Air blower

Abstract

A bottomed rotor member includes a rotor member bottom portion that forms a bottom portion of the bottomed rotor member while an opening hole is formed in the rotor member bottom portion to extend through the rotor member bottom portion in an axial direction of a fan central axis. A fan boss includes: a fan boss bottom portion that is stacked on the rotor member bottom portion in the axial direction and forms a bottom portion of the fan boss; and a bottom portion rib that projects from the fan boss bottom portion toward the rotor member bottom portion side at a corresponding location of the fan boss bottom portion that is overlapped with the opening hole in the axial direction while the bottom portion rib promotes discharge of air from the inside of the bottomed rotor member through the opening hole in response to rotation of the fan.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 - 9 . (canceled) 
     
     
         10 . An air blower comprising:
 a fan that includes:
 a fan boss, which is shaped into a bottomed tubular form; and 
 a plurality of blades, which are formed at an outer side of the fan boss, wherein the fan is rotatable about a fan central axis; and 
   an electric motor that includes:
 an outer rotor that is placed in an inside of the fan boss and includes a bottomed rotor member, wherein the bottomed rotor member is shaped into a bottomed tubular form and is rotatable integrally with the fan boss; and 
 a stator that is a non-rotatable member placed in an inside of the bottomed rotor member, wherein: 
   the bottomed rotor member includes a rotor member bottom portion that forms a bottom portion of the bottomed rotor member while an opening hole is formed in the rotor member bottom portion to extend through the rotor member bottom portion in an axial direction of the fan central axis;   the fan boss includes:
 a fan boss bottom portion that is stacked on the rotor member bottom portion in the axial direction and forms a bottom portion of the fan boss; and 
 a bottom portion rib that projects from the fan boss bottom portion toward the rotor member bottom portion side at a corresponding location of the fan boss bottom portion that is overlapped with the opening hole in the axial direction while the bottom portion rib promotes discharge of air from the inside of the bottomed rotor member through the opening hole in response to rotation of the fan; 
   the fan boss bottom portion includes a rib connecting part at a corresponding location of the fan boss bottom portion that is overlapped with the opening hole in the axial direction while a base end of the bottom portion rib is joined to the rib connecting part; and   the rib connecting part is spaced from the rotor member bottom portion in the axial direction by a corresponding distance.   
     
     
         11 . The air blower according to  claim 10 , wherein the bottom portion rib is formed such that at least a portion of the bottom portion rib is inserted into the opening hole. 
     
     
         12 . The air blower according to  claim 10 , wherein the bottom portion rib is formed such that the bottom portion rib does not project from the opening hole toward the stator side. 
     
     
         13 . An air blower comprising:
 a fan that includes:
 a fan boss, which is shaped into a bottomed tubular form; and 
 a plurality of blades, which are formed at an outer side of the fan boss, wherein the fan is rotatable about a fan central axis; and 
   an electric motor that includes:
 an outer rotor that is placed in an inside of the fan boss and includes a bottomed rotor member, wherein the bottomed rotor member is shaped into a bottomed tubular form and is rotatable integrally with the fan boss; and 
 a stator that is a non-rotatable member placed in an inside of the bottomed rotor member, wherein: 
   the bottomed rotor member includes a rotor member bottom portion that forms a bottom portion of the bottomed rotor member while an opening hole is formed in the rotor member bottom portion to extend through the rotor member bottom portion in an axial direction of the fan central axis;   the fan boss includes:
 a fan boss bottom portion that is stacked on the rotor member bottom portion in the axial direction and forms a bottom portion of the fan boss; and 
 a bottom portion rib that projects from the fan boss bottom portion toward the rotor member bottom portion side at a corresponding location of the fan boss bottom portion that is overlapped with the opening hole in the axial direction while the bottom portion rib promotes discharge of air from the inside of the bottomed rotor member through the opening hole in response to rotation of the fan; 
   the bottom portion rib is one of a plurality of bottom portion ribs that are arranged one after another in a circumferential direction about the fan central axis; and   an air flow passage, which guides the air discharged from the opening hole toward an outer side in a radial direction of the fan central axis, is formed between corresponding adjacent two of the plurality of bottom portion ribs.   
     
     
         14 . The air blower according to  claim 13 , wherein:
 the fan boss bottom portion includes a rib connecting part at a corresponding location of the fan boss bottom portion that is overlapped with the opening hole in the axial direction while a base end of the bottom portion rib is joined to the rib connecting part; and   the rib connecting part is spaced from the rotor member bottom portion in the axial direction by a corresponding distance.   
     
     
         15 . The air blower according to  claim 13 , wherein:
 the air flow passage is a primary air flow passage;   the fan boss includes:
 a fan boss tubular portion, which is shaped into a tubular form and is placed on a radially outer side of the bottomed rotor member; and 
 a plurality of tubular portion ribs, which project from the fan boss tubular portion toward an inner side of the fan boss tubular portion; 
   the fan boss tubular portion is joined to the fan boss bottom portion through one end of the fan boss tubular portion;   the plurality of tubular portion ribs is arranged one after another in the circumferential direction, and each of a plurality of secondary air flow passages, which guide the air from the one end to another end of the fan boss tubular portion, is formed between corresponding adjacent two of the plurality of bottom portion ribs; and   the plurality of bottom portion ribs is formed such that a flow of the air, which is outputted from the primary air flow passage, continuously extends into a corresponding one of the plurality of secondary air flow passages.   
     
     
         16 . The air blower according to  claim 13 , wherein:
 the air flow passage is a primary air flow passage;   the fan boss includes:
 a fan boss tubular portion, which is shaped into a tubular form and is placed on a radially outer side of the bottomed rotor member; and 
 a plurality of tubular portion ribs, which project from the fan boss tubular portion toward an inner side of the fan boss tubular portion; 
   the fan boss tubular portion is joined to the fan boss bottom portion through one end of the fan boss tubular portion;   the plurality of tubular portion ribs is arranged one after another in the circumferential direction, and each of a plurality of secondary air flow passages, which guide the air from the one end to another end of the fan boss tubular portion, is formed between corresponding adjacent two of the plurality of tubular portion ribs;   each of the plurality of bottom portion ribs is connected to a corresponding one of the plurality of tubular portion ribs; and   the primary air flow passage is connected in series with a corresponding one of the plurality of secondary air flow passages.   
     
     
         17 . The air blower according to  claim 15 , wherein:
 each of the plurality of tubular portion ribs is tilted relative to a corresponding radial direction of the fan central axis in a counter-rotational direction that is opposite from a rotational direction of the fan such that an amount of displacement of the tubular portion rib, which is measured from the corresponding radial direction of the fan central axis in the counter-rotational direction, is progressively increased toward a radially outer side in the corresponding radial direction of the fan central axis; and   each of the plurality of bottom portion ribs is tilted relative to the corresponding radial direction of the fan central axis the counter-rotational direction that is opposite from the rotational direction of the fan such that an amount of displacement of the bottom portion rib, which is measured from the corresponding radial direction of the fan central axis in the counter-rotational direction, is progressively increased toward the radially outer side in the corresponding radial direction of the fan central axis.   
     
     
         18 . The air blower according to  claim 15 , wherein:
 each of the plurality of tubular portion ribs is tilted relative to a corresponding radial direction of the fan central axis in a rotational direction of the fan such that an amount of displacement of the tubular portion rib, which is measured from the corresponding radial direction of the fan central axis in the rotational direction of the fan, is progressively increased toward a radially outer side in the corresponding radial direction of the fan central axis; and   each of the plurality of bottom portion ribs is tilted relative to the corresponding radial direction of the fan central axis in the rotational direction of the fan such that an amount of displacement of the bottom portion rib, which is measured from the corresponding radial direction of the fan central axis in the rotational direction of the fan, is progressively increased toward the radially outer side in the corresponding radial direction of the fan central axis.   
     
     
         19 . The air blower according to  claim 13 , wherein the bottom portion rib is formed such that at least a portion of the bottom portion rib is inserted into the opening hole. 
     
     
         20 . The air blower according to  claim 13 , wherein the bottom portion rib is formed such that the bottom portion rib does not project from the opening hole toward the stator side.