Fan with Inverted Electric Motor

Abstract

In one embodiment, a fan may include a housing having an inlet opening and an exhaust opening, a support shaft fixed to and positioned within the housing, a motor having a stator fixed on the support shaft, and a rotor rotatably mounted on the support shaft, and an impeller attached to the rotor, whereby energization of the motor causes the rotor to rotate the impeller relative to the support shaft to move ambient air into the housing through the inlet opening and out the exhaust opening.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A fan comprising:
 a housing having an inlet opening and an exhaust opening;   a support shaft fixed to and positioned within the housing;   a motor having a stator fixed on the support shaft, and a rotor rotatably mounted on the support shaft; and   an impeller attached to the rotor, whereby energization of the motor causes the rotor to rotate the impeller relative to the support shaft to move ambient air into the housing through the inlet opening and out the exhaust opening.   
     
     
         2 . The fan of  claim 1 , wherein the impeller is enclosed within the housing. 
     
     
         3 . The fan of  claim 1 , wherein the motor is enclosed within the impeller. 
     
     
         4 . The fan of  claim 3 , wherein the housing is a double-inlet housing. 
     
     
         5 . The fan of  claim 4 , wherein the housing includes an inlet selected from a single inlet bell communicating with the impeller, and opposing inlet bells communicating with the impeller. 
     
     
         6 . The fan of  claim 5 , wherein the impeller includes at least one central opening shaped to receive an inner end of at least one of the inlet bells. 
     
     
         7 . The fan of  claim 1 , wherein the rotor includes a barrel rotatably attached to the support shaft; and the impeller is attached to the barrel to rotate with the barrel. 
     
     
         8 . The fan of  claim 7 , wherein the stator and rotor are enclosed within the barrel. 
     
     
         9 . The fan of  claim 8 , wherein the barrel includes opposing end frames rotatably mounted on the support shaft and a side wall attached to and extending between the end frames; and wherein the impeller is attached to the side wall of the barrel. 
     
     
         10 . The fan of  claim 9 , wherein the barrel is positioned within the impeller. 
     
     
         11 . The fan of  claim 1 , wherein the support shaft is non-rotatably attached to the housing. 
     
     
         12 . A fan comprising:
 a housing having an inlet opening and an exhaust opening;   a support shaft positioned within the housing;   a motor having a stator mounted on the support shaft, and a rotor rotatably mounted on the shaft; and   an impeller attached to the rotor, the impeller having opposing end plates connected by a plurality of fan blades, the impeller configured such that the stator and rotor are positioned between the end plates;   whereby energization of the motor causes the rotor to rotate the impeller relative to the support shaft to move ambient air into the housing through the inlet opening and out the exhaust opening.   
     
     
         13 . The fan of  claim 12 , wherein the rotor includes a barrel, and the impeller is mounted on the barrel. 
     
     
         14 . The fan of  claim 13 , wherein the barrel includes a raised rib, and the impeller is mounted on the raised rib. 
     
     
         15 . The fan of  claim 14 , wherein the barrel includes a pair of opposing end frames mounted on the support shaft, and a side wall attached to and interconnecting the end frames; and wherein the motor is positioned between the end frames. 
     
     
         16 . The fan of  claim 14 , wherein the impeller includes an annular support disc positioned between the end plates and attached to the blades; wherein the annular support disc is attached to the raised rib of the barrel. 
     
     
         17 . The fan of  claim 14 , wherein a first plurality of the blades are attached to and extend between a first one of the pair of end plates and the annular support disc; and a second plurality of the blades extend between a second one of the pair of end plates and the annular support disc. 
     
     
         18 . The fan of  claim 12 , wherein the inlet opening of the housing includes opposing inlet bells; the impeller is positioned between the inlet bells; and the end plates of the impeller each include a central opening communicating with an adjacent one of the inlet bells. 
     
     
         19 . A centrifugal fan comprising:
 a housing having an inlet opening and an exhaust opening;   a support shaft non-rotatably attached to the housing and positioned within the housing;   an electric motor having a stator fixed on the support shaft, and having a rotor rotatably mounted on the support shaft; and   an impeller attached to the rotor, the impeller having opposing end plates interconnected by a plurality of fan blades, the impeller configured such that the stator and rotor are positioned between the end plates;   whereby energization of the motor causes the rotor to rotate the impeller relative to the support shaft to move ambient air into the housing through the inlet opening and out the exhaust opening.   
     
     
         20 . The centrifugal fan of  claim 19 , wherein the electric motor is selected from an inverted alternating current motor, and an inverted brushless direct current motor. 
     
     
         21 . A method operating a fan, the method comprising:
 providing a housing having an inlet opening and an exhaust opening;   positioning a support shaft within the housing; and   energizing a motor, having a stator fixed on the support shaft and a rotor rotatably mounted on the support shaft, to rotate an impeller attached to the rotor, whereby the rotor rotates the impeller relative to the support shaft to move ambient air into the housing through the inlet opening and out the exhaust opening.