Hub-Less And Nut-Less Turbine Wheel And Compressor Wheel Design For Turbochargers

Patent No. US10982677 (titled "Hub-Less And Nut-Less Turbine Wheel And Compressor Wheel Design For Turbochargers") was filed by Apexturbo Llc on Dec 11, 2019.

’677 is related to the field of turbochargers for internal combustion engines, specifically addressing improvements to the turbine and compressor wheels to enhance fluid flow and increase horsepower. Traditional turbochargers often incorporate a large hex nut or similar fastener on the compressor and turbine wheels for manufacturing and assembly purposes. However, this nut obstructs airflow, limiting the turbocharger's performance, especially in high-performance applications.

The underlying idea behind ’677 is to eliminate the central nut or hub on the turbine and compressor wheels, allowing for a more streamlined design that reduces flow obstruction. By removing this impediment and reshaping the blades, the turbocharger can achieve increased airflow, faster spool-up times, and improved horsepower output without increasing the overall size of the turbocharger.

The claims of ’677 focus on a turbocharger with a housing, a shaft, a turbine wheel, and a compressor wheel. A key element is a temporary fixation mechanism that allows a technician to lock the compressor wheel's rotation relative to the housing during installation or removal. This mechanism includes through-bores in the compressor wheel and corresponding holes in the backing plate, enabling the insertion of a fixation member to secure the wheel.

In practice, the compressor wheel is threadably mounted to the shaft. The temporary fixation mechanism, consisting of aligned bores and holes, allows a technician to lock the compressor wheel in place while tightening or loosening it on the shaft. Once the compressor wheel is secured, the fixation member is removed, allowing the wheel to rotate freely. This design simplifies assembly and disassembly while ensuring the apex of the compressor wheel remains unobstructed .

This design differentiates itself from prior approaches by removing the traditional nut or hub, which typically interferes with airflow. By converging the leading edges of the blades at a central apex, the design maximizes blade surface area and minimizes flow disruption. The temporary fixation mechanism further enhances serviceability by providing a secure method for installing and removing the compressor wheel without damaging the blades or requiring specialized tools, ultimately leading to increased efficiency and power output .

How does this patent fit in bigger picture?

Technical landscape at the time

In the late 2010s when ’677 was filed, turbochargers were commonly used to increase the efficiency and power output of internal combustion engines by forcing extra air into the combustion chamber. At a time when turbocharger designs typically included a large hex nut on both the compressor and turbine wheels for manufacturing purposes, improving fluid flow and increasing horsepower without altering wheel diameter or geometry was a persistent engineering goal.

Novelty and Inventive Step

The examiner approved the claims because the prior art neither taught nor suggested the specific limitation of at least one through bore extending through the compressor wheel and a hole in a backing plate, configured to receive a fixation member such as a fastener or tool.

Claims

This patent includes 16 claims, with independent claims 1, 11, and 13. Independent claim 1 focuses on a turbocharger with a temporary fixation mechanism for the compressor wheel, claim 11 focuses on a compressor wheel with a through bore for temporary fixation, and claim 13 focuses on a method of constructing a turbocharger including temporarily locking the compressor wheel. The dependent claims generally elaborate on the features and configurations described in the independent claims, providing more specific details about the turbocharger, compressor wheel, and construction method.

Key Claim Terms New

Definitions of key terms used in the patent claims.

Term (Source)	Support for Specification	Interpretation
Compressor apex (Claim 11)	“In accordance with another aspect of the subject disclosure, a compressor wheel for a turbocharger is provided. The compressor wheel includes a body that extends along a centerline between a leading end and a trailing end. The body has an outer circumference that is radially spaced from the centerline by a compressor radius. The compressor wheel also includes a plurality of compressor blades that are positioned on the body. The compressor blades have leading edges that converge at a compressor apex. The compressor apex is located at the leading end of the body and is aligned with the centerline of the body of the compressor wheel.”	The location at the leading end of the body where the leading edges of the compressor blades converge, and which is aligned with the centerline of the body of the compressor wheel.
Leading edges (Claim 13)	“In accordance with one aspect of the subject disclosure, a turbocharger for an internal combustion engine is provided. The turbocharger includes a housing, a shaft, a turbine wheel, and a compressor wheel. The shaft is rotatable with respect to the housing and defines a centerline. The turbine wheel is mounted to the shaft and is disposed within the housing. The compressor wheel is also mounted to the shaft and is disposed within the housing. The turbine wheel and/or the compressor wheel has a plurality of blades with leading edges that converge at an apex. The apex is aligned with the centerline.”	Edges on the plurality of turbine blades and the plurality of compressor blades that converge at an apex.
Temporary fixation mechanism (Claim 1)	“In accordance with another aspect of the subject disclosure, the housing includes a backing plate and the compressor wheel is threadably mounted to the shaft and disposed within the housing adjacent to the backing plate. A temporary fixation mechanism including at least one through bore in the compressor wheel and at least one hole in the backing plate is provided. The one or more through bores extend through the compressor wheel at locations that are offset from the centerline of the shaft. The one or more holes in the backing plate align with the through bores in the compressor wheel when the compressor wheel is rotated to a predefined angular position so as to allow the insertion of one or more fixation members into both the holes in the backing plate and the through bores in the compressor wheel to temporarily lock rotation of the compressor wheel relative to the backing plate of the housing.”	A feature including at least one through bore in the compressor wheel and at least one hole in the backing plate that aligns with the through bore in the compressor wheel when the compressor wheel is rotated to a predefined angular position so as to allow the insertion of a fixation member into both the hole in the backing plate and the through bore in the compressor wheel to temporarily lock rotation of the compressor wheel relative to the backing plate of the housing.
Through bore (Claim 11, Claim 1)	“In accordance with another aspect of the subject disclosure, the housing includes a backing plate and the compressor wheel is threadably mounted to the shaft and disposed within the housing adjacent to the backing plate. A temporary fixation mechanism including at least one through bore in the compressor wheel and at least one hole in the backing plate is provided. The one or more through bores extend through the compressor wheel at locations that are offset from the centerline of the shaft. The one or more holes in the backing plate align with the through bores in the compressor wheel when the compressor wheel is rotated to a predefined angular position so as to allow the insertion of one or more fixation members into both the holes in the backing plate and the through bores in the compressor wheel to temporarily lock rotation of the compressor wheel relative to the backing plate of the housing.”	A bore extending through the compressor wheel at a location that is offset from the centerline of the shaft, that is configured to receive a fixation member comprising one of a dowel pin, set screw, fastener, or tool.

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US10982677

APEXTURBO LLC

Application Number: US16710798
Filing Date: Dec 11, 2019
Status: Granted
Expiry Date: May 16, 2039
External Links: Slate, USPTO, Google Patents

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