Cooling device for a motor vehicle

• US 5,918,663 A
• Filed: 07/26/1996
• Issued: 07/06/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: BEHR GmbH & Company KG (MAHLE-STIFTUNG GmbH)
• Original Assignee: BEHR GmbH & Company KG (MAHLE-STIFTUNG GmbH)
• Inventors: Kuhn, Robert, Hoglinger, Markus
• Primary Examiner(s): Lazarus, Ira S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pryor, Matthew G.
• Application Number:
  US08/686,768
• Time in Patent Office: 1,075 Days
• Field of Search: 180/68.4, 180/68.1, 180/68.2, 165/51, 165/41, 123/41.48, 123/195 C, 123/198 E, 296/208, 293/117
• US Class Current: 165/41
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 11/08 Air inlets for cooling; Shutters or blinds therefor radiator or grille guards B60R19/52
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 19/48 combined with, or convertible into, other devices or objects, e.g. bumpers combined with road brushes, bumpers convertible into beds
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2410/123 Over-moulded parts

Abstract

A cooling device is disclosed with an air guiding device for guiding of air to cooling devices connected with inlet openings in lower and lateral areas of a motor vehicle front. The air guiding device is constructed as a flow duct which adjoins the cooling device by means of a fan hood and which extends to the inlet opening and is provided there with an elastic wall whose ends are constructed as a surrounding sealing profile and are placed directly against the contour of the inlet opening under an elastic prestressing.

Claims

1. Cooling device which is arranged in a front area of a motor vehicle body and is connected by way of an air guiding device with an inlet opening in a vehicle body front part, specifically in a bumper constructed as the front part, comprising:

a hood joining the air guiding device to the cooling device, said air guiding device being constructed as a flow duct extending to the inlet opening and provided with an elastic wall, and are constructed as

a surrounding sealing profile constructed from ends of said elastic wall and forming a connection opening, said sealing profile being elastically prestressed directly against a contour of the inlet opening.

2. Cooling device according to claim 1, wherein the sealing profile is provided with three sealing edges which point in different directions and which are assigned to different areas of the connection opening which adjoins the inlet opening.

5. Cooling device according to claim 2, wherein the different areas of the connection opening adjoining the inlet opening include an upper area extending slightly beyond a center of the opening, a deflection area which adjoins the upper area and extends toward a center of the vehicle, and a connecting area which connects these upper and deflection areas,

wherein an outwardly directed one of the sealing edges rests against the connecting area,

wherein an inwardly directed one of the sealing edges rests against the upper area, and

wherein one of the sealing edges of the sealing profile which extends farthest outside rests against the deflection area.

6. Cooling device according to claim 5, wherein the inlet opening is framed in the connecting area by a groove which is open toward the flow duct and,

wherein the sealing profile is placed in this groove.

7. Cooling device according to claim 6, wherein the groove is formed by a holding frame which is clipped to the bumper having the inlet opening.

9. Cooling device according to claim 5, wherein the flow duct is constructed as a two-component part including a dimensionally stable hood pointing toward the cooling device and said elastic wall is mounted in one piece on the dimensionally stable hood.

3. Cooling device which is arranged in a front area of a motor vehicle body and is connected by way of an air guiding device with an inlet opening in a vehicle body front part, Particularly in a bumper constructed as the front part,

wherein the air guiding device is constructed as a flow duct which adjoins the cooling device by way of a hood and which extends to the inlet opening and is provided there with an elastic wall with ends which are constructed as a surrounding sealing profile forming a connection opening, said sealing profile being placed under an elastic prestressing directly against a contour of the inlet opening,

wherein the sealing profile is provided with three sealing edges which point in different directions and which are assigned to different areas of the connection opening which adjoins the inlet opening, and

wherein the sealing edges form three corners of a profile which is basically constructed as a trapezoid and which has a side situated opposite one of the three corners which merges into the elastic wall of the flow duct.

8. Cooling device according to claim 3, wherein the different areas of the connection opening adjoining the inlet opening include an upper area extending slightly beyond a center of the opening, a deflection area which adjoins the upper area and extends toward a center of the vehicle, and a connecting area which connects these upper and deflection areas,

wherein an outwardly directed one of the sealing edges rests against the connecting area,

wherein an inwardly directed one of the sealing edges rests against the upper area, and

wherein one of the sealing edges of the sealing profile which extends farthest outside rests against the deflection area.

10. Cooling device according to claim 8, wherein the flow duct is constructed as a two-component part including a dimensionally stable hood pointing toward the cooling device and said elastic wall is mounted in one piece on the dimensionally stable hood.

4. Cooling device which is arranged in a front area of a motor vehicle body and is connected by way of an air guiding device with an inlet opening in a vehicle body front part, particularly in a bumper constructed as the front part,

wherein the air guiding device is constructed as a flow duct which adjoins the cooling device by way of a hood and which extends to the inlet opening and is provided there with an elastic wall with ends which are constructed as a surrounding sealing profile forming a connecting opening, said sealing profile being placed under an elastic prestressing directly against a contour of the inlet opening, and

wherein the flow duct is constructed as a two-component part including a dimensionally stable hood pointing toward the cooling device and said elastic wall is mounted in one piece on the dimensionally stable hood.

11. Air supply guide arrangement interposed in use between a vehicle front body member with an air inlet opening and a vehicle cooling device, said air supply guide arrangement comprising:

a hood adjoining the vehicle cooling device,

an elastic flow duct extending from the hood to a position around the air inlet opening defined by the front body member, and a sealing profile provided on an end of said elastic flow duct and elastically prestressed against the front body member.

12. An air supply guide arrangement according to claim 11, wherein the elastic flow duct has an end facing the front body member which is provided with the sealing profile which defines a connection opening which in use surrounds the air inlet opening in the front body member.

15. Air supply guide arrangement according to claim 11, wherein said front body member is a vehicle bumper.

16. Air supply guide arrangement according to claim 11, wherein said hood is formed of a relatively rigid dimensionally stable plastic, and wherein said elastic flow duct is connected in one piece with said hood.

13. Air supply guide arrangement interposed in use between a vehicle front body member with an air inlet opening and a vehicle cooling device, said air supply guide arrangement comprising:

a hood adjoining the vehicle cooling device, and

an elastic flow duct extending from the hood to a position elastically prestressed against the vehicle front body member around the air inlet opening,

wherein theelastic flow duct has an end facing the front body member which is provided with a sealing profile defining a connection opening which in use surrounds the air inlet opening in the front body member, and

wherein said sealing profile has a constant cross section exhibiting a plurality of sealing edges, which in use sealingly engage respective different areas of the front body member around the connection opening.

14. Air supply guide arrangement according to claim 13, wherein the sealing edges form three corners of a profile which is basically constructed as a trapezoid and which has a side situated opposite one of the three corners which merges into the elastic wall of the flow duct.