Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 5
Claim 1
Independent Claim
196 words
In a vortex blower including a motor having a shaft, an impeller mounted on one end of said shaft for rotation therewith, an impeller housing defining therein a compression chamber in opposite relationship to said impeller, a bearing for said shaft, a part of said impeller housing being made from one of aluminium and aluminium-based alloy and including an integral portion which serves as an end wall of said motor and on which said bearing is mounted, said bearing being of the type that includes inner and outer races, the improvement which comprises: a first thrust surface provided on said end wall and being in engagement with one of the end faces of said outer race of said bearing; a bearing retainer of a metal having a wear-resistant property higher than that of the metal from which said part of said impeller housing is made, said bearing retainer having an axially extending surface in engagement with the outer peripheral surface of said outer bearing race and a second thrust surface in engagement with the other end face of said outer bearing race; and means for mounting said bearing retainer and said bearing on said end wall.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
196 words
In a vortex blower including a motor having a shaft, an impeller mounted on one end of said shaft for rotation therewith, an impeller housing defining therein a compression chamber in opposite relationship to said impeller, a bearing for said shaft, a part of said impeller housing being made from one of aluminium and aluminium-based alloy and including an integral portion which serves as an end wall of said motor and on which said bearing is mounted, said bearing being of the type that includes inner and outer races, the improvement which comprises: a first thrust surface provided on said end wall and being in engagement with one of the end faces of said outer race of said bearing; a bearing retainer of a metal having a wear-resistant property higher than that of the metal from which said part of said impeller housing is made, said bearing retainer having an axially extending surface in engagement with the outer peripheral surface of said outer bearing race and a second thrust surface in engagement with the other end face of said outer bearing race; and means for mounting said bearing retainer and said bearing on said end wall.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
53 words
A blower as defined in claim 1, wherein said first thrust surface is in engagement with that end face of said outer bearing race which is adjacent to said impeller and said second thrust surface is in engagement with that end face of said outer bearing race which is remote from said impeller.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
124 words
A blower as defined in claim 1 or 2, wherein said part of said housing is made of an aluminium-based alloy comprising from 83.7 to 88.5% by weight of aluminium, from 1.5 to 3.5% by weight of copper, from 9.6 to 12.0% by weight of silicon, from 0.3 to 0.6% by weight of iron and less than 0.15% by weight of balance comprising magnesium, zinc, manganese, nickel and tin and wherein said bearing retainer is made of a gray cast iron comprising from 91.1 to 94.7% by weight of iron, from 2.0 to 4.0% by weight of carbon, 3.0% by weight of silicon, from 0.3 to 1.0% by weight of manganese and from 0.04 to 0.93% by weight of balance comprising phosphorus and sulphur.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
167 words
A blower as defined in claim 2, wherein the end of said motor shaft to which said impeller is fixed extends from said end wall through an opening formed therein and wherein said end wall is provided with a recess formed in the axially inner surface thereof, said recess having an axially extending inner peripheral surface and a radially extending substantially flat bottom surface in which said opening is formed, said bottom surface providing said first thrust surface and being in engagement with said one end face of said outer bearing race, said bearing retainer being substantially snugly received in said recess and provided with a second opening through which said motor shaft extends, said second opening being substantially coaxial with the first-said axially extending surface and having an inner diameter smaller than that of the first-said axially extending surface to provide therebetween a radially extending annular surface providing said second thrust surface and being in engagement with the other end face of said outer bearing race.