Cooling system for a liquid-cooled engine

• US 5,689,953 A
• Filed: 03/28/1996
• Issued: 11/25/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kubota Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kubota Corporation
• Inventors: Hayashi, Masaki, Kurohara, Kazuaki, Yamashita, Nobuyuki, Uemura, Katsuhiko, Murakawa, Masatake, Harada, Eriya, Imanishi, Ryozo
• Primary Examiner(s): Lazarus, Ira S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LAM, NHAT
• Application Number:
  US08/623,561
• Time in Patent Office: 607 Days
• Field of Search: 60/316, 60/320, 123/198 E, 123/195 C, 123/41.56, 123/41.7, 123/41.49, 180/68.1
• US Class Current: 60/316
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 11/02 with liquid cooling
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 11/04 Arrangement or mounting of radiators, radiator shutters, or radiator blinds B60K11/085 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 11/08 Air inlets for cooling; Shutters or blinds therefor radiator or grille guards B60R19/52
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 13/04 concerning exhaust collecting exhaust gases with central suction systems not forming part of vehicles, e.g. in workshops or tunnels B08B15/002, otherwise along carriageways E01C1/005; extensions for melting snow on roads E01H5/00, E01H6/00; exhaust or silencing apparatus for internal combustion engines per se F01N; pipes, joints or supports therefor F16L
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 3/05 by means of air, e.g. by mixing exhaust with air silencers working by addition of air to exhaust F01N1/14; arrangements for the supply of additional air for the thermal or catalytic conversion of noxious components of exhaust F01N3/30 ; in tailpipes F01N13/082
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 11/20 concerning atmospheric freezing conditions, e.g. automatically draining or heating during frosty weather
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 2060/16 Outlet manifold
• 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 5/06 Guiding or ducting air to, or from, ducted fans
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/12 Improving ICE efficiencies

Abstract

A cooling system for a vehicle having a radiator disposed above an engine, and a muffler disposed in a region below the engine. This system includes an air intake guide for guiding cooling air to the radiator from outside, an exhaust guide for guiding a large part of the cooling air having flowed past the radiator, forwardly of the vehicle, a cooling fan for producing air currents flowing from the air intake guide past the radiator to the exhaust guide, and ducts provided for opposite sides of the exhaust guide for guiding part of the cooling air having flowed passed the radiator into a muffler cover enclosing the muffler. The ducts communicate with positions of the muffler cover to blow the cooling air toward connections between exhaust pipes of the engine and the muffler.

Claims

1. In a cooling system for a liquid-cooled engine mounted as a vertical engine on a vehicle, said improved cooling system comprising:

a radiator disposed above said engine;

a muffler disposed in a region below said engine;

an air intake guide for guiding cooling air to said radiator from outside;

an exhaust guide having an exhaust opening for guiding a large part of the cooling air having flowed past said radiator, forwardly of said vehicle;

a cooling fan coupled to said engine for producing air currents flowing from said air intake guide past said radiator to said exhaust guide; and

guide means provided for at least one side of said exhaust guide opening for guiding part of the cooling air having flowed past said radiator to said muffler, and for guiding a remainder of the cooling air forwardly of said vehicle through said exhaust guide.

2. A cooling system as defined in claim 1, wherein said guide means includes a muffler cover substantially covering said muffler, and a plurality of ducts extending between said muffler cover and said exhaust guide opening.

3. A cooling system as defined in claim 2, wherein said ducts open adjacent connections between exhaust pipes of said engine and said muffler.

4. A cooling system as defined in claim 2, wherein said muffler includes an exhaust opening and an exhaust pipe connected to each other with a gap therebetween, whereby air in said muffler cover is drawn into the exhaust pipe by ejector action.

5. A cooling system as defined in claim 1, wherein said exhaust guide is disposed directly forwardly of said cooling fan, and said guide means includes a pair of spaced ducts arranged in opposite regions transversely of said exhaust guide opening, wherein a quantity of air discharged forwardly through said exhaust guide opening is far larger than a quantity of air transmitted to said muffler through said guide means.

6. A cooling system as defined in claim 1, wherein said exhaust guide includes a cooling air release directed toward a carburetor of said engine.

7. In a cooling system for a liquid-cooled engine mounted as a vertical engine on a vehicle, said improved cooling system comprising:

a radiator disposed above said engine;

a muffler disposed in a region below said engine;

an air intake guide for guiding cooling air to said radiator from outside;

an exhaust guide for guiding a large part of the cooling air having flowed past said radiator, forwardly of said vehicle, wherein said exhaust guide includes a cooling air release for directing a remaining part of the cooling air having flowed past said radiator toward a carburetor of said engine;

a cooling fan coupled to said engine for producing air currents flowing from said air intake guide past said radiator to said exhaust guide; and

guide means provided for at least one side of said exhaust guide for guiding part of the cooling air having flowed past said radiator to said muffler.

8. A cooling system as defined in claim 7, wherein said exhaust guide is disposed directly forward of said cooling fan, and said guide means includes a pair of spaced ducts arranged on opposite sides of said exhaust guide wherein a quantity of air discharged forwardly through said exhaust guide is far larger than a quantity of air transmitted to said muffler through said guide means.

9. A cooling system as defined in claim 8, wherein said ducts open adjacent connections between exhaust pipes of said engine and said muffler.

10. A cooling system as defined in claim 7, wherein said guide means includes a muffler cover substantially covering said muffler and wherein said muffler includes an exhaust opening and an exhaust pipe connected to each other with a gap therebetween, whereby air in said muffler cover is drawn into the exhaust pipe by ejector action.

11. In a cooling system for a liquid-cooled engine mounted as a vertical engine on a vehicle, said improved cooling system comprising:

a radiator disposed above said engine;

a muffler disposed in a region below said engine;

an air intake guide for guiding cooling air to said radiator from outside;

an exhaust guide having an exhaust opening for guiding a large part of the cooling air having flowed past said radiator, forwardly of said vehicle to said exhaust opening;

a cooling fan coupled to said engine for producing air currents flowing from said air intake guide past said radiator to said exhaust guide; and

a pair of guide ducts spaced from each other provided on opposite sides of said exhaust opening, each said guide duct guiding part of the cooling air having flowed past said radiator through said exhaust opening to said muffler, wherein said guide ducts are spaced from each other along said exhaust opening such that part of the cooling air having flowed past said radiator exhausts forwardly of said vehicle.

12. A cooling system as defined in claim 11, further including a muffler cover substantially covering said muffler, wherein said pair of guide ducts extend between said muffler cover and said exhaust opening of said exhaust guide.

13. A cooling system as defined in claim 12, wherein said ducts open adjacent connections between the exhaust pipes of said engine and said muffler.

14. A cooling system as defined in claim 12, wherein said muffler includes an exhaust opening and an exhaust pipe connected to each other with a gap therebetween, whereby air in said muffler cover is drawn into the exhaust pipe by ejector action.

15. A cooling system as defined in claim 11, wherein said exhaust guide includes a cooling air release directed toward a carburetor of said engine for directing part of the cooling air having flowed past said radiator toward said carburetor.

16. In a cooling system for a liquid-cooled engine mounted as a vertical engine on a vehicle, said improved cooling system comprising:

a radiator disposed above said engine;

a muffler disposed in a region below said engine, said muffler being substantially covered by a muffler cover;

an air intake guide for guiding cooling air to said radiator from outside;

a cooling fan operable by a drive from said engine for producing air currents flowing from said air intake guide past said radiator to said exhaust guide;

an exhaust guide disposed forwardly of said cooling fan in a running direction of the vehicle, said exhaust guide guiding a large part of the cooling air having flowed past said radiator and exhausting it through an exhaust opening; and

at least one duct extending downward for guiding part of the cooling air toward said muffler after the cooling air has flowed past said radiator, said duct having an inlet opened to said exhaust opening in a region adjacent to a lateral side of said exhaust opening, and an outlet opened to said muffler cover.

17. A cooling system as defined in claim 16, wherein said outlet of said duct faces a connection between an exhaust pipe of said engine and said muffler.

18. A cooling system as defined in claim 16, wherein said muffler includes an exhaust opening and an exhaust pipe connected to each other with a gap therebetween, whereby air in said muffler cover is drawn into the exhaust pipe by ejector action.

19. A cooling system as defined in claim 16, wherein a quantity of air discharged forwardly through said exhaust guide is far greater than a quantity of air transmitted to said muffler through said duct.

20. A cooling system as defined in claim 16, wherein said exhaust guide includes a cooling air release directed toward a carburetor of said engine for directing part of the cooling air having flowed past said radiator toward said carburetor.