Blower apparatus

Abstract

This blower apparatus includes an air blowing portion including a plurality of flat plates arranged with an axial gap defined between adjacent ones of the flat plates; a motor portion arranged to rotate the air blowing portion; and a housing arranged to house the air blowing portion and the motor portion. The flat plates include an air hole arranged to pass therethrough in an axial direction. Once the air blowing portion starts rotating, an air flow traveling radially outward is generated between the flat, plates by viscous drag of surfaces of the flat plates and a centrifugal force. Thus, gas supplied through the air inlet and the air hole travels radially outwardly of the air blowing portion. Accordingly, a reduced thickness of the blower apparatus does not result in a significant reduction in the air blowing efficiency.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A blower apparatus comprising:
 an air blowing portion arranged to rotate about a central axis extending in a vertical direction;   a motor portion arranged to rotate the air blowing portion; and   a housing arranged to house the air blowing portion and the motor portion; wherein   the housing includes:
 a lower plate portion arranged to cover at least a portion of a lower side of the air blowing portion, and support, the motor portion; 
 an upper plate portion arranged above the lower plate portion, and including an air inlet arranged to pass therethrough in an axial direction; and 
 a side wall portion arranged to cover a lateral side of the air blowing portion between the upper plate portion and the lower plate portion, and including an air outlet arranged to face in a radial direction at at least one circumferential position; 
   the air blowing portion includes a plurality of flat plates arranged in the axial direction with an axial gap defined between adjacent ones of the flat plates;   at least one of the flat plates includes an air hole arranged to pass therethrough in the axial direction; and   each air hole is arranged to be in communication with a space radially outside of the air blowing portion through the axial gap.   
     
     
         2 . The blower apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the flat plates include a top flat plate arranged at a highest position of all the flat plates, the top flat plate being arranged axially below and radially inward of an inner edge portion of the upper plate portion when viewed in the axial direction, the inner edge portion defining the air inlet; and   an axial distance between an outer edge of the top flat plate and the inner edge portion is arranged to be smaller than a radial distance between the outer edge of the top flat plate and the inner edge portion,   
     
     
         3 . The blower apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the flat plates include a top flat plate arranged at a highest position of all the flat plates, the top flat plate being arranged radially inward of an inner edge portion of the upper plate portion when viewed in the axial direction, the inner edge portion defining the air inlet; and   the top flat plate and the upper plate portion are arranged to radially overlap at least in part with each other.   
     
     
         4 . The blower apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 at least one of the flat plates includes an outer edge arranged below the upper plate portion and radially outward of the air inlet; and   an axial distance between the upper plate portion and a highest one of the at least one of the flat plates is arranged to be smaller than an axial dimension of the axial gap.   
     
     
         5 . The blower apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the flat plates include a top flat plate arranged at a highest position of all the flat plates, the top flat plate being arranged radially inward of an inner edge portion of the upper plate portion when viewed in the axial direction, the inner edge portion defining the air inlet;   at least one of the flat plates includes an outer edge arranged below the upper plate portion and radially outward of the inner edge portion; and   a radial distance between an outer edge of the top flat plate and the inner edge portion is arranged to be smaller than an axial distance between the upper plate portion and a highest one of the at least one of the flat plates.   
     
     
         6 . The blower apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the flat plates include a bottom flat plate arranged at a lowest position of all the flat plates, the bottom flat plate including the air hole arranged to pass therethrough in the axial direction. 
     
     
         7 . The blower apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the flat plates include a bottom flat plate arranged at a lowest position of all the flat plates, the bottom flat plate including no air hole arranged to pass therethrough in the axial direction. 
     
     
         8 . The blower apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the flat plates include a top flat plate arranged at a highest position of all the flat plates, and a bottom flat plate arranged at a lowest position of all the flat plates; and   each of the top flat plate and the bottom flat plate is arranged to have a thickness greater than a thickness of each remaining flat plate.   
     
     
         9 . The blower apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the flat plates includes an outer end portion having a thickness gradually decreasing in a radially outward direction. 
     
     
         10 . The blower apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising an elastic member arranged on a lower surface of the upper plate portion, wherein the elastic member is arranged along an inner edge portion of the upper plate portion, the inner edge portion defining the air inlet. 
     
     
         11 . The blower apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein a center of the air inlet is arranged to coincide with the central axis. 
     
     
         12 . The blower apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the motor portion includes:
 a stationary portion including an armature and a bearing housing; and 
 a rotating portion including a shaft, a bearing member, and a magnet arranged radially opposite to the armature; 
   the bearing housing and a combination of the shaft and the bearing member are arranged to have a lubricating fluid therebetween;   the bearing housing and the rotating portion are arranged to together define a gap defining a seal portion therebetween, the seal portion having a surface of the lubricating fluid defined therein; and   in the seal portion, a distance between the bearing housing and the rotating portion is arranged to increase with increasing distance from the surface of the lubricating fluid.   
     
     
         13 . The blower apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the motor portion includes:
 a stationary portion including an armature;   a rotating portion including a magnet arranged radially opposite to the armature; and   a ball bearing arranged to connect the rotating portion to the stationary portion such that the rotating portion is rotatable with respect to the stationary portion.   
     
     
         14 . The blower apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the side wall portion includes a plurality of the air outlets at a plurality of circumferential positions.