Patent Publication Number: US-2004052662-A1

Title: Anti - leak device in a fan

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001] 1. Field of the Invention  
       [0002] The present invention relates to an anti-leak device in a fan, and particularly to an anti-leak device, in which a fan base at the bottom thereof is provide with lock holes to engage with an oil cap tightly to prevent the lubrication oil from leaking outside the fan.  
       [0003] 2. Description of Related Art  
       [0004] The conventional cooling fan as shown in FIG. 1 includes a fan blade assembly ( 10 ), a motor section ( 20 ) and a fan base ( 30 ). The motor assembly ( 20 ) is inserted into the fan base ( 30 ) and the fan blade assembly ( 10 ) has a spindle ( 12 ) thereof arranged in a spindle seat ( 31 ) of the fan base ( 30 ) and the spindle ( 12 ) at the outer side thereof sequentially fits with an oil ring ( 13 ), a washer ( 14 ), a bearing ( 32 ), another washer ( 14 ), another oil ring ( 14 ) and a retaining ring ( 15 ). A function of oil sealing is performed by way of the oil rings ( 13 ), ( 13 ) and the washers ( 14 ), ( 14 ) pressing against the bearing ( 32 ). However, there are many shortcomings resided in the preceding arrangement and a summarized list of the shortcomings is in the following:  
       [0005] 1. A lot of parts are needed to use so that not only the cost of material is pretty high but also a high labor cost and time wasting result from a tedious work for assembling the parts.  
       [0006] 2. Limited lubrication oil can only be retained in the fan.  
       [0007] 3. The lubrication oil in the fan is volatilized easily.  
       [0008] 4. It is not possible for the bearing in the fan to receive sufficient lubrication so that the bearing becomes out of order easily to shorten the life span thereof after running a period of time.  
       [0009] 5. The lubrication oil easily leaks to the outer case of the fan base and produces oil sludge on the fan.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0010] The crux of the present invention resides in that an anti-leakage device in a fan is disclosed with the fan base thereof being provided with a plurality of lock holes at the bottom of the spindle seat with an oil cap being pressed into a hollow space of the spindle seat of the fan base and a plurality of engaging juts are provided on the oil cap to engage with the lock holes of the spindle seat with an oil ring being placed between the spindle seat and the oil cap. Further, the anti-leakage device has a tight engagement structure to perform prevention of the lubrication oil leakage and the bearing seat and the spindle in the blade hub constitute a joint with a slant angle and an oil resistant groove to avoid the lubrication oil leaking outward the fan via the spindle and the bearing seat.  
       [0011] Accordingly, a primary object of the present invention to provide an anti-leakage device in a fan, in which an oil cap is disposed under the spindle seat at the center of the fan base with an oil ring thereon and the oil cap at the outer side thereof having engaging juts to inversely engage with the lock holes of the fan base such that the oil ring is squeezed under pressure to allow the oil cap being attached to the fan base tightly.  
       [0012] Another object of the present invention is to provide an anti-leakage device in a fan, in which a joint formed of the bearing seat of the fan blade hub and the spindle has a slant angle and an oil resistant groove to avoid the lubrication oil leaking outward the fan via the spindle and the bearing seat. 
     
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
     [0013] The present invention can be more fully understood by reference to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which:  
     [0014]FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a conventional fan;  
     [0015]FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a fan illustrating an anti-leakage device in a fan according to the present invention; and  
     [0016]FIG. 3 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 2 illustrating an oil cap and an oil ring being detached from the anti-leakage device; 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
     [0017] Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, an anti-leak device in a fan according to the present invention mainly is comprised of a blade assembly ( 10 ), a motor section ( 20 ) and a fan base ( 30 ). The blade assembly ( 10 ) is further made up of a fan blade hub ( 11 ), a spindle ( 12 ), a motor case ( 16 ) and a magnetic strip ( 17 ) so that the spindle ( 12 ) is installed in the center of the fan blade hub&#39;s base and forms a bearing seat ( 111 ). While the motor case ( 16 ) is positioned at the inner rim of the base of the fan blade hub ( 11 ) and the magnetic strip ( 17 ) is then located at the inner rim of the motor case ( 16 ).  
     [0018] The motor section ( 20 ) consists of an insulation frame ( 21 ), a silicon steel sheet ( 22 ), a circuit board ( 23 ) and a coil ( 24 ). The silicon steel sheet ( 22 ) positioned at the outer of the insulation frame ( 21 ) while the coil ( 24 ) and the silicon steel sheet ( 22 ) surrounds the insulation frame ( 21 ). The circuit board ( 23 ) is positioned between the base of the insulation frame ( 21 ) and a spindle seat ( 31 ).  
     [0019] The spindle seat ( 31 ) is hollow and located at the center of the fan base ( 30 ) and the bottom thereof has a plurality of lock holes ( 311 ). The spindle ( 12 ) of the blade assembly ( 10 ) is then located within the spindle seat ( 31 ). A spindle bearing ( 32 ) is installed in between the outer of the spindle ( 12 ) and the spindle seat ( 31 ). The lock holes ( 311 ) in the spindle seat ( 31 ) can engage with an oil cap ( 33 ), which is provided with protruding engaging juts ( 331 ). The oil cap ( 33 ) can be pushed into the space below the bottom of the spindle seat ( 31 ) so that the engaging juts ( 331 ) extending from the oil cap ( 33 ) can engage with the lock holes ( 311 ) of the spindle seat ( 31 ). Furthermore, an oil ring ( 34 ) is placed between the spindle seat ( 31 ) and the oil cap ( 33 ).  
     [0020] Making use of the oil ring ( 34 ) being first covered on the oil cap ( 33 ) and then pushing the oil cap ( 31 ) into the space below the bottom of the spindle seat ( 31 ), the oil ring ( 34 ) is squeezed and the engaging juts ( 331 ) at the outer side of the oil cap ( 33 ) engages with the lock hole ( 311 ) of the spindle seat ( 31 ). As soon as the press force against the oil cap ( 33 ) is removed, the elastic oil ring ( 34 ) generates a rebound force and make the engaging juts ( 331 ) of the oil cap ( 33 ) engage with the lock hole ( 311 ) of the spindle seat ( 31 ) firmly. The oil ring ( 34 ), oil cap ( 33 ) and spindle seat ( 31 ) become closely lock with one another and thus effectively prevent any lubrication oil from leaking. Moreover, the joint between the bearing seat ( 111 ) of the fan blade hub ( 11 ) and the spindle ( 12 ) forms a slant angle ( 112 ) with an oil resistant groove ( 113 ) such that the possibility of the lubrication oil leaking out of the fan through the spindle ( 12 ) and the slant angle ( 112 ) can be avoided substantially.  
     [0021] While the invention has been described with reference to the a preferred embodiment thereof, it is to be understood that modifications or variations may be easily made without departing from the spirit of this invention, which is defined by the appended claims.