# US 2014/0155218 A1 · Axial fan drive and hub assembly for evaporative cooling equipment > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0155218 A1 - Document ID: US20140155218A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/098,408 - Filed: 2013-12-05 - Published: 2014-06-05 - Earliest claimed: 2012-12-05 - Applicants: JVS Associates, Inc. - Inventors: John Santoro - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140155218A1 ## CPC - F16H 1/28: with gears having orbital motion - F16H 3/48: with single orbital gears or pairs of rigidly-connected orbital gears - F16H 57/025: Support of gearboxes, e.g. torque arms, or attachment to other devices - F24F 1/0025: Cross-flow or tangential fans - F28F 25/10: for feeding gas or vapour - F16H: GEARING - F24F: AIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING (removing dirt or fumes from areas where they are produced B08B15/00; vertical ducts for carrying away waste gases from buildings E04F17/02; tops for chimneys or ventilating shafts, terminals for flues F23L17/02) - F28F: DETAILS OF HEAT-EXCHANGE AND HEAT-TRANSFER APPARATUS, OF GENERAL APPLICATION (water and air traps, air venting F16) ## Abstract According to at least one exemplary embodiment, an axial fan drive and hub assembly is disclosed. The assembly can include a drive unit having a planetary gear arrangement, and a fan hub coupleable to the drive unit. A sun gear of the gear arrangement can be driven by an input shaft, while either the planet gear carrier or the ring gear may be selected to be the output. The assembly can thus facilitate rotating a fan in the same or the opposite direction of rotation as the input shaft. The drive unit can further be easily interchangeable with other drive units having different gear ratios. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An interchangeable system for varying the rotational speed and rotational direction of an axial fan, the interchangeable system comprising: a fan hub, the fan hub comprising a recess; a casing, the casing being sized and shaped to be interchangeably disposed within said recess; and a gearing arrangement enclosed within said casing. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The interchangeable system of claim 1, wherein the gearing arrangement comprises a plurality of planet gears, a planet carrier, a sun gear, and a ring gear. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The interchangeable system of claim 1, wherein the fan hub further comprises a plurality of fan blades positioned substantially evenly around said fan hub. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The interchangeable system of claim 1, wherein the casing hexagonal in shape. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The interchangeable system of claim 2, wherein the sun gear includes a sleeve for receiving an input shaft. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The interchangeable system of claim 5, wherein the input shaft passes through the interchangeable system to drive a second system. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The interchangeable system of claim 5, wherein the sleeve includes a notch configured to receive a corresponding notch on the input shaft, thereby fixing the rotation of sun gear to the input shaft. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The interchangeable system of claim 1, further comprising a locking mechanism disposed between said casing and said fan hub for preventing the fan hub from rotating in a predetermined direction. ### Claim 9 (depends on 2) The interchangeable system of claim 2, wherein the ring gear is fixedly coupled with the fan hub, such that the direction of rotation of the fan hub is the same as the direction of rotation of the sun gear. ### Claim 10 (depends on 2) The interchangeable system of claim 2, wherein the planet carrier is fixedly coupled with the fan hub, such that the direction of rotation of the fan hub is opposite to the direction of rotation of the sun gear. ### Claim 11 An interchangeable drive unit for varying the rotational speed and rotational direction of an axial fan, the drive unit comprising: a casing, the casing being sized and shaped to be disposed within a fan hub recess; and a gearing arrangement enclosed within said casing, the gearing arrangement comprising a plurality of planet gears, a planet carrier, a sun gear, and a ring gear. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The interchangeable drive unit of claim 11, wherein the casing hexagonal in shape. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The interchangeable drive unit of claim 11, wherein the sun gear includes a sleeve for receiving an input shaft. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The interchangeable drive unit of claim 13, wherein the input shaft passes through the interchangeable drive unit to drive a second interchangeable drive unit. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The interchangeable drive unit of claim 13, wherein the sleeve includes a notch configured to receive a corresponding notch on the input shaft, thereby fixing the rotation of sun gear to the input shaft. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The interchangeable drive unit of claim 11, wherein the ring gear is fixedly coupled with a fan hub, such that the direction of rotation of the fan hub is the same as the direction of rotation of the sun gear. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The interchangeable drive unit of claim 11, wherein the planet carrier is fixedly coupled with a fan hub, such that the direction of rotation of the fan hub is opposite to the direction of rotation of the sun gear. ### Claim 18 A system for varying the rotational speed and rotational direction of an axial fan, the system comprising: a fan hub, the fan hub comprising a plurality of fan blades positioned substantially evenly around said fan hub; and a gearing arrangement enclosed within said fan hub, the gearing arrangement comprising a plurality of planet gears, a planet carrier, a sun gear, and a ring gear. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The system of claim 18, wherein the sun gear includes a sleeve for receiving an input shaft, wherein the sleeve includes a notch configured to receive a corresponding notch on the input shaft, thereby fixing the rotation of sun gear to the input shaft. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The system of claim 18, wherein the ring gear is fixedly coupled with a fan hub, such that the direction of rotation of the fan hub is the same as the direction of rotation of the sun gear. ### Claim 21 (depends on 18) The system of claim 18, wherein the planet carrier is fixedly coupled with a fan hub, such that the direction of rotation of the fan hub is opposite to the direction of rotation of the sun gear.