JP2012067649A - Axial fan and cleaning method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an axial fan and a cleaning method that automatically cleans out attached dust.SOLUTION: The axial fan includes a plurality of blades 11, a disc-shaped housing section 12 that movably houses the blades from the center to the outside along a radial direction, and an elastic body 14 that houses the blades inside the housing section when the fan is not being rotated and energizes the blades so as to allow the blades to be protruded from the housing section to the outside with a centrifugal force when the fan is being rotated. The blades 11 are dragged inside housing grooves 15 due to contraction of the elastic body 14, when the axial fan 10 transits from the fan rotating condition to the fan non-rotating condition. In this occasion, the blades 11 are cleaned out automatically since the dust attached to the blades 11 is scraped and dropped at contact sections between the blades 11 and housing grooves 15 during the dragging.

Description

  The present invention relates to an axial fan and a cleaning method used for cooling electronic devices and the like.

PCs (Personal Computers) use high-temperature electronic components such as CPUs (Central Processing Units) and HDDs (Hard Disc Drives), and devices that cool them are necessary.
Many PCs employ a mechanism that circulates internal air and has one or more fans attached. Cold air outside the PC is taken inside and circulated.
In a PC having such a mechanism, dust and dirt are sucked from the outside and are attached to the fan blades. As a result, a reduction in fan rotation speed and a reduction in air volume are caused, and cooling efficiency is deteriorated.

For this reason, it has been devised to facilitate cleaning by describing the cleaning method in the manual so that the fan is cleaned, making it public on the homepage, or providing a window that opens and closes near the fan (for example, , See Patent Document 1).
The invention described in Patent Document 1 relates to a “blower with a dust removal function”, and specifically, “in a blower with a dust removal function that cools a device with an axial fan, the blades of the axial fan rotate. An air filter that simultaneously captures dust in the air that is rotated and sucked in, a brush disposed on the outer frame of the axial fan to collect the dust, and the collected dust at a predetermined location. With a return to collect. "

JP 2001-65500 A

However, with the technology described above, it is ideal to use a brush or brush for cleaning the fan, but the PC fan is often mounted in a deep position for safety, and it is rubbed with a hard and slender object such as a cotton swab. It will be cleaned. Then, a force is applied to the blade, and the bearing used for rotation is destroyed. In addition, as a cleaning method that does not directly touch the fan, there is a means that can be carried out even if the distance is somewhat away, such as suction with a vacuum cleaner or use of a spray that blows off dust. In that case, the fan rotates, a counter electromotive force is generated due to the rotation of the fan, and the fan or a circuit for rotating the fan may be destroyed.
If there is a device that prevents dust and dirt from adhering to the fan blades, there is no need for cleaning.

  However, with a mechanism such as attaching a dust-removing brush to the outside of the fan and cleaning it by contacting the brush with the rotating fan, the brush functions as if it is a brake, and the rotation of the fan is suppressed by friction. There is a problem of narrowing the passage of air and air.

  Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an axial fan and a cleaning method for automatically cleaning adhering dust.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the invention according to claim 1 is characterized in that a plurality of blades, a disk-shaped storage portion that stores the blades movably from the center along the radial direction, and the blades when the fan is not rotating. And an elastic body that urges the blades to protrude out of the storage portion by centrifugal force when the fan rotates.

  The invention according to claim 2 is characterized in that, in the invention according to claim 1, a brush is provided around the doorway of the blade of the storage portion so as to contact the blade when the blade protrudes.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, a brush is provided around the doorway of the blade of the storage portion so as to contact the blade when the blade is stored.

  The invention according to claim 4 is the invention according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the blades are arranged so as to have a predetermined pitch angle and a part of adjacent blades overlap. And

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, the storage portion is rotated in the circumferential direction while urging the disc-shaped storage portion in the axial direction by an elastic body with a plurality of blades movable from the center to the outside along the radial direction. When the blades are blown out by the centrifugal force generated by the air and blown from the storage unit, and the rotation of the storage unit is stopped, the centrifugal force disappears and the blades are stored in the storage unit. The dust sometimes attached to each blade is removed at a contact portion with the side wall of the storage portion.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, provision of the axial fan and the cleaning method which cleans the attached dust automatically can be implement | achieved.

(A) is an example of the plane conceptual diagram at the time of fan rotation of axial fan 10 concerning the present invention, and (b) is the plane conceptual diagram at the time of fan non-rotation of axial fan 10 shown in (a). It is. (A) is a top view at the time of the axial fan 10 rotating the fan of the arrow B direction, (b) is a side view of (a), (c) was shown to Fig.1 (a). It is a side view at the time of fan non-rotation of axial fan 10, (d) is a partial expansion perspective view of (b), and (e) is a partial expansion perspective view of (c). (A) is a top view which shows another example of the axial fan which concerns on this invention, and shows an example at the time of fan rotation of the axial fan 20, (b) is a side view of (a). (C) is a side view of the axial fan 20 when the fan is not rotating, (d) is a partially enlarged perspective view of (b), and (e) is a partially enlarged perspective view of (c). FIG.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
<Embodiment 1>
Fig.1 (a) is an example of the plane conceptual diagram at the time of the fan rotation of the axial fan 10 which concerns on this invention at the arrow A direction, FIG.1 (b) is an axial fan shown to Fig.1 (a). FIG. 10 is a plan view when no rotation is performed.

2A is a plan view of the axial fan 10 when the fan rotates in the direction of arrow B, FIG. 2B is a side view of FIG. 2A, and FIG. 2A is a side view of the axial fan 10 shown in FIG. 1A when the fan is not rotating, FIG. 2D is a partially enlarged perspective view of FIG. 2B, and FIG. FIG. 3 is a partially enlarged perspective view of FIG.
2B and 2C, reference numeral 16 denotes a motor for rotating the axial fan 10.

  The axial fan 10 includes a plurality of blades 11 (but not limited in the figure), a disk-shaped storage portion 12 that stores the blades 11 from the center to the outside along the radial direction, and a fan. An elastic body 14 is provided that stores the blades 11 in the storage unit 12 when there is no rotation, and urges the blades 11 to protrude out of the storage unit 12 by centrifugal force when the fan rotates.

The storage portion 12 is a solid disk in which a substantially fan-shaped storage groove 15 is formed from a circumferential side surface toward the central boss 13, and the boss 13 is formed in the center. The boss 13 is attached to an output shaft of a motor 16 described later. The storage groove 15 has a substantially fan-shaped base paper shape so that the substantially fan-shaped blades 11 can be stored therein.
The storage groove 15 is formed obliquely at a predetermined angle (pitch angle: for example, 10 ° to 45 °) with respect to a center axis (not shown) of the storage portion 12. This is for generating wind when the axial fan 10 is rotated, but it is possible to increase the number of the storage grooves 15 by forming it at an angle, and the number of blades 15 can be increased from eight. It can be 16 sheets.

Although the material of the blade | wing 11 and the accommodating part 12 can mention a plastic, a metal may be sufficient.
The base of the blade 11 and the boss 13 are connected by a coil spring 14 (rubber or sponge) as an elastic body. The spring constant of the coil spring 14 is such a value that the blade 11 can be housed in the housing portion 12 when the fan is not rotating, and the blade 11 can be urged to protrude out of the housing portion 12 by centrifugal force when the fan is rotating. I just need it.
In addition, a stopper (not shown) may be provided in the storage groove 15 so that the centrifugal force due to the rotation overcomes the coil spring 15 so that the blade 11 does not come out or come off the storage portion 12. May be connected with a string.
The coil spring 14 is a cylindrical coil spring in the figure, but may be a conical coil spring.

  In the axial fan 10, the blades 11 protrude outward from the storage portion 12 to generate wind when the fan rotates. When this axial flow fan 10 shifts from when the fan rotates to when the fan does not rotate, the blade 11 is drawn into the storage groove 15 due to contraction of the coil spring 14, and dust attached to the blade 11 at this time is retracted. The blades 11 are automatically cleaned because they are scraped off at the contact portion between the blades 15 and 15.

<Embodiment 2>
FIG. 3A is a plan view showing an example of the axial fan 20 according to the present invention, which is another example of the axial fan 20 rotating in the direction of arrow C, and FIG. 3 (a) is a side view, FIG. 3 (c) is a side view of the axial fan 20 when the fan is not rotating, and FIG. 3 (d) is a partially enlarged perspective view of FIG. 3 (b). Fig. 3 (e) is a partially enlarged perspective view of Fig. 3 (c).

The difference between the second embodiment and the first embodiment is that a cleaning brush 21 is provided at the opening of the storage groove. The material of the brush 21 is preferably resin or hair (pig hair).
When the dust attached to the blades 11 when the fan of the axial fan 20 rotates moves when the axial fan 20 does not rotate, the blades 11 are drawn into the storage groove 15 due to the contraction of the coil spring 14. The dust adhering to the blade 11 is scraped off at the contact portion between the blade 11 and the storage groove 15 and is rubbed by the brush 21, so that the blade 11 is automatically cleaned and the dust enters the storage groove 15. Can be prevented.
In addition, since the brush 21 rotates while contacting the blades 11 when the fan rotates, a part of the blades 11 is cleaned even when the fan rotates because the brush 21 is swept by the wind pressure. By controlling the rotational speed of the blades and adjusting the centrifugal force, the protruding position of the blades 11 can be adjusted to everything from the fully protruded state to the retracted state. Cleaning becomes possible.
Furthermore, since the blades 21 and the brushes 21 rotate while the fan is rotating, while the brushes 21 are in contact with the bases of the blades 11, the air flow is not obstructed and the rotation of the blades 11 is not obstructed.

  The above-described embodiment shows an example of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited thereto, and various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. is there.

  The present invention can be used for a cooling fan of an electronic device, and can also be used for a ventilation fan.

10, 20 Axial fan 11 Blade 12 Storage part 13 Boss 14 Coil spring (elastic body)
15 Storage groove 16 Motor 21 Brush

Claims (5)

A plurality of feathers;
A disc-shaped storage unit for storing the blades from the center to the outside along the radial direction;
An elastic body that stores the blades in the storage unit when the fan is not rotating, and urges the blades to protrude out of the storage unit by centrifugal force when the fan rotates;
An axial fan characterized by comprising:   The axial flow fan according to claim 1, wherein a brush is provided around a doorway of the blade of the storage portion so as to contact the blade when the blade protrudes.   The axial flow fan according to claim 1, wherein a brush is provided around a doorway of the blade of the storage portion so as to come into contact with the blade when the blade is stored.   The axial fan according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the blades are arranged so as to have a predetermined pitch angle and a part of adjacent blades overlap. Each blade is moved by a centrifugal force generated by rotating the storage portion in the circumferential direction while urging the disk-shaped storage portion in the axial direction with a plurality of blades that are movable from the center to the outside along the radial direction. Blow by projecting from the storage unit,
When the rotation of the storage unit is stopped, the centrifugal force is extinguished and each blade is stored in the storage unit, and dust attached to each blade during rotation is removed at the contact portion with the side wall of the storage unit. A method for cleaning an axial fan characterized by:

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