Truck hood engine air induction system

• US 4,971,172 A
• Filed: 06/30/1989
• Issued: 11/20/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: International Truck Intellectual Property Co. LLC (Volkswagen AG)
• Original Assignee: Navistar International Transportation Corp. (Volkswagen AG)
• Inventors: Hoffman, Lawrence A., Burke, Steven A., Tosconi, James J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Marmor, Charles A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Culbreth, Eric
• Application Number:
  US07/374,496
• Time in Patent Office: 508 Days
• Field of Search: 180/68.1, 180/68.2, 180/68.3, 180/68.6, 180/69.2, 180/69.21
• US Class Current: 180/68.3
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 13/02 concerning intake
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 13/06 using structural parts of the vehicle as ducts, e.g. frame parts
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 35/161 Arrangement of the air intake system in the engine compartment, e.g. with respect to the bonnet or the vehicle front face
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 35/164 Heavy duty vehicles, e.g. trucks, trains, agricultural or construction machines

Abstract

In a hood for a conventional highway truck, induction air for the engine of the truck is drawn by the engine vacuum into the hood through air inlets therein at the upper corners of the grille opening defined by the front hood reinforcement to avoid the more severe road splash contamination. The air is drawn through several turns of ninety degree or smaller angle, including the inlets disposed perpendicularly to the path of travel, through a vertical duct adjacent the front reinforcement, a horizontal duct adjacent the fenders, a rear vertical duct, and the duct-defining rear reinforcement to a connection with the engine air cleaner. Both of the vertical ducts are provided with small drain holes adjacent their lower ends to permit heavier particles and water to drain therefrom. The ducts have been provided with large cross-sectional areas which, in addition to reducing air flow restriction, provide lower air flow velocity which further enables water and heavier particles to drop out of the air stream.

Claims

1. In a highway truck having a mobile frame, an engine mounted on said frame, and a hood mounted on said frame and defining a compartment for said engine, said hood including a grille portion forming an ambient air inlet to said compartment transverse of the direction of travel, the improvement comprising an engine air induction passage integrally formed within said hood, said engine air induction passage extending between an engine air inlet aperture opening into said ambient air inlet through said griller portion of said hood, said engine air inlet aperture lying in a plane disposed parallel to the path of travel, and an engine air outlet aperture from said passage disposed on the underside of the rearward portion of said hood and sealingly mated with said engine upon said hood being in a vehicle operating position, said engine air induction passage including a first vertical duct adjacent said grille portion of said hood communication with said engine air inlet aperture, a rearwardly extending horizontal duct communicating with said first vertical duct, a second vertical duct disposed adjacent the rear end of said hood and communicating with said horizontal duct, and a transverse duct communicating with said second vertical duct and extending adjacent the rear end of said hood to said engine air outlet aperture, the intersections of said vertical and horizontal ducts being characterized in that their centerlines are oriented at an angle not greater than 90 degrees.

2. The invention in accordance with claim 1 and open water drain holes disposed in said engine air induction passage adjacent the bottom of both of said vertical ducts.

3. The invention in accordance with claim 1 and said hood having fenders integrally formed therein to define wheel wells, said horizontal ducts of said air induction passage being disposed adjacently above and inside the intersection of said fender and said hood.

4. The invention in accordance with claim 1 and said hood having an engine air induction passage on both sides thereof, the inlet and vertical and horizontal ducts of said passage being symmetrical about the fore-and-aft centerline of said hood.

5. The invention in accordance with claim 1 and said hood having a front reinforcement member bonded thereto and defining said grille portion, said front reinforcement member including said engine air induction passage air inlet aperture.

6. The invention in accordance with claim 1 and said engine air inlet aperture being disposed adjacent the top of said grille ambient air inlet.

7. In a highway truck having a mobile frame an engine mounted on said frame, and a hood having a hood skin mounted on said frame and defining a compartment for said engine, said hood having a forward wall defining an ambient air inlet therethrough to said compartment transverse of the direction of travel, said hood having a plurality of reinforcing members bonded to the interior side of said hood, the improvement comprising an engine air induction passage defined by said reinforcing members, said members being interconnected in substantially air tight relation, said air induction passage extending between an engine air inlet aperture disposed in a front reinforcement of said hood and opening into said ambient air inlet through said forward wall and an engine air outlet aperture from said passage disposed in a rear reinforcement bonded on the underside of the rearward portion of said hood, said engine air outlet aperture being sealingly mated with said engine, said engine air induction passage including a first vertical duct defined between said front reinforcement and said hood skin and communicating with said engine air inlet aperture, a rearwardly extending horizontal duct defined between a side reinforcement and said skin and communicating with said first vertical duct, a second vertical duct adjacent the rear end of said hood defined by a rear reinforcement communicating with said horizontal duct, and a transverse duct defined by said rear reinforcement communicating with said second vertical duct and extending adjacent the rear end of said hood to said engine air outlet aperture.

8. The invention in accordance with claim 7 and said ducts having centerlines, the centerline of said rearwardly extending duct intersecting the centerlines of both vertical ducts at an angle of less than 90 degrees.

9. The invention in accordance with claim 7 and said engine air inlet aperture lying in a plane disposed parallel to the path of travel.