IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,292,057
Granted Patent B2
US 12,292,057 · App. 17/905,679 · Granted May 6, 2025

Fluid machine

Inventors: Masahiro Akiyama (Tokyo, JP); Yosuke Akamatsu (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: IHI Corporation
F04D29/5813F04D25/068F04D29/5806F04D17/10
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,292,057
App. No.
17/905,679
Granted
May 6, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A centrifugal blower includes a motor part having a rotor provided on a rotating shaft of an impeller, a coil provided around the rotor, and a motor housing that accommodates a coil, an inverter part having an inverter unit that supplies drive power to the motor part, and an inverter housing connected to the motor housing and configured to accommodate the inverter unit, and a cooling fan that is provided on the rotating shaft, rotates with the impeller and allows cooling air to flow through the inverter housing and the motor housing in order, wherein the inverter unit is disposed to be arranged with respect to the coil in a direction of a rotation axis of the rotor.

Claims (18)

1. A fluid machine comprising:

a motor part having a rotating shaft, an electric motor configured to rotate the rotating shaft, and a motor housing configured to accommodate the electric motor;

an inverter part having an inverter unit configured to supply drive power to the motor part, and an inverter housing connected to the motor housing in an axial direction of the rotating shaft and configured to accommodate the inverter unit, wherein the inverter unit comprises electronic components, and the inverter housing comprises a cylindrical side wall, a cylinder axis of the cylindrical side wall is aligned with a rotation axis of the rotating shaft;

a cooling fan provided on the rotating shaft and configured to allow cooling air to flow through the inverter housing and the motor housing in order, wherein the cooling fan is disposed at an end of the motor housing opposite to an end of the motor housing at which the inverter housing is disposed, the cylindrical side wall of the inverter housing comprises an intake port for the cooling air, and the electronic components of the inverter unit are disposed facing the intake port of the inverter housing in a radial direction; and

an impeller provided on the rotating shaft, wherein the impeller is separate from the cooling fan,

wherein the inverter unit is disposed to be arranged with respect to the electric motor in the axial direction of the rotating shaft.

2. The fluid machine according to claim 1 , wherein the cylindrical side wall extends in a direction of the rotation axis of the rotating shaft, and the intake port suctions the cooling air from an outside.

3. The fluid machine according to claim 1 , wherein a heat sink that faces the intake port is mounted on an outer peripheral portion of the inverter unit.

4. The fluid machine according to claim 1 , wherein the inverter housing has an air filter provided in the intake port.

5. The fluid machine according to claim 4 , wherein the motor part has a gas bearing that pivotally supports the rotating shaft.

6. The fluid machine according to claim 1 , wherein a part of the rotating shaft is disposed to be surrounded by the inverter unit.

7. The fluid machine according to claim 1 , wherein the cooling fan is provided on the rotating shaft such that the cooling air flows through the inverter housing and motor housing before reaching the cooling fan.

8. The fluid machine according to claim 7 , wherein the cooling air from the cooling fan is discharged to an exterior of the fluid machine in a radial direction.

9. The fluid machine according to claim 1 , wherein the inverter unit surrounds the rotating shaft, and the electronic components of the inverter unit are disposed at an outermost peripheral portion of the inverter unit in the radial direction.

10. The fluid machine according to claim 1 , wherein the inverter housing further comprises a lid portion that closes an end surface of the cylindrical side wall, and the inverter unit is mounted on the lid portion.

11. The machine according to claim 10 , wherein the cylindrical side wall is mounted on the lid portion of the inverter housing.

12. The fluid machine according to claim 1 , wherein an end of the rotating shaft is inserted into a recessed portion of the inverter unit, and the inverter unit surrounds the end of the rotating shaft.

13. The fluid machine according to claim 1 , further comprising heat sinks in contact with and extending outward radially from the electronic components, respectively.

Assignments (2)
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE INVENTORS EXECUTION DATE PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 060998 FRAME: 0361. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT . Recorded Nov 14, 2022
From: AKIYAMA, MASAHIRO; AKAMATSU, YOSUKE
To: IHI CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 063116/0956 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 6, 2022
From: AKIYAMA, MASAHIRO; AKAMATSU, YOSUKE
To: IHI CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 060998/0361 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230110735A1 · Apr 13, 2023
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