US5259726A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Rotating fan guard
Assignee: Storage Technology Corp
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Filing: 1992-06-26
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Granted: 1993-11-09
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Expires: 2012-06-26
Abstract
Abstract A rotating fan guard is disclosed that prevents personal injury to people working near a rotating fan while reducing the noise level of the fan as compared to a fan with a stationary fan guard. The rotating fan guard comprises a plurality of concentric rings spaced so as to prevent the ingress of a person's finger between the rings and into contact with the fan blades. The concentric rings are attached to the fan rotor to which the fan blades are also attached. The fan guard thus rotates along with the fan blades. The rotating fan guard produces air flow having less air turbulence and less generated noise, relative to a stationary fan guard. The rotating fan guard generates mostly "white noise" which is less hazardous to human hearing than "pure tone" high frequency noise generated by prior art stationary fan guards.
Inventors
- 👤 Nick N. Bacria
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-02 03:41
CPC Classifications
F; F04; F04D; F04D29/00; F04D29/70; F04D29/701; F04D29/703
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 15
Claim 1
Independent Claim
119 words
Fan apparatus for use with a fan having a plurality of fan blades attached to a rotor of said fan, said fan apparatus comprising: noise reduction means for minimizing audible noise generated when said plurality of fan blades are rotated; and fastening means for rigidly attaching said noise reduction means to said rotor so that said noise reduction means rotates together with said plurality of fan blades, wherein said noise reduction means includes a plurality of concentric rings whose common centers are coaxially disposed with respect to the axis of rotation of said rotor, and wherein a plane formed by said plurality of concentric rings is oriented parallel to the plane of rotation of said plurality of fan blades.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
119 words
Fan apparatus for use with a fan having a plurality of fan blades attached to a rotor of said fan, said fan apparatus comprising: noise reduction means for minimizing audible noise generated when said plurality of fan blades are rotated; and fastening means for rigidly attaching said noise reduction means to said rotor so that said noise reduction means rotates together with said plurality of fan blades, wherein said noise reduction means includes a plurality of concentric rings whose common centers are coaxially disposed with respect to the axis of rotation of said rotor, and wherein a plane formed by said plurality of concentric rings is oriented parallel to the plane of rotation of said plurality of fan blades.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
33 words
The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said plurality of concentric rings have a predetermined spacing therebetween to prevent the ingress of a foreign object through said rings into said plurality of fan blades.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
24 words
The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said predetermined spacing is less than a cross-sectional dimension of a UL FINGER to prevent said ingress thereof.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
17 words
The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said plurality of concentric rings is equal to at least two.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
34 words
The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said fastening means includes a plurality of struts connecting said plurality of concentric rings in a plane parallel to the rotational plane of said plurality of fan blades.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
32 words
The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said fastening means includes 3 struts connecting said plurality of concentric rings in a plane parallel to the rotational plane of said plurality of fan blades.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
89 words
Fan apparatus for use with a fan having a plurality of fan blades rigidly attached to a rotor, said fan apparatus comprising: a plurality of concentric rings whose common centers are coaxially disposed with respect to the axis of rotation of said rotor, and wherein a plane formed by said plurality of concentric rings is oriented parallel to the plane of rotation of said fan blades; and a plurality of struts connecting said plurality of concentric rings and rigidly attaching said plurality of said concentric rings to said rotor.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
89 words
Fan apparatus for use with a fan having a plurality of fan blades rigidly attached to a rotor, said fan apparatus comprising: a plurality of concentric rings whose common centers are coaxially disposed with respect to the axis of rotation of said rotor, and wherein a plane formed by said plurality of concentric rings is oriented parallel to the plane of rotation of said fan blades; and a plurality of struts connecting said plurality of concentric rings and rigidly attaching said plurality of said concentric rings to said rotor.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
18 words
The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said concentric rings are located on the intake side of said fan.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
16 words
The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said plurality of struts is equal to at least 2.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
16 words
The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said plurality of said concentric rings is equal to two.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
37 words
The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the spacing between said concentric rings is less than a predetermined distance to prevent the ingress of a foreign object having a dimension equal to or greater than said predetermined distance.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
22 words
The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the spacing between said concentric rings is less than a cross-sectional dimension of a UL FINGER.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
43 words
The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said plurality of concentric rings are arranged to form a conical pattern wherein the plane of rotation of each of said plurality of rings is parallel with respect to said plane of rotation of said fan blades.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1996-11-08 | 1997-05-10 | 1997-11-09 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2000-11-08 | 2001-05-10 | 2001-11-09 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2004-11-08 | 2005-05-10 | 2005-11-09 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |