Electric fan

Abstract

An electric fan comprises a blade impeller and an electric motor with a rotor part including a plurality of permanent magnets fixed to a peripheral ring of the impeller, and a stator part which faces a portion of the said ring of magnets of the rotor and which comprises a winding and a support structure in which the impeller is rotatably mounted and to which the stator part of the motor is fixed. The support structure comprises a bracket of generally elongate form having a first end provided with rotation support means for the impeller and a second end to which the stator part of the electric motor is fixed.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . An electric fan comprising 
 a blade impeller and    an associated electric drive motor including a rotor part comprising a plurality of permanent magnets fixed to a peripheral ring of the impeller, and a stator part which faces a portion of the said ring of magnets of the rotor and which includes a winding and    a support structure in which the impeller is rotatably mounted and to which the said stator part of the motor is fixed;    the electric fan being characterised in that the said support structure comprises bracket of generally elongate shape having a first end provided with rotation support means for the impeller, and a second end to which the said stator part of the electric motor is fixed.    
     
     
         2 . An electric fan according to  claim 1 , in the which the second end of the support bracket has a receptacle formed therein able to receive control circuit means coupled to the stator part of the said electric motor.  
     
     
         3 . An electric fan according to  claim 2 , in which the support bracket is of metal material, in particular aluminium, and is in heat exchange relationship with at least some components of the said circuit means to encourage dissipation of heat.  
     
     
         4 . An electric fan according to  claim 1 , in which the ends of the said support bracket are provided with means able to allow anchorage to a supporting structure in use.  
     
     
         5 . An electric fan according to  claim 1 , in which the impeller is of moulded plastics material and the magnets of the rotor part are fixed, for example by adhesive, to a metal support ring, the said ring and the magnets being embedded in the plastics material of the impeller.  
     
     
         6 . An electric fan according to  claim 1 , in which the said first end of the bracket has a pin fixed to it and operable to function as a fixed shaft, in which the impeller has a hub provided with rotation support means rotatably mounted on the said pin or fixed shaft.  
     
     
         7 . An electric fan according to  claim 1 , in which the intermediate portion of the support bracket has a plurality of angularly spaced deflector elements or flow straightener elements formed therein.  
     
     
         8 . An electric fan according to  claim 1 , in which the winding of the stat or part is formed with stacks of laminations of electrically conductive material such as copper or its alloys, carried by a support plate which also carries connector conductors for interconnecting them.