Blower housing with fluted outlet

Abstract

A heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) blower that includes a housing that defines an air inlet, an air outlet, and a passageway therebetween. An airflow may be directed from the air inlet to the air outlet through the passageway. The housing at the air outlet includes an outlet end portion with a plurality of flutes that extend from the passageway.

1 . A heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) blower, comprising:
 a housing which defines an air inlet, an air outlet, and a passageway therebetween through which an airflow may be directed from the air inlet to the air outlet, wherein the housing at the air outlet comprises an outlet end portion with a plurality of flutes that extend from the passageway.   
     
     
         2 . The HVAC blower of  claim 1 , wherein the blower comprises an impeller that rotates about an axis of rotation to direct the airflow from the air inlet to the air outlet, wherein the passageway is curved at least partially circumferentially about the axis of rotation. 
     
     
         3 . The HVAC blower of  claim 1 , wherein the air inlet comprises an inlet width and the air outlet comprises an outlet width, wherein the air outlet width is greater than the air inlet width. 
     
     
         4 . The HVAC blower of  claim 1 , wherein the outlet end portion of the air outlet is generally rectangular in shape. 
     
     
         5 . The HVAC blower of  claim 1 , wherein the flutes are integrally formed with the outlet end portion. 
     
     
         6 . The HVAC blower of  claim 5 , wherein the housing is molded. 
     
     
         7 . The HVAC blower of  claim 1 , wherein the housing is formed of a unitary piece. 
     
     
         8 . The HVAC blower of  claim 1 , wherein the outlet end portion is corrugated to form the plurality of flutes. 
     
     
         9 . The HVAC blower of  claim 1 , wherein the passageway comprises a length, and the plurality of flutes extends from an edge of the air outlet a distance of at least 10 percent of the length. 
     
     
         10 . The HVAC blower of  claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises vanes that extend into the passageway. 
     
     
         11 . The HVAC blower of  claim 10 , wherein the plurality of flutes is aligned with a direction of the airflow through the passageway and the air outlet, and at least some of the vanes are aligned with the plurality of flutes in the direction of the airflow. 
     
     
         12 . The HVAC blower of  claim 1 , wherein the outlet end portion comprises a vortex generator. 
     
     
         13 . The HVAC blower of  claim 12 , wherein the vortex generator comprises a deflector that extends from the housing into the passageway. 
     
     
         14 . The HVAC blower of  claim 13 , wherein the plurality of flutes is aligned with a direction of the airflow through the passageway and the air outlet, and the deflector is oriented at an angle relative to the direction of the airflow. 
     
     
         15 . The HVAC blower of  claim 14 , wherein the vortex generator is disposed within a flute of the plurality of flutes, and the vortex generator is configured to obstruct a sub-stream of the airflow in the direction through the flute of the plurality of flutes. 
     
     
         16 . A heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) blower, comprising:
 a housing which defines an air inlet, an air outlet, and a passageway therebetween through which an airflow may be directed from the air inlet to the air outlet, wherein the housing at the air outlet comprises an outlet end portion, and the outlet end portion comprises:
 a plurality of flutes that extend from the passageway; and 
 a plurality of vortex generators. 
   
     
     
         17 . The HVAC blower of  claim 16 , wherein the blower comprises an impeller that rotates about an axis of rotation to direct airflow from the air inlet to the air outlet, wherein the passageway is curved at least partially circumferentially about the axis of rotation. 
     
     
         18 . The HVAC blower of  claim 16 , wherein the plurality of flutes is aligned with a direction of the airflow through the passageway and the air outlet, and at least some of the plurality of vortex generators are oriented at an angle relative to the direction of the airflow. 
     
     
         19 . The HVAC blower of  claim 18 , wherein the plurality of vortex generators comprises deflectors that extend from the housing into the passageway. 
     
     
         20 . The HVAC blower of  claim 16 , wherein the plurality of flutes are disposed on at least 50 percent of a surface of the blower housing that defines the air outlet. 
     
     
         21 . The HVAC blower of  claim 16 , wherein the housing is molded. 
     
     
         22 . The HVAC blower of  claim 16 , wherein the air inlet comprises an inlet width and the air outlet comprises an outlet width, wherein the air outlet width is greater than the air inlet width. 
     
     
         23 . A heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) blower, comprising:
 a housing which defines an air inlet, an air outlet, and a passageway therebetween through which an airflow may be directed along a length from the air inlet to the air outlet, wherein an outlet end portion of the housing at the air outlet comprises a plurality of flutes and a vortex generator, wherein the passageway extends into the plurality of flutes, and the plurality of flutes extends from an edge of the air outlet a distance of at least 10 percent of the length.   
     
     
         24 . The HVAC blower of  claim 23 , wherein the blower comprises an impeller that rotates about an axis of rotation to direct airflow from the air inlet to the air outlet, wherein the passageway is curved at least partially circumferentially about the axis of rotation. 
     
     
         25 . The HVAC blower of  claim 23 , wherein the housing is formed of a unitary piece. 
     
     
         26 . The HVAC blower of  claim 23 , wherein the outlet end portion is corrugated to form the plurality of flutes.