Axial fan unit having coaxially arranged axial fans

An axial fan unit comprising first and second axial fans coaxial with and connected to each other, wherein

• the fan unit has a center axis along which the first and second fans are coaxial, and four sides each parallel to the center axis such that the fan unit has the approximate form of a quadrangular prism,
• the first axial fan includes:
• a first impeller having first blades disposed about the center axis;
• a first motor operable to rotate the first impeller about the center axis to generate an axial air flow;
• a first group of electrically wires connected to the first motor;
• and
• a first housing member including a hollow, approximately cylindrical first body surrounding the first impeller and first flanges provided at axial ends of the first body, respectively;
• the second axial fan includes:
• a second impeller having second blades disposed about the center axis;
• a second motor operable to rotate the second impeller about the center axis to generate an axial air flow in the same direction as that generated by rotation of the first impeller;
• a second group of wires electrically connected to the second motor;
• and
• a second housing member including a hollow, approximately cylindrical second body surrounding the second impeller and second flanges provided at axial ends of the second body, respectively;
• and
• the first flanges of the first housing member and the second flanges of the second housing member have approximately the same outer square shape as seen along the center axis such that each of the flanges has four outer peripheral side surfaces and four corners,
• the first and second housing members are joined together such that the outer peripheral side surfaces of the first flanges are axially aligned with the outer peripheral side surfaces of the second flanges, respectively, and the outer peripheral side surfaces of each of the flanges are respectively substantially coextensive with sides of the quadrangular prism, respectively
• each of the first flanges of the first housing member has both first and second receiving portions, at least one of the first receiving portions receiving therein the first group of wires and at least one of the second receiving portions receiving therein the second group of wires, the first group of wires extending along the exterior of the first housing of the fan unit between the first flanges without protruding beyond outer peripheries of the first flanges, and the first receiving portions being disposed along one of the sides of the fan unit and the second receiving portions being disposed along another of the sides of the fan unit such that at least a portion of the first group of wires extend along said one of the sides of the fan unit and at least a portion of the second group of wires extend along said other of the sides of the fan unit.

An axial fan having a center axis, and four sides each parallel to the center axis such that the fan has the approximate form of a quadrangular prism, the fan comprising:

• an impeller including a plurality of blades disposed about the center axis;
• a motor operable to rotate the impeller about the center axis to generate an axial air flow;
• a housing member having a hollow, approximately cylindrical body surrounding the impeller and flanges at axial ends of the body, respectively;
• and
• a plurality of ribs disposed about the center axis, the ribs supporting the motor and connecting the motor to the housing member, wherein
• the flanges having approximately the same outer square shape as each other as seen along the center axis such that each of the flanges has four outer peripheral side surfaces and four corner portions which join respective pairs of the outer peripheral side surfaces to one another, and such that the outer peripheral side surfaces of the flanges are respectively substantially coextensive with sides of the quadrangular prism,
• the flanges of the housing member comprise first and second receiving portions each for receiving wires connected to a motor of an axial fan,
• the first receiving portion is disposed along one of the sides of the fan adjacent and the second receiving portion is disposed along another of the sides of the fan such that wires received in the receiving portions will extend at least partly along different sides of the fan,
• each of the first and second receiving portions is located adjacent a corner portion of one of the flanges, and
• all of the ribs which support the motor in the fan adjoin an inner surface of the body of the housing member at locations, respectively, each offset radially with respect to the center axis from the receiving portions and the adjacent corner portion.

An axial fan unit comprising first and second axial fans connected to each other, wherein

• the fan unit has a center axis along which the first and second fans are coaxial, and four sides each parallel to the center axis such that the fan unit has the approximate form of a quadrangular prism,
• the first axial fan includes:
• a first impeller having first blades disposed about a center axis of the first and second axial fans;
• a first motor operable to rotate the first impeller about the center axis to generate an axial air flow;
• a first group of electrically wires connected to the first motor;
• and
• a first housing member including a hollow body surrounding the first impeller, and approximately square first flanges provided at axial ends of the hollow body, respectively, and
• the second axial fan includes:
• a second impeller having first blades disposed about a center axis of the first and second axial fans;
• a second motor operable to rotate the second impeller about the center axis to generate an axial air flow in the same direction as that generated by rotation of the first impeller;
• a second group of electrically wires connected to the second motor;
• and
• a second housing member including a hollow body surrounding the second impeller, and second flanges provided at axial ends of the hollow body, respectively,
• the first and second flanges have approximately the same outer square shape as each other as seen along the center axis such that each of the flanges has four outer peripheral side surfaces and four corner portions which join respective pairs of the outer peripheral side surfaces to one another, and such that the outer peripheral side surfaces of the flanges are respectively substantially coextensive with sides of the quadrangular prism, and
• one of the first flanges of the first housing member comprises first and second receiving portions receiving therein the first group of wires and the second groups of wires, respectively, the first receiving portions being located adjacent one of the corner portions of said one of the first flanges and the second receiving portion being located adjacent another of the corner portions of said one of the first flanges such that the first and second groups of wires received in the first and second receiving portions extend adjacent two different corner portions, respectively, of said one of the first flanges.

An axial fan unit comprising first and second axial fans,

• the fan unit having a center axis along which the first and second fans are coaxial, and four sides each parallel to the center axis such that the fan unit has the approximate form of a quadrangular prism,
• each of the first and second axial fans including:
• an impeller operable to rotate about the center axis;
• an electric motor operable to rotate the impeller about the center axis;
• a housing member surrounding the impeller and having a hollow body and flanges at axial ends of the body, respectively, the flanges being of approximately the same square outer shape as each other as seen along the center axis such that each of the flanges has four outer peripheral side surfaces and four corner portions which join respective pairs of the outer peripheral side surfaces to one another;
• and
• a group of wires electrically connected to the electric motor, and
• wherein the first and second axial fans are joined together with the outer peripheral side surfaces of the flanges thereof coextensive with sides of the quadrangular prism, respectively,
• the flanges of the housing member of each of the fans comprise first and second receiving portions, the first receiving portions of the first and second fans being disposed along one of the sides of the fan unit and the second receiving portions of the first and second fans being disposed along another of the sides of the fan unit,
• the group of wires of the first axial fan and the group of wires of the second axial fan extending through the first and second receiving portions of the first axial fan, respectively, such that the group of wires of the first axial fan extend at least partly on said one of the sides of the fan unit and the group of wires of the second axial fan extend at least partly on said other of the sides of the fan unit, and
• the groups of wires of the first and the second axial fans extend through said at least one each of the first and second receiving portions, respectively, toward an axial end of the first axial fan opposite to the second axial fan.