(19)
(11) EP 0 924 436 B1

(12) EUROPEAN PATENT SPECIFICATION

(45) Mention of the grant of the patent:
21.04.2004 Bulletin 2004/17

(21) Application number: 98830730.2

(22) Date of filing: 03.12.1998
(51) International Patent Classification (IPC)7F04D 29/42, F04D 29/02, F04D 29/66

(54)

Fan casing

Lüftergehäuse

Boîtier d' un ventilateur


(84) Designated Contracting States:
DE FR GB IT NL

(30) Priority: 17.12.1997 IT MC970027 U

(43) Date of publication of application:
23.06.1999 Bulletin 1999/25

(73) Proprietor: L.N. di NATALINI LINO & C. - S.r.l.
62010-Montecassiano (MC) (IT)

(72) Inventor:
  • Natalini, Lino
    Macerata (IT)

(74) Representative: Baldi, Claudio 
Piazza Ghislieri, 3
60035 Jesi (Ancona)
60035 Jesi (Ancona) (IT)


(56) References cited: : 
EP-A- 0 596 837
FR-A- 2 584 146
   
       
    Note: Within nine months from the publication of the mention of the grant of the European patent, any person may give notice to the European Patent Office of opposition to the European patent granted. Notice of opposition shall be filed in a written reasoned statement. It shall not be deemed to have been filed until the opposition fee has been paid. (Art. 99(1) European Patent Convention).


    Description


    [0001] This patent application refers to a fan for installation in gas boilers with proof combustion, which is provided with a die-cast aluminum casing including a bracket for the support and centering of the motor-rotor assembly.

    [0002] As it is known, the combustion chamber of the "proof combustion" boilers is hermetically sealed and works in light depression thanks to the suction action of a fan, used to suck in the fumes of the combustion chamber and push them along the flue from which the said fumes are expelled into the air.

    [0003] The fan comprises a centrifuge rotor with cylindrical cage configuration housed inside a spiral composed of two semi-shells that is rigidly fixed to the boiler frame. The motor-rotor assembly is supported on the outside of the back wall of the spiral with the interposition of some anti-vibration rubber collars, used to prevent the assembly vibrations from being integrally transmitted to the spiral and from the spiral to the boiler casing. thus generating annoying noises.

    [0004] It is a common practice today to screw a bracket used as an additional support for the motor-rotor assembly onto the external side of the back wall of the spiral. The bracket supports the whole weight of the motor-rotor assembiy during the operation of the fan that is fixed to the boiler casing with the driving shaft in perfectly horizontal position.

    [0005] Since the orientation of the fan on the boiler casing is known in advance, the bracket is located in such a position that, once the fan is installed, the bracket is located on the projection of the barycenter of the motor-rotor assembly, in order to represent a perfectly centered point of support with respect to the barycenter of the motor-rotor assembly above it.

    [0006] The assembling and fixing of the bracket to the fan casing is usually carried out manually. Even if this operation is carried out by specialized workers, it is not possible to guarantee with utmost certainty that all the brackets are positioned exactly in the same position on the fan casing.

    [0007] Even a small inaccuracy in the bracket position may prejudice the perfect centering of the motor-rotor assembly with respect to the casing, thus causing strong vibrations able to generate annoying noises during the operation of the fan.

    [0008] A fan for gas boilers of the type described above is illustrated in European patent No. EP-A-0596837 wherein the anti-vibration rubber collars that support the motor-rotor assembly are located on a bracket screwed to the external wall of the spiral. In French patent No. FR-A-0596837, instead, is described a monoblock die-cast aluminum fan.

    [0009] The purpose of the present invention is to find a solution to guarantee with utmost accuracy and reliability the perfect position of the bracket outside the spiral of the fans that are normally used in proof combustion boilers.

    [0010] This purpose is obtained with a fan with die-cast aluminum casing including the above-mentioned bracket located outside the fan spiral.

    [0011] For clearer explication, the description of the fan model according to this invention continues with reference to the enclosed drawings, which oniy have an explanatory, not restrictive purpose, where:
    • Fig. 1 is a view of the first of the two semi-shells used to build the fan casing according to this invention;
    • Fig. 2 is a view of the internal side of the first of the two semi-shells as mentioned above;
    • Fig. 3 is a view of the external side of the first of the two semi-shells as mentioned above;
    • Fig. 4 is a view of the second of the two semi-shells used to build the fan casing according to this invention;
    • Fig. 5 is a view of the internal side of the second of the two semi-shells as mentioned above;
    • Fig. 6 is a view of the external side of the second of the two semi-shells as mentioned above;
    • Fig. 7 and 8 are two views with different angle of the fan provided with the motor-rotor assembly.


    [0012] With reference to the above mentioned figures, the fan according to this invention features an ordinary centrifuge rotor with cylindrical cage configuration - not shown in the enclosed drawings since it is of known structure and does not have anything to do with the present invention - housed inside a spiral composed of two semi-shells (1 and 2).

    [0013] The bottom wall (1 a) of the first semi-shell (1) features a small central hole (1b) for the shaft of the electrical motor (M) that operates the above mentioned rotor, which is screwed onto the external side of the bottom wall (1a) provided with an annular series of drilled indentations (1c) used to fix the support U bolt (C) of the motor-rotor assembly with the interposition of anti-vibration rubber collars (G).

    [0014] The bottom wall (2a) of the second semi-shell (2) features a wide circular window (2b) that represents the suction opening of the fan.

    [0015] The fan casing is obtained by matching the two semi-shells (1 and 2) to obtain a spiral ending with a nozzle of circular delivery (4) obtained half with the semi-shell (1) and half with the semi-shell (2).

    [0016] It must be noted that according to the present invention each semi-shell (1 and 2) is obtained from one die-cast aluminum piece.

    [0017] The external wall of the semi-shell (1) features a bracket (5) obtained from one die-cast piece together with the semi-shell, composed of a small shelf (5a) that projects perpendicularly from the said wall and is tangent to the circumference on which the above mentioned annular series of drilled indentations is distributed.

    [0018] The shelf (5a) is hardened by a lateral pair of triangular pieces and features a central hole (5c) on which the anti-shock rubber (G) is located to support the weight of the motor-rotor assembly, once the fan is instalied inside the boiler.


    Claims

    1. Fan for gas boilers with proof combustion, provided with a die-cast aluminum casing, of the type comprising a centrifuge rotor housed inside a spiral made up of two symmetrically matched die-cast aluminum semi-shells (1 and 2), wherein the second semi-shall (2) features a bottom wall (2a) provided with a wide circular window (2b) that represents the suction opening of the fan, while the first semi-shall (1) features a bottom wall (1a) provided with an annular series of drilled indentations (1c) to fix a U bolt (C) supporting the motor rotor assembly and also a bracket (5) composed of a small-shelf (5a) that projects perpendicularly from the said wall and is tangent to the circumference on which the said annular series of drilled indentations (1c) is distributed; fan characterized in that the said semi-shells (1 and 2) are respectively obtained from the same die-cast aluminum piece and also in that the bracket (5) is obtained from the same die-cast aluminum piece as the first semi-shell (1).
     
    2. Fan according to the claim 1, characterized in that the small shelf (5a) is hardened by a lateral pair of triangular pieces (5b) obtained from the same die-cast aluminum piece as the bracket (5) and features a central hole (5c).
     


    Ansprüche

    1. Ventilator für Gasheizkessel mit luftdichter Brennkammer, der mit einem Gehäuse aus Druckgussaluminium jenes Typs versehen ist, der ein Zentrifugenlaufrad besitzt, welches in einer Förderschnecke untergebracht ist, die aus zwei spiegelgleich zusammengefügten Halbschalen (1 und 2) besteht, wobei die Halbschale (2) eine Bodenwand (2a) besitzt, die mit einem großen Rundfenster (2b) versehen ist, durch welches Luft vom Ventilator angesaugt wird, während die Halbschale (1) eine Bodenwand (1a) besitzt, auf welcher ringförmig angebrachte, gelochte Erhebungen (1c) zur Befestigung eines Bügelbolzens (C) zur Halterung der Motoren-Laufradgruppe sowie ein Winkeleisen (5) vorgesehen ist, das aus einer Konsole (5a) besteht, welche senkrecht das der genannten Bodenwand (1a) hervorsteht und den Umkreis berührt, auf dem die ringförmig angebrachten, gelochten Erhebungen (1c) verteilt sind; welcher Ventilator dadurch gekennzeichnet ist, dass die genannten Halbschalen (1 und 2) jeweils einstückig aus Aluminium druckgegossen werden und dass auch das Winkeleisen (5) einstückig mittels Druckguss zusammen mit der Halbschale (1) hergestellt wird.
     
    2. Ventilator gemäß vorstehendem Anspruch, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass die Konsole (5a) durch ein Paar seitliche, dreieckige Eckbleche (5b) versteift ist, die mittels Druckguss einstückig zusammen mit dem Winkeleisen (5) hergestellt werden und ein Loch (5c) in der Mitte besitzt.
     


    Revendications

    1. Ventilateur pour chaudières à gaz à combustion étanche, doté d'une carcasse en aluminium moulée sous pression, du type comprenant une couronne mobile centrifuge nichée dans une vis hélicoïdale formée de deux semi-coques (1 et 2) couplées de manière spéculaire, où la semi-coque (2) présente une paroi de fond (2a) dotée d'une grande baie circulaire (2b) à travers laquelle l'air du ventilateur est aspirée, tandis que la semi-coque (1) présente une paroi de fond (1a) sur laquelle est prévue une série annulaire de balèvres percées (1c) pour la fixation d'un cavalier de support (C) du groupe moteur-couronne mobile, ainsi que d'une équerre (5) constituée d'une tablette (5a) qui déborde perpendiculairement de la dite paroi de fond (1a) et qui résulte tangente à la circonférence le long de laquelle la dite série annulaire de balèvres percées (1c) est distribuée; ventilateur caractérisé en ce que les dites semi-coques (1 et 2) sont respectivement réalisées dans une seule pièce en aluminium moulée sous pression et en ce que l'équerre (5) est réalisée en une seule pièce moulée sous pression avec la semi-coque (1).
     
    2. Ventilateur selon la revendication précédente, caractérisé en ce que la dite tablette (5a) est renforcée par une paire latérale d'éléments triangulaires (5b), réalisés en une seule pièce de fusion avec l'équerre (5), et présente un perçage central.
     




    Drawing