Fluid moving device

Abstract

The present invention relates to a fluid moving device having a plurality of blades on a core and a substantially spherical housing surrounding the blades, the housing having an inlet section with a plurality of inlet vanes, the inlet vanes configured to direct fluid in a rotational direction within the inlet section, and an outlet section adjacent to the inlet section. The present invention further relates to a method of moving a fluid which includes providing a fluid moving device having a substantially spherical housing surrounding a plurality of blades on a core, the housing having an inlet section and an outlet section, the inlet section having a plurality of inlet vanes, causing the blades to draw the fluid into the inlet section, and causing the inlet vanes to add further rotational movement to the fluid as the fluid enters the housing.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD AND BACKGROUND ART

The present invention relates to fluid moving devices and more specifically to air or gas moving devices. It is known in the prior art to have an air moving device that includes both a motor and a plurality of blades that rotate about an axis and draws air in from an inlet side to an outlet side. Such a device is generally referred to as a fan. Commonly used fans are typically described as either axial as shown in FIG. 1 or centrifugal as shown in FIG. 2. In an axial-flow fan, the air passes through the blades and housing from front to back generally along the axis of fan rotation. In a centrifugal-flow fan, the air is drawn through an inlet near the center of the impeller, where the spinning vanes reroute the air, driving it outward by means of centrifugal force to a discharge outlet in the housing wall. In general, axial fans provide higher flow rates, but with a smaller increase in pressure. Conversely, centrifugal fans generally deliver lower flow rates, but with larger gains in pressure. Also, centrifugal fans are often noisier than axial fans.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In general, in one aspect, the invention features a fluid moving device. The device includes a plurality of blades on a core, and a substantially spherical housing surrounding the blades, the housing including an inlet section having a plurality of inlet vanes, the inlet vanes configured to direct fluid in a rotational direction within the inlet section, and an outlet section adjacent to the inlet section.

In general, in another aspect, the invention features a method of moving a fluid. The method includes providing a fluid moving device having a substantially spherical housing surrounding a plurality of blades on a core, the housing comprising an inlet section and an outlet section, the inlet section having a plurality of inlet vanes, causing the blades to draw the fluid into the inlet section and causing the inlet vanes of the inlet section to add further rotational movement to the fluid as the fluid enters the housing.

In general, in another aspect, the invention features a fluid moving device. The device includes a plurality of blades on a core, and a substantially elliptical housing surrounding the blades, the housing including an inlet section having a plurality of inlet vanes, the inlet vanes configured to direct fluid in a rotational direction within the inlet section, and an outlet section adjacent to the inlet section.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing features of the invention will be more readily understood by reference to the following detailed description, taken with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a prior art axial fan;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a prior art centrifugal fan;

FIG. 3A is a side view of a substantially spherical fluid moving device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3B is a perspective view of a substantially spherical fluid moving device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3C is a side view of blade, core and motor pedestal elements according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3D shows a side cut-away view of a fluid moving device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3E is a side view of motor pedestal and motor elements according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3F is an exploded view of a substantially spherical fluid moving device showing blade and core elements, motor pedestal and motor elements according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a substantially spherical fluid moving device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a side view of a substantially elliptical fluid moving device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5A is a perspective view of a conical fluid moving device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 6A & 6B are side views of a fluid moving device with a mounting structure according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7A is a perspective view of one half of a motor pedestal according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7B is a perspective view of a portion of a motor pedestal showing lips for securing bearings according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7C is a perspective view of an assembled motor pedestal according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7D a perspective view of a donut-shaped structure for housing bearings which is inserted into a motor pedestal according to an embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 8 is a flow chart of an assembly process for a motor pedestal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS

The fluid moving device of the present invention and components thereof are sometimes shown or described herein using words of orientation such as “top,” “upper,” “bottom,” “lower” or “side.” These and similar terms are merely employed for convenience to refer to the general direction of the fluid flow with respect to the device. As will be understood by those skilled in the art, the fluid moving device of the present invention may be used in a variety of orientations and locations.

Embodiments of the fluid moving device described below may be used in a variety of ways, e.g., to cause air to flow in a room, to cause exhaust from a hot water heater to be directed in a desired direction, to move fluid through an HVAC system, or for other systems that require fluid to be moved.

FIGS. 3A and 3B show a side view and a perspective view, respectively, of a substantially spherical fluid moving device 300 according to one embodiment of the present invention. The fluid moving device 300 includes a substantially spherical housing 302 having two hemispheres 305, 306 that surround a plurality of blades 330 attached to a core 340 and a motor (not shown) disposed within the core 340 to rotate the blades 330 to produce fluid flow.

As shown, the first hemisphere of the housing 302 is an inlet hemisphere 305 that includes a band 310 along the circumference of the sphere near the middle (or equator) and a plurality of inlet vanes 312 attached (or coupled) to the band 310. As described herein, the inlet vanes 312 have an upper and lower portion and an outer and inner portion, such that the upper portion of the inlet vanes 312 joins at an area near the top 315 of the inlet hemisphere 305, the lower portion attaches to the band 310 and the inner portion 312B is closer to the blades 330 and the core 340 than the outer portion 312A. In operation, the inlet vanes 312 act to pre-swirl the incoming fluid in the inlet hemisphere 305 in the direction of rotation of the blades 330. The inlet vanes 312 may have any shape that allows fluid to flow into the inlet hemisphere 305 in the noted manner, e.g., blade-shaped or air-foil shaped, and that allows the fluid to be directed in the rotational direction of the blades 330. To preswirl the fluid, the inlet vanes 312 are angled in a specified manner. For convenience, the inlet vanes are discussed as being angled relative to the radial direction of the device. Specifically, as used herein, radial direction describes a direction that is from the center of the device to its perimeter. For example, if inlet vanes are arranged substantially aligned along the radial direction, e.g., at 0 degrees, then the fluid enters the device through the plurality of spaces between the inlet vanes with a minimal amount of resistance from inlet vanes and with no substantial preswirling. Similarly, if inlet vanes are arranged substantially normal to the radial direction, e.g., at 90 or −90 degrees, then the fluid encounters a maximum amount of resistance from inlet vanes when the fluid enters the device 300. In various embodiments of the invention, the inlet vanes 312 may be angled in a manner that allows the incoming fluid to be directed in the rotational direction of the blades 330 around the axis of rotation X of the core. In one embodiment, the outer portion 312A of inlet vanes 312 are angled from approximately 5 to approximately 45 degrees, preferably about 25 degrees with respect to the radial direction. In one embodiment, the inner portion 312B of inlet vanes 312 are angled from approximately 40 to approximately 80 degrees, preferably about 60 degrees with respect to the radial direction. An inlet vane 312 may be angled at a relatively constant value along the length, L, or may be angled at varying values along the length, either in the longitudinal direction, e.g., one value at the upper portion near the top area 315 and a different value at the lower portion near the band 310 or in the axial or transverse direction from side to side, e.g., one value at the inner portion 312B of the inlet vanes 312 and a different value at the outer portion 312C of inlet vanes 312, or both. The plurality of inlet vanes 312 may be angled differently from one another. For example, some of the inlet vanes may be angled at a relatively constant value and other inlet vanes may be angled at varying values. An inlet vane 312 may have the same width, W, or may vary in width along the length from the upper portion to the lower portion of the inlet vanes 312. The shape of the surfaces of the inlet vanes 312 may be substantially flat, convex, concave or a combination thereof. For example, the inlet vanes 312 may be curved in an axial or transverse direction from side to side, e.g., the outer portion 312A of inlet vane 312 may be substantially aligned with the radial direction and an inner portion 312B of inlet vane 312 may be angled to direct the fluid in a rotational direction toward the blades 330. An inlet vane 312 may be curved along the length in the longitudinal direction from the upper portion to the lower portion to form a hemispherical arc or may be substantially straight along the length. The inlet section 305 may also include additional inlet vanes that do not substantially act to preswirl the fluid. For example, the additional inlet vanes may be configured to prevent objects, such as fingers, from entering the inlet section 305.

The second hemisphere is an outlet hemisphere 306 that includes a band 320 along the circumference of the housing 302 near the middle of the sphere and a plurality of outlet vanes 322 attached to the band 320. The band 310 of the inlet section 305 and the band 320 of the outlet section 306 meet or join at designation A and provide an effective Venturi. The outlet vanes 322 join at an area 325 near the bottom of the outlet hemisphere 305. The outlet vanes 322 may be angled to allow fluid to be dispersed away from the bottom of the outlet hemisphere 306 in a tangential or axial direction from the bottom area 325. Similar to the inlet vanes 312, the outlet vanes 322 may have various shapes, orientations and configurations as previously described with respect to the inlet vanes 312. The cylindrical area 325 near the bottom of the outlet hemisphere 306 may be used to align the outlet vanes 322 and to allow for mounting of the outlet hemisphere 306 to a support structure (not shown), such as a pedestal support. The support may act to redirect the fluid away from the bottom of the outlet hemisphere 306 in a in a tangential or axial direction from the bottom area 325.

Referring also to FIG. 3C, the substantially spherical housing 302 surrounds a plurality of blades 330 connected to a core 340. The blades 330 have blade tips 330A, an upper portion 330B and a lower portion 330C, such that the blade tips 330A are away from the core 340 near the inner surface 335, 336 of the housing 302 and the upper portion 330B is closer to the incoming fluid than the lower portion 330C. The blades 330 are located on the core 340 at an angle θ relative to the axis of rotation X. The blades 330 may have a varying angle along the length, L, of the blades, e.g., the upper portion 330B of the blades 330 may have a different angle θ than the bottom portion 330C of the blades 330. In an illustrative embodiment, at least the inner portion 312B of inlet vanes 312 are angled substantially parallel to the upper portion 330B of the blades 330, within ±20 degrees. In one embodiment, the upper portion 330B of the blades 330 may be angled from approximately 40 degrees to approximately 85 degrees with respect to the axis of rotation, and preferably about 50 to about 75 degrees. In one embodiment, the lower portion 330C of the blades 330 may be angled from approximately 40 degrees to approximately 75 degrees with respect to the axis of rotation, and preferably about 50 to about 65 degrees.

The blades 330 may also have a variety of shapes as is well known to those skilled in the art. For example, the blades 330 may have a varying width, W, along the length of the blades, e.g., the blades 330 may be wider at the bands 310, 320 and may narrow at the upper portion 330B and the lower portion 330B of the blades 330. In addition, the surfaces of the blades 330 may be curved or substantially flat. The length of the blades 330 along the core 340 may be varied depending on number of factors, such as the shape of the housing or the core, operational or design parameters. For example, the blades 330 may extend into the inlet hemisphere 305 above the band 310, into the outlet hemisphere 306 below the band 320 or both, or may be located substantially within the inlet band 310 and the outlet band 320. The shape of the tips 330A of the blades 330 may substantially conform to the shape of the inner surface 335, 336 of the housing 302 or may conform only in certain regions, e.g., the inner surface of the bands 310, 320. The term substantially as used in this application and in this context implies that the blade tips 330A and the inner surface 335, 336 of the housing 302 are proximate, but the blades 330 can rotate within the structure. The preswirling of the incoming fluid allows the upper portion 330B of the blades 330 to be angled or positioned at greater angles than used in traditional fan designs because the blades 330 do not exhibit the degree of stall that is typical with conventional fan blades.

Referring also to FIGS. 3D-3F, the core section 340 may be any shape that is capable of housing a motor 350, allows for attachment of the blades 330 and fits within the housing 302. The blades 330 may be physically attached to the core 340 or the blades 330 and core 340 may be molded together as an integral piece. The core 340 may also include a motor pedestal 355. The motor pedestal 355 may have two or more sections according to an embodiment of the present invention, which will be described in more detail below with reference to FIG. 7A-7D.

The motor pedestal 355 may be secured at its top and bottom, as shown in FIG. 3D. A stator structure 360 which is donut-shaped fits over the arbor section 357 of the motor pedestal 355. Therefore, the top of two halves of the motor pedestal 355 are secured together by the stator 360. The bottom of the motor pedestal 355 may be secured by the outer section 306 of the device 300 by fitting the bottom of the motor pedestal 355 in to the inner surface 336 of the outer section 306. As shown, there may be interior notches 365 provided within the inner surface 336 of the outer section 306. The motor pedestal 355 may includes flanges 370 that are complimentary to the notches 365. Thus, the two halves of the motor pedestal may be kept together and cannot laterally separate because of the notches 365 in the inner surface 336 of the outer section 306 and the stator 360 that is positioned on top of the motor pedestal 355, the stator or a portion thereof covers both halves of the pedestal and holds the two halves in place. In one embodiment, the outlet structure 306 may include a circular cut out in the cylindrical area 325 of the outlet section 306 into which the bottom edge of the motor pedestal 355 mates. In such an embodiment, the bottom of the motor pedestal 355 may be circular and sized to fit into the circular cut out of the cylindrical area 325. It should be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that other methods of securing two halves of a motor pedestal may be used without straying from the embodiments of the present invention.

Within the core 340 is a motor 350 that powers the blades 330 and allows the blades 330 to rotate about the axis X in a rotational direction. When the motor 350 is powered, fluid, which may be air, is drawn into the inlet hemisphere 305 by the rotation of the blades 330 past the inlet vanes 312. The inlet vanes 312 cause the fluid to be preswirled before the fluid interacts with the blades 330. The fluid is then scooped between the blades 330 and driven toward the bands 310, 320 by the centrifugal force of the spinning blades 330, imparting an additional rotational movement to the fluid. As the fluid reaches the bands 310, 320, the fluid undergoes a pressure flow increase because the fluid is bound by two of the blades 330 and also by the inner surface of the bands 310, 320. As more fluid is drawn into the inlet section 305, the incoming fluid forces the fluid below into the region between the blades 330 and the bands 310, 320 creating a Venturi. As a result, the pressure flow of the fluid increases. The fluid is then moved downward and forced out through the outlet hemisphere 306. The device 300 may be driven by an electric motor, or other means. The motor 350 may be powered by batteries, such as DC batteries, or by an AC source. If the source is an AC source, an adapter may be provided for converting the current to DC if the motor is a DC motor. In one embodiment, the motor may be an AC motor.

Additionally, other motor components could be added or coupled to the motor pedestal 355. For example, the motor pedestal 355 may have an electronic chip 375 disposed within or on the motor pedestal as shown in FIG. 3D. The stator and rotor may be coupled to the motor pedestal wherein the stator should be directly connected and the rotor should be coupled through a motor shaft. The motor pedestal 355 may house one or more bearings 385 for the motor shaft so that the shaft spins with limited friction.

In one embodiment, the motor may not be connected to struts for support that are within the inlet to outlet path of the fluid flow, as is typical in some fans, e.g., see the struts 120 in FIG. 1. As a result of this strutless design, one embodiment of a fluid moving device 300 of the present invention provides less noise, such as “pure tone” noise.

The connection area 315 at the top of the inlet section 305 may also include a mount for mounting a filter (not shown). In one embodiment, the filter is designed so that all of the openings to the environment 345 between the vanes 312 and the band 310 of the inlet hemisphere 305 are covered, such that any fluid that is drawn into the fluid moving device 300 is first filtered, prior to being swirled in the inlet hemisphere 305. Such a filter may be appropriate for medical and clean-room applications as well as for allergen and dust removal. The filter may be a rigid hemisphere such that the filter only needs to be mounted at a single point on the connection area 320 or may be a flexible material, e.g. cloth, that substantially conforms to the outer surface of the inlet hemisphere 305. Such a filter provides for a more efficient filter due to its larger surface area and displacement from the blades than typical filter designs.

The number of blades 330 and the number of inlet and outlet vanes 312, 322 that are used in embodiments of the fluid moving device 300 of the present invention may vary based on operational or design parameters. For example, given the rotational frequency of a motor, various combinations of vanes and blades may be used to find the combination that provides the least amount of noise.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a fluid moving device of the present invention in which the tips 430A of the blades 430 do not substantially conform to the shape of the inner surface 435, 436 of housing 402. As previously described, the inlet vanes 412 of the inlet hemisphere 405 are each coupled to a band 410 and join at a connection area 415. The blades 430 are coupled to the core 440. In one embodiment, only a portion of the tips 430A of the blades 430 come in close proximity to the housing 402. As shown, the tip 430A of the blade 430 is in close proximity to the band 410 and in this region the blades 430 substantially follow the shape of the inner surface 435 of the inlet hemisphere 405. Preferably, there is no substantial distance between the blade 430 and the inner surface of band 410, so that the fluid cannot readily pass between the inner surface of the band 410 and the blades 430.

FIG. 5 is a side view of one embodiment of a fluid moving device 500 of the present invention in which the housing 502 is not substantially spherical. As shown, the housing 502 includes a first curved inlet structure 505 having a band section 510 and inlet vanes 512 and a second curved outlet structure 506 having a band section 520 and outlet vanes 522, wherein the inlet section 505 and the outlet section 506 are not hemispheres. The rotating blades (not shown) within the housing draw the fluid into the device toward the band sections 510, 520, and the band sections 510, 520 provides a Venturi-like effect increasing the pressure flow of the fluid prior to the fluid being passed to the fluid outlet structure 506 and into the environment 545.

Other external shapes may be used for a fluid moving device according to one embodiment of the present invention. For example, the external structure may include conical or curvilinear sections. In one embodiment as shown in FIG. 5A, the fluid inlet 505A has a substantially conical shape mating to a band section 510A having a circular diameter. The conical inlet section 505A is narrowest at the band 510A and expands in diameter moving away from the band 510A. The fluid outlet section 506A may have the inverse shape of the inlet section 505A and mate with the band section 510A, e.g., the outlet section 506A expands in diameter moving away from the band 510A. The inlet and the outlet sections 510A, 520A have multiple openings to let the fluid into and out of the fluid moving device 500A. The area of the inlet openings is greater than the cross-sectional area of the band as is the cross-sectional area of the outlet openings. Thus, by providing a larger inlet 505A and outlet area 506A for allowing fluid to be drawn into the spinning blades 530A attached to the core, the present embodiment can operate at lower volume levels as compared to a traditional axial fans since more air is moved per rotation and therefore the motor can spin at a lower RPM and achieve the same flow rate as a conventional fan. In certain embodiments, the band section has a smaller cross-sectional area than the inlet and the outlet sections 505A, 506A so that as air is drawn in and forced toward the band creating a Venturi effect thereby increasing the pressure flow rate.

FIGS. 6A and 6B show side views of one embodiment of a fluid moving device 600 with a mounting structure. FIG. 6A shows a pedestal support 604 which attaches to the outlet hemisphere 606 at the cylindrical area 625 near the bottom of the outlet hemisphere 606. The pedestal allows the fluid moving device 600 to be placed on or secured to a surface. FIG. 6B shows a mounting structure 608 that includes a pivot point 605 so that the fluid moving device 600 may be rotationally repositioned. The mounting structure 608 may be attached to the device 600 near the middle of the structure on the inlet band 610, the outlet band 620 or both. This type of structure is preferable in locations that have little space for mounting, but require air flow that is not perpendicular to the mounting structure. For example, the fluid moving device may be mounted inside of a computer. There may be a limited number of spaces for mounting a fan or other fluid moving device within the computer and the flow of air using a conventional fan may not provide adequate cooling to an electronic component, such as a processor because the processor is not directly aligned with the fan. As shown in FIG. 6B, the fluid moving device may be pivoted so that the flow of air can be directed to a location needing the greatest amount of cooling, such as, a processor. It should be clear that other types of mounting structures may be used for repositioning the fluid moving device and the embodiments shown should not be considered limiting. In the example that is shown in FIG. 6B, the mounting structure is a sleeve that surrounds a portion the substantially spherical fluid moving device 600 and is attached at the pivot point. In such an embodiment, the mounting structure is arc shaped, so that the spherical fluid moving device can be rotationally repositioned within the mounting structure.

One advantage of a fluid moving device having a non-flat inlet is that even if the inlet of the fluid moving device is placed against a surface, the entire inlet is not blocked, and therefore, the motor will always be able to draw in some fluid and will not overheat or burn out.

Referring now to FIGS. 7A-7D, a motor pedestal 700 having two or more sections may be used in one embodiment of a fluid moving device of the present invention. FIG. 7A is a perspective view of one half of a motor pedestal and arbor housing 700A. As previously discussed, the motor pedestal 700 may house one or more bearings for a rotating shaft of a motor. In the present embodiment, the motor pedestal is capable of receiving a stator over the arbor housing and may also house the electronics of the motor. In some embodiments, the motor pedestal may be considered part of the core section.

The motor pedestal may be divided in half in the longitudinal direction (along the X axis of rotation). By constructing the motor pedestal from at least two sections, the bearings for the motor shaft may be easily inserted into their proper position without causing undue stress and damage to the motor pedestal or the bearings. The bearings in one embodiment may be positioned in the grooves 710A of the first half of the motor pedestal. It should be understood that the motor pedestal can be divided up into multiple sections or unequally sized pieces without deviating from the intent of the invention and does not have to be divided in half as shown in the figures. In the remainder of the discussion, the separate parts of the motor pedestal 700 shall be referred to as halves for simplicity of explanation. It should be noted that each half of the motor pedestal 700 may have mating elements. For example, the first half may have a hole while the second element may have a rod that fits into the hole and the two halves are properly aligned when the rod mates with the hole.

As shown, the grooves 710A may be formed such that the bearings will be retained within each groove 710A. In one embodiment, the bearings 735B are simply spherical balls as shown in FIG. 7B, and in another embodiment the bearing is a donut shaped structure 730C as shown in FIG. 7D that receives a shaft into the donut hole and includes friction reducing members, as are known to those skilled in the art, allowing the shaft to spin with a limited amount of friction. Other types of bearings may also be used as are known to those of ordinary skill in the art, such as pill type sleeve bearings. In one embodiment in which ball bearings are used, the groove should have a top and bottom lip 715B as shown in FIG. 7B, such that the distance, d, between the top and bottom lips is less than the diameter of the spherical bearings. The lip may have a curvature on its inner surface that mimics the curvature of the spherical ball bearings. The ball bearings 735B are inserted into the groove along the edge 725B, such that when the two halves of the pedestal are assembled together, the ball bearings 735B should encircle the shaft and could not be dislodged. The assembled pedestal 700 formed from the two halves is shown in FIG. 7C. It should be evident that in such an embodiment, in which the pedestal is formed from two sections, the ball bearings 735B may be added by manually placing the bearings into the groove so that the lip of the groove holds the bearing in place.

In another embodiment, the bearings may be prepackaged in a circular donut (toroidally) shaped structure 730 as shown in FIG. 7D. The circular structure 730 should house ball bearings 735 allowing the ball bearings to protrude into the center 720 while securing the bearings 735 within the circular structure 730. In other embodiments, the donut shaped structure 730 could include other friction reducing elements that allow a shaft that was inserted into the hole of the donut to rotate with limited friction. As shown, the bearings 735 may be secured by a plurality of lips 730 or other means for retaining the ball bearings 735 as is known in the art. The distance 750 between the lips 730 is less than the diameter of the ball bearings 735 and the lips 730 may conform to the curved shape of the spherical ball bearing 735. In such an embodiment, the circular structure 730 should fit into a groove in one half of the motor pedestal 700. The second half could then be aligned such that the circular structure fits into a groove on the second half. The motor pedestal 700 could then be secured so that the two halves do not separate. The shaft could then be added to the pedestal 700 through the centrally formed cylindrical void. The shaft should come into contact with the ball bearings that protrude into the cylindrical void. In a further variation, the ball bearings may be sealed within a donut shaped structure and not exposed to the shaft. As such, the shaft should come into contact with an inner surface of the donut, which should rotate with the ball bearings.

FIG. 8 is a flow chart that explains the construction and assembly of the motor pedestal. First, a motor pedestal is designed and molded so that the motor pedestal is formed in two halves that can be mated together (810). Each half of the motor pedestal includes a semi-circular surface. The semi-circular surfaces of the two halves of the motor pedestal, when mated together, form a cylindrical void for receiving a motor shaft. Further, on each semi-circular surface is at least one groove for receiving a shaft bearing. In a preferred embodiment, there are two grooves for receiving a pair of bearings. By having a pair of bearings the shaft is supported at two points making the rotation of the shaft more stable. In one embodiment, the groove includes a lip around the semi-circle. The shaft bearings are then placed into the groove by inserting them at the edge of the semi-circular surface. If the one or more bearings are donut shaped as previously described and shown in FIG. 7D, the donut shaped bearing is simply inserted into the groove (820). Once all of the bearings are in place, the two halves are mated together (830). In one embodiment, a first half of the motor pedestal may have prongs 720 that are received into recesses in the second half of the motor pedestal 700 as shown in FIG. 7A. The two halves of the motor pedestal are then secured together (840). One method of securing the pedestal together is by bonding the two halves of the motor pedestal along the seam formed at the point of contact between the two halves. The pedestal may also be secured by placing the pedestal into a structure that substantially surrounds the lower portion of the pedestal and secures the two halves in place. In one embodiment, the top of the motor pedestal is also secured by placing a stator over the two halves of the motor pedestal. The stator and the top section of the motor pedestal are sized to fit together to prevent movement of the two halves about the seam. The motor can then be added to the pedestal, by inserting the shaft of the motor through the cylindrical opening of the motor pedestal.

The assembly process of the motor pedestal and bearings may be readily accomplished and automated because of the simplicity of the process. In the prior art, adding the bearings into the motor pedestal was an arduous task that required a great deal of assembly time. In such prior art assembly processes, the motor pedestal was formed as a single structure. The bearings were added to the motor pedestal and the worker should have to force the bearing into place. The force used by the worked to fit the bearings into place applied undue stress on the pedestal structure, the bearings, and the bearing shields. In many cases, this assembly process may cause significant damage so that the motor pedestal was unusable. In contrast, the present motor pedestal design and assembly process eliminates the applied forces and simplifies the manufacturing process for motor assembly.

It should be recognized that the present manufacturing process is not limited to the disclosed fluid moving device, but could be used with any device requiring a motor that has shaft bearings.

The fluid moving device as disclosed and embodied can be sized according to the desired application and the motor may be either powered any number of methods, including by battery or by a standard wall socket connection. In one embodiment, the fluid moving device includes a control circuit that may be used for periodically powering the motor depending on conditions, e.g., such as length of time or temperature. In one embodiment, a sensor may be included for sensing the condition. For example, there may be a timer or a temperature sensor coupled to the fluid moving device.

Embodiments of the invention may be applied in a number of applications, such as medical equipment and medical rooms requiring filtration. Due to the shape of the large inlet section and the preswirling of the incoming air, the power needed to overcome the resistance produced by a filter that is placed over the inlet is greatly reduced when compared to traditional fluid moving devices which have smaller inlets without preswirling. Thus, one embodiment of the present invention should reduce power consumption.

In one embodiment, a scented material or substance can be added to the fluid moving device. The scented material may be included within the fluid path and thus the fluid moving device will blow the scent into the environment. In this embodiment, the fluid moving device could contain an electronic controller that powers the motor periodically to refresh a room with the scent.

In another application, the fluid moving device may be used in the ventilation system of an automobile. Rather than having a single powerful blower for the entire heating and air conditioning ventilation system as is presently used in automobiles, the fluid moving device could be sized to fit within the ductwork near the outlet into the passenger compartment of the automobile. Thus, each fluid moving device could be individually powered as needed. Passengers could either turn on or off any of the fluid moving devices. As a result, the power consumption on average should be less than using a single blower for the entire ventilation system.

In yet another application, the fluid moving device may be placed in home ventilation systems. Presently, standard bathroom fans are mounted either on the exterior of the ventilation ductwork on a bathroom ceiling or are flush-mounted with the bathroom ceiling. These prior art ventilating fans, when engaged, produce a great deal of noise and vibration. A fluid moving device according to one embodiment of the present invention should produce less noise and may be mounted within the ductwork away from the air inlet on the bathroom ceiling, therefore the fluid moving device when engaged produces significantly less noise than traditional fans.

The described embodiments of the present invention are intended to be merely exemplary and numerous variations and modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art. For example, the inlet section and the outlet section of the device do not need to be symmetrical in shape. All such variations and modifications are intended to be within the scope of the present invention. Accordingly, other embodiments are within the scope of the following claims.

Claims

1. A fluid moving device comprising: a plurality of blades on a core; and a substantially spherical housing surrounding the blades, the housing comprising: an inlet section having a plurality of inlet vanes, the inlet vanes configured to direct fluid in a rotational direction within the inlet section, and an outlet section adjacent to the inlet section.

2. The device of claim 1 further comprising a motor located within the core.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of each inlet vane is angled from about 15 to about 55 degrees relative to a radial direction.

4. The device of claim 3 wherein the angle varies along a length of at least one inlet vane in a longitudinal direction, an axial direction, or both.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein at least one inlet vane is curved along a length in a longitudinal direction, an axial direction, or both.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein the inlet section further comprises a plurality of second inlet vanes.

7. The device of claim 1 wherein the blades have an upper portion and the upper portion is angled substantially parallel to at least a portion of the inlet vanes.

8. The device of claim 1 wherein the blades have an upper portion, the upper portion having an angle of about 50 to about 75 degrees relative to a rotational axis.

9. The device of claim 1 wherein the blades have an upper portion and a lower portion, the upper portion having an angle relative to a rotational axis and the lower portion having a second angle relative to the rotational axis that is different than the angle of the upper portion.

10. The device of claim 1 wherein each of the blades has a blade tip located away from the core, and the shape of at least one blade tip substantially conforms to the shape of an inner surface of the inlet section or the outlet section.

11. The device of claim 1 wherein the outlet section further comprises outlet vanes, the outlet vanes configured to disperse the fluid away from the bottom of the outlet section in a transverse direction relative to a rotational axis.

12. The device of claim 11 wherein the outlet section further comprises a band and the outlet vanes have a width near the band of the outlet section that is smaller than the width near the bottom of the outlet section.

13. The device of claim 1 wherein the inlet section further comprises a band and the outlet section further comprises a band, the band of the inlet section adjacent to the band of the outlet section.

14. The device of claim 13 further comprising a support, wherein the support attaches to the band of the outlet section, the band of the inlet section or both.

15. The device of claim 1 further comprising a support, wherein the support couples to the outlet section at a bottom area of the outlet section.

16. The device of claim 1 wherein the core further comprises a motor pedestal.

17. The device of claim 16 wherein the motor pedestal comprises a first section and a second section.

18. The device of claim 16 wherein the motor pedestal houses at least one bearing for rotating a shaft of a motor.

19. The device of claim 1 further comprising a mount for mounting a filter.

20. A method of moving a fluid, the method comprising: providing a fluid moving device having a substantially spherical housing surrounding a plurality of blades on a core, the housing comprising an inlet section and an outlet section, the inlet section having a plurality of inlet vanes; causing the blades to draw the fluid into the inlet section; and causing the inlet vanes to add further rotational movement to the fluid as the fluid enters the housing.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the causing the inlet vanes to add further rotational movement comprises positioning at least a portion of the inlet vanes substantially parallel to an upper portion of the blades.

22. The method of claim 20 wherein the fluid moving device further comprises a motor located within the core.

23. The method of claim 20 wherein the outlet section further comprises outlet vanes, the method further comprising: positioning the outlet vanes to disperse the fluid away from the bottom of the outlet section in a transverse direction relative to a rotational axis.

24. A fluid moving device comprising: a plurality of blades on a core; and a substantially elliptical housing surrounding the blades, the housing comprising: an inlet section having a plurality of inlet vanes, the inlet vanes configured to direct fluid in a rotational direction within the inlet section, and an outlet section adjacent to the inlet section.

25. The device of claim 24 further comprising a motor located within the core.

26. The device of claim 24 wherein the blades have an upper portion and the upper portion is angled substantially parallel to at least a portion of the inlet vanes.

27. The device of claim 24 further comprising a support, wherein the support couples to the outlet section, the inlet section or both.