Blower device

Abstract

A blower device includes a blower fan disposed in an air passage to draw in air from one side in an axial direction and to discharge it radially outward. A cover, disposed on the other side in the axial direction, covers the blower fan from the other side in the axial direction and forms a through-passage between itself and an inner wall of the air passage. At least one swirl flow suppressor is arranged in the through-passage and is elongated along a radial direction. The swirl flow suppressor suppresses a swirl flow generated by rotation of the blower fan, creating an airflow directed toward the other side in the axial direction. A one-side end portion of the swirl flow suppressor, which faces the one side in the axial direction, is formed to extend axially as it extends from a radially inner side toward a radially outer side.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A blower device comprising:
 an air conditioning case that has an inner wall, wherein the inner wall forms an air passage which is configured to conduct air;   a blower fan that is disposed in the air passage, wherein a direction, in which an axis of the blower fan extends, is defined as an axial direction, and the blower fan is configured to rotate about the axis to draw in the air from one side in the axial direction and to blow the air out toward a radially outer side in a radial direction about the axis;   a cover that is disposed on another side in the axial direction with respect to the blower fan in the air passage and is formed to cover the blower fan from the another side in the axial direction, wherein the cover forms, between the cover and the inner wall, a through-passage that is configured to conduct the air blown out from the blower fan toward the another side in the axial direction; and   at least one swirl flow suppressor that is disposed in the through-passage and is elongated along the radial direction, wherein the at least one swirl flow suppressor is configured to suppress a swirl flow of the air generated by rotation of the blower fan, and thereby to generate an airflow that flows toward the another side in the axial direction, wherein:   a one-side end portion of the at least one swirl flow suppressor, which faces the one side in the axial direction, is formed to extend toward the another side in the axial direction as the one-side end portion extends from a radially inner side toward the radially outer side in the radial direction.   
     
     
         2 . A blower device comprising:
 an air conditioning case that has an inner wall, wherein the inner wall forms an air passage which is configured to conduct air;   a blower fan that is disposed in the air passage, wherein a direction, in which an axis of the blower fan extends, is defined as an axial direction, and the blower fan is configured to rotate about the axis to draw in the air from one side in the axial direction and to blow the air out toward a radially outer side in a radial direction about the axis;   a cover that is disposed on another side in the axial direction with respect to the blower fan in the air passage and is formed to cover the blower fan from the another side in the axial direction, wherein the cover forms, between the cover and the inner wall, a through-passage that is configured to conduct the air blown out from the blower fan toward the another side in the axial direction; and   at least one swirl flow suppressor that is disposed in the through-passage and is elongated along the radial direction, wherein the at least one swirl flow suppressor is configured to suppress a swirl flow of the air generated by rotation of the blower fan, and thereby to generate an airflow that flows toward the another side in the axial direction, wherein:   a one-side end portion of the at least one swirl flow suppressor, which faces the one side in the axial direction, is formed to extend toward the one side in the axial direction as the one-side end portion extends from a radially inner side toward the radially outer side in the radial direction.   
     
     
         3 . The blower device according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 an end part of the one-side end portion of the at least one swirl flow suppressor, which faces the one side in the axial direction and is located radially innermost in the radial direction in the one-side end portion, is defined as a radially inner end part;   an end part of the one-side end portion of the at least one swirl flow suppressor, which faces the one side in the axial direction and is located radially outermost in the radial direction in the one-side end portion, is defined as a radially outer end part;   a distance between the radially inner end part and the radially outer end part measured in the axial direction is defined as an axial distance; and   the at least one swirl flow suppressor is a plurality of swirl flow suppressors that include two or more swirl flow suppressors, wherein the axial distances of the two or more swirl flow suppressors are different from each other.   
     
     
         4 . A blower device comprising:
 an air conditioning case that has an inner wall, wherein the inner wall forms an air passage which is configured to conduct air;   a blower fan that is disposed in the air passage, wherein a direction, in which an axis of the blower fan extends, is defined as an axial direction, and the blower fan is configured to rotate toward one side in a rotational direction about the axis to draw in the air from one side in the axial direction and to blow the air out toward a radially outer side in a radial direction about the axis;   a cover that is disposed on another side in the axial direction with respect to the blower fan in the air passage and is formed to cover the blower fan from the another side in the axial direction, wherein the cover forms, between the cover and the inner wall, a through-passage that is configured to conduct the air blown out from the blower fan toward the another side in the axial direction; and   at least one swirl flow suppressor that is disposed in the through-passage and is elongated along the radial direction, wherein the at least one swirl flow suppressor is configured to suppress a swirl flow of the air generated by rotation of the blower fan, and thereby to generate an airflow that flows toward the another side in the axial direction, wherein:   an another-side end portion of the at least one swirl flow suppressor, which faces another side opposite to the one side in the rotational direction, is formed to extend toward the one side in the rotational direction as the another-side end portion extends from a radially inner side toward the radially outer side in the radial direction.   
     
     
         5 . A blower device comprising:
 an air conditioning case that has an inner wall, wherein the inner wall forms an air passage which is configured to conduct air;   a blower fan that is disposed in the air passage, wherein a direction, in which an axis of the blower fan extends, is defined as an axial direction, and the blower fan is configured to rotate toward one side in a rotational direction about the axis to draw in the air from one side in the axial direction and to blow the air out toward a radially outer side in a radial direction about the axis;   a cover that is disposed on another side in the axial direction with respect to the blower fan in the air passage and is formed to cover the blower fan from the another side in the axial direction, wherein the cover forms, between the cover and the inner wall, a through-passage that is configured to conduct the air blown out from the blower fan toward the another side in the axial direction; and   at least one swirl flow suppressor that is disposed in the through-passage and is elongated along the radial direction, wherein the at least one swirl flow suppressor is configured to suppress a swirl flow of the air generated by rotation of the blower fan, and thereby to generate an airflow that flows toward the another side in the axial direction, wherein:   an another-side end portion of the at least one swirl flow suppressor, which faces another side opposite to the one side in the rotational direction, is formed to extend toward the another side in the rotational direction as the another-side end portion extends from a radially inner side toward the radially outer side in the radial direction.   
     
     
         6 . The blower device according to  claim 4 , wherein:
 an end part of the another-side end portion of the at least one swirl flow suppressor, which faces the another side in the rotational direction and is located radially innermost in the radial direction in the another-side end portion, is defined as a radially inner end part;   an end part of the another-side end portion of the at least one swirl flow suppressor, which faces the another side in the rotational direction and is located radially outermost in the radial direction in the another-side end portion, is defined as a radially outer end part;   a distance between the radially inner end part and the radially outer end part measured in the rotational direction is defined as a rotational distance; and   the at least one swirl flow suppressor is a plurality of swirl flow suppressors that include two or more swirl flow suppressors, wherein the rotational distances of the two or more swirl flow suppressors are different from each other.   
     
     
         7 . A blower device comprising:
 an air conditioning case that has an inner wall, wherein the inner wall forms an air passage which is configured to conduct air;   a blower fan that is disposed in the air passage, wherein a direction, in which an axis of the blower fan extends, is defined as an axial direction, and the blower fan is configured to rotate about the axis to draw in the air from one side in the axial direction and to blow the air out toward a radially outer side in a radial direction about the axis;   a cover that is disposed on another side in the axial direction with respect to the blower fan in the air passage and is formed to cover the blower fan from the another side in the axial direction, wherein the cover forms, between the cover and the inner wall, a through-passage that is configured to conduct the air blown out from the blower fan toward the another side in the axial direction; and   at least one swirl flow suppressor that is disposed in the through-passage and is elongated along the radial direction, wherein the at least one swirl flow suppressor is configured to suppress a swirl flow of the air generated by rotation of the blower fan, and thereby to generate an airflow that flows toward the another side in the axial direction, wherein:   a dimension of the at least one swirl flow suppressor, which is measured in a rotational direction of the blower fan, increases as the at least one swirl flow suppressor extends from a radially inner side toward the radially outer side in the radial direction.   
     
     
         8 . A blower device comprising:
 an air conditioning case that has an inner wall, wherein the inner wall forms an air passage which is configured to conduct air;   a blower fan that is disposed in the air passage, wherein a direction, in which an axis of the blower fan extends, is defined as an axial direction, and the blower fan is configured to rotate about the axis to draw in the air from one side in the axial direction and to blow the air out toward a radially outer side in a radial direction about the axis;   a cover that is disposed on another side in the axial direction with respect to the blower fan in the air passage and is formed to cover the blower fan from the another side in the axial direction, wherein the cover forms, between the cover and the inner wall, a through-passage that is configured to conduct the air blown out from the blower fan toward the another side in the axial direction; and   at least one swirl flow suppressor that is disposed in the through-passage and is elongated along the radial direction, wherein the at least one swirl flow suppressor is configured to suppress a swirl flow of the air generated by rotation of the blower fan, and thereby to generate an airflow that flows toward the another side in the axial direction, wherein:   a dimension of the at least one swirl flow suppressor, which is measured in a rotational direction of the blower fan, decreases as the at least one swirl flow suppressor extends from a radially inner side toward the radially outer side in the radial direction.   
     
     
         9 . The blower device according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 a direction, which intersects both the axial direction and a rotational direction of the blower fan and is directed from another side toward one side in the rotational direction and from the other side toward the one side in the axial direction, is defined as an intersecting direction;   the at least one swirl flow suppressor has a one-side end surface, which faces the one side in the rotational direction, wherein the one-side end surface is formed in a curved shape that is convex in the intersecting direction toward the one side in the rotational direction; and   the at least one swirl flow suppressor has an another-side end surface, which faces the another side in the rotational direction, wherein the another-side end surface is formed in a curved shape that is convex in the intersecting direction toward the one side in the rotational direction.   
     
     
         10 . The blower device according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the at least one swirl flow suppressor has an end surface, which faces in the axial direction and is elongated along a rotational direction of the blower fan; and   the end surface is formed such that an acute angle, which is defined between the end surface and a virtual plane that is parallel to the rotational direction and is perpendicular to the axial direction, decreases as the end surface extends from the radially inner side toward the radially outer side.   
     
     
         11 . The blower device according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one swirl flow suppressor is a plurality of swirl flow suppressors that are arranged at intervals in a circumferential direction about the axis. 
     
     
         12 . The blower device according to  claim 11 , wherein the plurality of swirl flow suppressors are arranged in the circumferential direction such that the intervals include at least two different intervals which are different from each other. 
     
     
         13 . The blower device according to  claim 11 , wherein the plurality of swirl flow suppressors are arranged so as to avoid overlap of respective shadows of the plurality of swirl flow suppressors that are generated when the plurality of swirl flow suppressors are optically projected from the one side in the axial direction. 
     
     
         14 . The blower device according to  claim 2 , wherein:
 the blower fan is configured to rotate toward one side in a rotational direction about the axis; and   an another-side end portion of the at least one swirl flow suppressor, which faces another side opposite to the one side in the rotational direction, is formed to extend toward the another side in the rotational direction as the another-side end portion extends from a radially inner side toward the radially outer side in the radial direction.   
     
     
         15 . The blower device according to  claim 2 , wherein:
 the blower fan is configured to rotate toward one side in a rotational direction about the axis; and   an another-side end portion of the at least one swirl flow suppressor, which faces another side opposite to the one side in the rotational direction, is formed to extend toward the one side in the rotational direction as the another-side end portion extends from a radially inner side toward the radially outer side in the radial direction.   
     
     
         16 . The blower device according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the blower fan is configured to rotate toward one side in a rotational direction about the axis; and   an another-side end portion of the at least one swirl flow suppressor, which faces another side opposite to the one side in the rotational direction, is formed to extend toward the another side in the rotational direction as the another-side end portion extends from a radially inner side toward the radially outer side in the radial direction.   
     
     
         17 . The blower device according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the blower fan is configured to rotate toward one side in a rotational direction about the axis; and   an another-side end portion of the at least one swirl flow suppressor, which faces another side opposite to the one side in the rotational direction, is formed to extend toward the one side in the rotational direction as the another-side end portion extends from a radially inner side toward the radially outer side in the radial direction.