Blower fan and air conditioner having the same

Abstract

A blower fan may include a hub fixed to a rotary shaft, a main rib disposed to surround the hub while being spaced apart from an outer circumference of the hub, a plurality of auxiliary ribs to connect the hub to the main rib, and a plurality of blades connected to an outer circumference of the main rib so as to generate an air stream during rotation of the blower fan. The plurality of auxiliary ribs may be provided around the hub so as to generate an air stream during the rotation of the blower fan in a same direction with the plurality of blades.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A blower fan comprising:
 a hub attached to a rotary shaft;   a main rib to surround the hub and be spaced apart from a circumference of the hub;   a plurality of auxiliary ribs to connect the main rib to the hub; and   a plurality of blades connected to a circumference of the main rib, the plurality of blades to provide an air flow during rotation of the blower fan, wherein the plurality of auxiliary ribs to provide an air flow, in a same direction as the plurality of clades, during rotation of the blower fan.   
     
     
         2 . The blower fan according to  claim 1 , wherein
 an inner edge of the plurality of auxiliary ribs is connected to an outer circumference of the hub, and an outer edge of the plurality of auxiliary ribs is connected to an inner circumference of the main rib, and   the plurality of auxiliary ribs are on a plane perpendicular to the rotary shaft such that the plurality of auxiliary ribs are provided in a radial manner about the rotary shaft.   
     
     
         3 . The blower fan according to  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of auxiliary ribs are shaped, from a front tip in a rotational direction of the blower fan to a rear end, to be curved toward a rear of the blower fan. 
     
     
         4 . The blower fan according to  claim 3 , wherein the plurality of auxiliary ribs includes:
 an auxiliary rib front edge to define a front outline of the auxiliary rib in a rotational direction of the blades; and   an auxiliary rib rear edge to define a rear outline of the auxiliary rib in the rotational direction of the blades, and   wherein the auxiliary rib front edge is provided forward than the auxiliary rib rear edge in an axial direction of the blower fan.   
     
     
         5 . The blower fan according to  claim 4 , wherein a total number of the plurality of auxiliary ribs corresponds to a total number of the plurality of blades. 
     
     
         6 . The blower fan according to  claim 4 , wherein the auxiliary rib rear edge has a waveform shape. 
     
     
         7 . The blower fan according to  claim 4 , wherein the main rib is on a plane perpendicular to the rotary shaft, and the main rib has a cylindrical shape with the rotary shaft as its axis. 
     
     
         8 . The blower fan according to  claim 7 , wherein a radius of the main rib is 20% to 30% of a radius of rotation of the plurality of blades. 
     
     
         9 . The blower fan according to  claim 7 , wherein each blade includes:
 a blade front edge to define a front outline of the blade in the rotational direction of the blade; and   a blade rear edge to define a rear outline of the blade in the rotational direction of the blade, and   wherein the blade front edge is provided forward than the blade rear edge in the axial direction of the blower fan.   
     
     
         10 . The blower fan according to  claim 9 , wherein
 an inner edge of each blade is connected to an outer circumference of the main rib, and   a connection of the auxiliary rib rear edge to the main rib and a connection of the blade rear edge to the main rib alternate along the circumference of the main rib.   
     
     
         11 . The blower fan according to  claim 10 , wherein the blade rear edge has a waveform shape. 
     
     
         12 . An air conditioner comprising:
 a case;   a compressor to compress a refrigerant;   a heat exchange, disposed in the case, to perform heat exchange between air and the refrigerant; and   a blower fan to blow the air, wherein   the blower fan includes:
 a hub attached to a rotary shaft; 
 a main rib to surround the hub and be spaced apart from a circumference of the hub; 
 a plurality of auxiliary ribs to connect the main rib to the hub; and 
 a plurality of blades to connect to a circumference of the main rib, the plurality of blades to provide an air flow during rotation of the blower fan, wherein the plurality of auxiliary ribs to provide an air flow, in a same direction as a plurality of blades, during rotation of the blower fan. 
   
     
     
         13 . The air conditioner according to  claim 12 , further comprising an orifice to guide the air blown by the blower fan. 
     
     
         14 . The air conditioner according to  claim 13 , wherein
 an inner edge of the plurality of auxiliary ribs is connected to an outer circumference of the hub, and an outer edge of the plurality of auxiliary ribs is connected to an inner circumference of the main rib, and   the plurality of auxiliary ribs are on a plane perpendicular to the rotary shaft such that the plurality of auxiliary ribs are provided in a radial manner about the rotary shaft.   
     
     
         15 . The air conditioner according to  claim 14 , wherein the auxiliary rib is inclined from the plane perpendicular to the rotary shaft. 
     
     
         16 . The air conditioner according to  claim 15 , wherein the plurality of auxiliary ribs includes:
 an auxiliary rib front edge to define a front outline of the auxiliary rib in a rotational direction of the blades; and   an auxiliary rib rear edge to define a rear outline of the auxiliary rib in the rotational direction of the blades, and   wherein the auxiliary rib front edge is provided forward than the auxiliary rib rear edge in an axial direction of the blower fan.   
     
     
         17 . The air conditioner according to  claim 16 , wherein the main rib is on a plane perpendicular to the rotary shaft, and the main rib has a cylindrical shape with the rotary shaft as its axis. 
     
     
         18 . The air conditioner according to  claim 17 , wherein a radius of the main rib is 20% to 30% of a radius of rotation of the plurality of blades. 
     
     
         19 . The air conditioner according to  claim 18 , wherein
 an inner edge of each blade is connected to an outer circumference of the main rib, and   a connection of the auxiliary rib rear edge to the main rib and a connection of the blade rear edge to the main rib alternate along the circumference of the main rib.   
     
     
         20 . The air conditioner according to  claim 12 , wherein a thickness of the auxiliary rib increases gradually from the main rib to the hub.