COOLING APPARATUS FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE

• US 20170089250A1
• Filed: 09/19/2016
• Published: 03/30/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: ISAKA, Kenji, KANZAKA, Ryuji, SHINPO, Yoshikazu
• Granted Patent: US 10,060,326 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F01M 5/001 Heating
• CPC Class Codes: F01M 5/007 Thermostatic control
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 11/08 Arrangements of lubricant coolers in lubrication apparatus F01M
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 2060/04 Lubricant cooler
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 2060/08 Cabin heater
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 3/02 Arrangements for cooling cylinders or cylinder heads
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 7/16 by thermostatic control
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 9/005 the plates having openings therein for both heat-exchange media
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 27/02 for controlling the distribution of heat-exchange media between different channels static flow control means in header boxes F28F9/026; arrangements of guide plates or guide vanes F28F9/22, F28F25/12
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/022 the sensing element being placed within a regulating fluid flow
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/122 using a plurality of sensing elements

Abstract

A cooling apparatus for an engine includes an oil warmer, an engine internal passage, a warmer passage, a water pump, and a thermostat. The warmer passage connects an outlet of the internal passage to an inlet of the internal passage. The thermostat regulates an amount of coolant that flows into the oil warmer. The thermostat includes a valve member, a body, and a plurality of types of wax. The thermostat determines a degree of opening of the valve member in accordance with amounts of expansion of the respective types of wax caused by melting of the respective types of wax. The types of wax include a first wax, which melts at a first temperature, and a second wax, which melts at a second temperature which is higher than the first temperature.

Claims

1. A cooling apparatus for an internal combustion engine, comprising:

an oil warmer, which performs heat exchange between coolant of the engine and lubricant of a transmission;

an internal passage, which is provided in the engine and through which the coolant flows;

a warmer passage, which causes coolant that has flowed out through an outlet of the internal passage to flow into an inlet of the internal passage, wherein the oil warmer is connected to a middle section of the warmer passage;

a water pump, which is configured to cause the coolant in the internal passage and the warmer passage to flow; and

a thermostat, which is configured to regulate an amount of coolant that flows into the oil warmer, wherein

the thermostat includes

a valve member, which is configured to close the warmer passage,

a body, and

a plurality of types of wax, which are accommodated in the body and separated from each other,

the thermostat is configured to determine a degree of opening of the valve member in accordance with amounts of expansion of the respective types of wax caused by melting of the respective types of wax,

the body contacts one of the lubricant and the coolant in the warmer passage, and

the types of wax include

a first wax, which melts at a first temperature, and

a second wax, which melts at a second temperature which is higher than the first temperature.

2. The cooling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the warmer passage is configured such that, in a closed state of the thermostat, the coolant that has reached the thermostat is restricted from flowing out to a downstream side of the thermostat.

3. The cooling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the thermostat is located on an upstream side of the oil warmer in the warmer passage, and

the cooling apparatus further comprises a branch passage, which is connected to a part of the warmer passage that is located on an upstream side of the thermostat and is separated from the thermostat.

4. The cooling apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the coolant in the warmer passage contacts the body of the thermostat, and

at least a section of a part of the warmer passage in which the thermostat is provided is arranged to contact the oil warmer.

5. The cooling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the coolant in the warmer passage contacts the body of the thermostat, and

the cooling apparatus further comprises a passage that is connected to the warmer passage and allows the coolant that has reached the thermostat to flow out to a downstream side of the oil warmer at least when the thermostat is in a closed state.

6. The cooling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the thermostat is located on an upstream side of the oil warmer in the warmer passage, and

the cooling apparatus further comprises a branch passage, which is connected to a part of the warmer passage in which the thermostat is provided.

7. The cooling apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising;

a radiator; and

a radiator passage, which connects the internal passage to the radiator, wherein

the warmer passage configures a bypass passage, which causes the coolant that has flowed out through the outlet of the internal passage to flow into the inlet of the internal passage while bypassing the radiator,

the cooling apparatus further includes a flow-rate regulator, wherein, in accordance with a temperature of the coolant, which is put in a flowing state by the water pump, the flow-rate regulator regulates an amount of the coolant that has flowed out through the outlet of the internal passage and flows through each of the bypass passage and the radiator passage, and

the second temperature is lower than a cooling threshold temperature, which is a lower limit value of a temperature at which an amount of coolant that flows out through the outlet of the internal passage and into the radiator is controlled to be a value greater than zero by the flow-rate regulator.

8. The cooling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the water pump is an engine-driven pump, which is actuated when the engine is started.