US3885888A

US3885888A - Cooling fan for radiators and the like

Info

Publication number: US3885888A
Application number: US344976A
Authority: US
Inventors: John G Warhol
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1973-03-26
Filing date: 1973-03-26
Publication date: 1975-05-27
Anticipated expiration: 1992-05-27

Abstract

A cooling fan for radiators and the like in which the hub of the fan has a plurality of radially extending hub blades extending across the face of the hub and forwardly of said face, the hub blades serving to distribute and take up the flow of air which impinges against the hub and throw or deflect the air into the path of air flow that is created by the main blades.

Description

United States Patent 1191 Warhol 1 COOLING FAN FOR RADIATORS AND THE LIKE [76] Inventor: John G. Warhol, 14041 Vernon Ave., Oak Park, Mich. 48237 [22] Filed: Mar. 26, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 344,976

[52] U.S. Cl. 1. 416/175; 416/201; 416/203; 416/245 [51 Int. Cl. F04d 29/28 [58] Field of Search 416/175, 241 A, 245, 203, 416/201 A, 93, 94, 198, 200

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,920,880 8/1933 Parker 416/175 1,922,124 8/1933 Crosman 416/175 1,973,266 9/1934 Perry I I 416/175 2,442,441 6/1948 Shellberg 416/175 2.620.970 12/1952 Palmer et 211.... 416/175 X 2,801,793 8/1957 Kline 416/245 1451 May 27, 1975 3,095,822 7/1963 Kiefer 416/185 3.385.516 5/1968 Omohundro 416/241 A FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 617,318 3/1961 Canada 416/185 843211 3/1939 France 416/175 1,149,937 7/1957 France 416/241 A 335.430 9/1930 United Kingdom 416/245 297,215 6/1932 ma 416/201 A 153,078 5/1932 Switzerland 416/175 Primary ExaminerEverette A. Powell, Jr. Attorney, Agent, or FirmMax R. Kraus [57] ABSTRACT A cooling fan for radiators and the like in which the hub of the fan has a plurality of radially extending hub blades extending across the face of the hub and forwardly of said face, the hub blades serving to distribute and take up the flow of air which impinges against the hub and throw or deflect the air into the path of air flow that is created by the main blades.

'7 Claims, 9 Drawing Figures PATENTEU MAY 2 7 I975 SHEET Y PATENTED MAY 2 7 I975 SHEET COOLING FAN FOR RADIATORS AND THE LIKE BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION I-Ieretofore, fans for cooling automobile radiators and the like were made of steel which added greatly to the weight, particularly when the size of the fan had to be increased to accommodate air conditioners and other accessories that were loaded on the car. More recently the radiator fans have been made of a plastic material injection molded as, for example, the radiator fan in use on the Chevrolet Vega. The front of the hub portion of said plastic fan has a generally flat or planar surface and this type of hub produces a dead spot and causes the air coming through the radiator to swirl in a circular pattern and then slowly dissipate into the outer area of the fan as it is drawn off. The slow dissipation of the air into the outer area is due principally to the fact that the outside edges of the main fan blades are pulling in air from the circumference or surrounding area and thus cuts the efficiency of the fan in pulling air through the fan. This has resulted in an inefficiently operating fan.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a fan which will overcome and obviate the objections inherent in prior plastic automobile radiator fans by providing the hub portion of the fan with radial blades which as the fan rotates serves as a turbine and breaks up and distributes the flow of air hitting or impinging against the hub and throws the air out into the path of the environment created by the flow of air of the main blades and thus discourages air coming in from the outer sides and increases the equal flow across the face of the fan. This particular air movement has its most important advantages when the engine is idling, such as when the vehicle is not in motion, as at this stage the fan is drawing air through the radiator at a more equal rate across the face of the hub. With this invention the entire length of each of the main blades of the fan is utilized, including the hub, whereas heretofore with other types of main blades, without radial hub blades, the entire length of the main blades were not utilized and as a consequence when a portion of the main blades were not utilized it resulted in decreased efficiency. The present invention obviates this objectionable characteristic as the radial hub blades on the hub of the fan form a turbine which cooperates with the main blades to effect the improved result.

Another object of this invention is to provide the hub of a fan with a plurality of radially extending blades extending across the face 'of the hub and forwardly of said face, the hub blades serving to distribute and take up the flow of air which impinges against the hub and throw or deflect the air into the path of air flow that is created by the main blades. The radial hub blades may be formed as part of the hub or may be a separate unit which is attachable to the hub of a fan which lacks such hub radial blades.

While this invention has a particular application for automobile radiator fans, its use isbroader in scope in that it may be utilized in connection with any cooling fan used for cooling radiators and the like.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings: FIG. 1 is a front view of the fan forming this invention with the main fan blades broken away.

FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view showing the hub portion of the fan without the main blades for the purpose of clarity.

FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a rear elevational view thereof.

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view showing the fan mounted on the spider and showing the pulley with a portion in section.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the spider to which the hub of the fan is attached.

FIG. 7 is a front perspective view of a modification or simulated adapter hub which is attachable to the hub of a fan which lacks the hub radial blades.

FIG. 8 is a rear plan view of FIG. 7; and

FIG. 9 is a side elevational view of the FIG. 7 embodiment.

FIGS. 1 6 EMBODIMENT The structure shown in FIGS. 1-6 will be first described. In this embodiment the fan unit generally indicated at 10 is injection molded of a suitable thermoplastic material and integrally formed and same comprises the hub generally indicated at 12 with spaced main radially extending blades 14 radiating from the hub, with the front face 16 of the hub provided with spaced radially extending hub blades 18 which form a turbine generally indicated at 20 at the front of said hub. The aforedescribed unit is integrally molded of plastic in an injection molding machine so that it may be economically produced.

More specifically, the central hub 12 comprises a shell-like body generally indicated at 21, having an annular side wall 22 with a front end wall 24 and an open rear end. The front end wall 24 forms the front face 16 of the hub. The front end wall 24 is formed with a plurality of spaced radially extending blades 18 and said blades 18 have a generally triangular shape in side elevation, with the widest part of the blade adjacent the outer peripheral edge 26 and narrowing towards the center so that the lead edge 28 of said hub blade is inclined inwardly from the outer peripheral edge towards the center. The side profile of the blade is best seen in FIGS. 1 and 5. The outer peripheral edge 26 of the blade 18 is on the same plane as the annular side wall 22 of the hub and the inner end 30 of each of the blades is short of the axis of the hub.

The front end wall 24 is provided with a plurality of spaced openings 32 which are adapted to receive fastening bolts 34 for securing the fan unit 10 to the spider generally indicated at 36. The front end wall 24 is also provided with a central opening 38 for receiving the dome-shaped centering pin 40 of the spider 36.

The interior of the shell-like body 21 is provided with a plurality of spaced reinforcing ribs 42 which extend from the rear of the front end wall 24 rearwardly to the rear edge 44 of the annular side wall 22. The edge 46 of each of said reinforcing ribs 42 tapers or inclines toward the outer end, as best seen in FIG. 2.

The main blades 14 which are formed integrally with I the fan unit extend radially of the hub and each of said blades is positioned so that the lead edge 48 of the blade is adjacent the front end wall 24, with the rear edge 50 of the blade being adjacent the rear of the hub. The said main blades while each substantially flat extend at an inclined angle from the front towards the rear. The fan is adapted to rotate in a clockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 1. If the fan is to rotate counterclockwise, the main blades 14 would be positioned so that the lead edge 48 would be positioned to the left side adjacent the front end wall 24, instead of to the right side as illustrated in the drawings.

The shaft for supporting the fan unit is generally indicated at 52 and said shaft is stationary. The fan pulley generally indicated at 54 is supported on the shaft 52, and the spider 36 is secured to the pulley 54, best seen in FIGS. 5 and 6. The spaced fingers 37 of the spider are provided with internally threaded bores 56 which are alined with the openings 32 in the front end wall 24 of the hub and the fastening bolts 34 are connected thereto for securing the hub to the spider. The domeshaped central registering pin 40 extends through the central opening 38 of the hub.

In mounting the hub of the fan unit on the spider, it will be seen that the spaces between the reinforcing ribs 42 will accommodate the spider fingers 37. When the fan unit is mounted on the spider the rotation of the pulley 54 by the fan belt will simultaneously rotate the spider and the fan unit. The fan unit may be readily attached to the spider in a minimum of time. In the manufacture, the integral forming of said plastic fan unit results in economy in production as it eliminates assembly of various components.

With this invention the area formed by the face of the hub is provided with radiating blades forming a turbine which, as pointed out in the objects, produces a result not obtainable without such a turbine. It should also be noted that the hub blades 18 extend forwardly of the front vertical plane of the main blades 14.

FIGS. 7 9 EMBODIMENT FIGS. 7-9 show a modification which is adapted for attachment to existing fans in which the hub does not have the turbine. In this modification the turbine portion generally indicated at 60 comprises an annular plate 62 formed with spaced radiating blades 64, all integrally formed of a thermoplastic material, which blades are identical to the hub blades 18 previously described. The annular plate 62 is provided with spaced openings 66 and with a central opening 68. The turbine plate 62 is adapted to be attached to the front of a fan unit which lacks a hub turbine and thus provides for said type of fan unit a turbine which achieves the advantage heretofore described. Attachment methods may vary and the turbine plate 62 may have a molded back projection to fit a particular fan which it is to be mounted on or attached to.

While the fan herein described has a great application for cooling automobile radiators, it is understood that its broadest application is as a cooling fan for any radiators and the like.

What is claimed is:

1. A cooling fan for cooling radiators and the like comprising, a central hub and a plurality of radially extending main blades extending radially outward of said hub, said hub having a flat front face and a plurality of radially extending hub blades extending across the face of the hub and forwardly of said face, said front face and hub blades being integrally formed of plastic material, said hub blades radiating from a common axis, each said hub blade having a generally triangular shape in side elevation with the widest part of the blade adjacent the outer peripheral or top edge of the blade and reducing in width toward the center of the flat front face so that the lead edge of the blade is inclined inwardly from the outer peripheral or top edge toward the center and with the opposite sides of the blade being planar and parallel to each other and of a uniform thickness, with the outer peripheral edge of the blade extending substantially to the outer peripheral edge of the flat front face of the hub and the inner end of the blade being adjacent the axis or center of the flat front face, said hub blades forming a hub turbine and serving to distribute or break up the flow of air hitting the hub portion of the fan and directing said air outwardly into the path of environment of the flow of air created by the main fan blades.

2. A fan as set forth in claim 1 in which the hub, main fan blades and hub blades are injection molded and integrally formed of a thermoplastic material.

3. A fan as set forth in claim 1 in which the hub turbine is formed separately from that of the fan hub and is adapted to be secured to the front of the fan hub.

4. A structure as set forth in claim 3 in which the hub turbine is integrally formed by injecting molding of a thermoplastic material and is formed separately from the fan hub.

5. A cooling fan for cooling radiators and the like formed of a plastic material and all integrally molded and comprising, a central hub having a shell-like body which includes an annular side wall and a flat front end wall and an open rear end with the front end wall forming the front face of the hub, a plurality of radially extending main blades extending radially outward of the annular side wall of the hub and formed integrally with said hub, a plurality of spaced radially extending hub blades formed integrally with the front end wall and extending forwardly thereof, said hub blades radiating from a common axis, each said hub blade having a generally triangular shape in side elevation with the widest part of the blade adjacent the outer peripheral or top edge of the blade and reducing in width toward the center of the front end wall so that the lead edge of the hub blade is inclined inwardly from theouter peripheral or top edge toward the center and with the opposite sides of the hub blade being planar and parallel to each other and providing a blade of uniform thickness and with the outer peripheral edge of the blade being substantially on the same plane as the annular side wall of the hub and the inner end of the blade being short of the axis or center of the front end wall, said hub blades forming a hub turbine and serving to distribute or break up the flow of air hitting the hub portion of the fan and directing said air outwardly into the path of environment of the flow of air created by the main fan blades, said main blades extending at an inclined angle with the lead edge of said main blade adjacent the plane of the front face of the hub and the rear edge of said main blade adjacent the rear of said hub.

6. A fan as set forth in claim 5 in which the interior of the shell is provided with inwardly extending ribs.

7. A fan as set forth in claim 5 in which a spider is positioned to extend into the interior of the shell of the hub, with the hub secured to the spider and in which the spider is secured to rotatable means.

Claims

5. A cooling fan for cooling radiators and the like formed of a plastic material and all integrally molded and comprising, a central hub having a shell-like body which includes an annular side wall and a flat front end wall and an open rear end with the front end wall forming the front face of the hub, a plurality of radially extending main blades extending radially outward of the annular side wall of the hub and formed integrally with said hub, a plurality of spaced radially extending hub blades formed integrally with the front end wall and extending forwardly thereof, said hub blades radiating from a common axis, each said hub blade having a generally triangular shape in side elevation with the widest part of the blade adjacent the outer peripheral or top edge of the blade and reducing in width toward the center of the front end wall so that the lead edge of the hub blade is inclined inwardly from the outer peripheral or top edge toward the center and with the opposite sides of the hub blade being planar and parallel to each other and providing a blade of uniform thickness and with the outer peripheral edge of the blade being substantially on the same plane as the annular side wall of the hub and the inner end of the blade being short of the axis or center of the front end wall, said hub blades forming a hub turbine and serving to distribute or break up the flow of air hitting the hub portion of the fan and directing said air outwardly into the path of environment of the flow of air created by the main fan blades, said main blades extending at an inclined angle with the lead edge of said main blade adjacent the plane of the front face of the hub and the rear edge of said main blade adjacent the rear of said hub.