Vehicle underhood component cooling system

• US 5,775,450 A
• Filed: 05/06/1996
• Issued: 07/07/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc. (BorgWarner Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: General Motors Corporation (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Inventors: Franchet, Mark Eugene, Porter, Donald Kevin
• Primary Examiner(s): Oberleitner, Robert J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BARTZ, CLIFFORD T
• Application Number:
  US08/642,990
• Time in Patent Office: 792 Days
• Field of Search: 180/68.1, 180/68.2, 180/68.4, 180/68.6, 165/41
• US Class Current: 180/68.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 11/02 with liquid cooling
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 1/06 Arrangements for cooling other engine or machine parts
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 11/10 Guiding or ducting cooling-air, to, or from, liquid-to-air heat exchangers
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 2001/005 Cooling engine rooms

Abstract

A specially designed deflector is mounted to the radiator cooling fan assembly, so as to catch and redirect some of the air that has been pulled through the radiator, up and over the engine, between the top of the engine and the underside of the hood. On the underside of the hood, an elongated, hollow curb divides up the space between the underside of the hood and the top of the engine. The curb has a front end located above and to the outside of the deflector, and runs diagonally across the hood underside to a back end that is located to the outside of the alternator. The air is directed along the side of the curb and ultimately over the alternator, thereby cooling it.

Claims

1. In a vehicle having an engine contained in an engine compartment enclosed by a hood located above said engine, a radiator located-in said in front of said engine, and having a cooling fan assembly mounted behind said radiator that pulls outside air into said compartment and through said radiator and which normally exhausts said cooling air in a stream generally toward and beneath said engine, and in which a component that runs hotter than said exhausted air is located generally above said engine and out of the normal path of said exhausted air, a system for redirecting a portion of said exhausted air toward and over said component, comprising,

a deflector mounted behind said fan assembly and adapted to catch and redirect at least a portion of said exhausted air stream up and over said engine, beneath said hood, and,

an elongated curb mounted beneath said hood and above said engine and extending continuously from a front end located above and to the side of said deflector to a back end located to the same side of said component,

whereby exhausted air redirected by said deflector from said fan assembly and above said engine is thereafter directed by said curb along the outside of said curb toward and generally over said component, thereby cooling it.

2. In a vehicle having an engine contained in an engine compartment enclosed by a hood located above said engine, a radiator located in front of said engine, and having a circular cooling fan with a predetermined direction of rotation mounted behind said radiator that pulls outside air into said compartment and through said radiator and which normally exhausts said cooling air in a stream generally toward and beneath said engine, and in which a component that runs hotter than said exhausted air is located generally above said engine and out of the normal path of said exhausted air, a system for redirecting a portion of said exhausted air toward and over said component, comprising,

a deflector mounted behind said fan, said deflector having an upwardly curved blade positioned in said exhausted air stream so as to catch and redirect at least a portion thereof up and over said engine, beneath said hood, and,

an elongated curb mounted beneath said hood and above said engine and extending continuously from a front end located above and to the side of said deflector to a back end located to the same side of said component,

whereby exhausted air redirected by said deflector from said fan assembly and above said engine is thereafter directed by said curb along the outside of said curb toward and generally over said component, thereby cooling it.

3. In a vehicle having an engine contained in an engine compartment enclosed by a hood located above said engine, a radiator located in front of said engine, and having a cooling fan assembly mounted behind said radiator that pulls outside air into said compartment and through said radiator and which normally exhausts said air in a stream generally toward and beneath said engine, and in which a first component that runs hotter than said exhausted air is located generally above said engine on one side of said compartment and out of the normal path of said exhausted air, and in which a second component that runs cooler than said exhausted air stream is located on the other side of said compartment, a system for redirecting a portion of said exhausted air toward and over said first component, comprising,

a deflector mounted behind said fan assembly and adapted to catch and redirect at least a portion of said exhausted air stream up and over said engine, beneath said hood, and,

an elongated curb mounted beneath said hood and above said engine, between said first and second components, and extending continuously from a front end located above and to the side of said deflector to a back end located to the same side of said first component,

whereby exhausted air redirected by said deflector from said fan assembly and above said engine is thereafter directed by said curb along the outside of said curb toward and generally over said first component, thereby cooling it, while said second component is isolated from said exhausted air.