# US 2019/0316601 A1 · Fan unit

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- Number: US 2019/0316601 A1
- Document ID: US20190316601A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 16/472,240
- Filed: 2018-02-07
- Published: 2019-10-17
- Earliest claimed: 2017-02-13
- Assignees: Nidec Servo Corporation
- Applicants: Nidec Servo Corporation
- Inventors: Masakazu SHIMAMOTO
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190316601A1

## CPC

- F04D 29/522: {especially adapted for elastic fluid pumps}
- F04D 19/002: {Axial flow fans}
- F04D 25/0613: {the electric motor being of the inside-out type, i.e. the rotor is arranged radially outside a central stator}
- F04D 25/166: {using fans}
- F04D 29/601: {specially adapted for elastic fluid pumps}
- H05K 7/20172: {Fan mounting or fan specifications}
- F05D 2260/36: by a form fit connection, e.g. by interlocking
- F04D: NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT PUMPS (engine fuel-injection pumps F02M; ion pumps H01J41/12; electrodynamic pumps H02K44/02)
- H05K: PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS
- F05D: INDEXING SCHEME FOR ASPECTS RELATING TO NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, GAS-TURBINES OR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS

## Abstract

A fan main body includes a blade that rotates and a frame that rotatably supports the blade, and a casing including a main body with a housing recess in which the fan main body is to be housed, and a snap-fit portion to fix the frame in the housing recess. The housing recess includes a housing bottom including a surface facing upward and a housing inner circumferential portion extending upward from the housing bottom, and opens upward. The snap-fit portion includes an elastic portion extending upward along the housing inner circumferential portion, and a claw portion projecting horizontally from a tip end portion of the elastic portion. A lower surface of the claw portion is inclined upward toward the tip of the claw portion.

## Claims

### Claim at position 1

1-12. (canceled)

### Claim 13

A fan assembly comprising:
a fan main body including a blade that rotates, and a frame that rotatably supports the blade; and
a casing including a main body provided with a housing recess in which the fan main body is to be housed, and a snap-fit portion to fix the frame in the housing recess; wherein
the housing recess includes a housing bottom including a surface facing upward and a housing inner circumferential portion extending upward from the housing bottom, and opens upward;
the snap-fit portion includes an elastic portion extending upward along the housing inner circumferential portion, and a claw portion projecting horizontally from a tip end portion of the elastic portion;
a lower surface of the claw portion is inclined upward toward a tip of the claw portion; and
the frame is interposed between and in contact with the lower surface of the claw portion and the housing bottom.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The fan assembly according to claim 13, wherein the casing includes at least a pair of the snap-fit portions, and the claw portions of the pair of the snap-fit portions face each other.

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

The fan assembly according to claim 13, wherein an upper surface of the claw portion is inclined downward and increasingly inclined with respect to a projecting direction of the claw portion toward the tip of the claw portion.

### Claim 16 (depends on 13)

The fan assembly according to claim 13, wherein the main body includes a positioning pin extending upward from the housing bottom, and the frame includes a positioning hole into which the positioning pin is inserted.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The fan assembly according to claim 16, wherein the positioning pin includes a tapered portion in which a diameter of the positioning pin decreases from a base end side toward a tip.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The fan assembly according to claim 17, wherein
the fan main body includes a holding portion including an upper surface on which the lower surface of the claw portion contacts and hooks;
a lower surface of the holding portion contacts the upper surface of the claw portion when the fan main body is housed in the housing recess; and
in a state where the lower surface of the holding portion is in contact with the upper surface of the claw portion, a distance between a lower end of the positioning hole and the housing bottom is smaller than a height of the positioning pin.

### Claim 19 (depends on 16)

The fan assembly according to claim 16, wherein the positioning pin includes a pin main body extending in a vertical direction, and a plurality of ribs projecting from an outer peripheral surface of the pin main body and extending in the vertical direction.

### Claim 20 (depends on 13)

The fan assembly according to claim 13, wherein the fan main body includes a first holding portion and a second holding portion which are at different positions in a vertical direction and overlap with each other when viewed in the vertical direction, and the claw portion hooks on the first holding portion and the second holding portion respectively when the fan main body is inverted.

### Claim 21 (depends on 20)

The fan assembly according to claim 20, wherein the main body includes a positioning pin extending upward from the housing bottom, and each of an upper surface and a lower surface of the frame includes a positioning hole into which the positioning pin is inserted when the fan main body is inverted.

### Claim 22 (depends on 21)

The fan assembly according to claim 21, wherein the positioning pin includes a tapered portion in which a diameter of the positioning pin decreases from a base end side toward a tip.

### Claim 23 (depends on 22)

The fan assembly according to claim 22, wherein a lower surface of one of the first holding portion and the second holding portion contacts the upper surface of the claw portion when the fan main body is housed in the housing recess, and in a state where the lower surface is in contact with the upper surface of the claw portion, a distance between a lower end of the positioning hole and the housing bottom is smaller than a height of the positioning pin.

### Claim 24 (depends on 21)

The fan assembly according to claim 21, wherein the positioning pin includes a pin main body extending in a vertical direction, and a plurality of ribs projecting from an outer peripheral surface of the pin main body and extending in the vertical direction.