Claims
- 1. An office machine comprising:(a) a machine frame defining an operating environment; (b) operating components mounted within said frame and requiring environmental conditioning such as cooling and cleaning; and (c) an air blower for conditioning the operating environment within said frame, said air blower including: (i) a housing having a housing wall defining an air path, and an air discharge opening; (ii) a discharge nozzle, mounted over said discharge opening for directing air being discharged away from said housing; (iii) a pinch point formed between said housing wall and said discharge nozzle at said discharge opening; (iv) an air moving assembly including a rotatable impeller mounted within said housing for drawing air into said air path; and (v) a blower noise reducing device on said pinch point for minimizing air stagnation at said pinch point, said blower noise reducing device including a first surface for protruding into said air path, and a second surface for protruding into said discharge nozzle for minimizing air stagnation within said air path and within said discharge nozzle.
- 2. An office machine comprising:(a) a machine frame defining an operating environment; (b) operating components mounted within said frame and requiring environmental conditioning such as cooling and cleaning; and (c) air blower for conditioning said operating environment, said air blower including: (i) a housing having walls defining an intake region for incoming air, a discharge region including a discharge opening for discharging air from said housing, and an air path for controllably directing air entering said intake region towards said discharge region; (ii) an air moving assembly including a rotatable impeller mounted within said housing for drawing air into said air path through said intake region, and for accelerating air within said air path towards said discharge region; (iii) a discharge nozzle, mounted over said discharge opening, for directing air being discharged away from said housing; and (iv) a blower noise reducing device comprising a moving air deflecting member having: (a) a generally triangular cross-section; (b) a first end representing a base of said generally triangular cross-section; (c) a second end representing an apex of said generally triangular cross-section; (d) a first side for mounting against a wall of the discharge nozzle (at a connecting point between the discharge opening and the discharge nozzle); and (e) a second and opposite side, said second and opposite protruding into the discharge opening and discharge nozzle when said first side is mounted against the wall of the discharge nozzle for reducing noise causing characteristics of air being moved by the blower by deflecting such moving air in a predetermined manner.
- 3. The office machine claim 2, wherein said moving air deflecting member includes a heel portion at said first end.
- 4. The office machine claim 3, wherein said heel portion has a first surface aligned with said base of said triangular cross-section.
- 5. The office machine claim 3, wherein said heel portion has a second surface for attaching to a wall of a volute.
- 6. The office machine claim 2, wherein said moving air deflecting member is made of a non-metallic material.
- 7. The office machine claim 2, wherein said moving air deflecting member is made of a metallic material.
- 8. The office machine claim 2, wherein said discharge nozzle is attached tangentially to said blower housing.
- 9. The office machine claim 2, wherein said air moving assembly includes drive means for rotating an impeller assembly.
- 10. The office machine claim 2, wherein a volume of said air path increases from said intake region to said discharge region.
- 11. The office machine claim 2 wherein said first end representing said base of said generally triangular cross-section has an external surface for projecting into the volute.
- 12. The office machine claim 2, wherein as mounted within the discharge nozzle, said moving air deflecting member comprises a reverse-airfoil relative to air being discharged through the discharge nozzle.
- 13. An electrostatographic reproduction machine comprising:(a) an image bearing member having an imaging surface for carrying a toner image; (b) a copy sheet supply and handling assembly for moving a copy sheet into a toner image transfer relationship with said image bearing member; (c) imaging devices for forming a toner image on said imaging surface of said image bearing member and transferring the toner image to a copy sheet; and (d) an air blower including: (i) a housing having a housing wall defining an air path, and an air discharge opening; (ii) a discharge nozzle, mounted over said discharge opening for directing air being discharged away from said housing; (iii) a pinch point formed between said housing wall and said discharge nozzle at said discharge opening; (iv) an air moving assembly including a rotatable impeller mounted within said housing for drawing air into said air path; and (v) a blower noise reducing device on said pinch point for minimizing air stagnation at said pinch point, said blower noise reducing device including a first surface for protruding into said air path, and a second surface for protruding into said discharge nozzle for minimizing air stagnation within said air path and within said discharge nozzle.
- 14. The office machine claim 13, wherein said first end representing said base of a generally triangular cross-section has an external surface for projecting into the volute.
- 15. The office machine claim 13, wherein as mounted within the discharge nozzle, said moving air deflecting member comprises a reverse-airfoil relative to air being discharged through the discharge nozzle.
- 16. The office machine claim 13, wherein said moving air deflecting member is made of a non-metallic material.
- 17. The office machine claim 13, wherein said moving air deflecting member is made of a metallic material.
- 18. The office machine claim 13, wherein said discharge nozzle is attached tangentially to said blower housing.
- 19. The office machine claim 13, wherein said air moving assembly includes drive means for rotating said impeller assembly.
- 20. The office machine claim 13, wherein a volume of said air path increases from an intake region to said discharge region.
RELATED APPLICATION
This application is related to U.S. application Ser. No. 09/933,232, entitled “Blower Noise Reducing Device And A Blower Having Same” filed on the same date herewith, and having at least one common inventor.
US Referenced Citations (6)