Engine compartment structure of a vehicle for introducing cool intake air

• US 6,035,955 A
• Filed: 04/02/1996
• Issued: 03/14/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Suzuki, Makoto, Abe, Shizuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Mai, Lanna
• Assistant Examiner(s): Avery, Bridget
• Application Number:
  US08/626,758
• Time in Patent Office: 1,442 Days
• Field of Search: 180/68.1, 180/68.3, 180/68.2, 180/68.4
• US Class Current: 180/68.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 11/08 Air inlets for cooling; Shutters or blinds therefor radiator or grille guards B60R19/52
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 2001/005 Cooling engine rooms
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 5/02 Pumping cooling-air; Arrangements of cooling-air pumps, e.g. fans or blowers

Abstract

An engine compartment structure of a vehicle for introducing cool air into an air intake port without a baffle plate is provided. The structure is constructed such that an air intake port is located behind a first headlamp in the engine compartment, the opening of the air intake port is directed toward the front of the compartment, and the rotational direction of cooling fans for the radiator is determined such that the air discharged by the one or more radiator cooling fans is directed away from the location of the intake air port of the engine, and towards a side behind a second headlamp which is opposite to the first headlamp in the engine compartment.

Claims

1. An engine compartment structure having a front side, a rear side, an air intake side and an air discharge side, wherein an air intake port of an air intake passage of an engine, separate from a grille, is located behind a first headlamp in the engine compartment, an opening of the air intake port is directed toward the front side of the engine compartment, and a rotational direction of one or more radiator cooling fans is determined such that air discharged by the one or more radiator cooling fans is directed away from the location of the air intake port and into contact with a portion of the air discharge side located behind a second headlamp which is opposite to the first headlamp in the engine compartment, wherein the engine compartment structure contains a radiator supported by a radiator support, and the air intake port is located at a position lower than the height of the radiator support.

2. An engine compartment structure according to claim 1, wherein the air intake port is located on a front comer of a left side of the engine compartment and the rotational direction of the one or more radiator cooling fans is clockwise when the air intake port and rotational direction are viewed from the rear side of the engine compartment structure.

3. An engine compartment structure according to claim 1, wherein the air intake port is located on a front comer of a right side of the engine compartment and the rotational direction of the one or more radiator cooling fans is counterclockwise when the air intake port and rotational direction are viewed from the rear side of the engine compartment structure.

4. An engine compartment structure according to claim 1, wherein heated air flowing through the one or more radiator cooling fans is not introduced into the air intake port.

5. An engine compartment structure according to claim 1, wherein the engine compartment structure contains no baffle plates.

12. An engine compartment structure of claim 1, further comprising one or more radiator cooling fans, wherein the radiator cooling fans are located closer to the front side of the engine compartment structure than the opening of the air intake port is located to the front side of the engine compartment structure.

13. An engine compartment structure according to claim 12, wherein the air intake port is located on a front comer of a left side of the engine compartment and the rotational direction of the one or more radiator cooling fans is clockwise when the air intake port and rotational direction are viewed from the rear side of the engine compartment structure.

14. An engine compartment structure according to claim 12, wherein the air intake port is located on a front comer of a right side of the engine compartment and the rotational direction of the one or more radiator cooling fans is counterclockwise when the air intake port and rotational direction are viewed from the rear side of the engine compartment structure.

15. An engine compartment structure according to claim 12, wherein heated air flowing through the one or more radiator cooling fans is not introduced into the air intake port.

16. An engine compartment structure according to claim 12, wherein the engine compartment structure contains no baffle plates.

6. An engine compartment structure having a front side, a rear side, an air intake side and an air discharge side, wherein an air intake port of an air intake passage of an engine, separate from a grille, is located behind a first headlamp in the engine compartment, an opening of the air intake port is directed toward the front side of the engine compartment, and a rotational direction of one or more radiator cooling fans is determined such that air discharged by the one or more radiator cooling fans is directed away from the location of the air intake port and into contact with a portion of the air discharge side located behind a second headlamp which is opposite to the first headlamp in the engine compartment, and further comprising a radiator support panel, wherein the radiator support panel is located closer to the front side of the engine compartment structure than the opening of the air intake port is located to the front side of the engine compartment structure.

7. An engine compartment structure according to claim 6, wherein the air intake port is located on a front comer of a left side of the engine compartment and the rotational direction of the one or more radiator cooling fans is clockwise when the air intake port and rotational direction are viewed from the rear side of the engine compartment structure.

8. An engine compartment structure according to claim 6, wherein the air intake port is located on a front comer of a right side of the engine compartment and the rotational direction of the one or more radiator cooling fans is counterclockwise when the air intake port and rotational direction are viewed from the rear side of the engine compartment structure.

9. An engine compartment structure according to claim 6, wherein heated air flowing through the one or more radiator cooling fans is not introduced into the air intake port.

10. An engine compartment structure according to claim 6, wherein the engine compartment structure contains no baffle plates.

11. An engine compartment structure according to claim 6, wherein the engine compartment structure contains a radiator supported by a radiator support, and the air intake port is located at a position lower than the height of the radiator support.