Adjustable fan shroud arrangement

• US 5,623,893 A
• Filed: 05/20/1996
• Issued: 04/29/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Inventors: Howard, Brian S., Peck, Randall G., Bartz, John C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kamen, Noah P.
• Application Number:
  US08/650,279
• Time in Patent Office: 344 Days
• Field of Search: 123/41.49, 123/41.01, 415/126, 165/DIG. 311
• US Class Current: 123/41.49
• 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: F04D 19/002 Axial flow fans
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 9/002 with fastening means for other structures
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 165/311 including particular flow deflector, e.g. shroud, diffuser

Abstract

A first adjustment arrangement facilitates adjustment of a plenum in a first direction of movement relative to a fan axis and a second adjustment arrangement facilitates adjustment of a shroud in a second direction of movement transverse the first direction of movement. A plurality of fasteners secures the adjusted plenum to the radiator and a plurality of fasteners secures the adjusted shroud to the plenum. A pilot arrangement supports and guides the shroud on the plenum during adjustment and maintains the shroud in position during fastening of the shroud to the plenum.

Claims

1. An adjustable fan shroud arrangement for a frame mounted transverse engine having a radiator and a fan having blades for moving cooling air through the radiator, comprising:

a pair of spaced apart plenum mounting flange portions connected to said radiator;

a plenum having a plurality of sides, a pair of spaced apart radiator mounting flange portions connected to opposite ones of said sides, a supporting portion having an opening centrally disposed therethrough, said supporting portion being connected to each of said sides, said opening being of a predetermined size sufficient to receive said fan blades;

a shroud having an opening disposed therethrough, said openings being of a predetermined size sufficient to receive said fan blades;

a first plurality of fasteners connecting the pair of spaced apart plenum mounting flange portions to the pair of radiator mounting flange portions,

a second plurality of fasteners connecting the shroud to the supporting portion of said plenum;

first means for maintaining adjustable movement of the plenum relative to the plenum mounting flange portions in directions along a first line of movement;

second means for maintaining adjustable movement of the shroud relative to the supporting portion in directions along a second line of movement transverse the first line of movement.

2. An adjustable fan shroud arrangement, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said first means includes a plurality of first elongated slots disposed in said radiator mounting flange portions and about said plurality of first fasteners, said first elongated slots being elongate in the direction of the first line of movement.

3. An adjustable fan shroud arrangement, as set forth in claim 2, wherein said second means includes a plurality of second elongated slots disposed in said shroud and about each of said plurality of second fasteners, said second elongated slots being elongate in the direction of the second line of movement.

4. An adjustable fan shroud arrangement, as set forth in claim 3, wherein said first fasteners urge the pair of spaced apart plenum mounting flange portions into clamping engagement with the pair of radiator mounting flange portions and the second fasteners urge the shroud into clamping engagement with the supporting portion.

5. An adjustable fan shroud arrangement, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said opening in the supporting portion of said plenum is defined by a first radius "R₁ " having a predetermined magnitude and a point of origin "P₁ " lying along a line "L₁ " extending substantially parallel to said second line of movement, a second radius "R₂ " having a predetermined magnitude and a point of origin "P₂ " spaced a preselected distance "D" from said first point of origin and lying along said line "L₁ ", and a pair of spaced sides tangent to and connecting said first and second radii "R₁ ", R₂ ", said magnitudes of the first and second radii "R₁ ", R₂ " being substantially equal.

6. An adjustable fan shroud arrangement, as set forth in claim 5, wherein the opening in said shroud being circular and defined by a third radius "R₃ " having a predetermined magnitude substantially equal to the magnitude of the first and second radii "R₁ ", R₂ " and having a point of origin "P₃ " lying along line "L₁ ".

7. An adjustable fan shroud arrangement, as set forth in claim 6, wherein said second threaded fasteners being adapted to clamp said shroud to said plenum and maintain said shroud from movement relative to said plenum including pilot means for adjustably supporting the shroud on the plenum and maintaining the first, second and third points "P₁ ", "P₂ ", "P₃ " substantially along said line "L₁ " during adjustable movement of the shroud in directions along said second line of movement and prior to the second threaded fasteners clamping the shroud to said plenum.

8. An adjustable fan shroud arrangement, as set forth in claim 7, said pilot means including:

a pair of spaced substantially parallel elongated pilot slots disposed in said shroud;

a pair of spaced pilot members connected to the supporting portion of the plenum, said pilot members being disposed in said pilot slots, said pilot members supporting said shroud on the plenum, said pilot members guiding said plenum during sliding movement along said second line of movement.

9. An adjustable fan shroud arrangement for a construction machine having an longitudinally oriented frame, comprising:

an internal combustion engine having an engine block;

a plurality of engine mounts resiliently connecting said engine block to the frame, said engine being transversely oriented relative to said frame, said engine mounts maintaining said engine for limited movement in directions longitudinal of the frame;

a fan having a hub, an axis of rotation, and a plurality of blades connected to said hub, said hub being rotatively connected to an end of the engine and said axis of rotation extending transversely relative to the frame;

a radiator having a core and being connected to the frame at a location on the frame adjacent the fan, said core being oriented substantially normal to the axis of rotation and adapted to pass cooling air flow induced by the fan;

a plenum having a plurality of sides and a supporting portion having an opening centrally disposed therethrough, said supporting portion being connected to each of said sides, said opening being of a predetermined size sufficient to receive said fan blades;

a shroud having an opening disposed therethrough, said opening being of a predetermined size sufficient to receive said fan blades;

first adjustment means for maintaining said plenum for adjustable movement in directions along a first line of movement relative to said radiator to a first position measured along said first line of movement at which a predetermined tip clearance between the fan blades and the opening is obtained;

second adjustment means for maintaining said shroud for adjustable movement relative to said supporting portion in directions along a second line of movement transverse the first line of movement to a second position measured along said second line of movement at which a predetermined tip clearance between the fan blades and the opening in the shroud is obtained, said tip clearance permitting a predetermined amount of movement of the engine mounted fan in directions transversely relative to the axis of rotation without resulting in interference between the fan blade and shroud;

first fastening means for connecting the plenum to the radiator and maintaining said plenum at said first position; and

second fastening means for-connecting the shroud to the supporting portion and maintaining said shroud at said second position.

10. An adjustable fan shroud arrangement, as set forth in claim 9, including a pair of spaced apart radiator mounting flange portions connected to opposite ones of said plenum sides, said first fastening means includes a plurality of first threaded fasteners screwthreadably connected to said radiator and said first adjustment means includes a plurality of first elongated slots disposed in the radiator mounting flange portions and about said plurality of first threaded fasteners, said first elongated slots being elongate in the direction of the first line of movement.

11. An adjustable fan shroud arrangement, as set forth in claim 10, wherein said second fastening means includes a plurality of second threaded fasteners screwthreadably connected to said supporting portion and said second adjustment means includes a plurality of second elongated slots disposed in said shroud and about said plurality of second threaded fasteners, said second elongated slots being elongate in the direction of the second line of movement.

12. An adjustable fan shroud arrangement, as set forth in claim 11, wherein said first threaded fasteners urge the pair of spaced apart plenum mounting flange portions into clamping engagement with the radiator and said second threaded fasteners urge the shroud into clamping engagement with the supporting portion.

13. An adjustable fan shroud arrangement, as set forth in claim 9, wherein said opening in the supporting portion of said plenum being defined by a first radius "R₁ " having a predetermined magnitude and a first point of origin "P₁ " lying along a line "L₁ " extending substantially parallel to said second line of movement, a second radius "R₂ " having a predetermined magnitude and a point of origin "P₂ " spaced a preselected distance "D" from said first point of origin "P₁ " and lying along said line "L₁ ", and a pair of spaced sides tangent to and connecting said first and second radii "R₁ ", "R₂ ", said magnitudes of the first and second radii "R₁ ", "R₂ " being substantially equal.

14. An adjustable fan shroud arrangement, as set forth in claim 13, wherein the opening in said shroud being circular and defined by a third radius "R₃ " having a predetermined magnitude and having a point of origin "P₃ " lying along line "L₁ ".

15. An adjustable fan shroud arrangement, as set forth in claim 14, wherein said second threaded fasteners being adapted to clamp said shroud to said plenum and maintain said shroud from movement relative to said plenum including pilot means for adjustably supporting the shroud on the plenum and maintaining the first, second and third points "P₁ ", "P₂ ", "P₃ " substantially along said line "L1" during adjustable movement of the shroud in directions along said second line of movement and prior to the second threaded fasteners clamping the shroud to said plenum.

16. An adjustable fan shroud arrangement, as set forth in claim 15, wherein said pilot means includes a pair of elongated pilot slots disposed in said shroud and a pair of pilot members connected to the supporting portion of the plenum and disposed in said pilot slots, said pilot members guiding said plenum during sliding movement along said second line of movement.

17. An adjustable fan, as set forth in claim 15, wherein said pilot members include a pair of pilot fasteners screw threadably connected to the supporting portion, said pilot fasteners being threadibly movable from a first position at which said shroud is movable along said second line of movement to a second position at which said shroud is maintained from movement relative to said plenum.