WO2012089450A1

WO2012089450A1 - Drive device for a fan module

Info

Publication number: WO2012089450A1
Application number: PCT/EP2011/071896
Authority: WO
Inventors: Samir Mahfoudh; Dubravko Barkic
Original assignee: Robert Bosch Gmbh
Priority date: 2010-12-28
Filing date: 2011-12-06
Publication date: 2012-07-05
Also published as: DE102010064274A1; JP5805210B2; CN103282673B; US20130287604A1; JP2014506109A; CN103282673A

Abstract

A drive device for a fan module comprises an electric motor, a housing and a vibration damper for fastening the electric motor to the housing in a manner which damps vibrations. The electric motor has a radial engagement element for engaging into the vibration damper, and the housing has a radial recess for receiving the vibration damper. Here, the vibration damper frames the engagement element in the radial direction thereof.

Description

description

title

The invention relates to a drive device for a blower module and to a method for producing such a drive device.

PRIOR ART A fan module, as used, for example, on board a motor vehicle for conveying fresh air into a passenger compartment, usually comprises an electric motor accommodated in a housing with a fan wheel. The electric motor is accommodated vibration damping in the housing and the housing is prepared for installation in an air duct of the motor vehicle. By the vibration-damping recording vibrations and shocks of the motor vehicle are on the one hand kept away from the electric motor, so that it can have a prolonged life. On the other hand, vibrations of the electric motor are decoupled from the motor vehicle so as not to lead elsewhere to an acoustically perceptible sound that can be perceived as unpleasant by an occupant of the passenger compartment of the motor vehicle.

Usually, an elastic element is arranged radially between the electric motor and the housing for decoupling. For this purpose, the housing has a recess for receiving the elastic element, while the electric motor has a device for engagement in the elastic element. Usual is a dumbbell-shaped design of the elastic element in the form of two interconnected by a web spherical sections, wherein the device engages in the region of the web in the elastic element. If the fan module is operated at high temperatures, a spring stiffness of the elastic element decreases considerably. As a result, the radially projecting engagement element of the electric motor can come into contact with a boundary surface of the recess along the circumferential direction of the electric motor, as a result of which all damping is bypassed. The invention is therefore based on the object to provide a drive device for a fan module, which offers improved protection against such a strike through. Another object of the invention is to provide a manufacturing method for such a fan module.

The invention solves the objects by means of a drive device with the features of claim 1 and by means of a manufacturing method with the features of claim 10.

Disclosure of the invention

A drive device for a fan module comprises an electric motor, a housing and an elastic element for vibration-damping attachment of the electric motor to the housing. The electric motor has a radial engagement element for engaging in the elastic element, and the housing has a radial recess for receiving the elastic element. In this case, the elastic element rotates the engagement element on a radial portion. Due to the special design of the elastic element, it is virtually impossible, even with greatly decreasing elasticity or damping capability of the elastic element, for example due to aging, wear or high temperatures, that the engagement element comes into contact with a boundary of the recess. As a result, shocks can be avoided and thus extends a life of the electric motor and acoustic interference in the range of the drive module can be prevented. Due to the increased security against a collision of the engagement element with the housing, the elastic element can be dimensioned smaller, so that a bias voltage is minimized. As a result, the damping properties of the elastic element can be improved both in the short term and in the long term. In addition, a structural load on the housing can be minimized. Furthermore, can Contact surfaces between the elastic member and the engaging member or the recess be increased, so that a material fatigue, in particular of the elastic member may be less likely. The elastic element is preferably shaped such that a spring stiffness of the elastic element along a direction of rotation of the electric motor is smaller than parallel to the axis of rotation of the electric motor. As a result, vibrations of the electric motor along its direction of rotation can be decoupled from the housing, while at the same time a bearing of the electric motor in the direction of its axis of rotation remains stiff, Thus, for example, a collision of a fan connected to the electric motor with an air duct can be prevented.

The elastic element may have a radial recess with respect to a shape of the recess in order to reduce a contact surface with the recess in the circumferential direction of the electric motor. Thereby, a heat-dissipating surface of the elastic member can be increased, so that heat from the elastic member can be discharged improved. As a result of this measure, a service life of the elastic element, in particular at high operating temperatures, can be increased. By the same measure can also the

Spring stiffness of the elastic element in the circumferential direction of the electric motor to be reduced.

The elastic member may also be formed such that a radially outer side of the elastic member is curved to abut against a portion of the housing. As a result, on the one hand, a rolling movement of the elastic element along a radial boundary surface of the recess can be minimized, whereby wear of the elastic element can be reduced and a spring constant of the elastic element can be kept uniform. On the other hand, this can be realized by an improved release of heat of the elastic element to the housing of the drive device.

In one embodiment, the elastic element is shaped in such a way that a boundary surface lying in the circumferential direction of the electric motor lies flat against a corresponding boundary surface of the recess. As a result, the recess along the circumferential direction of the electric motor completely be filled by the shock absorber, so that a bias of the elastic member can be reduced or omitted. The spring constant of the elastic element in the circumferential direction of the electric motor is thus largely possible by the choice of the material or the Shore hardness of the elastic element.

In a preferred embodiment, the engagement element comprises a round metal web which is attached to a pole pot of the electric motor. By this easy-to-manufacture engagement element sharp edges can be avoided in the engagement area to the elastic element.

Preferably, the metal web is upset on one side, wherein the upset end between the pole pot and a return ring of the electric motor is arranged. This can allow a simple and inexpensive production.

Preferably, the elastic element is symmetrically shaped with respect to rotation about a radius of the electric motor. Incorrect installation of the elastic element in an incorrect position can thereby be avoided. Additional features in the sense of a Poka Yoke ("avoidance of unfortunate mistakes") can be saved if necessary, which can lead to a further cost reduction.

In one embodiment, a lid axially closing the housing is provided, the elastic element being held in a form-fitting manner in the axial direction between a boundary of the recess and the lid. In this way, the electric motor in the housing can be easily assembled and disassembled. A method according to the invention for producing a drive device with the described engagement element in the form of a metal web comprises steps of inserting the metal web through a corresponding recess in the pole pot, inserting the return ring into the pole pot, connecting the return ring with the pole pot, pushing the elastic element onto it the metal bridge and the insertion of the electric motor into the housing, so that the elastic element is received in the recess of the housing.

In contrast to a drive device of the prior art with an engagement element, which is realized as a radially outwardly bent tab of the pole pot of the electric motor, can be made in the manner indicated simplified, the drive device described above.

The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the attached figures, in which:

Figure 1 is a schematic exploded view of a fan module; Figure 2 is a detail of the electric motor of Figure 1;

FIG. 3 shows a vibration damper;

4 shows a vibration damper on the electric motor of Figure 1;

FIG. 5 shows an engagement element of the electric motor of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 shows a vibration damper for the engagement element of FIG. 5; FIG. 7 shows an engagement element of the electric motor of FIG. 1;

FIG. 8 shows a vibration damper for the engagement element of FIG. and

FIG. 9 shows a flow diagram of a method for producing the drive module from FIG. Detailed description of embodiments

FIG. 1 shows a schematic partial representation of a blower module 100, in longitudinal section and in exploded view. The fan module 100 comprises a fan wheel 105 and a drive device 110. The drive device 110 includes an electric motor 115, which is accommodated in a housing 120 with a cover 125. For storage of the electric motor 1 15 with respect to the housing 120 and the lid 125, an elastic member 130 is provided. The elastic member 130 is usually made of a plastic or a rubber.

On the housing 120, a recess 135 for receiving the elastic member 130 is provided, wherein the recess 135 is closed along an axis of rotation 140 of the electric motor 1 15 above through the lid 125 and in the radial direction inwardly open. The elastic member 130 is formed so as to abut on five sides of boundary surfaces of the recess 135, while the sixth side faces the electric motor 115 in the radial direction.

Usually, a plurality of elastic elements 130 with corresponding recesses 135 and engagement elements 145 are distributed around a circumference of the electric motor 115. In this case, not all elastic elements 130 with respect to the axis of rotation 140 of the electric motor 115 must be at the same height. Furthermore, angles between the elastic elements 130 with respect to the axis of rotation 140 of the electric motor 15 can be different.

The elastic element 130 has a recess in the radial direction for receiving an engagement element 145 projecting radially from the electric motor 15. In a preferred embodiment, not only the radial engagement element 145 of the electric motor 15 engages with the recess of the elastic element 130, but also a surface of the elastic element 130 facing the electric motor 115 is simultaneously in engagement with a radial boundary of the electric motor. As a result, the electric motor 1 15 is mounted with respect to the housing 120 or the cover 125 improved, so that forces and vibrations between the electric motor 15 and the housing 120 and the lid 125 are transmitted substantially only by the elastic member 130.

FIG. 2 shows a detail of the electric motor 115 from FIG. 1 in the region of the engagement element 145. The engagement element 145 is here formed by a substantially cylindrical or hollow-cylindrical element, in particular a steel wire. The steel wire 145 passes through a recess in a pole pot 205 of the electric motor 1 15. At its left end, the steel wire 145 is upset, so that the diameter of the steel wire 145 is greater than the diameter of the recess of the pole pot 205 and the steel wire 145 is not to the right through the Recess in the pole pot 205 can slip through. To the left of the upset end of the steel wire 145, a portion of a return ring 210 of the electric motor 1 15 is shown. The return ring 210 prevents the steel wire 145 from slipping leftward into the electric motor 15.

FIG. 3 shows an elastic element 300 corresponding to the elastic element 130 from FIG. 1. The elastic element 300 can be used in particular in connection with the engagement element 145 shown in FIG. 2 on the drive device 110 from FIG.

A coordinate system shows, with respect to the axis of rotation 140 of the electric motor 15 in FIG. 1, a radial direction x, an axial direction y and a circumferential direction z.

The elastic element 300 has a round, extending in the x-direction recess 305 for receiving the engagement member 145 of Figures 1 and 2. With respect to the recess 305, the elastic member 300 is rotationally symmetric; a rotation of 180 ° forms the elastic element 300 on itself.

A surface of the elastic element 300 that lies on the outside in the x-direction is curved in accordance with a corresponding contact surface of the recess 135 of FIG. The curvature passes continuously into a curvature of the boundary surfaces of the elastic element 300 lying in the z direction. Limits of the elastic element 300 along the y direction correspon- dieren again to boundary surfaces of the recess 135 and the lid 125th

The z-directional side surfaces of the elastic member 300 are reduced in size by inserting four round cut-outs at the corners of the positive and negative y and z directions respectively along the x-direction. The resulting cut surfaces may help to increase a surface area of the elastic member 300 to facilitate heat dissipation, which may arise due to the damping behavior of the elastic member 300 therein, for example.

FIG. 4 shows an elastic element 400 on the electric motor 1 15 from FIG. 1. The illustration is made with the viewing direction substantially radially outward from the axis of rotation 140 of the electric motor 115. A coordinate system corresponding to that of FIG. 3 facilitates orientation. In contrast to the embodiment of the elastic element 300 shown in FIG. 3, only two cutouts are introduced along the x-axis, which form the boundary surfaces of the elastic element 400 lying in the z-direction in a concave manner.

FIG. 5 shows an engagement element 145 of the electric motor 15 of FIG. 1 in a further embodiment. From the pole pot 205 of the electric motor 115, a tab is punched out and bent outward to form the engagement member 145. The tab 145 is slotted fork-shaped. Such an engagement member 145 is used in the prior art to engage in a dumbbell-shaped, vertically oriented elastic member 130.

FIG. 6 shows an elastic element 600 for engagement with the tab 145 from FIG. 5. A coordinate system again shows a radial direction x, an axial direction y and a circumferential direction z. External boundaries of the resilient member 600 are similar to the boundaries of the resilient member 300 of FIG. 3. However, the recess 305 is not cylindrical but slit-shaped to receive the tab 145 of FIG. On a side of the elastic element 600 which is remote from the electric motor 115, a transition between the slot-shaped recess 305 and adjacent outer boundary surfaces of the elastic element 600 is rounded off. The rounding, like other roundings on the elastic element 130, can contribute to this. to increase a surface of the elastic member 130 and to prevent a risk of cracks in the area of sharp edges or corners.

FIG. 7 shows a further engagement element 145 on the electric motor 115 from FIG. 1. Similar to the embodiment of FIG. 5, a tab is punched out of the pole pot 205 of the electric motor 15 and bent outwards, in the illustrated embodiment lateral sections of the tab in the axial direction Direction are bent downwards. A cross-section of the engagement element 145 therefore has essentially the shape of an inverted U.

FIG. 8 shows an elastic element 800 for engagement with the engagement element 700 from FIG. 7. Here too, a coordinate system is shown for improved orientation. The view of the elastic element 800 takes place from the interior of the housing 120. The recess 305 corresponds to the tab 145 of Figure 7 and has in cross-section substantially the shape of an inverted U on.

FIG. 9 shows a flow chart of a method 900 for producing a drive device 110 according to FIG. 1. In this case, the engagement element 145 is designed in the form of a steel wire as described above with reference to FIG. The elastic element 130 is shaped correspondingly, for example like the elastic element 300 from FIG. 3 or the elastic element 400 from FIG. 4. In a first step 905, the steel wire 145 from FIG. 2 with the non-upset side protrudes into the corresponding recess in the pole pot 205 introduced. In a subsequent step 910, the return ring 210 is inserted into the pole pot 205, so that the upset side is in contact with the pole pot 205. Thereafter, the return ring is connected to the pole pot in a step 915, preferably by clinching, welding or gluing. Subsequently, the steel wire 145 is positively and non-positively attached to the electric motor 115 in the radial direction.

In a subsequent step 920, the elastic element 300, 400 is pushed axially onto the steel wire 145. Subsequently, the electric motor 115 together with the elastic member 300, 400 in such a manner in the housing 120th let in that the elastic element 300, 400 comes to rest in the recess 135 of the housing 120. Finally, the lid 125 is mounted on the housing 120. As a result, preferably an axial position of the elastic element 300, 400 is fixed.

Claims

Claims 1. A drive device (110) for a fan module (100), the drive device (110) comprising:

- An electric motor (1 15);

a housing (120); and

- A vibration damper (135, 300, 400, 600, 800) for vibration-damping attachment of the electric motor (1 15) on the housing (120);

- wherein the electric motor (1 15) has a radial engagement element (145) for engaging in the vibration damper (135, 300, 400, 600, 800),

- And the housing (120) has a radial recess (135) for receiving the vibration damper (135, 300, 400, 600, 800), characterized in that

- The vibration damper (135, 300, 400, 600, 800), the engagement member (145) rotates on a radial portion.

2. Drive device (1 10) according to claim 1, characterized in that the vibration damper (135, 300, 400, 600, 800) is shaped such that a spring stiffness of the vibration damper (135, 300, 400, 600, 800) along the Circumferential direction of the electric motor (115) is smaller than parallel to the axis of rotation of the electric motor (115).

3. Drive device (110) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the vibration damper (135, 300, 400, 600, 800) with respect to a shape of the recess (135) has a radial recess to a contact surface to the recess (135). in the circumferential direction of the electric motor (1 15) to reduce.

4. Drive device (1 10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the vibration damper (135, 300, 400, 600, 800) is shaped such that a radial outer side of the vibration damper (135, 300, 400, 600, 800 ) is curved to abut a portion of the housing (120). Drive device (1 10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the vibration damper (135, 300, 400, 600, 800) is shaped such that in the circumferential direction of the electric motor (1 15) lying boundary surface areally on a corresponding boundary surface of the Recess (135) is present.

Drive device (1 10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the engagement element (145) comprises a round metal web which is fixed to a pole pot (205) of the electric motor (1 15).

Drive device (1 10) according to claim 6, characterized in that the metal web (145) is upset on one side, wherein the upset end between the pole pot (205) and a return ring (210) of the electric motor (115) is arranged.

Drive device (1 10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the vibration damper (135, 300, 400, 600, 800) with respect to a rotation about a radius of the electric motor (1 15) is symmetrically shaped.

Drive device (1 10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a housing (120) axially terminating cover (125) is provided, wherein the vibration damper (135, 300, 400, 600, 800) in the axial direction positively between a Limitation of the recess (135) and the lid (125) is held.

Method (900) for producing a drive device (1 10) according to claim 6, comprising the following steps:

Inserting (905) the metal web (145) through a corresponding recess in the pole pot (205);

- Inserting (910) of the return ring (210) in the pole pot (205);

- connecting (915) the return ring (210) to the pole pot (205);

Sliding (920) the vibration damper (135, 300, 400, 600, 800) onto the metal web (145); and - Inserting (925) of the electric motor (1 15) in the housing, so that the vibration damper (135, 300, 400, 600, 800) in the recess (135) of the housing (120) is accommodated.