Refrigeration – Gas controller or director – Cooled gas directed relative to cooled enclosure
Reexamination Certificate
1998-12-21
2001-02-20
Doerrler, William (Department: 3744)
Refrigeration
Gas controller or director
Cooled gas directed relative to cooled enclosure
C416S24100B
Reexamination Certificate
active
06189332
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an air conditioner, more particularly to a fan used in the air conditioner and its manufacturing method.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A fan conventionally used in an air conditioner is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Laid-open Utility Model No. 54-20004. This Japanese Laid-open Utility Model No. 54-20004 relates to a fan integrally forming blades and an end plate, and this fan is formed of a mixture of acrylonitrile styrene resin (AS resin), and about 20 wt. % to about 40 wt. % of glass fiber (GF). The mechanical strength is improved by mixing glass fiber. Generally, the synthetic resin end plate and blades are integrally bonded by ultrasonic fusion, and then molding strain and strain by ultrasonic fusion are removed by annealing treatment by circulation of hot air of about 80 to 95° C. in a hot air circulating oven or the like. By such treatment, the heat and creep resistance is enhanced as the fan in actual use.
Annealing is a treatment for removing strain. However, in the constitution of such conventional fan, in order to enhance the mechanical strength of the molding, the annealing treatment for removing fusion strain or molding strain after processing by ultrasonic fusion of end plate and blades by mixing about 20 to 40 wt. % of GF in the AS resin as synthetic resin material is done in an ordinary annealing oven having a temperature difference of 5° C. or more between the top and bottom of the fan, and the circulation of hot air is at wind velocity of 0.5 m/sec or less. Hence, it required a long time in annealing the entire fan uniformly. This method was therefore inferior in productivity and processability. Moreover, such synthetic resin material is inferior in flowability, short shots are likely to occur when molding, and, as a result, the yield and productivity were inferior.
It is hence an object of the invention to present a fan free from fusion strain and molding strain, and excellent in molding performance, rigidity, impact resistance, heat and creep resistance, and productivity.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The air conditioner of the invention comprises:
(a) at least one heat control means of heating means and cooling means for conditioning an air temperature, and
(b) a fan for blowing air controlled by the heat control means,
in which the fan includes a molded part molded of a compound material having:
(i) glass fiber, and
(ii) at least one copolymer of a copolymer produced from a monomer containing acrylonitrile and styrene, and a copolymer produced from styrene and a heat resistant monomer,
the molded part has a load deflection temperature of about 100° C. or more by a testing method of JIS K 7207 at a load of 18.5 kgf/cm
2
, and the fan is cleared of strain by annealing treatment by hot air circulation in a temperature range lower by about 5° C. to about 20° C. than the load deflection temperature, and in a wind velocity range of about 1 m/sec to about 3 m/sec.
The manufacturing method of an air conditioner of the invention comprises:
(a) a step of supplying at least one heat control means of heating means and cooling means for conditioning the air temperature, and
(b) a step of manufacturing a fan for blowing air controlled by the heat control means,
in which the step of manufacturing the fan includes:
(1) a step of preparing a compound material having
(i) glass fiber, and
(ii) at least one copolymer of a copolymer produced from a monomer containing acrylonitrile and styrene, and a copolymer produced from styrene and a heat resistant monomer,
(2) a step of forming a molded part by molding the compound material,
(3) a step of assembling a fan by using the molded part,
the fan having a load deflection temperature of about 100° C. or more by a testing method of JIS K 7207 at a load of 18.5 kgf/cm
2
, and
(4) a step of clearing the molded part of strain by annealing the fan by hot air circulation in a temperature range lower by about 5° C. to about 20° C. than the load deflection temperature, and in a wind velocity range of about 1 m/sec to about 3 m/sec.
Preferably, in the manufacturing method of air conditioner, when the fan is treated by the annealing, the difference between maximum temperature and minimum temperature of surface temperature of the fan is within about 5° C.
Preferably, the compound material comprises 50 wt. % to 80 wt. % of the copolymer, and 20 wt. % to 50 wt. % of glass fiber dispersed in the copolymer.
Preferably, the compound material has a copolymer produced from a monomer containing acrylonitrile and styrene, and the glass fiber, and the fan is annealed in a temperature range of about 80° C. to about 100° C.
Preferably, the compound material has a copolymer produced from a monomer containing styrene and heat resistant monomer, and the glass fiber, and the fan is annealed in a temperature range of about 80° C. to about 105° C.
Preferably, the fan includes end plates disposed at both ends, a partition board placed between the end plates, and plural blades having weld zones fused to at least one of the end plates and partition board, and strain of the weld zones is removed.
Preferably, the fan has a nearly cylindrical appearance, at least one of the end plates and the partition board has a disk shape, and is rotatable about the axis linking with the center of the disk shape, and wind is generated by the rotation about the axis and action of the blades.
Preferably, the step of annealing includes:
(c) a step of supplying an annealing oven for circulating hot air, comprising a panel heater installed nearly parallel to a side wall, an agitation fan installed above the panel heater, and a sample stand placed in the blowing direction of the agitation fan, and
(d) a step of clearing the fan of strain by blowing hot air to the fan uniformly by placing the fan on the sample stand.
In this constitution,. by annealing the fan made of synthetic resin after molding process by circulating hot air at wind velocity of 1 to 3 m/sec, annealing is done in a shorter time than in the conventional annealing treatment by hot air circulation at wind velocity of 0.5 m/sec or less, and hence the productivity is enhanced. When this fan is used in the air conditioner, deformation does not occur during use of the fan. Moreover, a fan having an excellent heat and creep resistance is obtained. Moreover, when using a copolymer produced from styrene and heat resistant monomer, the flowability of the compound material in molding is improved, and the molding performance is enhanced, and adjustment of the molding machine is easier. Still more, occurrence of short shots in molding is decreased, the yield is increased, so that the productivity is significantly enhanced.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5096384 (1992-03-01), Immell et al.
patent: 5213476 (1993-05-01), Monroe
patent: 56-41105 (1981-09-01), None
Furuya Shiho
Kinoshita Kiyoshi
Ota Masaharu
Doerrler William
Jones Melvin
Matsushita Electric - Industrial Co., Ltd.
Ratner & Prestia
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