Cooling fan module

Abstract

A cooler fan module, having: a fan frame, a fan wheel recess formed in the fan frame, wherein the fan wheel recess is bounded by a frame ring, a motor mount, which is arranged within the fan wheel recess and is mechanically connected to the fan frame by means of struts, a motor, more particularly an electric motor, which is held at least partially in the motor mount, and a fan wheel, which is arranged in the fan wheel recess and is rotationally driven by the motor, wherein the cooler fan module further has a separately formed, annular structure element, which is arranged on the frame ring.

Claims

1. A cooling fan module comprising: a fan shroud defining a fan wheel recess, wherein the fan wheel recess is delimited by a shroud ring; a motor holder disposed in the fan wheel recess and mechanically connected to the fan shroud by struts; a motor at least partially held in the motor holder; a fan wheel disposed in the fan wheel recess and configured to be driven by rotation of the motor; a separately formed, ring-shaped structural element arranged on the shroud ring; and a holding device extending from the ring-shaped structural element and configured to hold a hose and/or a tubular structure and/or delimits the hose-like and/or tubular structure in at least one degree of freedom.

2. The cooling fan module of claim 1, wherein the shroud ring has a cylindrical lateral surface, wherein a vector arranged normal to the cylindrical lateral surface is oriented at least substantially perpendicular to an axis of rotation of the fan wheel.

3. The cooling fan module of claim 1, wherein the shroud ring is formed as a single piece to the fan shroud.

4. The cooling fan module of claim 1, wherein the shroud ring extends in a downstream direction away from the fan shroud to a free end.

5. The cooling fan module of claim 4, wherein the ring-shaped structural element includes a U-shaped cross-sectional geometry in a radial cross section.

6. The cooling fan module of claim 5, wherein the free end of the shroud ring radially engages the ring-shaped structural element, and/or axially engages the ring-shaped structural element, and/or is at least partially received by the U-shaped cross-sectional geometry of the ring-shaped structural element.

7. The cooling fan module of claim 6, wherein the struts are arranged on an upstream side of the fan shroud.

8. The cooling fan module of claim 1, wherein the ring-shaped structural element includes a fastening flange configured to hold the ring-shaped structural element to the fan shroud.

9. The cooling fan module of claim 1, wherein the ring-shaped structural element includes stiffening means extending in a radial and/or axial direction, on a surface, opposite the shroud ring, of the ring-shaped structural element.

10. The cooling fan module of claim 1, wherein a gap is formed in a radial direction between the fan wheel and the shroud ring, wherein the ring-shaped structural element is at least partially disposed within the gap.

11. The cooling fan module of claim 1, wherein the ring-shaped structural element includes a gap cross section reduction portion formed as a single piece with the ring-shaped structural element and extending in a radial cross section towards the fan wheel wherein the gap cross section reduction portion is inclined at an angle α relative to an adjoining portion of the ring-shaped structural element, wherein the angle α ranges between 30° and 150°.

12. The cooling fan module of claim 11, wherein the angle α is at least 90°.

13. A cooling fan module comprising: a fan shroud defining an opening including a periphery defined by a shroud ring, wherein the shroud ring has a partial U-shaped cross section including a first end and a second end; a motor holder disposed in the opening; a plurality of struts extending between the motor holder and a portion of the fan shroud; a fan wheel disposed in the opening and configured to be driven by a motor received by the motor holder to rotate about a rotational axis, wherein the fan wheel includes an outer ring at least partially aligned with the first end in an axial direction, wherein the axial direction is parallel to the rotational axis; and a ring-shaped structural element having a U-shaped cross section defining an opening, wherein when the ring-shaped structural element is fixed to the fan shroud, the opening receives the second end of the shroud ring.

14. The cooling fan module of claim 13, wherein the portion of the fan shroud is formed by the second end of the shroud ring.

15. The cooling fan module of claim 14, further comprising a mounting flange extending from an outer periphery of the ring-shaped structural element and defining an aperture configured to receive a fastener to attach the ring-shaped structural element to the fan shroud.

16. The cooling fan module of claim 13, wherein the ring-shaped structural element includes an inner periphery formed by a gap cross section reduction portion, wherein the gap cross section reduction portion defines a radial plane along an angle α, wherein the angle α ranges between 60° and 120°.

17. A cooling fan module comprising: a fan shroud defining an opening including a periphery defined by a shroud ring; a motor holder disposed in the opening; a plurality of struts extending between the motor holder and a portion of the fan shroud; a fan wheel disposed in the opening and configured to be driven by a motor received by the motor holder to rotate about a rotational axis; and a ring-shaped structural element including an inner surface and an outer surface, wherein the inner surface defines an opening that engages the fan shroud, and wherein the outer surface includes a holding device defining a recess configured to receive a hose.

18. The cooling fan module of claim 17, further comprising a blocking element disposed in the holding recess and configured to retain the hose.

19. The cooling fan module of claim 17, wherein the shroud ring includes a partial U-shaped cross section including a first end a second end, the ring-shaped structural element having a second U-shaped cross section and defining an opening, wherein the opening receives the second end of the shroud ring.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Further advantageous refinements of the present invention will emerge from the subclaims and the following description of preferred embodiments. In this regard, the figures show, partially in schematic form:

(2) FIG. 1 a sectional view of a cooling fan module according to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein the axis of rotation lies in the section plane of the illustration;

(3) FIG. 2 an enlarged sectional view of the cooling fan module from FIG. 1 in a further sectional illustration;

(4) FIG. 2a a three-dimensional illustration of a detail of the ring-shaped structural element;

(5) FIG. 2b an enlarged detail of the illustration in FIG. 2 in the region of the gap between shroud ring and fan wheel outer ring;

(6) FIG. 3 a three-dimensional illustration of a ring-shaped structural element according to an embodiment of the present invention;

(7) FIG. 4 a cooling fan module according to an embodiment of the present invention in a three-dimensional illustration; and

(8) FIG. 5 a three-dimensional detail illustration of a cooling fan module according to an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(9) As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention that may be embodied in various and alternative forms. The figures are not necessarily to scale; some features may be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particular components. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention.

(10) FIG. 1 shows a sectional view of a cooling fan module 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein the axis of rotation lies in the section plane of the illustration.

(11) In the illustrated embodiment, the cooling fan module 10 is arranged in the vicinity of a cooling 20, in particular directly at a cooling 20. The air flow direction L indicated by an arrow shows that the cooling fan module 10 is arranged on the downstream side of the cooling 20. The cooling fan module 10 in the illustrated embodiment has: a fan shroud 2, a fan wheel recess 4 which is formed in the fan shroud 2, wherein the fan wheel recess 4 is delimited by a shroud ring 2a, a motor holder 3 which is arranged within the fan wheel recess 4 and which is mechanically connected to the fan shroud 2 by means of struts 7, a motor 5, in particular electric motor 5, which is at least partially held in the motor holder 3, and a fan wheel 6 which is arranged in the fan wheel recess 4 and which is driven in rotation by the motor 5, wherein the cooling fan module furthermore has a separately formed, ring-shaped structural element 8 which is arranged on the shroud ring 2a.

(12) In other words: the fan wheel 6 is inserted in the fan wheel recess 4 of the fan shroud 2 of the downstream cooling fan module 10. Said fan wheel is electrically driven by means of the electric motor 5, which is fastened by means of the struts 7 and the motor holder 3 to the shroud. The separately formed ring-shaped structural element 8 is mounted onto the fan shroud 2.

(13) The shroud ring 2a has a cylindrical lateral surface, wherein a normal vector of the cylindrical lateral surface is oriented at least substantially perpendicular to an axis of rotation of the fan wheel 6. In the illustrated embodiment, the shroud ring 2a is formed as a single piece with the fan shroud 2. The shroud ring 2a extends in a downstream direction away from the fan shroud 2 as far as a free end 2a1. The ring-shaped structural element 8 has a U-shaped cross-sectional geometry 8a in a radial cross section (not shown in FIG. 1). The free end 2a1 of the shroud ring 2a is engaged around in a radial direction by the ring-shaped structural element 8 and is at least partially received in the U-shaped cross-sectional geometry 8a of the ring-shaped structural element 8.

(14) Correspondingly to the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, the struts 7 are arranged on a downstream side of the fan shroud 2.

(15) FIG. 2 shows an enlarged sectional view of the cooling fan module from FIG. 1 in a further sectional illustration, FIG. 2a shows a three-dimensional illustration of a detail of the ring-shaped structural element 8, and FIG. 2b shows an enlarged detail of the illustration in FIG. 2 in the region of the gap between shroud ring 2a and fan wheel outer ring 6a.

(16) The embodiments of the present invention illustrated in FIGS. 2, 2a and 2b show in particular the individual portions of the ring-shaped structural element 8. Aside from the U-shaped cross-sectional geometry 8a, the ring-shaped structural element 8 has stiffening means, in particular ribs, 8b, a gap cross section reduction portion 8c, and a fastening means, in particular a fastening flange, 8d.

(17) Also visible is a hose-like and/or tubular structure 30 which is led past the fan wheel 6, in particular the fan wheel outer ring 6a, in the region of the ring-shaped structural element. Between the shroud ring 2a and the fan wheel 6, which is delimited by an outer ring 6a, there is formed a gap S which is required to permit a rotation of the fan wheel 6 within the fan wheel recess 4 (see FIG. 1). The fastening means, in particular the fastening flange, 8c is provided, in particular configured, for holding the ring-shaped structural element 8 on the fan shroud 2. Said ring-shaped structural element may be connected by one or more screws, or riveted, welded, adhesively bonded or mechanically fixed in some other way. The rib-like, stiffening means 8b may extend, for example, in a radial and/or axial direction, on a surface, situated opposite the shroud ring 2a, of the ring-shaped structural element 8. The ring-shaped structural element 8 is arranged at least partially within the gap S. Furthermore, the ring-shaped structural element 8 has the gap cross section reduction portion 8d, mentioned in the introduction, which is in particular formed as a single piece with the ring-shaped structural element 8 and which extends, in a radial cross section, in the direction of the fan wheel 6, in particular in the direction of an outer ring of the fan wheel 6, and which is inclined at an angle α relative to the adjoining portion of the ring-shaped structural element 8, wherein the angle α is spanned in a radial plane in which the axis of rotation also extends and amounts to at least substantially 90° in the present case.

(18) FIG. 3 shows a three-dimensional illustration of a ring-shaped structural element 8 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

(19) The embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3 has a total of four fastening flanges 8d and two holding devices 8e. The holding devices 8e may either serve for guiding one and the same hose-like and/or tubular structure or else may guide two different hose-like and/or tubular structures. In the embodiment illustrated, the hose-like and/or tubular structures (not illustrated) lie in a U-shaped receptacle of the holding device 8e and are hereby constrained in four degrees of freedom.

(20) As can likewise be seen from FIG. 3, it is possible for differently designed fastening means, in particular fastening flanges, 8d to be provided for fastening the ring-shaped structural element 8 to the fan shroud 2. Here, it is possible to use either in each case the same joining method, such as a screw connection, or a different one of the joining methods described above, or a mixture thereof.

(21) FIG. 4 shows a cooling fan module according to an embodiment of the present invention in a three-dimensional illustration, wherein, here, the ring-shaped structural element 8 of FIG. 3 is arranged on a fan shroud 2 according to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein the fastening means, in particular the screws, are not illustrated.

(22) FIG. 5 shows a three-dimensional detail illustration of a cooling fan module 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

(23) In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 5, the holding device 8 has a separate blocking element 8e1, which in particular has metal and which delimits the hose-like and/or tubular structure 30 in at least one degree of freedom, in particular by at least substantially completely surrounding the hose-like and/or tubular structure 30 in a cross-sectional direction aside from an insertion opening.

(24) The embodiment illustrated in the figures is distinguished in particular by the fact that it combines at least one, in particular two, in particular all, of the following advantages: stabilization of the fan shroud adaptation of the gap geometry; and provision of a holder for hose-like and/or tubular structures.

(25) Thus, for the first time, a structure has been proposed, in the design of which at least one, in particular two, in particular all, of the above-stated characteristics can be individually adapted to the respective set of requirements. Here, depending on the embodiment, it is furthermore possible to realize yet further advantages with regard to simplified assembly of the fan wheel.

(26) Although exemplary embodiments have been discussed in the description above, it is pointed out that numerous modifications are possible. In particular, such a design according to the invention of the fan shroud is also suitable for dissipating waste heat from components of a purely electrically operated vehicle. It is furthermore pointed out that the exemplary embodiments are merely examples which are in no way intended to restrict the scope of protection, the usages and the construction. Rather, the above description provides a person skilled in the art with a guide for implementing at least one exemplary embodiment, wherein various modifications, in particular with regard to the function and arrangement of the described constituent parts, may be made without departing from the scope of protection as defined by the claims and feature combinations equivalent thereto.

(27) The following is a list of reference numbers shown in the Figures. However, it should be understood that the use of these terms is for illustrative purposes only with respect to one embodiment. And, use of reference numbers correlating a certain term that is both illustrated in the Figures and present in the claims is not intended to limit the claims to only cover the illustrated embodiment.

LIST OF REFERENCE DESIGNATIONS

(28) 2 Fan shroud 2a Shroud ring 2a1 Free end 3 Motor holder 4 Fan wheel recess 5 (Electric) motor 6 Fan wheel 6a (Fan wheel) outer ring 7 Strut 8 Ring-shaped structural element 8a U-shaped cross-sectional geometry 8b Stiffening means, in particular rib 8c Gap cross section reduction portion 8d Fastening means, in particular fastening flange 8e Holding device 8e1 Blocking element 10 Cooling fan module 20 Cooling 30 Hose-like and/or tubular structure, in particular hose L Air flow direction S Gap

(29) While exemplary embodiments are described above, it is not intended that these embodiments describe all possible forms of the invention. Rather, the words used in the specification are words of description rather than limitation, and it is understood that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Additionally, the features of various implementing embodiments may be combined to form further embodiments of the invention.