# US 5,342,173 A · Cowl for fan and its application to a vehicle motorized fan unit > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 5,342,173 A - Document ID: US5342173A - Status: Granted - Kind: A - Application number: 07/972,536 - Filed: 1992-11-06 - Granted: 1994-08-30 - Earliest claimed: 1991-11-07 - Assignees: ECIA - Equipements et Composants pour l'Industrie Automobile - Inventors: Jean-Claude Vera - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5342173A ## CPC - F04D 29/545: {Ducts} - F04D 19/002: {Axial flow fans} - F04D 29/326: {comprising a rotating shroud} - Y10S 415/914: Device to control boundary layer - F04D: NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT PUMPS (engine fuel-injection pumps F02M; ion pumps H01J41/12; electrodynamic pumps H02K44/02) - Y10S: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS ## Abstract A cowl comprising, inter alia, a stationary part formed by a diffuser (10) which exhibits a fastening base (11), a nozzle-funnel (12), a connection zone (13), a cylindrical skirt (14), and a moving part (20) able to rotate about an axis (200), which moving part (21) exhibits a peripheral profiled annular hoop (20) which is intended to be rigidly connected to the blade (22) tips (221) of a helix and which is mounted coaxially in this skirt (14) so as to be able to rotate therein, is characterised in that, taking as references the direction of flow and the axis (200), this hoop (21) is delimited by an inner wall (2101), an outer wall (2102) and a rear section (2103), this connection zone (13) is delimited in particular by an inner surface (131) with an upstream limit (1310), and in that this rear section (2103) of the hoop (21) is situated in a plane (P) which is perpendicular to the axis (200) and which passes practically through the upstream limit (1310) of the inner surface (131) of the connection zone (13). ## Claims ### Claim 1 An improved cowl for a fan, comprising a stationary part formed by a diffuser (10) which has an entrance section followed by an exit section disposed in a downstream direction relative to air flow from said entrance section to said exit section, and which also has in the following order in an upstream direction; a fastening base (11), a nozzle-funnel (12) located in said exit section, a connection zone (13), a cylindrical skirt (14) located in said entrance section and joined to said nozzle-funnel (12) by said connection zone (13), and a moving part (20) rotatable about an axis (200), which moving part (20) has a peripheral profiled annular hoop (21) which is intended to be rigidly connected to the blade (22) tips (221) of a helix which is mounted coaxially in said skirt (14) so as to be able to rotate therein, wherein, taking as references the direction of flow and the axis (200), said hoop (21) is delimited by an inner wall (2101), an outer wall (2102) and a rear section (2103), wherein said connection zone (13) is delimited by an inner surface (131) with an upstream limit (1310), and wherein said rear section (2103) of the hoop (21) is situated in a plane (P) which is perpendicular to said axis (200) and which passes practically through said upstream limit (1310) of said internal surface (131) of the connection zone (13). ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The cowl according to claim 1, wherein said inner surface (131) of the connection zone (13) carries a bead (132) which projects internally and which is placed in the vicinity of said upstream limit (1310), and wherein a face (1321) of said bead (132) in a zone closest to said axis (200) is separated from said axis (200) by a first distance R which is practically equal to a second distance (R.sub.1) separating said axis (200) from said inner wall (2101) of the hoop (21), said first distance (R) being measured at said rear section (2103). ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The cowl according to claim 2, wherein said bead (132) is delimited upstream by a plane radial ring-shaped face (1322) situated practically in said plane (P) which passes through said upstream limit (1310) of the inner surface (131) of the connection zone (13). ### Claim 4 (depends on 2, 3) The cowl according to claim 2 or 3, wherein said first distance (R) practically satisfies the relationship R=1/3 (2R.sub.1 +R.sub.2), where R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 are respectively the distances separating said axis (200) from said inner wall (2101) and said outer wall (2102) of the hoop (21) respectively, measured at said rear section (2103). ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The cowl according to claim 3, wherein a radial spacing (r), between an inner surface (141) of the skirt (14) and said outer hoop wall (2102) which faces it, is practically equal to the axial spacing (a) between said plane radial ring-shaped face (1322) of the bead (132) and said rear section (2103) of the hoop. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The cowl according to claim 1, wherein said moving part (20) is a motorized fan unit for a vehicle. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1, 2) The cowl according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said nozzle-funnel (12) has an approximately cylindro-pyramidal configuration having a cylindrical part located upstream of a pyramidal part. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The cowl according to claim 1, wherein said diffuser (10) comprises three radial arms (15) for supporting an electric motor which drives a shaft on which said moving part (20) is mounted.