COOLING FAN ARRANGEMENT AT A VEHICLE

• US 20090159021A1
• Filed: 04/18/2007
• Published: 06/25/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Scania CV AB (Volkswagen AG)
• Original Assignee: Scania CV AB (Volkswagen AG)
• Inventors: Kardos, Zoltan
• Granted Patent: US 8,015,954 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 123/41.120
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 11/04 Arrangement or mounting of radiators, radiator shutters, or radiator blinds B60K11/085 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 2003/185 arranged in parallel
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 2005/025 using two or more air pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 2025/36 Heat exchanger mixed fluid temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 5/02 Pumping cooling-air; Arrangements of cooling-air pumps, e.g. fans or blowers
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 7/048 using electrical drives

Abstract

A radiator fan arrangement for a vehicle which is powered by a combustion engine. The radiator fan arrangement includes at least one cooling element for cooling a medium, and a first radiator fan for continuously generating a forced air flow through at least one first region of the cooling element in order to cool the medium during operation of the combustion engine. The radiator fan arrangement also includes at least one extra radiator fan for being activated to generate an increased air flow through at least one second region of said cooling element in situations where the first radiator fan cannot provide sufficient air flow to cool as necessary the medium in the cooling element.

Claims

1. A radiator fan arrangement for a vehicle (1) powered by a combustion engine (2), which radiator fan arrangement comprises at least one cooling element (9, 13, 19) for cooling a medium, and a first radiator fan (20, 26) which is adapted to continuously generating a forced air flow through at least one region of the cooling element (9, 13, 19) in order to cool said medium during operation of the combustion engine (2), characterised in that the radiator fan arrangement comprises at least one extra radiator fan (22, 29) adapted to being activated and to generating an increased air flow through at least one region of said cooling element (9, 13, 19) in situations where the first radiator fan (20, 26) cannot provide sufficient air flow to cool as necessary the medium in the cooling element (9, 13, 19).

2. A radiator arrangement according to claim 1, characterised in that the radiator arrangement comprises an electric motor (23) adapted to being activated in order to power the extra radiator fan (22).

3. A radiator arrangement according to claim 1, characterised in that the radiator arrangement comprises a coupling mechanism (30) which makes it possible to set up a connection (31) between the combustion engine (2) and the extra radiator fan (29) and hence power the extra radiator fan (29) by means of the combustion engine (2).

4. A radiator arrangement according to any one of the foregoing claims, characterised in that the radiator arrangement comprises a permanent connection (21) between the combustion engine (2) and the first radiator fan (20) so that the first radiator fan (20) is powered continuously by the combustion engine (2).

5. A radiator arrangement according to any one of claims 1 to 3 above, characterised in that the radiator arrangement comprises an electric motor (27) adapted to continuously powering the first radiator fan (26) when the combustion engine (2) is activated.

6. A radiator arrangement according to any one of the foregoing claims, characterised in that the first radiator fan (20, 26) and the extra radiator fan (22, 29) are situated relative to one another in such a way that they provide substantially parallel air flows through at least partly different regions of the cooling element (9, 13, 19).

7. A radiator arrangement according to any one of the foregoing claims, characterised in that the radiator arrangement comprises a control unit (24) adapted to activating the extra radiator fan (22, 29) on the basis of information from at least one sensor (25, 28, 29) which detects a parameter related to the temperature of the medium when it leaves the cooling element (9, 13, 19).

8. A radiator arrangement according to any one of the foregoing claims, characterised in that said cooling element is a radiator (19) intended to cool a medium in the form of a coolant in a cooling system for cooling the combustion engine (2).

9. A radiator arrangement according to any one of claims 1 to 8 above, characterised in that said cooling element is a charge air cooler (9) intended to cool a medium in the form of compressed air.

10. A radiator arrangement according to any one of the foregoing claims, characterised in that said cooling element (9, 13, 19), the first radiator fan (20, 26) and the extra radiator fan (22, 29) are fitted in a region (A) situated at a front portion of the vehicle (1).