Cooling system for a liquid cooled engine

• US 5,113,819 A
• Filed: 03/12/1991
• Issued: 05/19/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 07/04/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kubota Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kubota Corporation
• Inventors: Murakawa, Masatake, Fujiwara, Yoji, Imanishi, Ryozo
• Primary Examiner(s): Kamen, Noah P.
• Application Number:
  US07/668,028
• Time in Patent Office: 434 Days
• Field of Search: 180/68.1, 180/68.4, 180/68.6, 180/69.2, 180/900, 123/41.11, 123/41.42, 123/41.48, 123/41.49, 123/41.7, 123/198 E
• US Class Current: 123/198.00E
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 11/02 with liquid cooling
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 11/08 Arrangements of lubricant coolers in lubrication apparatus F01M
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 11/12 Filtering, cooling, or silencing cooling-air
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 2001/005 Cooling engine rooms
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 2003/006 the liquid being oil
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 2060/04 Lubricant cooler
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 3/18 Arrangements or mounting of liquid-to-air heat-exchangers such arrangements on cylinders or cylinder heads F01P3/04; relative to vehicles B60K11/04
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 9/00 Cooling having pertinent characteristics not provided for in, or of interest apart from, groups F01P1/00 - F01P7/00 profiting from waste heat of combustion-engine cooling F02G5/00

Abstract

A cooling system for a vertical, liquid cooled engine having a first passage for guiding cooling air to a cooling fan disposed above the engine, and a second passage for guiding the cooling air drawn by the cooling fan to flow past the engine and to be exhausted forwardly and downwardly of the engine. The first passage includes an air inlet defined rearwardly of the engine, and is defined by part of an engine hood, a vertical bracket plate erected behind the engine, and a partition extending from the engine hood over an upper surface of the engine. Devices accessory to the engine which are vulnerable to the heat are mounted in a space inside the first passage. The second passage is formed by an air guide cover enveloping the engine and cooling fan and defining an opening in a region opposed to the cooling fan. The air guide cover includes a front portion extending downwardly along the cylinder head. The second passage contains a liquid cooler disposed between an upper surface of the cylinder head and the air guide cover, and a muffler in an exhaust region the second passage. The first and second passages are interconnected through the cooling fan, and define a substantially airtight space from air intake end to exhaust end.

Claims

1. In a vehicle having a liquid cooled engine, a cooling system therefor, and a hood extending over the engine, said engine being formed as a vertical engine with a cylinder head disposed forwardly of the vehicle, an improved cooling system comprising;

a cooling fan disposed above said engine,

first passage means for guiding cooling air to said cooling fan,

second passage means for guiding the cooling air drawn by said cooling fan to flow past the engine and to be exhausted forwardly and downwardly of the engine, said second passage means including an air guide cover enveloping said engine and said cooling fan and defining an opening in a region opposed to said cooling fan, and

a liquid cooler for cooling a liquid circulating through said engine disposed between an upper surface of said cylinder head and said air guide cover.

2. A vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein said liquid is oil, and said liquid cooler is an oil cooler.

3. A vehicle as claimed in claim 2, wherein said oil cooler is inclined rearwardly in a way to roughly follow an inclination of said hood.

4. A vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first passage means includes an air inlet defined rearwardly of the engine, a vertical bracket plate disposed behind said engine for guiding incoming air toward said hood, and a partition bridging a lower surface of said hood and said air guide cover to guide air directed to a region under said hood to said cooling fan.

5. A vehicle as claimed in claim 4, further comprising a heat insulating plate erected adjacent said vertical bracket plate to block heat radiated rearwardly from the engine.

6. A vehicle as claimed in claim 5, further comprising a heat insulating material interposed between said vertical bracket plate and said heat insulating plate.

7. A vehicle as claimed in claim 5, further comprising a sound absorbing material interposed between said vertical bracket plate and said heat insulating plate.

8. A vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein said second passage means includes an air exhaust region containing a muffler of said engine.

9. A vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein said air guide cover includes a sound absorbing material lining at least a region thereof opposed to said cylinder head.

10. In a vehicle having a liquid cooled engine, a cooling system therefor, and a hood extending over the engine, said engine being formed as a vertical engine with a cylinder head disposed forwardly of the vehicle, an improved cooling system comprising;

a cooling fan disposed above said engine,

first passage means for guiding cooling air to said cooling fan, said first passage means including an air inlet defined rearwardly of the engine, a vertical bracket plate disposed behind said engine for guiding incoming air toward said hood, and a partition bridging a lower surface of said hood and said air guide cover to guide air directed to a region under said hood to said cooling fan,

second passage means for guiding the cooling air drawn by said cooling fan to flow past the engine and to be exhausted forwardly and downwardly of the engine, said second passage means including an air guide cover enveloping said engine and said cooling fan and defining an opening in a region opposed to said cooling fan for connection to said first passage means, said air guide cover and said engine defining a substantially airtight duct space, said air guide cover having a front portion extending downwardly along said cylinder head and defining an exhaust opening at an free end thereof,

a muffler mounted in a region of said exhaust opening, and

a liquid cooler for cooling a liquid circulating through said engine disposed between an upper surface of said cylinder head and said air guide cover.

11. A vehicle as claimed in claim 10, wherein said liquid is oil, and said liquid cooler is an oil cooler.