Fan having forward-curved blades

Claim 2

In a fan comprising a plurality of forward-curved blades which define air passages between the front surfaces thereof and the rear surfaces of the adjacent blades, the width of each air passage gradually varying from the outlet thereof to the vicinity of the inlet; the improvement comprising the width of the outlet of an air passage, defined by the minimum length between the outlet end of the front surface of the blade and the rear surface of the adjacent blade, being 0.3 to 0.5 of the pitch of the blades at the inlet of the air passage and wherein the width of the air passage and the configuration of the central portion of the rear surface of the adjacent blade are such that they are delimited by an arc of a circle which touches the circumferences of a first through a fifth inner tangent circles, the first inner tangent circle having a diameter equal to the outlet width of the air passage and being positioned in such a manner that the circumference of the circle touches the front surface of the blade at its outlet end, the second inner tanget circle being positioned in such a manner that its center is located on the circumference of the first inner tangent circle and its circumference touches the front surface of the blade, and so forth for the third, fourth and fifth inner tangent circles, the diameters of the second and subsequent tangent circles being defined by the equation: d.sub.2 =md.sub.1 where m=coefficient having values in the range between 0.95 and 1.05 for defining the relation between the diameters of adjacent inner tangent circles; d 1 =diameter of the first or preceding inner tangent circle, and; d 2 =diameter of the second or following inner tangent circle.

Claim 3

A fan as set forth in claim 1, wherein each of said blades includes a curved front surface in the form of an arc obtained on the basis of the inlet angle β 1 and the outlet angle β 2 of each blade and connecting the inlet and outlet ends of each blade. of said blades includes a curved rear surface in the form of an arc obtained on the basis of the inlet angle β 1 and the outlet angle β 2 of each blade when β 1 <90° and β 2 <170° and connecting inlet and outlet ends of each blade.

Claim 4

The fan of claim 1, wherein the width of the outlet of the air passage is equal to the effective width of the inlet to the air passage.

Claim 5

In a fan comprising a plurality of forward-curved blades which define air passages between the front surfaces thereof and the rear surfaces of the adjacent blades, the width of each air passage gradually varying, from the outlet thereof to the vicinity of the inlet; the improvement comprising the width of the outlet of an air passage, defined by the minimum length between the outlet end of the front surface of the blade and the rear surface of the adjacent blade, being 0.3 to 0.5 of the pitch of the blades at the inlet of the air passage and wherein the width of the air passage is such that the front and rear surfaces of the adjacent blades would be tangent with the circumferences of a plurality of inner tangent circles, the first inner tangent circle having a diameter equal to the outlet width of the air passage and being positioned in such a manner that the circumference of the circle touches the front surface of the blade at its outlet end and on its opposite side touches the rear surface of the adjacent blade, the second inner tangent circle being positioned in such a manner that its center is located on the circumference of the first inner tangent circle and so that its circumference touches the opposing front and rear blade surfaces, and so forth for the third and additional inner tangent circles, the diameters of the second and subsequent tangent circles being defined by the equation: d.sub.2 =md.sub.1 where m=coefficient having values in the range between 0.95 and 1.05 for defining the relation between the diameters of adjacent inner tangent circles; d 1 =diameter of the first or preceding inner tangent circle, and; d 2 =diameter of the second or following inner tangent circle.

Claim 6

In a fan comprising a plurality of forward-curved blades which define air passages between the front surfaces thereof and the rear surfaces of the adjacent blades, the width of each air passage gradually varying, from the outlet thereof to the vicinity of the inlet; the improvement comprising the width of the outlet of an air passage, defined by the minimum length between the outlet end of the front surface of the blade and the rear surface of the adjacent blade, being 0.3 to 0.5 of the pitch of the blades at the inlet of the air passage and wherein the width of the air passage is such that the front and rear surfaces of the adjacent blades would be tangent with the circumferences of a plurality of inner tangent circles, the first inner tangent circle having a diameter equal to the outlet width of the air passage and being positioned in such a manner that the circumference of the circle touches the front surface of the blade at its outlet end and on its opposite side touches the rear surface of the adjacent blade, the second inner tangent circle being positioned in such a manner that its center is located on the circumference of the first inner tangent circle and so that its circumference touches the opposing front and rear blade surfaces, and so forth for the third and additional inner tangent circles, the diameters of the second and subsequent tangent circles being defined by the equation: d.sub.2 =md.sub.1 where m=coefficient having values in the range between 0.95 and 1.05 for defining the relation between the diameters of adjacent inner tangent circles; d 1 =diameter of the first or preceding inner tangent circle, and; d 2 =diameter of the second or following inner tangent circle.

Claim 7

A fan as set forth in claim 4, wherein each of said blades includes a curved rear surface in the form of an arc obtained on the basis of the inlet angle β 1 and the outlet angle β 2 of each blade when β 1 <90° and β 2 <170° and connecting inlet and outlet ends of each blade.

Claim 8

The fan of claim 4, wherein the width of the outlet of the air passage is equal to the effective width of the inlet to the air passage.