FAN SHROUD AND SEAL RING ASSEMBLY, AND METHOD THEREOF

• US 20140147257A1
• Filed: 11/29/2012
• Published: 05/29/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Sasinowski, Raymond H., Balmaceda, Adrian O.
• Granted Patent: US 9,522,444 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 415/173.7
• CPC Class Codes: B23P 11/00 Connecting or disconnecting metal parts or objects by metal-working techniques not otherwise provided for connecting sheet metal or metal tubes, rods or profiles B21D39/00; riveting B21J; soldering, unsoldering, welding B23K; hand tools for connecting wire or strip B25B25/00; connecting metal parts by adhesives F16B11/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 11/04 Arrangement or mounting of radiators, radiator shutters, or radiator blinds B60K11/085 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2304/072 by preassembled subunits
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 5/06 Guiding or ducting air to, or from, ducted fans
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/522 especially adapted for elastic fluid pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/545 Ducts
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/646 Mounting or removal of fans
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49904 Assembling a subassembly, then assembling with a second subassembly

Abstract

A fan shroud and seal ring are assembled together to allow a condenser, radiator, and fan module (CRFM) to be vertically loaded into an engine compartment of a vehicle to be mounted to the vehicle chassis and engine with a fan stator. The fan shroud has a plurality of first attachment components, and the seal ring has a plurality of second attachment components, each of which corresponds to a first attachment component. Each first attachment component engages with a corresponding second attachment component to secure the seal ring to the fan shroud, such that the seal ring is positioned around at least a portion of the fan stator after the CRFM has been mounted and the assembly is in its final configuration.

Claims

1. A fan shroud and seal ring assembly to allow vertical loading of a condenser, radiator, and fan module (CRFM) into an engine compartment of a vehicle to be mounted to a vehicle chassis and engine with a fan stator, the assembly comprising:

a fan shroud having;

a fan opening in which the fan module of the CRFM sits, the fan opening having a border; and

a plurality of first attachment components; and

a seal ring having a shape that substantially corresponds with the shape of at least a portion of the border of the fan opening, the seal ring having a plurality of second attachment components, each of which corresponds to one of the first attachment components;

wherein the first attachment components engage with the corresponding second attachment components to align and attach the seal ring to the fan shroud such that the seal ring is positioned around at least a portion of the fan stator.

2. The fan shroud and seal ring assembly of claim 1 wherein the fan shroud further comprises a flange along the fan opening, the flange extending outwardly from the fan opening.

3. The fan shroud and seal ring assembly of claim 2 wherein each first attachment component is a receiving slot formed in the flange of the fan shroud, and each second attachment component is a retention tab extending outwardly from an edge or surface of the seal ring.

4. The fan shroud and seal ring assembly of claim 2 wherein the seal ring further comprises at least one retention flange configured to engage with the flange of the fan shroud to hold the seal ring in a retracted position.

5. The fan shroud and seal ring assembly of claim 1 wherein the seal ring further comprises a flange extending radially from a surface of the seal ring.

6. The fan shroud and seal ring assembly of claim 5 wherein each first attachment component is a retention post protruding from a surface of the fan shroud, and each second attachment component is a retention hole in the flange of the seal ring.

7. The fan shroud and seal ring assembly of claim 5 wherein the fan shroud and the seal ring further comprise at least one first receiving hole and at least one second receiving hole, respectively, the at least one first receiving hole being substantially concentrically aligned with the at least one second receiving hole such that they may receive a common retention pin to secure the seal ring to the fan shroud.

8. The fan shroud and seal ring assembly of claim 1 wherein the fan shroud comprises an upper shroud component and a lower shroud component.

9. A method of vertically loading a condenser, radiator, and fan module (CRFM) into an engine compartment of a vehicle for mounting to a vehicle chassis and engine with a fan stator, the method comprising:

attaching a fan shroud to the CRFM, the fan shroud having a fan opening with a border and a plurality of first attachment components;

lowering the fan shroud and CRFM vertically into the engine compartment;

mounting the CRFM to the vehicle chassis; and

securing a seal ring to the fan shroud, the seal ring having a plurality of second attachment components, each of which corresponds to one of the first attachment components;

wherein the seal ring has a shape that substantially corresponds with the shape of at least a portion of the border of the fan opening; and

wherein the first attachment components engage with the corresponding components to secure the seal ring to the fan shroud such that the seal ring is positioned around at least a portion of the fan stator.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the fan shroud further comprises a flange around at least a portion of the fan opening, the flange extending outwardly from the fan opening.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising attaching the seal ring to the fan shroud in a retracted position prior to attaching the fan shroud to the CRFM.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the seal ring further comprises at least one retention flange configured to engage with the flange of the fan shroud to hold the seal ring in the retracted position.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein each first attachment component is a receiving slot formed in the flange of the fan shroud, and each second attachment component is a retention tab extending outwardly from an edge or surface of the seal ring.

14. The method of claim 10 further comprising positioning the seal ring around the fan stator prior to attaching the fan shroud to the CRFM.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein each first attachment component is a retention post protruding from a surface of the fan shroud, and each second attachment component is a receiving hole located in the flange of the seal ring.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein the fan shroud and the seal ring further comprise at least one first receiving hole and at least one second receiving hole, respectively, the at least one receiving hole being substantially concentrically aligned with the at least one second receiving hole such that they may receive a common retention pin to secure the seal ring to the fan shroud.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising inserting a retention pin into the at least one receiving hole and the at least one second receiving hole.

18. The method of claim 10 wherein the fan shroud comprises an upper shroud component and a lower shroud component.

19. A fan shroud and seal ring assembly to allow vertical loading of a condenser, radiator, and fan module (CRFM) into an engine compartment of a vehicle to be mounted to the vehicle chassis and engine with a fan stator, the assembly comprising:

a fan shroud having;

a fan opening in which the fan module of the CRFM sits;

a flange extending outwardly from the fan opening; and

a plurality of receiving slots formed in the flange; and

a seal ring having a shape that substantially corresponds to at least a portion of the border of the fan opening, the seal ring having;

at least one edge;

a plurality of retention tabs extending outwardly from the at least one edge of the seal ring, each retention tab being configured to engage with one of the receiving slots such that the seal ring will be locked in an extended position when all of the receiving slots receive corresponding ones of the retention tabs; and

at least one retention flange configured to engage with the flange of the fan shroud to hold the seal ring in a retracted position.

20. The fan shroud and seal ring assembly of claim 19 wherein the fan shroud comprises an upper shroud component and a lower shroud component.