JP4781609B2 - Fan unit - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a fan unit.

  In modern production and / or test facilities, it is common to control a large number of particles in the air to ensure the quality of the output object. Whether it is a wafer die, a compact disc, or a memory disc die, not only keep the content of particles in the clean room at an acceptable level, but also air for the workers in the clean room. An effective fan filter unit is also required for circulation in order to maintain a comfortable working environment.

  However, such powerful fan filter units generate excessive noise. In order to reduce noise, it is known to line the insulating member along a conduit in contact with the air flow to the fan filter unit or to the interior thereof. However, over time, particles and fibers can flake off the surface and contaminate clean room equipment.

  The problems associated with fan filter units are particularly exacerbated in confined spaces or enclosures such as plants that assemble multi-layer wafers. This invention assumes that the ceiling height is less than 3 meters due to limited space. The low ceiling causes a special emphasis on the noise from the fan filter unit.

  So far, one apparatus for minimizing noise from the fan filter unit has been suggested by the applicant in the following Patent Document 1. Another device for minimizing noise from the fan filter unit is described in Patent Document 2 listed below by the present applicant.

WO99 / 11984

GB Patent Application No. 9923163.1 In this disclosure, a pair of guide members disposed on opposite sides of a fan blower in the plane of air flow is used to determine whether the fan rotates clockwise or counterclockwise. Regardless, a fan unit is provided that can be used to guide the air flow between two guide members, each guide member having a fan facing indent to accommodate the fan, and each guide The member is symmetric about one symmetry plane perpendicular to the plane of air flow formed through the center of the fan and indent. In a preferred embodiment, the guide member has a substantially W-shaped configuration. This S-shaped or W-shaped guide member is relatively bulky and complex to manufacture and incorporate.

  The present invention has found a fan unit that reduces noise without increasing contaminants through the unit, the fan unit being easy to manufacture and having high power efficiency.

Accordingly, the present invention is a fan blower having a structure for emitting air in a plurality of directions in the plane of one air flow,
In the plane of air flow, having first and second guide surfaces arranged on the first side of the fan blower;
The first and second guide surfaces together define at least a partial limit radially outward of the passage of the first air flow leading to the first air flow channel;
A third and fourth guide surface disposed on the second, opposite side of the fan blower in the plane of air flow, wherein the third and fourth guide surfaces together form a second Defining at least a portion of the radial outside of the second airflow passage leading to the second airflow channel,
The first, second, third and fourth guide surfaces provide a fan blower mounted on a separate guide means.

By constructing the guide for each airflow passage from a pair of separate guide surfaces, the structure of the fan unit is greatly simplified. A wide range of structures can be constructed from many relatively small parts.
Each guide surface can be manufactured in any suitable shape. It can be curved or straight. The first and second airflow passages are defined radially outward by the guide surface and radially inward by the periphery of the fan blower. The air flow passage may be in any suitable form. They can be straight, but preferably the air flow passage is curved. The air flow passage is preferably diffused at an angle in the direction of rotation of the fan blower.

The first and second airflow passages can be defined radially outward by only the respective guide pairs. Instead, there may be an additional guide that defines another part of the air flow.
In a particularly preferred embodiment, the fan unit has first wall means on the first side of the fan blower, the first guiding surface is in contact with the first wall means at the first location, Since the second guide surface is in contact with the first wall means at the second part spaced from the first part, the portion of the first wall means between the first and second parts is different. The fan unit has a second wall means on the second side of the fan blower, and the third guide surface is a second wall means at the first location. The fourth guide surface is in contact with the second wall means at the second part spaced from the first part, so that the portion of the second wall means between the first and second parts is At least four guiding means are provided, effectively defining another guiding surface, the first guiding means being The first guiding surface, the second guiding means comprises a second guiding surface, the third guiding means comprises a third guiding surface, and the fourth guiding means comprises a fourth guiding surface. including.

  Each guiding means preferably has one additional guiding surface and faces the first, second, third and fourth guiding surfaces in one different plane. The additional guide surface of the guide means assists in providing a smooth flow path at the site where the air flow path enters the air flow channel.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, at least the first and third guiding means are identical to each other, preferably all guiding means are identical to each other. This makes manufacturing and construction particularly simple since only one type of guiding means needs to be manufactured.
This guide surface, and the current additional guide surface of each guide means, can take any form, and is preferably straight or curved. The transition region from the guide surface to the additional guide surface is defined by a point. However, it is preferably defined by a smooth curved transition surface to improve air flow and reduce noise.

  Preferably, the first guide surface is closer to the fan blower axis than the second guide surface. Similarly, the third guide surface is preferably closer to the fan blower axis than the fourth guide surface. In this way, a diffuse flow path is provided. Preferably, the first and third guide surfaces are arranged equidistant from the fan blower axis, and the fourth and second guide surfaces are arranged equidistant from the fan blower axis. In this way a rational and symmetric structure is achieved.

In this structure, the fan blower must rotate in the correct direction for it to function. In particular, the fan blower must rotate in the direction of increasing the airflow passage.
Preferably, the guiding means are identical and each guiding means is symmetrical about a mirror plane passing through the transition zone, so it has a guiding surface and an additional surface, the additional surface being substantially identical to the guiding surface. . Since the guiding means can be repositioned relatively easily, this arrangement of the guiding surface can properly rotate the fan in the opposite direction. In particular, the arrangement of the guide surfaces must be a mirror image of the arrangement of the guide surfaces in which the fan rotates in the first direction, the arrangement of the guide surfaces with mirror surfaces passing through the axis of the fan blower.

Preferably, each of the first and second air flow channels leads to a first baffle provided at an angle to the direction of air flow to divert the air flow. The air flow is preferably directed downward.
The vertical direction is a direction perpendicular to the air surface emitted from the fan.

  Preferably, the first and second air flow channels are each a second baffle provided at an angle with respect to the direction of air flow arriving from the first baffle to further divert the air flow. Have Suitably, a second baffle is mounted under the first baffle. The first and second baffles together turn each air flow by an angle in the range of 90 degrees to 180 degrees with minimal turbulence.

  The first and second baffles are preferably tilted relative to each other such that the distance between the baffles decreases in a linear direction as they move away from the fan. These baffles are arranged such that as the air leaves the guide, the air is diverted by the first baffle toward the second baffle, and the second baffle removes the air from one outlet. It is arranged to point to.

Preferably the first baffle or the second baffle, most preferably both of them have perforated material to improve sound absorption.
Preferably, the first baffle is provided at an angle of 40 degrees to 60 degrees, preferably 45 degrees with respect to the plane of air flow. Preferably, the second baffle is arranged at an angle of 5 degrees to 10 degrees, preferably 10 degrees with respect to the air flow plane from the fan.

  Preferably, the first and second air flow channels each comprise a final baffle for diverting the air flow. Preferably, the final baffle turns the air flow downward. Preferably, the final baffle is mounted directly under the fan blower. Preferably, the first and second air flow channels contact each other to form a generally V-shaped structure.

Preferably, the fan unit has a housing.
Preferably, the fan blower and the guide surface are arranged on the base plate.
Preferably, the unit further comprises an upper housing connected to the base plate with an inlet for drawing air into the fan, the fan and the guide being arranged between the upper housing and the base plate. Preferably, the housing has side sections and an air outlet communicating with each air flow channel is formed by a gap between the base and side sections and the upper housing. Preferably, the side section comprises wall means as described above. This side section can be integral with the upper housing.

Preferably, another baffle is at least partially disposed in the gap between the side section and the base plate.
In the above structure, preferably the base plate is relative to the housing such that the distance between the base plate and the upper surface of the upper housing is less than the distance that the side section projects from the upper surface of the housing. Be placed. There is also a gap between the side section and the base plate to form a fan unit outlet. The gap between the side section of the housing and the base plate should ideally be large enough to accommodate at least the lower baffle within this gap.

Preferably, the fan unit has a filter.
The form of guidance reduces noise from the fan unit. Further, the form of guidance increases the speed of air circulating in the unit. Therefore, a more efficient fan unit can be manufactured because the lower power is used to drive the fan to achieve the same circulation speed.

The fan unit of the present invention is primarily intended for use in a clean room. Therefore, this unit preferably has a filter. Generally, this filter is placed under the base plate of the unit.
The guides and / or baffles of the present invention are preferably made from a hard material, more preferably a metal. The guide and / or baffle may be perforated.

  The fan unit of the present invention does not include a conventional acoustic insulation material that contacts the air flow through the unit. The acoustic insulation material can be included in the fan unit, but is preferably separated by a hard structure such as a baffle or wall means.

  The present invention offers significant advantages over prior art energy utilization.

The invention will now be described with reference to the following non-limiting specific examples.
FIG. 1 shows an exploded view of the fan filter unit. For clarity of explanation, the filter is not shown. A rotatable fan blower 12 is disposed on the base plate 14. A mounting plate 20 for the fan blower 12 is provided on the fan blower 12 on the opposite side of the base plate 14. Fan blower 12 is disposed in a housing formed from base plate 14, upper housing 16, and end section 22. The upper housing 16 has an air inlet 18 located at the center thereof so that the air inlet is located above the fan blower 12 when used. The fan blower 12 is a conventional type blower. It is a structure that is rotated by a motor (not shown) disposed on the fan blower 12 on the opposite side of the base plate 14. As the fan blower rotates, air is drawn through the inlet port 18 and is discharged toward the tangential direction with respect to the rotation direction of the fan blower.

The fan blower also includes first and second guiding means 24A and 24B on one side, and third and fourth guiding means 24C and 24D on the other side. The shape of the guiding means will be described separately below in connection with FIG.
The upper baffles 26A and 26B and the lower baffles 28A and 28B are arranged at both ends of the unit so that these baffles are located between the fan blower 12, the guide means 24A, 24B, 24C, 24D and the end section 22. Is provided.

  FIG. 2 shows the direction of air flow inside the fan filter of FIG. As previously described, air is drawn through the inlet 18 by the rotation of the blower 12. The fan blower 12 is disposed on the base plate 14. The rotation of the fan blower forces air from the fan blower toward the baffles 26A, 26B, 28A, 28B. The arrangement direction of the baffle is reversed from the direction away from the blower arranged on the base plate to the direction coming out from the outlet port 19 arranged just below the base plate 14. The air then travels through a filter 32 located just below the outlet 19.

  FIG. 3 shows a plan view of the assembled fan filter unit of FIGS. The fan blower 12 is disposed in a space between the guide means 24A, 24B, 24C, and 24D. A first guide surface 27A and a second guide surface 27B exist on one side of the fan filter unit. These guiding surfaces define the radially outer limit of the air flow path along a portion of the wall 25A, through the constriction 30 to the upper baffle 26B. The third guide surface 27C and the fourth guide surface 27D are arranged on the other side of the fan blower, and the air reaching the upper baffle 26A through the narrowed portion 31 together with a part of the wall 25B between them. Define the radially outer limit of the flow second passage. It can be seen that each guide means has an additional guide surface 32A, 32B, 32C and 32D, respectively. It can be seen that the additional guide surfaces 32A and 32C define a diffusing flow path between them, which leads from the constriction 31. The additional guide surfaces 32B and 32D define a diffusing flow path between them, which leads from the constriction 30.

  The guiding means 24A, 24B, 24C and 24D have the same shape as the other guiding means. Each guiding means comprises a smooth curved guiding surface and a smooth additional curved guiding surface, with a smoothly curved transition zone 33 between them. This smooth curved transition zone is provided to reduce turbulence and improve air flow velocity. It is also clear from FIG. 3 that the distance a from the center of the smooth curved portion 33A to the center line of the fan blower is smaller than the distance b from the center line of the fan blower to the center line of the transition portion 33B.

  Similarly, on the other side, the distance d from the center line of the fan blower to the center of the transition portion 33D is smaller than the distance c from the center line of the fan blower to the center of the transition portion 33C. Thus, by providing the guide means having the same shape, a passage of air flow that diffuses around the fan blower is provided.

  Guides 24A, 24B, 24C, and 24D accept the discharge air from the fan blower 12 (shown by dotted circles) and guide the air flow toward the baffles 26, 28 with a minimum amount of turbulence. Since this figure is a top view, the lower baffle 28 is not clearly shown.

  The upper baffle 26 is disposed at an angle of about 45 degrees with respect to the plane of air emitted from the blower 12 and diffuses air from the guide 24. The lower baffle 28 is disposed at an angle of about 10 degrees with respect to the plane of air flow and redirects the air flow below the base plate 14.

  4, 5 and 6 show two results from the fan unit. FIG. 5 shows a plot of air velocity averaged over measurements taken at 15 different locations within the fan unit. The arrangement of 15 locations in the fan unit is shown in FIG. Similarly, FIG. 6 shows a plot of the average value of the noise level measured at the same 15 different locations as described above with respect to the rotational frequency of the fan blower.

This noise level is a decibel value measured at a distance of 1 meter from the fan.
It can be seen that far superior results are provided when air guidance and baffles are present. Thus, the present invention allows large air speeds that provide increased air circulation with the same amount of drive power to the fan. Therefore, the present invention provides significant advantages over prior art energy utilization.

The assembly exploded view which looked at the front view of the example of this invention diagonally from the right. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional front view of a specific example of FIG.

The top view seen from the AA cross section of FIG. Location in the fan filter where airflow velocity was measured for FIG. The chart which shows the relationship between the average speed and rotational frequency of the air flow of the fan blower of a fan filter unit with and without this invention. The chart which shows the relationship between the average noise level of the fan blower of a fan filter unit with the case where this invention is not accompanied, and a rotation frequency.

Claims (10)

A fan unit, wherein the fan unit is
A fan blower structured to emit air in a plurality of directions in the plane of one air flow;
First, second, third and fourth guide means having first, second, third and fourth guide surfaces, respectively.
It said first and second guide surfaces, in the plane of flow of the air, the disposed on a first side of the fan blower Rutotomoni, the first and second guide surfaces together, Demarcating at least a portion of the radial outside of the first airflow path that provides the first airflow channel ;
It said third and fourth guide surfaces, in the plane of flow of the air, the disposed on a second side of the opposite side of the fan blower Rutotomoni, said third and fourth guide surfaces, together It is by defining at least part of the limitations of the radially outside of the second air flow passage leading to the second air flow channel,
The fan unit has first wall means on the first side of the fan blower, and the first guide surface is in contact with the first wall means at a first portion, and The second guide surface is in contact with the first wall means at a second portion spaced from the first portion, and the fan unit is connected to the second wall means on the second side of the fan blower. And the third guide surface is in contact with the second wall means at a third portion, and the fourth guide surface is the second portion at a fourth portion spaced from the third portion. In contact with the wall means of
Each guide means has the same shape as each other, and each guide means further has an additional guide surface, and each guide means has the guide surface and the additional guide surface substantially identical to each other. A fan unit that is substantially symmetrical with respect to the mirror surface . Wherein said portion of the first wall means between the first and second sites, the fan unit according to claim 1 defining virtually separate guiding surface. It said portion of said second wall means between the third part and the fourth part is a fan unit according to claim 1 defining virtually separate guiding surface. 2. The fan unit according to claim 1, wherein each of the first and second air flow channels leads to a first baffle provided at an angle with respect to the direction of air flow to divert the air flow. . It said first and second airflow channels further comprises a second baffle provided at an one angle to the direction of the air flow arriving from said first baffle further deflect the air flow The fan unit according to claim 4 . Fan unit according to claim 5 having a material at least one of which is perforated in the first baffle and the second baffle. 6. A fan unit according to claim 5 , wherein the first and second air flow channels each have a final baffle for diverting the air flow. 3. A fan unit according to claim 2, wherein the first and second air flow channels each lead to a first baffle provided at an angle with respect to the direction of air flow to divert the air flow. . 4. The fan unit according to claim 3, wherein each of the first and second air flow channels leads to a first baffle that is provided at an angle with respect to the direction of the air flow to divert the air flow. . It said first and second airflow channels further comprises a second baffle provided at an one angle to the direction of the air flow arriving from said first baffle further deflect the air flow The fan unit according to claim 1.

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