Fan having a sensor
View Patent ↗A fan has a sensor ( 86; 186 ) for sensing at least one value of the air that flows through the fan ( 20; 120 ). The fan has a fan housing ( 22, 24; 122, 124 ); an electronically commutated external-rotor motor, arranged in that housing, having an internal stator ( 30; 130 ) and an external rotor ( 46; 146 ); a fan wheel ( 56; 156 ) coupled to the external rotor ( 46; 146 ); an air inlet opening ( 58; 90; 158 ) for the inflow of air that is to be moved by the fan wheel ( 56; 156 ); a circuit board ( 68; 185 ) having a portion ( 66; 188 ) that extends adjacent the air passage opening ( 58; 158 ); and conductors ( 82, 84; 182′, 182″ ) arranged on that portion ( 66; 188 ), to which conductors the sensor ( 86; 186 ) is connected, preferably by a Surface Mounted Device (SMD) method. Premounting the sensor on the circuit board facilitates automated manufacture and reduces cost.
1. A fan having at least one sensor ( 86 ; 186 ) for sensing at least one value of the air that flows through the fan ( 20 ; 120 ), said fan comprising:
a fan housing ( 22 , 24 ; 122 , 124 ) having an air inlet opening ( 58 ; 158 ) and an air outlet opening ( 60 ; 160 );
an electronically commutated external-rotor motor, arranged in that fan housing ( 22 , 24 ; 122 , 124 ), which motor has an internal stator ( 30 ; 130 ) and an external rotor ( 46 ; 146 );
a fan wheel ( 56 ; 156 ) coupled to the external rotor ( 46 ; 146 ), serving to pull air in through said air inlet opening ( 58 ; 158 ) and to exhaust said air through said air outlet opening ( 60 ; 160 );
a circuit board having a first portion ( 66 , 88 ; 188 ) and having conductors ( 82 , 84 : 182 ′, 182 ″) arranged on that first portion, said first portion ( 66 , 88 ; 188 ) having an outer portion ( 66 ; 185 ) located outside of the air inlet opening and a support part ( 88 ; 188 ) extending from the outer portion ( 66 ; 185 ) into the region of the air inlet opening ( 58 ; 158 ),
said conductors ( 82 , 84 ; 182 ′, 182 ″) extending from the outer portion to the support part ( 88 ; 188 ) and
said sensor ( 86 ; 186 ) being supported by said support part ( 88 ; 188 ) and being connected to the conductors ( 82 , 84 ; 182 ′, 182 ″).
2. The fan according to claim 1 , wherein
said sensor is a Surface Mounted Device (SMD) sensor and is connected to said conductors by a Surface Mounted Device (SMD) method.
3. The fan according to claim 1 ,
wherein said sensor senses a value of the air selected from the group consisting of temperature, humidity, radioactivity, and air quality.
4. The fan according to claim 1 ,
wherein the circuit board ( 68 ; 185 ) is retained on the fan housing ( 22 , 24 ; 122 , 124 ).
5. The fan according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first portion ( 66 ) of the circuit board ( 68 ) is equipped with at least one air passage opening ( 90 ).
6. The fan according to claim 1 ,
wherein there is implemented integrally with the fan housing ( 22 , 24 ; 122 , 124 ) a bearing support tube ( 26 ; 128 ) in which a bearing arrangement ( 28 ; 129 ) is provided for supporting a shaft ( 52 ) of the external rotor ( 46 ; 146 ).
7. The fan according to claim 1 ,
wherein the sensor is implemented as a Negative Temperature Coefficient (NTC) resistor ( 86 ; 186 ).
8. The fan according to claim 1 ,
wherein the sensor ( 86 ; 186 ) is implemented for temperature sensing for an air-conditioning system.
9. The fan according to claim 1 ,
wherein a contact array (K 1 -K 6 ) is provided; and the circuit board ( 185 ) is electrically and mechanically connected to elements (K 1 , K 6 ) of that contact array.
10. The fan according to claim 1 , wherein the fan is a radial fan.
11. A fan having at least one sensor ( 86 ; 186 ) for sensing at least one value of the air that flows through the fan ( 20 ; 120 ), said fan comprising:
a fan housing ( 22 , 24 ; 122 , 124 ) having an air inlet opening ( 58 ; 158 ) and an air outlet opening ( 60 ; 160 );
an electronically commutated external-rotor motor, arranged in that fan housing ( 22 , 24 ; 122 , 124 ), which motor has an internal stator ( 30 ; 130 ) and an external rotor ( 46 ; 146 );
a fan wheel ( 56 ; 156 ) coupled to the external rotor ( 46 ; 146 ), serving to pull air in through said air inlet opening ( 58 ; 158 ) and to exhaust said air through said air outlet opening ( 60 ; 160 );
a circuit board having a first portion ( 66 , 88 ; 188 ) and having
conductors ( 82 , 84 : 182 ′, 182 ″) arranged on that first portion, said first portion ( 66 , 88 ; 188 ) having an outer portion ( 66 ; 185 ) located outside of the air inlet opening and a support part( 88 ; 188 ) extending from the outer portion ( 66 ; 185 ) into the region of the air inlet opening ( 58 ; 158 ),
said conductors ( 82 , 84 ; 182 ′, 182 ″) extending from the outer portion to the support part ( 88 ; 188 ) and
said sensor ( 86 ; 186 ) being supported by said support part ( 88 ; 188 ) and being connected to the conductors ( 82 , 84 ; 182 ′, 182 ″),
wherein there is provided, in the region of the air inlet opening ( 158 ), a collar ( 159 ) through which the first portion ( 188 ) of the circuit board ( 185 ) extends into the air inlet opening ( 158 ).
12. The fan according to claim 11 , wherein the fan is a radial fan.
13. A fan having at least one sensor ( 86 ; 186 ) for sensing at least one value of the air that flows through the fan ( 20 ; 120 ), said fan comprising:
a fan housing ( 22 , 24 ; 122 , 124 ) having an air inlet opening ( 58 ; 158 ) and an air outlet opening ( 60 ; 160 );
an electronically commutated external-rotor motor, arranged in that fan housing ( 22 , 24 ; 122 , 124 ), which motor has an internal stator ( 30 ; 130 ) having at least one stator coil ( 136 , 138 ) and an external rotor ( 46 ; 146 );
an air passage opening ( 58 ; 90 ; 158 ) for passage of air that is to be moved by a wheel ( 56 ; 156 ) of the fan;
a first circuit board ( 68 ; 185 ) having a first portion ( 66 , 88 ; 188 ) that extends in a region of the air passage opening ( 58 ; 158 ), said first portion comprising conductors and contact holes ( 183 ′, 183 ″),
the sensor ( 86 ; 186 ) being connected to the conductors, said conductors leading to the contact holes ( 183 ′, 183 ″);
a contact array located on the fan housing and including a plurality of contacts (K 1 -K 6 ) which transition, at free ends thereof, into solder lugs ( 176 ) adapted for connection to conductors of a second circuit board, part of said plurality of contacts being connected electrically to said at least one stator coil ( 136 , 138 ), others of said contacts being directly soldered to the contact holes and being connected electrically to said conductors ( 82 , 84 ; 182 ′, 182 ″) arranged on said first portion ( 66 , 88 ; 188 ) for electrically connecting said sensor ( 86 ; 186 ) to solder lugs ( 176 ) associated with said sensor ( 86 ; 186 ).
14. The fan of claim 13 , wherein said sensor is a Surface Mounted Device (SMD) sensor and is connected to said conductors by a Surface Mounted Device (SMD) method.
15. The fan of claim 13 , wherein said sensor is adapted to sense a parameter of the air selected from the group consisting of temperature, humidity, radioactivity, and air quality.
16. The fan of claim 13 , wherein said first circuit board ( 68 ; 185 ) is mounted on the fan housing ( 22 , 24 ; 122 , 124 ).
17. The fan of claim 13 , wherein said first portion ( 66 ) of the first circuit board ( 68 ) is formed with at least one air passage opening ( 90 ).
18. The fan of claim 17 , wherein
a support part ( 88 , 188 ) of the first circuit board ( 88 ; 188 ) extends into the air passage opening ( 90 ; 158 ), and
the sensor ( 86 ; 186 ) is arranged on said support part.
19. The fan of claim 13 , wherein the sensor is implemented as a Negative Temperature Coefficient (NTC) resistor.
20. The fan of claim 13 , wherein the sensor is implemented for temperature sensing for an air conditioning system.
21. The fan of claim 13 , wherein the first circuit board ( 185 ) is electrically and mechanically connected to elements (K 1 , K 6 ) of the contact array.
22. The fan according to claim 18 , wherein the fan is a radial fan.