US 5,593,283 AGranted

Fan and fan drive and assembly thereof

AssigneeEaton Corporation

InventorGeorge E. Scott

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A fan (31) and fan drive (11) assembly in which the fan includes a spider (33), typically a metal stamping, defining fastener openings (41), each including larger opening (43) and a smaller opening (45). Adjacent the smaller opening, the spider defines a raised ramp portion (47). The fan drive includes an output (13) defining fan mounting portions (21), each of which includes a head portion (25), and a shank portion (27). Upon assembly, the head portions (25) align with, then pass axially through the larger openings (43), then the fan is rotated relative to the fan drive, resulting in the shank portions (27) moving into the smaller openings (45) and the head portions (25) passing over and deforming the ramp portions (47), thus tightly engaging the fan spider (33) to the fan drive output member (13). The invention provides an assembly and method which eliminate the need for bolts, and the associated drilling and tapping of threaded holes in the output member, as well as the time-consuming bolting process in the assembly plant, and the periodic bolt strippage and associated warranty problems.

Claims15

Dependent claims

A fan and fan drive assembly including a fan drive of the type comprising an output assembly, and a fan of the type comprising a mounting portion adapted to be attached to said output assembly of said fan drive and a plurality of fan blades oriented for a normal direction of operation;

said output assembly of said fan drive including a plurality N of fastener members, each including a head portion;
said mounting portion of said fan defining an axial thickness and further defining a plurality N of fastener openings, each of which is adapted to receive one of said fastener members;
characterized by:
(a) each of said fastener openings comprising a relatively larger head receiving portion and a relatively smaller retainer receiving portion;
(b) each head portion of said plurality N of fastener members being spaced from an adjacent surface of said output assembly by an axial dimension, said dimension being at least slightly greater than said axial thickness;
(c) a retainer operably associated with each of said retainer receiving portions, and disposed axially between said adjacent surface of said output assembly and the respective one of said head portions, and operable to retain each of said fastener members in a fixed position, circumferentially, relative to said fan, as said fan drive output assembly and fan are in an assembled position and rotate in said normal direction of operation.

3 more elements

A fan and fan drive assembly including a fan drive of the type comprising an output member;

and a fan of the type comprising a mounting portion adapted to be attached to said output member of said fan drive, and a plurality of fan blades, oriented for a normal direction of operation;
said output member of said fan drive including a plurality N of fastener members, each including a head portion and a shank portion disposed between said head portion and an adjacent surface of said output member, said head portion and said adjacent surface defining an axial dimension;
said mounting portion of said fan having an axial thickness and further defining a plurality N of fastener openings, each of which is adapted to receive one of said fastener members;
characterized by:
(a) each of said fastener openings comprising a relatively larger head receiving portion and a relatively smaller shank receiving portion;
(b) said dimension being at least slightly greater than said axial thickness;
(c) retention means operably associated with each of said shank receiving portions, and disposed axially between said adjacent surface of said output member and the respective one of said head portions, and operable to retain each of said fastener members in a fixed position, circumferentially, relative to said fan, as said fan drive output member and fan are in an assembled position and rotate in said normal direction of operation.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 08/620,062Filed 21 Mar 1996 · continuation in part
Priority: 8 Aug 1994
Granted: 14 Jan 1997
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification8 codes

F16D 1/076
For attachment of a member on a shaft or on a shaft-end: by clamping together two faces perpendicular to the axis of rotation, e.g. with bolted…
F04D 19/002
Axial-flow pumps: axial flow fans
F04D 29/263
Rotors specially for elastic fluids: mounting fan or blower rotors on shafts
F04D 29/329
For axial flow fans: details of the hub