Patent Grant
10781824
This application claims the benefit of China Patent Application No. 201810296763.3, filed Apr. 3, 2018, the entirety of which is incorporated by reference herein.
The application relates in general to a fan and a motor, and in particular, to a fan and a motor for preventing reverse rotation.
If the temperature is not properly controlled when using an electronic device or a server, it may cause instability and other adverse effects on product reliability. Accordingly, the present electronic devices usually comprise fans as heat dissipation devices.
However, an electronic device or server of the type mentioned above usually has a plurality of fans. When one of the fans fails, the air introduced by other fans may cause the failed fan to rotate in reverse. Consequently, the introduced air may directly flow out from the electronic device or server through the failed fan, and the efficiency of heat dissipation is reduced. Thus, how to address the aforementioned problem has become an important issue.
To address the deficiencies of conventional products, an embodiment of the invention provides a fan, including a shaft seat disposed on a frame, a rotor, a plurality of blades, and a stopping assembly. The rotor is disposed on the shaft seat and includes a hub and a rotation shaft. The hub has a first locking mechanism adjacent to its peripheral surface, the blades are connected to the hub, and the rotor is connected to the shaft seat via the rotation shaft. The stopping assembly corresponds to the rotor, and includes a second locking mechanism facing the first locking mechanism. When the rotor smoothly rotates, the first locking mechanism is separated from the second locking mechanism. When the rotor rotates in reverse, the stopping assembly moves along a first direction, and the first and second locking mechanisms contact each other. When the first locking mechanism is affixed to the second locking mechanism, the rotor stops rotating.
In some embodiments, the fan further comprises a rebounding assembly disposed between the hub and the stopping assembly. The rebounding assembly provides a pushing force to the stopping assembly along a second direction, wherein the second direction is opposite to the first direction. The rebounding assembly may comprise a first magnetic member and a second magnetic member corresponding to the first magnetic member, respectively disposed on the frame and the stopping assembly. The rebounding assembly can also comprise an elastic member, connected to the stopping assembly and the frame.
In some embodiments, the first locking mechanism comprises a plurality of toothed structures. Each of the toothed structures has a first contact surface and a second contact surface. The length or the appearance of the first contact surface is different from that of the second contact surface.
In some embodiments, the frame further comprises a base plate, and the stopping assembly comprises a bottom, a plurality of connecting members, and a locking portion. The connecting members pass through the base plate and connect the bottom and the locking portion, and the base plate is disposed between the bottom and the locking portion. A plurality of openings are formed on the base plate. The bottom has at least one extending structure, which is not parallel to the center surface of the bottom. The connecting members are inclined relative to the bottom and accommodated in the openings, and can move along a third direction in the openings, wherein the third direction is perpendicular to the first direction.
In some embodiments, the base plate, the connecting members, and the locking portion are integrally formed as one piece.
An embodiment of the invention further provides a motor, including a shaft seat disposed on a frame, a rotor, and a stopping assembly. The rotor is disposed on the shaft seat and includes a hub and a rotation shaft. The hub has a first locking mechanism adjacent to its peripheral surface, and the rotor is connected to the shaft seat via the rotation shaft. The stopping assembly corresponds to the rotor, and includes a second locking mechanism facing the first locking mechanism. When the rotor smoothly rotates, the first locking mechanism is separated from the second locking mechanism. When an external force is applied on the stopping assembly, the stopping assembly moves along a first direction, and the first and second locking mechanisms contact each other. When the first locking mechanism is affixed to the second locking mechanism, the rotor stops rotating.
The invention can be more fully understood by reading the subsequent detailed description and examples with references made to the accompanying drawings, wherein:
The making and using of the embodiments of the fan and motor are discussed in detail below. It should be appreciated, however, that the embodiments provide many applicable inventive concepts that can be embodied in a wide variety of specific contexts. The specific embodiments discussed are merely illustrative of specific ways to make and use the embodiments, and do not limit the scope of the disclosure.
Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. It should be appreciated that each term, which is defined in a commonly used dictionary, should be interpreted as having a meaning conforming to the relative skills and the background or the context of the present disclosure, and should not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal manner unless defined otherwise.
As shown in
Referring to
In this embodiment, a first locking mechanism 212 is formed on the bottom of hub 210 adjacent to the peripheral surface 211, wherein the first locking mechanism 212 comprises a plurality of toothed structures T1. Each of the toothed structures T1 has a first contact surface 212a and a second contact surface 212b, and the second contact surface 212b is connected to the first contact surface 212a of the adjacent toothed structure T1. It should be noted that, the length or the appearance of the first contact surface 212a is different from that of the second contact surface 212b. For example, in this embodiment, the length of the first contact surface 212a is greater than that of the second contact surface 212b, and the second contact surface 212b is substantially parallel to the rotation axis S. Each of the toothed structures T1 is substantially formed as a right triangle.
The rotation shaft 230 can connect the hub 210 of the rotor 200 to the shaft seat 130, and the driving module 240 can drive the hub 210 and the blades 220 to rotate around the rotation axis S relative to the frame 100. For example, the driving module may comprise at least one driving coil 241, at least one magnetic member 242, and at least one circuit board 243. The driving coil 241 and the magnetic member 242 are respectively disposed on the shaft seat 230 and the hub 210, and the circuit board 243 is disposed on the base plate 110 and electrically connected to the driving coil 241. When a current flows through the driving coil 241 via the circuit board 243, an electromagnetic force is generated between the driving coil 241 and the magnetic member 242. Therefore, the hub 210 and the blades 220 can rotate around the rotation axis S relative to the frame 100. Since the rotation shaft 230 is inserted into the shaft seat 130, the hub 210 and the blades 220 will not deviate from the rotation axis S during rotation.
The base plate 110 is disposed between the bottom 310 and the locking portion 330, and the connecting members 320 pass through the openings 112 on the base plate 110 to connect the bottom 310 to the locking portion 330. In this embodiment, the connecting members 320 are disposed to correspond the rotation direction of the hub 210, therefore, the connecting members 320 are inclined relative to the bottom 310 of the stopping assembly 300. The ribs 111 on the base plate 110 correspond to the connecting members 320 of the stopping assembly 300, so they are also inclined. Furthermore, the width of each of the openings 112 is greater than that of each of the connecting members 320. Thus, the connecting members 320 can move along X-axis or Y-axis in the openings 112.
A second locking mechanism 361 corresponding to the first locking mechanism 212 is formed on the locking portion 330, and comprises a plurality of fasten recesses T2. Each of the fasten recesses T2 has a third contact surface 361a and a fourth contact surface 361b, and the fourth contact surface 361b is connected to the third contact surface 361a of the adjacent fasten recess T2. The third contact surface 361a and the fourth contact surface 361b respectively correspond to the first contact surface 212a and the second contact surface 212b. In this embodiment, the length of the third contact surface 361a is substantially the same as that of the first contact surface 212a. The fourth contact surface 361b is parallel to the rotation axis S, and its length is substantially the same as the length of the second contact surface 212b. The included angle between the third contact surface 361a and the fourth contact surface 361b is substantially the same as that between the first contact surface 212a and the second contact surface 212b.
In this embodiment, the bottom 310, the connecting members 320, and the locking portion 330 are formed in an assembled manner, so as to facilitate the assembly. In some embodiment, the bottom 310, the connecting members 320, and the locking portion 330 can be integrally formed as one piece.
Referring to
In some embodiments, the rebounding assembly 400 may comprise an elastic member (not shown) connected to the base plate 110 and the first surface 311, such as a compression spring. The aforementioned pushing force can be provided by the elastic force of the elastic member.
The operation method of the fan F is discussed below. Referring to
When the fan F fails and cannot operate normally (for example, due to the failure of the driving module 240, or interference between a foreign object and the blades 220), the fan F cannot introduce air to flow from the air-intake side 10 to the exhaust side 20. Moreover, air may flow from the exhaust side 20 to the air-intake side 10 when this fan F is disposed in some external environment, and the rotor 200 may rotate in reverse. As shown in
In detail, when the first locking mechanism 212 is affixed to the second locking mechanism 361, the first contact surface 212a contacts the third contact surface 361a, and the second contact surface 212b contacts the fourth contact surface 361b. Since the second and fourth contact surfaces 212b and 361b are substantially parallel to the rotation axis S, the rotor 200 cannot rotate in reverse, and stops rotating.
Since the connecting members 320 can move along X-axis or Y-axis (the third direction) in the openings 112 in a certain range, the second locking mechanism 361 can be easily joined with the first locking mechanism 212, so as to reduce the worn therebetween caused by the friction.
Referring to
In other words, when the external force applied on the second surface 312 of the bottom 310 of the stopping assembly 300 is less than the pushing force applied on the first surface 311 of the bottom 310 from the rebounding assembly 400, the stopping assembly 300 is in the first position relative to the rotor 200, and the first locking mechanism 212 is separated from the second locking mechanism 361. When the external force applied on the second surface 312 of the bottom 310 of the stopping assembly 300 is greater than the pushing force applied on the first surface 311 of the bottom 310 from the rebounding assembly 400, the stopping assembly 300 can move from the first position to the second position relative to the rotor 200, and the first locking mechanism 212 is affixed to the second locking mechanism 361.
Furthermore, since the first locking mechanism 212 is formed on the hub 210 adjacent to the peripheral surface 211, the contact area of the first locking mechanism 212 and the second locking mechanism 361 can be increased, and the manufacture of the members is also facilitated.
In summary, a fan and a motor are provided. The fan or the motor includes a shaft seat disposed on a frame, a rotor, and a stopping assembly. The rotor is disposed on the shaft seat and includes a hub and a rotation shaft. The hub has a first locking mechanism adjacent to its peripheral surface, and the rotor is connected to the shaft seat via the rotation shaft. The stopping assembly corresponds to the rotor, and includes a second locking mechanism facing the first locking mechanism. When the rotor smoothly rotates, the first locking mechanism is separated from the second locking mechanism. When the rotor rotates in reverse, the stopping assembly moves along a first direction, and the first and second locking mechanisms contact each other. When the first locking mechanism is affixed to the second locking mechanism, the rotor stops rotating.
Although some embodiments of the present disclosure and their advantages have been described in detail, it should be understood that various changes, substitutions and alterations can be made herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure as defined by the appended claims. For example, it will be readily understood by those skilled in the art that many of the features, functions, processes, and materials described herein may be varied while remaining within the scope of the present disclosure. Moreover, the scope of the present application is not intended to be limited to the particular embodiments of the process, machine, manufacture, compositions of matter, means, methods and steps described in the specification. As one of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate from the disclosure of the present disclosure, processes, machines, manufacture, compositions of matter, means, methods, or steps, presently existing or later to be developed, that perform substantially the same function or achieve substantially the same result as the corresponding embodiments described herein may be utilized according to the present disclosure. Accordingly, the appended claims are intended to include within their scope such processes, machines, manufacture, compositions of matter, means, methods, or steps. Moreover, the scope of the appended claims should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar arrangements.
While the invention has been described by way of example and in terms of preferred embodiment, it should be understood that the invention is not limited thereto. On the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements (as would be apparent to those skilled in the art). Therefore, the scope of the appended claims should be accorded the broadest interpretation to encompass all such modifications and similar arrangements.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 1 0296763 | Apr 2018 | CN | national |
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20180073514 | Zhang | Mar 2018 | A1 |
| 20180231074 | Sun | Aug 2018 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20190301484 A1 | Oct 2019 | US |
