airflow, air pressure, and noise (such as by computer software simulation and numerical analysis). Each of the fan frames of the comparative cooling fan and the first to fourth cooling fans includes only one air outlet, and the comparative cooling fan does not include the features of the bulges, the flow guiding plate, and the slot mentioned above. Using the comparative cooling fan as a reference, each of the first to third cooling fans further includes a plurality of bulges 3. Furthermore, the disposition pattern of the plurality of bulges 3 of the first cooling fan is shown in
With reference to
With reference to
Regarding the simulation result of the operational noise, given the same impeller rotating speed of 5000 RPM, the comparative cooling fan has the largest acoustic power, whereas the acoustic powers of the first to fourth cooling fans are lowered, and the sound quality of the first cooling fan is the best. Thus, each of the cooling fans of the various embodiments according to the present invention has the effect of improving the sound quality to reduce operational noise.
According to the above simulation results, when the primary objective is increasing the airflow, the plurality of bulges 3 is disposed according to the disposition pattern shown in
In view of the foregoing, in the cooling fan according to the present invention, the fan frame can be improved by a simple structure. By providing the plurality of bulges on the inner face of the sidewall and/or the inner face of the lid, the effects of increasing the airflow and the air pressure and/or reducing the noise can be achieved, thereby improving the performance of the cooling fan. Furthermore, in comparison with the conventional cooling fans, the cooling fan according to the present invention is easy to manufacture and form, increasing the production efficiency and yield.
Although the invention has been described in detail with reference to its presently preferable embodiments, it will be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention, as set forth in the appended claims.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 110131871 | Aug 2021 | TW | national |
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| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20230064320 A1 | Mar 2023 | US |
