Pumps – Motor driven – Electric or magnetic motor
Reexamination Certificate
2001-10-16
2003-05-06
Freay, Charles G. (Department: 3746)
Pumps
Motor driven
Electric or magnetic motor
C417S423700, C417S423900
Reexamination Certificate
active
06558140
ABSTRACT:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application is based on and incorporates herein by reference Japanese Patent Application No. 2000-334660 filed on Nov. 1, 2000.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a motor of a vehicle air conditioning system and also to the vehicle air conditioning system having the same. More particularly, the present invention relates to a waterproof structure of a blower motor that rotates a fan of the vehicle air conditioning system.
2. Description of Related Art
With reference to
FIG. 4
, in one previously proposed air conditioning system, air is blown out through each corresponding air outlet opening
23
of an air conditioning duct
20
arranged in a vehicle when a blower motor
21
arranged in the air conditioning duct
20
is driven to rotate a fan
22
. The fan
22
draws either internal air from a vehicle interior or external air from an engine room depending on a switching operation of internal/external air switching damper
24
arranged in the air conditioning duct
20
. The air drawn by the rotation of the fan
22
is adjusted to a predetermined temperature by heat exchange through an evaporator
25
, a heater core
26
and an air mixing damper
27
, which are all arranged in the air conditioning duct
20
. Then, the air is blown out through each corresponding air outlet opening
23
based on a position of each air outlet opening switching damper
28
arranged in the air conditioning duct
20
.
In the above air conditioning system, for example, when the vehicle is washed with a vehicle washing machine or the like that uses pressurized vigorous water to wash the vehicle, it may happen that water droplets penetrate into the air conditioning duct
20
through an external air inlet opening of the air conditioning duct
20
communicated with the engine room for taking the external air. The water penetrated into the air conditioning duct
20
may be forced to move to a motor holder
29
, which holds the blower motor
21
, along an internal wall surface of the air conditioning duct
20
or to move directly to the motor holder
29
. This water may then penetrate into an interior of the motor
21
through an upper open end of the motor holder
29
due to a negative pressure generated by the rotation of the fan
22
connected to a rotatable shaft of the blower motor
21
, i.e., due to the airflow directed toward the motor
21
.
When the water penetrates into the interior of the blower motor
21
, the rotatable shaft of the motor
21
, bearings for supporting the rotatable shaft of the motor
21
or the like may be rusted, causing the phenomenon known as “motor locking” that reduces a rotational efficiency of the rotatable shaft.
To address the above disadvantage, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 5-130756, there is disclosed a bent portion that is formed by radially outwardly bending an outer peripheral wall surface of an upper open end of the motor holder
29
. With this arrangement, even if the airflow directed toward the motor
21
upon rotation of the fan
22
is created, the vent portion can effectively prevent the airflow from passing through the vent portion along the outer peripheral wall surface of the motor holder
29
. That is, the water drawn through the external air inlet opening due to the negative pressure generated by the rotation of the fan
22
is prevented from moving upward along the outer peripheral wall surface of the motor holder
29
and also from getting into the interior of the motor
21
beyond the upper open end of the motor holder
29
.
The motor holder
29
is generally formed of a resin material. When the bent portion is formed at the upper end of the motor holder
29
, it is difficult to remove the motor holder
29
from its molding die upon completion of molding of the motor holder
29
. Thus, it is difficult to integrally form the motor holder
29
and the bent portion together. As a result, the motor holder
29
and the bent portion need to be separately formed. When such a waterproof structure is formed separately from motor holder
29
, the number of the components to be assembled is increased, thereby causing an increase in manufacturing costs.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention addresses the above disadvantages. Thus, it is an objective of the present invention to provide a motor of a vehicle air conditioning system capable of restraining penetration of water into an interior of the motor and thereby restraining deterioration of motor performance. It is another objective of the present invention to provide an air conditioning system having such a motor.
To achieve the objectives of the present invention, there is provided a motor for driving a fan that creates airflow in an air conditioning system. The motor includes a cup-shaped motor holder and a yoke received inside of the motor holder. The motor holder has a peripheral wall and an open end at one end of the peripheral wall. The yoke has an open end adjacent to the open end of the motor holder. The open end of the yoke has a flange that extends radially outwardly. An outer peripheral end of the flange is positioned radially outward of the it peripheral wall of the motor holder.
Furthermore, there is also provided an air conditioning system having the above motor.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4218196 (1980-08-01), Ohnishi
patent: 4752194 (1988-06-01), Wienen et al.
patent: 5915931 (1999-06-01), Lindner et al.
patent: 6037688 (2000-03-01), Gilliland et al.
patent: 6382936 (2002-05-01), Schuler et al.
patent: 6422831 (2002-07-01), Ito et al.
patent: 6478555 (2002-11-01), Kim et al.
patent: A-58-103843 (1983-06-01), None
patent: A-5-130755 (1993-05-01), None
patent: A-5-130756 (1993-05-01), None
patent: 5-91923 (1993-12-01), None
patent: A-11-332200 (1999-11-01), None
patent: A-11-332220 (1999-11-01), None
Suzuki Akihiko
Ueda Yasushi
Yamaguchi Mineo
Asmo Co. Ltd.
Posz & Bethards, PLC
Rodriguez William H.
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