Shrouded fan impeller with reduced cover overlap
AssigneeApple Inc.
InventorsJesse T. Dybenko, Anthony Joseph Aiello, Nicholas D. Mancini, Jay S. Nigen, Arash Naghib Lahouti
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The described embodiments relate to improving efficiency of a low-profile cooling fan. In one embodiment, an impeller of the cooling fan includes a shroud which covers a central portion of the impeller, thereby allowing a central inlet portion of the blades to have an increased fan blade height when compared to a cooling fan constrained by minimum part tolerances between the fan blades and a portion of the fan housing. In some embodiments, the impeller includes splitter blades that can improve performance of the low-profile cooling fan.
Claims20
A fan comprising:
- a cover having a first cover plate and a second cover plate vertically separated to define an interior fan region between the first cover plate and the second cover plate;
- and
- an impeller comprising:
- a central hub,
- a plurality of blades extending from an interior edge of each blade coupled with the central hub to an exterior edge of each blade, wherein each blade of the plurality of blades is characterized by a first edge proximate the first cover plate and a second edge opposite the first edge, and wherein the exterior edge of each blade of the plurality of blades at least partially extends within the interior fan region, and
- a shroud coupled with the plurality of blades along the second edge of each blade of the plurality of blades.
A fan assembly comprising:
- a cover having a first cover plate cooperating with a second cover plate to define an interior fan region between the first cover plate and the second cover plate;
- and
- an impeller arranged to rotate about a central axis during operation, the impeller comprising:
- a central hub defining an aperture along the central axis of the impeller,
- a plurality of blades coupled with the central hub at an interior edge of each blade of the plurality of blades opposite an exterior edge of each blade, wherein the exterior edge of each blade of the plurality of blades at least partially extends within the interior fan region, and
- a shroud coupled with the plurality of blades along an edge of each blade of the plurality of blades proximate the second cover plate.
A fan assembly comprising:
- a cover having a first cover plate cooperating with a second cover plate to define an interior fan region between the first cover plate and the second cover plate;
- and
- an impeller comprising:
- a central hub defining an aperture along a central axis of the impeller about which the impeller is configured to rotate during operation,
- a plurality of blades coupled with the central hub at an interior edge of each blade of the plurality of blades opposite an exterior edge of each blade, wherein the exterior edge of each blade of the plurality of blades at least partially extends within the interior fan region, and
- a shroud coupled with the plurality of blades along an edge of each blade of the plurality of blades proximate the second cover plate, wherein the shroud extends to a ledge defined by each blade of the plurality of blades, and wherein the shroud extends proximate the second cover plate to define a gap between the shroud and the second cover plate across which at least a portion of each blade of the plurality of blades extends.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.