Apparatus, for motor vehicles having a liquid-cooled engine, for heating windshield washer liquid or the like

• US 4,862,951 A
• Filed: 12/18/1987
• Issued: 09/05/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/1986
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fritz Muller
• Original Assignee: Fritz Muller
• Inventors: Muller, Fritz, Lohrum, Anton
• Primary Examiner(s): FORD, JOHN K
• Application Number:
  US07/134,935
• Time in Patent Office: 627 Days
• Field of Search: 165/41, 165/51, 165/52, 165/76, 165/163, 219/208, 239/129, 239/130, 123/557
• US Class Current: 165/41
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/487 the liquid being heated nozzles provided with heating means B60S1/52
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 7/024 the conduits of only one medium being helically coiled tubes, the coils having a cylindrical configuration

Abstract

An apparatus, for a motor vehicle having a liquid-cooled engine, for heating windshield washer liquid or the like. The apparatus includes a cylindrical heat-exchanger housing that, via hose connectors that are disposed at both ends of the housing, can be disposed directly in the coolant line between the engine and a radiator, with the interior of the housing, through which the coolant flows, containing a tube coil that is helically wound in the longitudinal direction of the housing. Liquid that is to be heated flows through the tube coil, and the ends of the latter are conveyed out of the housing in a radial direction. The housing is divided, in an axial direction, into two semicylindrical shells which have abutting longitudinal edges that can be sealingly interconnected. The tube coil is adapted to be placed between the shells, and the housing is provided on the periphery of at least one of the shells with two radially extending pass-through sleeves through which respective ones of the radially extending tube coil ends can extend. Each pass-through sleeve has an outer end that is remote from the housing and on which a sealing ring and a coupling nut is disposed to seal the tube coil end in the pass-through sleeve.

Claims

1. In an apparatus, for a motor vehicle having a liquid-cooled engine, for heating windshield washer liquid, said apparatus including a cylindrical heat-exchanger housing that, via hose connectors that are disposed at both ends of the housing, is disposed directly in the coolant line between the engine and a radiator, with the interior of said housing, through which the coolant flows, containing a tube coil that is helically wound in the longitudinal direction of said housing, with liquid that is to be heated flowing through said tube coil, and with the ends of said tube coil being conveyed out of said housing in a radial direction, the improvement wherein:

said housing is divided, in an axial direction, into two semicylindrical shells which have abutting longitudinal edges that are sealingly interconnected;

said tube coil is adapted to be placed between said shells, and said housing is provided on its periphery with two radially extending pass-through sleeves through which respective ones of said radially extending ends of said tube coil can extend;

each of said pass-through sleeves has an outer end that is remote from said housing and on which a sealing ring and a coupling nut are disposed to seal a given end of said tube coil in said pass-through sleeve.

said housing being made of predetermined material, and said longitudinal edges of said housing shells are provided with outwardly projecting flanges via which, along with the interposition of a sealing insert between said longitudinal edges, said shells being interconnected;

said pass-through sleeves being sealingly cast into said housing, and including means to preclude any rotation and shifting in a longitudinal direction.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, in which said housing shells are aluminum castings.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1, in which said housing shells are interconnected at said flanges via bolts.

4. An apparatus according to claim 1, in which both of said pass-through sleeves are disposed on the periphery of a single one of said shells and extend in essentially the same radial direction.

5. An apparatus according to claim 1, in which each of said pass-through sleeves is disposed on the periphery of a different one of said shells, with said sleeves extending in opposite radial directions.

6. An apparatus according to claim 1, in which said hose connectors on said ends of said housing are stepped connectors to accommodate coolant hoses of varying diameters.

7. An apparatus according to claim 1, in which said housing is made of cast material.

8. An apparatus according to claim 1, in which said housing is made of injection-molded plastic material.