IP Library Granted Patent US 8,657,558
Granted Patent B2
US 8,657,558 · App. 12/756,472 · Granted Feb 25, 2014

Airflow from a blower with one or more adjustable guide vanes that are affixed to the blower at one or more pivot points located in an outlet of the blower

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,657,558
App. No.
12/756,472
Granted
Feb 25, 2014
Kind
B2
Abstract

Methods, apparatus, and products are disclosed for improving the airflow exiting a blower that has one or more adjustable guide vanes that are affixed to the blower at one or more pivot points located in an outlet of the blower that include: determining a rotational speed of an impeller in the blower and adjusting a position of at least one of the adjustable guide vanes in dependence upon the rotational speed of the impeller.

Claims (29)

1. A method of improving airflow from a blower with adjustable guide vanes that are affixed to the blower at one or more pivot points located in an outlet of the blower, the blower including an impeller that is rotated at a particular rate, the method comprising:

identifying one or more airflow exit points at the outlet of the blower; and

determining for the adjustable guide vanes, a plurality of physical attributes of the adjustable guide vanes including weight and density such that a force exerted by airflow exiting the outlet of the blower causes each adjustable guide vane to be positioned such that airflow exit speed at each of the one or more airflow exit points is consistent within a predetermined range, wherein at least two of the adjustable guide vanes have different physical attributes.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more pivot points are adjustable, the method further comprising:

detecting that the impeller is being rotated at a new rate; and

adjusting at least one of the pivot points such that the airflow exit speed at each of the one or more airflow exit points is consistent within the predetermined range.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein determining a plurality of physical attributes of the adjustable guide vanes further comprises determining an amount of friction that exists at each of the one or more pivot points.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein determining a plurality of physical attributes of the adjustable guide vanes further comprises determining a length for each adjustable guide vane.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein determining a plurality of physical attributes of the adjustable guide vanes further comprises determining a position of the pivot point for each adjustable guide vane.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein determining a plurality of physical attributes of the adjustable guide vanes further comprises determining an expected rotational speed of the impeller.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein determining a plurality of physical attributes of the adjustable guide vanes further comprises determining a distance between each adjustable guide vane and the impeller.

8. A blower with adjustable guide vanes that are affixed to the blower at one or more pivot points located in an outlet of the blower, the blower comprising:

an impeller configured to rotate around a rotational center; and

one or more adjustable guide vanes, wherein at least two of the adjustable guide vanes have different physical attributes and wherein the physical attributes of the one or more adjustable guide vanes are predetermined such that airflow exit speed at each of one or more airflow exit points is consistent within a predetermined range, wherein at least two of the adjustable guide vanes are of different densities.

9. The blower of claim 8 wherein at least two of the adjustable guide vanes are weighted differently.

10. The blower of claim 8 wherein at least two of the adjustable guide vanes are of different lengths.

11. The blower of claim 8 wherein at least two of the adjustable guide vanes are of different flexural strengths.

12. The blower of claim 8 wherein the one or more pivot points are adjustable.

13. A computer program product for improving airflow from a blower with adjustable guide vanes that are affixed to the blower at one or more pivot points located in an outlet of the blower, the computer program product disposed upon a non-transitory computer readable storage medium, the computer program product comprising computer program instructions that when executed by a computer cause a compute to carry out the steps of:

identifying one or more airflow exit points at the outlet of the blower; and

determining for the adjustable guide vanes, a plurality of physical attributes of the adjustable guide vanes including weight and density such that a force exerted by airflow exiting the outlet of the blower causes each adjustable guide vane to be positioned such that airflow exit speed at each of the one or more airflow exit points is consistent within a predetermined range, wherein at least two of the adjustable guide vanes have different physical attributes.

14. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein the one or more pivot points are adjustable, the computer program product further comprising computer program instructions that when executed by a computer cause the computer to carry out the steps of:

detecting that the impeller is being rotated at a new rate; and

adjusting at least one of the pivot points such that the airflow exit speed at each of the one or more airflow exit points is consistent within the predetermined range.

15. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein the computer program instructions that when executed by a computer cause the computer to carry out the steps of determining a plurality of physical attributes of the adjustable guide vanes further comprise computer program instructions that when executed by a computer cause the computer to carry out the steps of determining an amount of friction that exists at each of the one or more pivot points.

16. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein the computer program instructions that when executed by a computer cause the computer to carry out the steps of determining a plurality of physical attributes of the adjustable guide vanes further comprise computer program instructions that when executed by a computer cause the computer to carry out the steps of determining a length for each adjustable guide vane.

17. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein the computer program instructions that when executed by a computer cause the computer to carry out the steps of determining a plurality of physical attributes of the adjustable guide vanes further comprise computer program instructions that when executed by a computer cause the computer to carry out the steps of determining a position of the pivot point for each adjustable guide vane.

18. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein the computer program instructions that when executed by a computer cause the computer to carry out the steps of determining a plurality of physical attributes of the adjustable guide vanes further comprise computer program instructions that when executed by a computer cause the computer to carry out the steps of determining an expected rotational speed of the impeller.

19. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein the computer program instructions for determining a plurality of physical attributes of the adjustable guide vanes further comprise computer program instructions for determining a distance between each adjustable guide vane and the impeller.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 10, 2014
From: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
To: LENOVO INTERNATIONAL LIMITED
Reel/Frame 034194/0291 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 9, 2010
From: JUNE, MICHAEL S.; MATTESON, JASON A.; STEINKE, MARK E.
To: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 024209/0542 →