Cooling fan

Abstract

A cooling fan includes a motor ( 30 ) for generating an airflow, and a housing ( 10 ) defining a space ( 40 ) for receiving the motor therein. The housing defines an air inlet ( 57 ) through which the airflow flows into the housing. The motor has a plurality of fan blades ( 31 ) extending radially outwards from a periphery thereof. The motor is mounted under the air inlet. The air inlet is so configured or positioned that the fan blades are unevenly exposed to an ambient air through the air inlet. The housing further has an air outlet ( 56 ) through which the airflow flows out of the fan. The air outlet is oriented perpendicular to the air inlet.

1 . A cooling fan comprising: 
 a motor for generating an airflow; and    a housing defining a space for receiving the motor therein;    wherein the housing defines a noncircular air inlet for air flowing into the housing therethrough when the motor is operated in a top wall thereof, and an air outlet for the air to leave the housing, the air inlet being oriented perpendicular to the air outlet, the housing having a front side, a rear side and two lateral sides between the front and rear sides.    
   
   
       2 . The cooling fan as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein a center of the air inlet is laterally offset from a center of the motor.  
   
   
       3 . The cooling fan as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the air inlet is elliptic or irregular.  
   
   
       4 . The cooling fan as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises a cover defining the air inlet therein and a base for mounting the cover thereon, the base defines an opening parallel to the air inlet.  
   
   
       5 . The cooling fan as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein a center of the opening is laterally offset from the center of the motor.  
   
   
       6 . The cooling fan as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein the opening is elliptic or irregular.  
   
   
       7 . The cooling fan as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the air inlet is located at the front side of the housing.  
   
   
       8 . The cooling fan as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein housing defines an additional air outlet at one of the lateral sides of the housing, the additional air outlet is oriented perpendicular to the air outlet and the air inlet.  
   
   
       9 . A cooling fan comprising: 
 a motor having a plurality of blades for generating an airflow; and    a housing defining a space for receiving the motor therein, the housing defining an air inlet therein;    wherein a distance between a circumference of the air inlet and a center of the motor is various along a circumferential direction of air inlet.    
   
   
       10 . The cooling fan as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein the air inlet is noncircular.  
   
   
       11 . The cooling fan as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein the air inlet is elliptic or irregular.  
   
   
       12 . The cooling fan as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein a center of the air inlet is radially offset from a center of the motor.  
   
   
       13 . The cooling fan as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein the housing defines an air outlet perpendicular to the air inlet, and a plurality of fins is received in the air outlet of the housing.  
   
   
       14 . The cooling fan as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein the housing defines two air inlets at a front side and a lateral side of the housing, respectively.  
   
   
       15 . A cooling fan comprising: 
 a hosing having a top wall, a rear side, a front side and two lateral sides between the rear side and the front side, an air inlet defined in the top wall through which air flows into the housing, and an air outlet through which the air leaves the housing, the air outlet being oriented perpendicular to the air inlet; and    a motor rotatably received in the housing under the air inlet, having a plurality of fan blades extending radially outwardly from a periphery of the motor, when the motor rotates, the fan blades drawing the air into the housing via the air inlet and expelling the air out of the housing via the air outlet; wherein the fan blades are unevenly exposed to an ambient air through the air inlet.    
   
   
       16 . The cooling fan as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein the air inlet is circular and has a center, the motor is circular and has a center, the center of the air inlet is laterally offset from the center of the motor.  
   
   
       17 . The cooling fan as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein the air inlet is elliptic and has a center, the motor is circular and has a center, the center of the air inlet is coincidental with the center of the motor.  
   
   
       18 . The cooling fan as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein the air inlet is elliptic and has a center, the motor is circular and has a center, the center of the air inlet is laterally offset from the center of the motor.  
   
   
       19 . The cooling fan as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein the air inlet has an irregular shape.  
   
   
       20 . The cooling fan as claimed in  claim 16 , wherein the housing further has a second outlet, the second outlet is oriented perpendicular to the air inlet and the air outlet.  
   
   
       21 . The cooling fan as claimed in  claim 16 , wherein when the fan blades rotate along a clockwise direction as viewed from a top of the fan, the center of the air inlet is located near a right side of the housing than the center of the motor.