Engine cooling system

• US 4,519,343 A
• Filed: 11/02/1983
• Issued: 05/28/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/1982
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Hayashi, Masaharu, Itakura, Masato, Tsuchikawa, Syunzo
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Application Number:
  US06/548,098
• Time in Patent Office: 573 Days
• Field of Search: 123/41.11, 123/41.12, 123/41.31, 123/41.49, 123/41.57, 123/41.58, 123/41.59, 123/41.62, 123/41.65, 123/41.7, 180/68.1, 180/68.4
• US Class Current: 123/41.49
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 11/085 with adjustable shutters or blinds
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 11/10 Guiding or ducting cooling-air, to, or from, liquid-to-air heat exchangers
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 5/06 Guiding or ducting air to, or from, ducted fans
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/88 Optimized components or subsystems, e.g. lighting, actively controlled glasses

Abstract

An engine cooling system for an automotive vehicle has a cross-flow fan driven by a motor coupled thereto for producing an air flow through a radiator disposed in front of the cross-flow fan. The cross-flow fan is housed in a casing assembly composed of an upper casing, a lower casing, and a pair of lateral casings for guiding the air flow through the cross-flow fan. The upper casing has a curved portion covering a portion of the cross-flow fan for preventing an air flow from counteracting rotation of the fan. Means may be provided for retractably covering the portion of the fan to prevent the counteracting air flow only when the automotive vehicle runs at a certain speed or higher. Such means comprises a triangular portion of the upper casing hinged for angular movement between a fan covering position and a position to define an additional air flow passage. Alternatively, the means comprises a coiled resilient member having one end retractably extending through the upper casing in the vicinity of the fan. According to other embodiments, a plurality of vertically spaced cross-flow fans are housed respectively by a plurality of vertically arranged casing assemblies.

Claims

1. An engine cooling system for an automotive vehicle including a vehicle body, comprising:

(a) a radiator adapted to be mounted on the vehicle body;

(b) a cross-flow fan disposed behind said radiator and having a shaft;

(c) a casing assembly connected to said radiator and including an upper casing disposed above said cross-flow fan, a lower casing disposed below said cross-flow fan, and a pair of lateral casings disposed one on each side of said cross-flow fan; and

(d) a motor connected to one end of said shaft for driving said cross-flow fan to create an air flow through said radiator and said casing assembly,

wherein said upper casing includes a first curved portion extending from an upper end of said radiator, a second curved portion extending from said first curved portion in partly covering relation to said corss-flow fan, and a third end portion extending from said second curved portion, said first and second curved portions being joined by a downwardly projecting edge located on a straight line connecting between a vertically central point on said radiator and an axis of said shaft of said cross-flow fan, said lower casing including a first straight portion extending from a lower end of said radiator, a second curved portion extending from said first straight portion, and a third end portion extending from said second curved portion, said third end portions of said upper and lower casings jointly constituting an air flow outlet.

2. An engine cooling system according to claim 1, wherein one of said upper and lower casings having a portion covering a portion of said cross-flow fan for preventing an air flow from counteracting rotation of said cross-flow fan.

3. An engine cooling system according to claim 1, including an engine coolant temperature sensor and a compressor high-pressure sensor for controlling the RPM of said motor.

4. An engine cooling system for an automotive vehicle having a vehicle body, comprising:

(a) a radiator adapted to be mounted on the vehicle body;

(b) a cross-flow fan disposed behind said radiator and having a shaft;

(c) a casing assembly connected to said radiator and including an upper casing disposed above said cross-flow fan, a lower casing disposed below said cross-flow fan, and a pair of lateral casings disposed one on each side of said cross-flow fan for guiding an air flow having passed through said radiator;

(d) a motor connected to one end of said shaft for driving said cross-flow fan to create an air flow through said radiator and said casing assembly; and

(e) covering means for covering a portion of said cross-flow fan to prevent an air flow from counteracting rotation of said cross-flow fan when the automotive vehicle runs at a speed higher than prescribed speed, wherein said covering means comprises a swingable portion of said upper casing, said swingable portion being substantially triangular in side elevation and angularly movable about a hinge between a first portion in which said swingable portion partly covers said cross-flow fan and a second position in which said swingable portion is located away from said cross-flow fan to define a passage of air flow along said cross-flow fan.

5. An engine cooling system for an automotive vehicle having a vehicle body, comprising:

(a) a radiator adapted to be mounted on the vehicle body;

(b) a plurality of vertically spaced cross-flow fans disposed behind said radiator and having respective shafts;

(c) a plurality of casing assemblies connected to said radiator and arranged vertically in surrounding relation to said cross-flow fans, respectively, each of said casing assemblies including an upper casing disposed above said cross-flow fan, a lower casing disposed below said cross-flow fan, and a pair of lateral casings disposed one on each side of said cross-flow fan for guiding an air flow having passed through said radiator; and

(d) a motor connected to one end of said shaft for driving said cross-flow fan to create an air flow through said radiator and said casing assembly;

wherein

each casing assembly is connected to said radiator such that said upper and lower casings collectively divide said radiator vertically into a plurality of radiator segments of equal height, said plurality of radiator segments being equal in number to and respectively corresponding to said cross-flow fans; and

one of said upper and lower casings of each said casing assembly further comprises a first curved portion extending from said radiator, a second curved portion extending from said first curved portion in partly covering relation to its respective cross-flow fan, and a third end portion extending from said second curved portion, said first and second curved portions being joined by a projecting edge located on a straight line extending between a vertically central point on the corresponding radiator segment and an axis of said shaft of said corresponding cross-flow fan.

6. An engine cooling system according to claim 5, wherein the other of said upper and lower casings of each said casing assembly further comprises a first straight portion extending from said radiator, a second curved portion extending from said first straight portion, and a third end portion extending from said second curved portion, said third end portions of said upper and lower casings jointly consituting an air flow outlet.

7. An engine cooling system for an automotive vehicle having a vehicle body, comprising:

(a) a radiator adapted to be mounted on the vehicle body;

(b) a cross-flow fan disposed behind said radiator and having a shaft;

(c) a casing assembly connected to said radiator and including an upper casing disposed above said cross-flow fan, a lower casing disposed below said cross-flow fan, and a pair of lateral casings disposed one on each side of said cross-flow fan for guiding an air flow having passed through said radiator;

(d) a motor connected to one end of said shaft for driving said cross-flow fan to create an air flow through said radiator and said casing assembly; and

(e) covering means for covering a portion of said cross-flow fan to prevent an air flow from counteracting rotation of said cross-flow fan when the automotive vehicle runs at a speed higher than a prescribed speed, wherein said covering means comprises a resilient member having one coiled end and an opposite end retractably extending vertically through said upper casing in the vicinity of said cross-flow fan.

8. An engine cooling system for an automotive vehicle including a vehicle body, comprising:

(a) a radiator adapted to be mounted on the vehicle body;

(b) a cross-flow fan disposed behind said radiator and having a shaft;

(c) a casing assembly connected to said radiator and including an upper casing disposed above said cross-flow fan, a lower casing disposed below said cross-flow fan, and a pair of lateral casings disposed one on each side of said cross-flow fan; and

(d) a motor connected to one end of said shaft for driving said cross-flow fan to create an air flow through said radiator and said casing assembly,

wherein said upper casing includes a first curved portion extending from an upper end of said radiator, a second curved portion extending from said first curved portion in partly covering relation to said cross-flow fan, and a third end portion extending from said second curved portion, said first and second curved portions being joined by a downwardly projecting edge located on a straight line connecting between a vertically central point on said radiator and an axis of said shaft of said cross-flow fan.

9. An engine cooling system for an automotive vehicle including a vehicle body, comprising:

(a) a radiator adapted to be mounted on the vehicle body;

(b) a cross-flow fan disposed behind said radiator an having a shaft;

(c) a casing assembly connected to said radiator and including an upper casing disposed above said cross-flow fan, a lower casing disposed below said cross-flow fan, and a pair of lateral casings disposed one on each side of said cross-flow fan; and

(d) a motor connected to one end of said shaft for driving said cross-flow fan to create an air flow through said radiator and said casing assembly,

wherein one of said upper and lower casings includes a first curved portion extending from a first end of said radiator, a second curved portion extending from said first curved portion in partly covering relation to said cross-flow fan, and a third end portion extending from said second curved portion, said first and second curved portions being joined by a projecting edge located on a straight line connecting between a vertically central point on said radiator and an axis of said shaft of said cross-flow fan.

10. An engine cooling system according to claim 9, wherein the other of said upper and lower casings further comprises a first straight portion extending from a second end of said radiator, a second curved portion extending from said first straight portion, and a third end portion extending from said second curved portion, said third end portions of said upper and lower casings jointly constituting an air flow outlet.