Abstract:
Disclosed herein is a vibration-absorbing device for blower motors, which is provided between a blower motor and a motor housing surrounding the blower motor. The vibration-absorbing device includes a vibration-absorbing body, which may be spherical, and an engaging depression. The vibration-absorbing body is provided in the blower motor. The engaging depression is formed in the inner surface of the motor housing such that a vibration-absorbing body can be contained therein.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application claims priority to Korean Application No. 10-2008-0045323 filed May 16, 2008, the entire contents of which application is incorporated herein for all purposes by this reference. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    The present invention relates generally to a vibration-absorbing device for a blower motor, which is used to absorb vibration and noise generated by the blower motor. 
         [0004]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0005]    A typical vehicle air conditioning system includes an air intake unit for introducing and transmitting external air, a compressor for compressing refrigerant, a condenser for condensing refrigerant, an expansion valve for decompressing the liquid refrigerant, and a heat exchanger for performing heat exchange with the external air through variation of the phase of the refrigerant. 
         [0006]    In the vehicle air conditioning system, the air intake unit transfers the air, which is introduced through the air inlet of a casing, to the heat exchanger by rotating a blower fan in response to the operation of a blower motor. However, vibration and noise occur due to the operation of the blower motor. In order to solve this problem, the air intake unit may be provided with an O-ring for absorbing vibration therein. 
         [0007]    However, conventionally, the O-ring mitigates the vertical vibration but not the forward, backward or lateral vibration of the blower motor. 
         [0008]    The information disclosed in this Background of the Invention section is only for enhancement of understanding of the general background of the invention and should not be taken as an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that this information forms the prior art already known to a person skilled in the art. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0009]    The various embodiments of the present invention provide for a vibration-absorbing device that can absorb vertical, forward, backward and/or lateral vibrations produced by a blower motor. 
         [0010]    Various embodiments of the invention provide for a vibration-absorbing device for a blower motor, the vibration-absorbing device being provided between the blower motor and a motor housing surrounding the blower motor, the vibration-absorbing device including a vibration-absorbing body provided in the blower motor, and an engaging depression formed in an inner surface of the motor housing and containing the vibration-absorbing body. 
         [0011]    An aspect of the present invention is directed to a vibration-absorbing device for a blower motor, the vibration-absorbing device being provided between the blower motor and a motor housing surrounding the blower motor. The vibration-absorbing device may include a vibration-absorbing body provided in the blower motor, and/or an engaging depression formed in an inner surface of the motor housing and containing the vibration-absorbing body. 
         [0012]    The vibration-absorbing body may be mounted so as to protrude from a part of an outer surface of the blower motor. The engaging depression may be formed to have a shape that corresponds to the outward shape of the vibration-absorbing body, which is pressed and inserted into the engaging depression. 
         [0013]    The device may include a plurality of vibration-absorbing bodies that are spaced apart from each other and are disposed along an outer circumference of the blower motor. The vibration-absorbing body may include a first absorption ball, a second absorption ball, and/or a connection unit for connecting the first and second absorption balls to each other. The blower motor may include a support bracket into which the connection unit is fitted. 
         [0014]    The vibration-absorbing body may be spherical. 
         [0015]    Other aspects of the present invention are directed to a blower motor housing including the above-mentioned vibration-absorbing devices, and to a blower motor assembly including a blower motor and the above-described blower motor housings. 
         [0016]    The methods and apparatuses of the present invention have other features and advantages which will be apparent from or are set forth in more detail in the accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein, and the following Detailed Description of the Invention, which together serve to explain certain principles of the present invention. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0017]      FIG. 1  is a view showing the construction of an exemplary vibration-absorbing device for a blower motor, according to various aspects of the present invention; 
           [0018]      FIG. 2  is a view showing the construction of an exemplary vibration-absorbing device for a blower motor, according to various aspects of the present invention; and 
           [0019]      FIG. 3  is an exploded perspective view showing an exemplary vibration-absorbing device according to various aspects of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0020]    Reference will now be made in detail to various embodiments of the present invention(s), examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described below. While the invention(s) will be described in conjunction with exemplary embodiments, it will be understood that present description is not intended to limit the invention(s) to those exemplary embodiments. On the contrary, the invention(s) is/are intended to cover not only the exemplary embodiments, but also various alternatives, modifications, equivalents and other embodiments, which may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. 
         [0021]    As shown in  FIG. 1 , a blower fan for introducing external air to an air-conditioning system is connected to and operates in conjunction with a blower motor  100 . The blower motor  100  is mounted in a motor housing  200 , which may include an upper motor housing  201  and a lower motor housing  202 . A vibration-absorbing device for a blower motor according to various embodiments of the present invention is provided between the blower motor  100  and the motor housing  200 . 
         [0022]    In various embodiments, the construction of a blower fan, the blower motor  100 , and the motor housing  200  may be similar to that of a blower fan, a blower motor, and a motor housing used in a typical air-conditioning system, detailed descriptions of which are omitted. 
         [0023]    In some aspects, the vibration-absorbing device is provided with spherical vibration-absorbing bodies  110  between the blower motor  100  and the motor housing  200 . In this and other aspects, all kinds of vibration of the blower motor  100  are effectively absorbed. 
         [0024]    In greater detail, the vibration-absorbing device includes spherical vibration-absorbing bodies  110 , which are provided in the blower motor  100 , and engaging depressions  210 , which are formed in the inner surface of the motor housing  200  so as to contain the respective vibration-absorbing bodies  110 . 
         [0025]    The vibration-absorbing bodies  110  are made of material that can absorb or mitigate the vibration of the blower motor  100 . In various embodiments, the vibration-absorbing bodies  110  may be made of elastic material such as rubber; however, other elastic material including but not limited to polyurethane or plastic may also be used. 
         [0026]    The vibration-absorbing bodies  110  may be fastened to the blower motor  100  via separate support brackets  120 . The support brackets  120  are assembly means for fastening the respective vibration-absorbing bodies  110 , and as shown in  FIG. 3 , have respective fitting depressions  121 , into which the vibration-absorbing bodies  110  are fitted. 
         [0027]    The vibration-absorbing bodies  110  may have a spherical shape, and are fastened to the blower motor  100 . In some aspects, it is not necessary that the vibration-absorbing bodies  110  be perfect spheres, and it is sufficient if they have a shape that is formed to have a curved surface. The reason for this is because all kinds of vibration of the blower motor  100  can be mitigated or absorbed by the spherical vibration-absorbing bodies  110 . 
         [0028]    That is, when many kinds of vibration, such as vertical, forward and backward, and lateral vibration, are generated by the blower motor  100 , the spherical vibration-absorbing bodies  110 , which are fastened to the blower motor  100 , are contained in the respective engaging depressions  210  of the motor housing  200  so as to be in complete contact with the engaging depressions  210 , so that all of the different kinds of vibration of the blower motor  100  can be absorbed or mitigated by the vibration-absorbing bodies  110 . 
         [0029]    In some aspects of the invention, in order to effectively mitigate the vibration of the blower motor  100 , a plurality of vibration-absorbing bodies  110  is spaced apart from each other and is disposed along the outer circumference of the blower motor  100 . In some aspects of the invention, three vibration-absorbing bodies  110  may be disposed along the outer circumference of the blower motor  100 . Where a plurality of vibration-absorbing bodies  110  is disposed along the outer wall of the blower motor  100  at regular intervals as described above, they are attached to the motor housing  200  in a balanced manner and the lateral vibration of the blower motor  100  can be effectively mitigated. 
         [0030]    In some aspects, the engaging depressions  210  may be formed in the inner surface of the motor housing  200 , and may have shapes that correspond to the outer shapes of the vibration-absorbing bodies  110 . These engaging depressions  210  contain the respective vibration-absorbing bodies  110  while contacting the outer surfaces of the respective vibration-absorbing bodies  110 . Accordingly, when the blower motor  100  vibrates, the engaging depressions  210  restrict the motion of the vibration-absorbing bodies  110 , so that the vibration of the blower motor  100  can be mitigated. 
         [0031]    In some aspects, the vibration-absorbing bodies  110  are fastened to the outer wall of the blower motor  100  and the engaging depressions  210  are formed in the inner surface of the motor housing  200 . In some aspects, the vibration-absorbing bodies  110  may be formed to protrude from at least one part of the outer surface of the blower motor  100 , and the engaging depressions  210  may be formed in the inner surface of the motor housing  200  so as to correspond to the vibration-absorbing bodies  110 . For example, the vibration-absorbing bodies  110  may be mounted to part of the upper or lower surface of the blower motor  100 , and the engaging depressions  210  may be formed in the inner surface of the upper or lower portion of the motor housing  200 . 
         [0032]    As shown in  FIG. 2  or  3 , the vibration-absorbing bodies  110  of a vibration-absorbing device for a blower motor according to various embodiments of the present invention may be configured to have a dumbbell shape. That is, each of the vibration-absorbing bodies  110  includes a first absorption ball  111 , a second absorption ball  112 , and a connection unit for connecting the first and second absorption balls  111  and  112  to each other. 
         [0033]    The first and second absorption balls  111  and  112  may be formed to have a spherical shape. These first and second absorption balls  111  and  112  are contained in the engaging depressions  210  of a motor housing  200  so as to be in complete contact with the engaging depressions  210 . Accordingly, all different kinds of vibration caused by the blower motor  100  can be absorbed or mitigated. In some aspects, the engaging depressions  210  may be formed to have a dumbbell shape so as to be pressed and inserted into the vibration-absorbing bodies  110 , which have a dumbbell shape. 
         [0034]    Furthermore, the connection units  113  of the respective vibration-absorbing bodies  110  are mounted to the blower motor  100  via the fitting depressions  121  of support brackets  120 . Accordingly, the vibration-absorbing bodies  110  can be easily mounted to the blower motor  100 . 
         [0035]    As described above, the present invention may provide the advantages of effectively mitigating and absorbing forward, backward and lateral as well as vertical vibrations of a blower motor. As a result, the present invention may be provide the advantage of mitigating cogging noise attributable to the vibration of the blower motor. 
         [0036]    For convenience in explanation and accurate definition in the appended claims, the terms “upper”, “lower”, and etc. are used to describe features of the exemplary embodiments with reference to the positions of such features as displayed in the figures. 
         [0037]    The foregoing descriptions of specific exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed, and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings. The exemplary embodiments were chosen and described in order to explain certain principles of the invention and their practical application, to thereby enable others skilled in the art to make and utilize various exemplary embodiments of the present invention, as well as various alternatives and modifications thereof. It is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the Claims appended hereto and their equivalents.