Patent ID: 8240996
Filing Date: 2012-08-14
Classification: F04D

Abstract:
1. A fan structure comprising: a hub member; a plurality of blade members extending generally radially outwardly from said hub member, each of said blade members having a front surface and a rear surface, and each of said blade members having a root portion connected to said hub member and a tip portion at the distal end; and a plurality of helical supporting gusset members, the number of supporting gusset members corresponding to the number of blade members; each of said supporting gusset members having a curved configuration and extending from the hub member in a root portion on the front surface of a first blade member to the trailing edge on the rear surface of an adjacent second blade member; each of said supporting gusset members extending from the leading edge to the trailing edge along the rear surface of a blade member; wherein said supporting gusset members provide stiffening support for each blade member and for each pair of adjacent blade members.