Evaporative cooler with centrifugal fan

Abstract

Evaporative coolers are disclosed. An evaporative cooler includes a cooler housing, a centrifugal fan, and a motor. The cooler housing defines an interior region, a single air inlet, and an air outlet. The single air inlet is positioned to permit air flow into the interior region generally along an inlet axis. The air outlet is positioned to permit air flow from the interior region generally along an outlet axis. The inlet axis and outlet axis are angled with respect to one another. The centrifugal fan is mounted within the interior region of the cooler housing. The centrifugal fan is oriented to rotate about a vertical axis that is substantially orthogonal to the inlet and outlet axes. The motor is mounted within the interior region of the cooler housing and is coupled to the centrifugal fan. The motor is configured to rotate the centrifugal fan about the vertical axis.

1 . An evaporative cooler comprising:
 a cooler housing defining an interior region, a single air inlet positioned to permit air flow into the interior region of the cooler housing generally along an inlet axis, and an air outlet positioned to permit air flow from the interior region of the cooler housing generally along an outlet axis, the inlet axis and outlet axis being angled with respect to one another such that the general direction of air flow into the interior region of the cooler housing through the single air inlet differs from the general direction of air flow from the interior region of the cooler housing through the air outlet;   a centrifugal fan mounted within the interior region of the cooler housing, the centrifugal fan being oriented to rotate about a vertical axis that is substantially orthogonal to the inlet and outlet axes; and   a motor mounted within the interior region of the cooler housing and coupled to the centrifugal fan, the motor being configured to rotate the centrifugal fan about the vertical axis.   
     
     
         2 . The evaporative cooler of  claim 1 , wherein the general direction of air flow into the interior region is toward the centrifugal fan. 
     
     
         3 . The evaporative cooler of  claim 1 , wherein the centrifugal fan is configured to receive air that flows through the single air inlet and to urge air through the air outlet. 
     
     
         4 . The evaporative cooler of  claim 1 , further comprising a fan housing disposed around a portion of the centrifugal fan such that the fan housing forms a fan scroll. 
     
     
         5 . The evaporative cooler of  claim 1 , wherein the fan housing is an integral portion of the cooler housing, and the cooler housing forms the fan scroll. 
     
     
         6 . The evaporative cooler of  claim 1 , wherein the centrifugal fan has a height extending substantially in the direction of the vertical axis and a diameter extending substantially orthogonal to the vertical axis, and wherein the height of the centrifugal fan is larger than the diameter of the centrifugal fan. 
     
     
         7 . The evaporative cooler of  claim 1 , wherein the single air inlet has a height extending substantially in the direction of the vertical axis and a width extending substantially orthogonal to the vertical axis, and wherein the height of the single air inlet is larger than the width of the single air inlet. 
     
     
         8 . The evaporative cooler of  claim 1 , wherein the air outlet has a height extending substantially in the direction of the vertical axis and a width extending substantially orthogonal to the vertical axis, and wherein the height of the air outlet is larger than the width of the single air inlet. 
     
     
         9 . The evaporative cooler of  claim 1 , wherein the cooler housing has a front wall defining the air outlet and a side wall adjacent the front wall and defining the single air inlet. 
     
     
         10 . The evaporative cooler of  claim 1 , wherein the inlet axis and the outlet axis form an angle of between approximately 45° and 135°. 
     
     
         11 . The evaporative cooler of  claim 10 , wherein the inlet axis and the outlet axis form an angle of approximately 90°. 
     
     
         12 . The evaporative cooler of  claim 1 , further comprising a media component extending across the single air inlet, wherein at least some of the air flowing into the interior region of the cooler housing through the single air inlet flows through the media. 
     
     
         13 . A method for configuring an evaporative cooler to move air from a single air inlet defined in a cooler housing to an air outlet defined in the cooler housing, the method comprising:
 mounting a centrifugal fan within an interior region of the cooler housing such that the centrifugal fan is oriented to rotate about a vertical axis that is substantially orthogonal to an inlet axis along which air flows through the single air inlet and an outlet axis along which air flows through the air outlet, the inlet axis and outlet axis being angled with respect to one another such that the general direction of air flow into the interior region of the cooler housing through the single air inlet differs from the general direction of air flow from the interior region of the cooler housing through the air outlet; and   mounting a motor within the interior region of the cooler housing such that the motor is configured to rotate the centrifugal fan about the vertical axis.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the step of mounting the centrifugal fan comprises mounting the centrifugal fan such that the general direction of air flow into the interior region of the cooler housing through the single air inlet is toward the centrifugal fan. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the step of mounting the centrifugal fan comprises mounting the centrifugal fan such that the centrifugal fan receives air that flows through the single air inlet and blows air through the air outlet. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 positioning a media component across the single air inlet such that at least some air flowing into the interior region of the cooler housing through the single air inlet flows through the media.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the inlet axis and the outlet axis form an angle of between approximately 45° and 135°. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the inlet axis and the outlet axis form an angle of approximately 90°.