Patent Publication Number: US-2003221441-A1

Title: Operational structure of impeller assembly for air cooler

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001] 1. Field of the Invention  
       [0002] The present invention relates to an operational structure of an impeller assembly for an air cooler, and more particularly, to an impeller assembly operational structure for an air cooler, which can rotate impeller wings consistently irrespective of the temperature change in the atmosphere, which is advantageous for high-speed rotation of impeller wings, and which thus remarkably suppress its durability from lowering due to wear of the parts.  
       [0003] 2. Description of the Related Art  
       [0004] As is well known, an air cooler uses a latent heat evaporated by water and air-blows cooled air whose temperature is lower than the normal temperature, through an air blower.  
       [0005] The air cooler includes: a casing having a water collector provided on the bottom thereof; a moisture absorption pad provided in the casing, for absorbing water; an air blowing fan which is disposed in front of the moisture absorption pad and rotates; a water spreader provided in the upper portion of the casing, spraying water to the moisture absorption pad; a connection tube connecting the water spreader and the water collector with each other; and an impeller assembly supplying water contained in the water collector to the water spreader through the connection tube.  
       [0006] The detailed description of the air cooler will be described later. Here, only an impeller assembly disclosed in a conventional air cooler will be described below.  
       [0007] As shown in FIG. 1, a conventional impeller assembly  170  includes: impeller wings  171  rotatably provided in a water collector (not shown); a rotational shaft  172  whose one end is combined with the impeller wings  171  and other end is disposed in a casing; a driven pulley  175  combined with the other end of the rotational shaft  172 ; a driving motor  174 ; and a driving pulley  173  installed on the driving shaft of the driving motor  174 ; and a belt  176  mutually combining the driving pulley  173  and the driven pulley  175 .  
       [0008] When power is applied to the impeller assembly  170 , the driving motor  174  rotates, and then the driving pulley  173  coupled to the driving shaft of the driving motor  174  rotates. The rotational force of the driving pulley  173  is transferred to the driven pulley  175  via the belt  176 , and then makes the rotational shaft  172  rotate via the driven pulley  175 .  
       [0009] As the rotational shaft  172  rotates, the impeller wings  171  provided in the lower portion of the rotational shaft  172  also rotate. Then, water contained in the water collector is forwarded to a water spreader (not shown) via a connection tube (not shown) by a pumping method.  
       [0010] By the way, in the air cooler having the conventional impeller assembly, a belt can grow longer according to the temperature change in the atmosphere. As a result, the rotational speed of the impeller wings varies.  
       [0011] Also, since the conventional impeller assembly employs a pulley and belt structure, it is disadvantageous for high speed rotation because of the belt. Also, durability of the impeller assembly is lowered due to wear of the belt. Also, the belt may be cut off due to the internal vibration or other external factors.  
       [0012] Accordingly, an air cooler adopting a pump motor has been proposed in order to solve the above conventional problems. However, in the case of the air cooler having a pump motor, an impeller assembly should be additionally provided.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0013] To solve the above problems, it is an object of the present invention to provide an operational structure of an impeller assembly for an air cooler, which can operate through driving of gears, which can rotate impeller wings consistently irrespective of the temperature change in the atmosphere, which is advantageous for high-speed rotation of impeller wings, and thus remarkably suppress its durability from lowering due to wear of the parts.  
       [0014] To accomplish the above object of the present invention, there is provided an operational structure of an impeller assembly for an air cooler including: a casing having a water collector provided on the bottom thereof; a moisture absorption pad provided in the casing, for absorbing water; an air blowing fan which is disposed in front of the moisture absorption pad and rotates; a water spreader provided in the upper portion of the casing, spraying water to the moisture absorption pad; a connection tube connecting the water spreader and the water collector with each other; and an impeller assembly supplying water contained in the water collector to the water spreader through the connection tube, wherein said impeller assembly comprises: impeller wings rotatably provided in the water collector; a rotational shaft whose one end is combined with the impeller wings to rotate the impeller wings and other end is disposed in the casing; a driven gear combined with the other end of the rotational shaft; and a driving gear integrally installed on the driving shaft of a driving motor rotating the air blowing fan, and mutually combined with the driven gear to rotate the driven gear.  
       [0015] Here, the driving gears on the driving shaft and the driven gear on the rotational shaft are made of a pair of bevel gears combined with each other so as to rotate mutually and whose rotational direction varies.  
       [0016] Also, a worm is provided in one side of the driving gear on the driving shaft and the driven gear on the rotational shaft, and a worm gear is provided in the other side thereof. 
     
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
     [0017] The above and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent by describing the preferred embodiment thereof in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:  
     [0018]FIG. 1 is a partially exploded sectional view of a conventional impeller assembly for an air cooler;  
     [0019]FIG. 2 is a lateral sectional view of an air cooler according to the present invention;  
     [0020]FIG. 3 is a partial rear view of the FIG. 2 air cooler;  
     [0021]FIG. 4 is a partial exploded sectional view of an impeller assembly according to the present invention; and  
     [0022]FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the assembled state of the impeller assembly according to the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
     [0023] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The same or like elements are assigned with the same or like reference numerals.  
     [0024]FIG. 2 is a lateral sectional view of an air cooler according to the present invention. FIG. 3 is a partial rear view of the FIG. 2 air cooler. FIG. 4 is a partial exploded sectional view of an impeller assembly according to the present invention. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the assembled state of the impeller assembly according to the present invention.  
     [0025] As shown in FIGS. 2 through 5, an air cooler according to the present invention includes: a casing  10  forming an external appearance, having a water collector  15  provided on the bottom thereof; a moisture absorption pad  20  provided in the casing  10 , for absorbing water; an air blowing fan  30  which is disposed in front of the moisture absorption pad  20  and rotates by a driving motor  80 ; a water spreader  50  provided in the upper portion of the casing  10 , spraying water to the moisture absorption pad  20 ; a connection tube  60  connecting the water spreader  50  and the water collector  15  with each other; and an impeller assembly  70  supplying water contained in the water collector  15  to the water spreader  50  through the connection tube  60 .  
     [0026] A plurality of cooled air discharging exits  12   a  are formed in the front surface  12  of the casing  10 , and a plurality of air inhaling entrances  14   a  for inhaling external air into the casing  10  are formed in the rear surface  14  of the casing  10 .  
     [0027] The moisture absorption pad  20  is provided in the casing  10  to be adjacent to the air inhaling entrances  14   a , and disposed lengthily along the up-and-down direction of the casing  10 .  
     [0028] The moisture absorption pad  20  is made of a material which possesses a property of easily absorbing moisture, for example, a synthetic fiber, sponge, etc.  
     [0029] An air filter  40  is mounted between the moisture absorption pad  20  and the rear surface  14  of the casing  10 .  
     [0030] The air filter  40  is provided to filter air inhaled into the casing  10  through a plurality of air inhaling entrances  14   a  formed on the rear surface  14  of the casing  10 .  
     [0031] Here, in order to prevent multiplication of bacteria and maintain cleanness of blown cooled air, the moisture absorption pad  20  and the air filter  40  should be washed or replaced every period since they can be detached from the casing  10 .  
     [0032] The one end of the connection tube  60  is connected to an inhaling nozzle  60   a  disposed in the water collector  15 , and the other end thereof is connected to a supply nozzle  60   b  connected to the water spreader  50 .  
     [0033] Also, the water spreader  50  includes a spreader body  50   a , a cover member  50   b  opening and closing the upper opening surface of the spreader body  50   a , a nozzle  50   c  provided in the spreader body  50   a , and combined with the supply nozzle  60   b  of the connection tube  60 , and a plurality of spraying nozzles (not shown) provided in the side of the spreader body  50   a , supplying water to the moisture absorption pad  20 .  
     [0034] Accordingly, when the impeller assembly  70  is activated, the water contained in the water collector  15  is introduced via the inhaling nozzle  60   a , and then is introduced into the spreader body  50   a . via the supply nozzle  60   b  and the nozzle  50   c  of the water spreader  50 , in turn.  
     [0035] The water introduced into the spreader body  50   a  is sprayed to the moisture absorption pad  20  via the plurality of spraying nozzles formed in the side of the spreader body  50   a.    
     [0036] Meanwhile, the impeller assembly  70  for pumping the water contained in the water collector  15  into the spreader body  50   a  via the connection tube  60  is schematically shown in FIGS. 4 and 5.  
     [0037] As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the impeller assembly includes: impeller wings  71  rotatably provided in the water collector  15 ; a rotational shaft  72  whose one end is combined with the impeller wings  71  to rotate the impeller wings  71  and other end is disposed at the central portion in the casing  10 ; a driven gear  73  combined with the other end of the rotational shaft  72 ; and a driving gear  74  integrally installed on the driving shaft  81  of a driving motor  80  rotating the air blowing fan  30 , and mutually combined with the driven gear  73  to rotate the driven gear  73 .  
     [0038] An impeller cap  75  is installed in the outer side of the impeller wings  71 .  
     [0039] In order to rotate the impeller wings  71 , the conventional art employs a pulley and belt structure. However, the air cooler adopting the operational structure of the impeller assembly according to the present invention connects the driven gear  73  directly with the driving gear  74  installed on the driving shaft  81  of the driving motor  80 , in order to rotate impeller wings  71  consistently irrespective of the temperature change in the atmosphere, which is advantageous for high-speed rotation of impeller wings  71 , and which thus remarkably suppress its durability from lowering due to wear of the parts.  
     [0040] As an embodiment, the driving gear  74  installed on the driving shaft  81  of the driving motor  80  and the driven gear installed on the rotational shaft  72  are rotatably combined with each other, and implemented by a pair of bevel gears whose rotational direction is varied.  
     [0041] In this case, when the driving motor  80  is driven, the driving gear  74  and the driven gear  73  which are implemented by a pair of bevel gears which are slantly engaged with each other are rotated directly, to thereby rotate the impeller wings  71 .  
     [0042] Also, as another embodiment of the present invention, a worm is provided in one side of the driving gear  74  installed on the driving shaft  81  of the driving motor  80  and the driven gear installed on the rotational shaft  72 , and a worm gear is provided in the other side thereof.  
     [0043] The worm and worm gear structure can also rotate the impeller wings  71  consistently by a gear operation of a mutual combination of a worm and a worm gear irrespective of the external air temperature change, and is advantageous for a high speed rotation of the impeller wings  71 .  
     [0044] As described above, since the present invention rotates the impeller wings by using the mutually engaged gears, it can remarkably suppress lowering of the durability due to wear of the belt occurring in the belt and pulley structure of the conventional art.  
     [0045] The operational process of the air cooler in which the present invention is applied will be described as follows.  
     [0046] First, when power is applied, the driving motor  80  is rotated, and then the driving shaft  81  of the driving motor  80  is rotated. Then, the driven gear  73  mutually engaged with the driving gear  74  integrally installed on the driving shaft  81  is rotated.  
     [0047] Accordingly, the rotational shaft  72  supported and engaged with the driven gear  73  is also rotated together with the driven gear  73 .  
     [0048] As a result, as the rotational shaft  72  rotates, the impeller wings  71  provided in the lower portion of the rotational shaft  72  also start to rotate.  
     [0049] Thus, when the impeller wings  71  starts to rotate, the water contained in the water collector  15  is introduced via the inhaling nozzle  60   a , and then is introduced via the supply nozzle  60   b  and the nozzle  50   c  of the water spreader  50 , in turn.  
     [0050] As the water introduced into the spreader body  50   a  is sprayed into the moisture absorption pad  20  via the plurality of spraying nozzles formed in the side of the spreader body  50   a , the moisture absorption pad  20  is soaked by the sprayed water.  
     [0051] Meanwhile, as an air blowing fan  30  provided in the casing  10  rotates according to rotation of the driving motor  80 , the external air is inhaled via the air inhaling entrances  14   a  formed in the rear surface  14  of the casing  10  according to the rotational force of the air blowing fan  30 .  
     [0052] The inhaled air is filtered by the air filter  40 , and then is transferred to the moisture absorption pad  20 .  
     [0053] When air is supplied to the moisture absorption pad  20  via the air inhaling entrances  14   a , an evaporation phenomenon occurs on the outer surface of the moisture absorption pad  20  by the supplied air, to thereby deprive the peripheral portion of latent heat.  
     [0054] The cooled air in the periphery of the moisture absorption pad  20  owing to the evaporated latent heat is discharged into the cooled air discharging exits  12   a  formed in the front surface  12  of the casing  10  by the air blowing fan  30 . As a result, users can feel the cooled air.  
     [0055] As described above, the air cooler adopting the operational structure of the impeller assembly according to the present invention can rotate the impeller wings  71  consistently by improving the structure of the impeller assembly  71 , irrespective of the external air temperature change, and is advantageous for a high speed rotation of the impeller wings  71 . Also, the present invention can remarkably suppress lowering of the durability due to wear of parts.  
     [0056] As described above, the present invention drives an impeller assembly of an air cooler through a gear structure, and provides an effect of maintaining a consistent rotation of the impeller wings irrespective of the external air temperature change, providing an advantageous high speed rotation thereof, and a remarkable suppression of its durability due to wear of parts, in comparison of the case that the impeller assembly is driven by using a conventional belt and pulley assembly.  
     [0057] The present invention is not limited in the above-described embodiments. It is apparent to one who is skilled in the art that there are many variations and modifications without departing off the spirit of the present invention and the scope of the appended claims.