Furnace inducer motor cooling system
AssigneeJakel Incorporated
InventorWilliam Stuart Gatley, Jr.
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A furnace includes a main blower housed in an inlet plenum that circulates temperature controlled air through the furnace and an inducer fan that circulates combustion gases through the furnace. The inducer fan is driven by an inducer fan motor with a housing that defines a hollow interior and surrounds the motor. The inducer fan motor housing is in communication with the inlet plenum and operation of the main blower draws cooling air through the interior of the motor housing to cool the motor.
Claims20
A furnace comprising:
- an inducer fan for circulating combustion gases through the furnace;
- an inducer motor in an inducer motor housing, the inducer motor driving the inducer fan;
- a blower fan for circulating temperature controlled air through the furnace;
- and
- an inlet plenum of the furnace containing the blower fan, the inlet plenum communicating with the inducer motor housing whereby operation of the blower fan draws cooling air into the inducer motor housing to cool the inducer motor.
A furnace comprising:
- an inducer fan for circulating combustion gases through the furnace;
- an inducer motor in an inducer motor housing having a hollow interior surrounding the inducer motor;
- and
- a blower fan of the furnace housed in an inlet plenum of the furnace, the inlet plenum being in communication with the interior of the inducer motor housing, the blower fan drawing cooling air into the interior of the inducer motor housing when the blower fan is operated.
A method of cooling an inducer fan motor in a furnace, wherein the furnace has a main blower fan housed in an inlet plenum that circulates temperature controlled air through the furnace and an inducer fan that circulates combustion gases through the furnace, the inducer fan is driven by the inducer fan motor, the inducer fan motor has a motor housing defining a hollow interior that surrounds the inducer fan motor, the method of cooling the inducer fan motor comprising the steps of:
- providing the motor housing with an inlet and an outlet into the hollow interior of the motor housing;
- communicating the outlet with the inlet plenum;
- communicating the inlet with a cooling air source;
- and
- operating the main blower fan so as to draw cooling air from the cooling air source into the inlet, then through the hollow interior of the motor housing and then through the outlet into the inlet plenum.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.