Blowing device and combustion device including same

Abstract

Provided is a blowing device capable of improving a noise reduction effect as compared with a conventional case, and a combustion device including the blowing device is provided. In a rear side shroud of an impeller configuring a blowing device, a first inclined surface portion that is inclined so as to be located frontward toward the radial outer side is formed in a front surface portion of the rear side shroud in a region close to the outer peripheral edge, while a second inclined surface portion that is inclined so as to be located rearward toward the radial outer side is formed in a front surface portion of the rear side shroud in a region closer to the center than the first inclined surface portion.

Claims

1. A blowing device, comprising: a casing comprising a front side wall portion forming an intake port for allowing an air outside to flow inside, and a rear side wall portion facing the front side wall portion at an interval; and an impeller that is arranged in the casing in a rotatable state between the front side wall portion and the rear side wall portion, wherein the impeller is equipped with a plurality of blades spaced apart from each other in a circumferential direction between a front side shroud and a rear side shroud, and enables the air that has flown inside from the intake port to flow outward from a region between the front side shroud and the rear side shroud, wherein a first inclined surface portion that is inclined so as to be located frontward toward a radial outer side is provided in a front surface portion of the rear side shroud of the impeller in a region close to an outer peripheral edge of the rear side shroud, while a second inclined surface portion that is inclined so as to be located rearward toward the radial outer side is provided in the front surface portion of the rear side shroud in a region closer to a center of the impeller than the first inclined surface portion, a third inclined surface portion that is inclined so as to be located frontward toward the radial outer side is provided in a rear surface portion of the front side shroud in a region close to the outer peripheral edge, while a fourth inclined surface portion that is inclined so as to be located rearward toward the radial outer side is provided in a rear surface portion of the front side shroud in a region closer to the center than the third inclined surface portion; wherein the second inclined surface portion is configured to change an angle of the air to an obtuse angle between a first direction and a second direction, the first direction is a direction in which the air is outside the casing flows in from the intake port to a vicinity of a central portion on an inner side of the impeller, and the second direction is a direction in which the air is guided by the second inclined surface portion; wherein the impeller is provided by being sandwiched between respective outer peripheral edges of the front side shroud and the rear side shroud, and has an air outflow opening portion that enables an air outflow to an air flow path; wherein a space region is provided on a front side of the front side shroud in the casing, the space region having a volume is disposed opposite to the air outflow opening portion, the space region is configured to make the air travel from the air outflow opening portion through the air flow path to the space region, and a front-rear width of the space region is larger than a front-rear width of the air outflow opening portion.

2. The blowing device according to claim 1, wherein the first inclined surface portion and the second inclined surface portion are connected to each other without a step.

3. The blowing device according to claim 2, wherein a drive shaft connection region to which a drive shaft of a motor that supports and rotates the impeller is connected is arranged in the central portion of the rear side shroud with an area smaller than that of the intake port, and the second inclined surface portion is located at a rear of a front surface portion of the drive shaft connection region, and extends toward the radial outer side of the drive shaft connection region.

4. The blowing device according to claim 3, wherein at least ½ of the air outflow opening portion is located in front of the front surface portion of the drive shaft connection region.

5. The blowing device according to claim 1, wherein a drive shaft connection region to which a drive shaft of a motor that supports and rotates the impeller is connected is arranged in the central portion of the rear side shroud with an area smaller than that of the intake port, and the second inclined surface portion is located at a rear of a front surface portion of the drive shaft connection region, and extends toward the radial outer side of the drive shaft connection region.

6. The blowing device according to claim 5, wherein at least ½ of the air outflow opening portion is located in front of the front surface portion of the drive shaft connection region.

7. A combustion device, comprising: a burner; and a blowing device for supplying combustion air to the burner, wherein the blowing device according to claim 1 is used as the blowing device.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a front cross-sectional view showing a simplified example of a blowing device according to the disclosure.

(2) FIG. 2A is a cross-sectional view taken along a line II-II of FIG. 1, and FIG. 2B is an action illustration diagram of FIG. 2A.

(3) FIG. 3 is an exploded cross-sectional view of FIG. 2A.

(4) FIG. 4 is a main part exploded cross-sectional view of an impeller of the blowing device shown in FIGS. 1 to 3.

(5) FIG. 5 is a main part cross-sectional view showing an example of a combustion device including the blowing device shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 and a hot water supply device using the combustion device.

(6) FIG. 6 is a main part cross-sectional view showing another example of the disclosure.

(7) FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of the prior art.

(8) FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing another example of the prior art.

DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

(9) A preferable embodiment of the disclosure is specifically described below with reference to the drawings.

(10) Note that, for ease of understanding, the same reference numerals as those shown in FIG. 7 and FIG. 8 are appropriately used for the same or similar elements as those of the prior art shown in FIG. 7 and FIG. 8.

(11) A blowing device A shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 is a centrifugal-type blowing device. As is well shown in FIG. 2A, FIG. 2B and FIG. 3, the blowing device A includes an impeller 1, a casing 2 that accommodates the impeller 1 inside, and a motor M for drive rotation of the impeller 1.

(12) The impeller 1 includes a front side shroud 12, a rear side shroud 13, and a plurality of blades 11. As shown in FIG. 1, the plurality of blades 11 are radially arranged to line up at an interval in a circumferential direction of the impeller 1, and extend substantially linearly in a radial direction, and the blowing device A in the embodiment is configured as a radial fan. The front side shroud 12 has a hollow disk shape in which an intake opening portion 14 is formed in a central portion, and is located in front of the plurality of blades 11. The rear side shroud 13 has a disk shape having substantially the same outer diameter as the front side shroud 12, and is located at the rear of the plurality of blades 11. As shown in FIG. 4, a plurality of hole portions 16b into which a plurality of convex portions 16a for caulking, which are respectively protruded from the front part and the rear part of each blade 11 are inserted, are arranged in the front side shroud 12 and the rear side shroud 13. By caulking the convex portions 16a, the front side shroud 12 and the rear side shroud 13 are connected to the plurality of blades 11.

(13) The detailed shape of the front side shroud 12 and the rear side shroud 13 is described later.

(14) As is well shown in FIG. 2A, FIG. 2B and FIG. 3, the casing 2 has a front side wall portion 21, a rear side wall portion 22, and a peripheral wall portion 20. The peripheral wall portion 20 surrounds an outer periphery of the impeller 1 and has an air blowing port 4a at the upper part. An air flow path 4 guiding the air flowing out from the impeller 1 to the air blowing port 4a is formed between an outer peripheral distal end portion of the impeller 1 and the peripheral wall portion 20 of the casing 2. The front side wall portion 21 has an intake port 24 and a tubular guide portion 24a having an inward projection shape and formed on a peripheral edge portion of the intake port 24.

(15) The rear side wall portion 22 of the casing 2 is configured by combining a main rear side wall portion 22a connected to the peripheral wall portion 20 and an auxiliary rear side wall portion 22b different from the main rear side wall portion 22a. An opening portion 25 having a diameter larger than that of the impeller 1 is formed in the main rear side wall portion 22a. The opening portion 25 is used as an entrance/exit port of the impeller 1 during assembly work and maintenance of the blowing device A. The auxiliary rear side wall portion 22b is a section that closes the opening portion 25 and serves as an attachment plate for attaching the motor M, and the auxiliary rear side wall portion 22b is attached to the main rear side wall portion 22a via a screw 5b. The motor M is attached to the auxiliary rear side wall portion 22b via screws 5.

(16) In the rear side shroud 13 of the impeller 1, a peripheral region of a drive shaft connection region 13c located in the central portion is curved, and a front surface portion of the curved region is formed as a first inclined surface portion 13a and a second inclined surface portion 13b.

(17) The drive shaft connection region 13c of the rear side shroud 13 is a region used for connecting a drive shaft 30 of the motor M, and is a flat plate-like region located in a central portion of the rear side shroud 13 with an area smaller than an opening area of the intake port 24 (and the intake opening portion 14). The drive shaft 30 of the motor M penetrates through the drive shaft connection region 13c, a nut 30a screwed into the drive shaft 30 is tightened in the drive shaft connection region 13c, and the drive shaft 30 and the rear side shroud 13 are connected. Thereby, the impeller 1 is supported by the drive shaft 30 of the motor M to be rotatable.

(18) The second inclined surface portion 13b of the rear side shroud 13 is located on the periphery of the drive shaft connection region 13c and connected to the drive shaft connection region 13c, and is located closer to the center of the rear side shroud 13 than the first inclined surface portion 13a. The second inclined surface portion 13b is inclined so as to be located rearward as it progresses toward the radial outer side. Therefore, the second inclined surface portion 13b is located at the rear of a front surface portion of the drive shaft connection region 13c in a front-rear direction of the blowing device A. In addition, a part (a central side part) of the second inclined surface portion 13b faces the intake port 24 (and the intake opening portion 14).

(19) The first inclined surface portion 13a of the rear side shroud 13 is arranged close to the outer peripheral edge of the rear side shroud 13, and is located on an outer periphery of the second inclined surface portion 13b and connected to the second inclined surface portion 13b. Contrary to the second inclined surface portion 13b, the first inclined surface portion 13a is inclined so as to be located on the front side as it progresses toward the radial outer side.

(20) In the embodiment, the first inclined surface portion 13a and the second inclined surface portion 13b both have a curved shape, and are connected to each other without a step. As a whole, the first inclined surface portion 13a and the second inclined surface portion 13b form one concave curved surface recessed rearward.

(21) The front side shroud 12 is curved in the same form as the above-described curved region of the rear side shroud 13, and includes a third inclined surface portion 12a and a fourth inclined surface portion 12b as a rear surface portion of the front side shroud 12. The third inclined surface portion 12a is a rear surface portion in a region close to the outer peripheral edge of the front side shroud 12, and is inclined so as to be located frontward toward the radial outer side. The fourth inclined surface portion 12b is a rear surface portion in a region closer to the center of the front side shroud 12 than the third inclined surface portion 12a, and is inclined so as to be located rearward toward the radial outer side. These third inclined surface portion 12a and fourth inclined surface portion 12b both have a curved shape, and are connected to each other without a step. As a whole, the third inclined surface portion 12a and the fourth inclined surface portion 12b form one convex curved surface protruded rearward.

(22) An air outflow opening portion 15 is formed between the respective outer peripheral edges of the front side shroud 12 and the rear side shroud 13 of the impeller 1, and is configured in a manner that the air that has entered the central region of the impeller 1 from the outside of the casing 2 via the intake port 24 flows out from the opening portion 15 to the air flow path 4 on the outer periphery of the impeller 1. Here, in the embodiment, substantially the entire opening portion 15 having a front-rear width W is set to be located in front of the front surface portion (an extension line La of the front surface portion) of the drive shaft connection region 13c based on the fact that the rear side shroud 13 has the above curved shape.

(23) The blowing device A described above is used as, for example, a constituent element of a combustion device C configuring a hot water supply device WH as shown in FIG. 5.

(24) The hot water supply device WH shown in FIG. 5 includes the combustion device C and a heat exchanger 9, the combustion device C includes a burner 8 arranged in a case 80, and the blowing device A can supply combustion air to the burner 8. The heat exchanger 9 includes a heat transfer tube 90, and by recovering heat from combustion gas generated by the burner 8, the water flowing in the heat transfer tube 90 is heated to generate warm water.

(25) Next, the action of the blowing device A described above is described.

(26) First, when the impeller 1 is rotated, as shown by an arrow N1 in FIG. 2B, the air outside the casing 2 flows in from the intake port 24 to the vicinity of the central portion on the inner side of the impeller 1, and a part of the air will travel toward the radial outer side along the front surface portion of the rear side shroud 13. At that time, the air is guided by the second inclined surface portion 13b of the rear side shroud 13, but because the second inclined surface portion 13b is located rearward toward the radial outer side, a direction change angle α1 of the air is prevented from being an acute angle, and an action of suppressing a sudden change of the air flow direction is obtained. An effect of reducing noise can also be exhibited thereby.

(27) Next, the above-described air flows out from the opening portion 15 to the air flow path 4 in a state of being guided by the first inclined surface portion 13a of the rear side shroud 13, and the first inclined surface portion 13a is inclined so as to be located frontward toward the radial outer side as described above. Therefore, the air flowing out from the opening portion 15 to the air flow path 4 travels in a direction away from the rear side wall portion 22 of the casing 2 as shown by an arrow N2. As a result, strong collision of the air with the rear side wall portion 22 and occurrence of the turbulent flow are appropriately prevented or suppressed, and the noise serving as an aerodynamic sound caused by the turbulent flow of the air can be effectively reduced.

(28) When air flows out from the opening portion 15 of the impeller 1 to the air flow path 4, a large amount of air flows in the direction shown by an arrow N3 in FIG. 2B are also generated. However, this air flow travels toward a space region Sa having a relatively large volume, which is formed on the inner side of the casing 2. Therefore, the air flow shown by the arrow N3 described above does not generate large noise as well.

(29) A part of the air traveling from the intake port 24 to the central portion region on the inner side of the impeller 1 sequentially flows along the second inclined surface portion 13b and the first inclined surface portion 13a of the rear side shroud 13, and these first inclined surface portion 13a and second inclined surface portion 13b are connected in a smooth state without a step as described above. Therefore, the above flow of air becomes smooth, which is more preferable in noise reduction.

(30) As described above, the front side shroud 12 of the impeller 1 has the third inclined surface portion 12a and the fourth inclined surface portion 12b which are inclined in the same manner as the first inclined surface portion 13a and the second inclined surface portion 13b of the rear side shroud 13. Therefore, it is possible to more thoroughly prevent the sudden change of the flow of air that has entered the region close to the center on the inner side of the impeller 1 from the intake port 24 when the air travels toward the radial outer side of the impeller, and the collision of the air with the rear side wall portion 22 of the casing 2 when the air flows out to the air flow path 4 on the radial outer side of the impeller 1. As a result, the quietness can be further improved.

(31) In the embodiment, substantially the entire width of the air outflow opening portion 15 of the impeller 1 is located in front of the front surface portion of the drive shaft connection region 13c; according to this configuration, the impeller 1 is supported in a state that the drive shaft 30 of the motor M is set to be relatively short, the vibration of the impeller 1 when the impeller 1 is rotated is suppressed, and the air outflow opening portion 15 can be appropriately separated from the rear side wall portion 22 toward the front side thereof. If the opening portion 15 is separated from the rear side wall portion 22 toward the front side thereof, the air is prevented from strongly striking the rear side wall portion 22 and the noise prevention effect is improved correspondingly.

(32) FIG. 6 shows another embodiment of the disclosure. In FIG. 6, elements that are the same as or similar to those of the above-described embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals as those of the above-described embodiment, and duplicate description is omitted.

(33) In the embodiment shown in FIG. 6, the extension line La of the front surface portion of the drive shaft connection region 13c of the impeller 1 is located at a position crossing the air outflow opening portion 15, and at least ½ or more of the front-rear width of the opening portion 15 is located in front of the front surface portion (the extension line La thereof). That is, Wa and Wb in FIG. 6 have a relationship of Wa≥Wb.

(34) According to this configuration, the air outflow opening portion 15 is located well forward with reference to the front surface portion of the drive shaft connection region 13c. Therefore, it is preferable to set an arrangement, similar to the above-described embodiment, in which the dimension of the drive shaft 30 of the motor M is shortened, the vibration of the impeller is suppressed, and the air outflow opening portion 15 is separated from the rear side wall portion 22 of the casing 2 toward the front side thereof.

(35) Additionally, in the disclosure, a configuration can also be adopted in which the entire air outflow opening portion 15 is located at the rear of the front surface portion of the drive shaft connection region 13c.

(36) The disclosure is not limited to the contents of the above-described embodiments. The specific configuration of each part of the blowing device and the combustion device according to the disclosure can be designed and changed in various ways within the indented scope of the disclosure.

(37) In the above-described embodiment, the first inclined surface portion 13a and the second inclined surface portion 13b of the rear side shroud 13 of the impeller 1 both have a curved shape; alternatively, both or one of them can also be configured as an inclined surface portion having a planar shape.

(38) In addition, in the above-described embodiment, the first inclined surface portion 13a and the second inclined surface portion 13b have a configuration of being adjacent to each other and directly connected to each other, but the disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, a configuration can also be adopted in which a non-inclined intermediate region is formed between the first inclined surface portion 13a and the second inclined surface portion 13b, and the first inclined surface portion 13a and the second inclined surface portion 13b are connected to each other via the intermediate region.

(39) It is sufficient if the first inclined surface portion referred to in the disclosure is formed in the region close to the outer peripheral edge of the rear side shroud, and the second inclined surface portion is formed in the region closer to the center than the first inclined surface portion, and the specific size (area) thereof, the ratio thereof, and the like are not limited. The specific inclined angle thereof is also not limited. The same applies to the third inclined surface portion 12a and the fourth inclined surface portion 12b of the front side shroud 12.

(40) The rear side wall portion of the casing is not limited to the configuration in which the main rear side wall portion 22a and the auxiliary rear side wall portion 22b are combined as in the above-described embodiment, and a configuration formed by, for example, using only one plate-shaped member without using a member corresponding to the auxiliary rear side wall portion 22b (a configuration in which the motor is directly attached to the main rear side wall portion 22a) can also be adopted.

(41) The blowing device A of the above-described embodiment is configured as a radial fan in which each of the plurality of blades 11 extends substantially linearly in the radial direction; alternatively, the blowing device A can also be configured as, for example, a turbo fan or the like having a configuration in which each of the plurality of blades is curved. It should be noted that the radial fan can control the air flow more accurately by the disclosure than the turbo fan, and the case where the disclosure is applied to a radial fan rather than a turbo fan can obtain an excellent noise reduction effect.

(42) The blowing device according to the disclosure can also be used for other applications instead of being used as a constituent element of the combustion device. In addition, the combustion device according to the disclosure is not limited to the use for the hot water supply device, and can also be configured as, for example, a combustion device for heating or the like, and the purpose and the application of combustion are not limited.