Cooling module with air dams

• US 6,832,644 B2
• Filed: 09/20/2001
• Issued: 12/21/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Hunt, Alexander Graham, Stauder, Frank A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ford, John K.
• Application Number:
  US09/956,658
• Publication Number:
  US 20030019606A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,188 Days
• Field of Search: 165/41, 165/51, 165/121, 165/122, 165/286, 123/41.04, 123/41.49, 180/68.1, 180/68.4, 415/146
• US Class Current: 165/41
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 11/10 Guiding or ducting cooling-air, to, or from, liquid-to-air heat exchangers
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 5/02 Pumping cooling-air; Arrangements of cooling-air pumps, e.g. fans or blowers
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 7/10 by throttling amount of air flowing through liquid-to-air heat exchangers
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/582 specially adapted for elastic fluid pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 1/0435 Combination of units extending one behind the other F28D1/0452 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 9/002 with fastening means for other structures

Abstract

An engine cooling module 10 which includes a shroud 12, a heat exchanger 18, a fan 14, a motor 13 for driving fan 14, and a plurality of air dams 1. Shroud 12, circumscribing the fan, has a main opening to allow air to pass through the fan to or from a heat exchanger 18. Fan 14 is associated with the shroud 12 to be adjacent to the fan opening to permit air moved by the fan to pass through the heat exchanger. Air dams 1 allow air to flow more easily in one direction than the opposite direction. In the fan flow direction, air dams 1 provide relatively little resistance to the flow. In the direction opposite to fan flow direction, air dams 1 provide more resistance than as compared to the resistance when air flows in the fan flow direction. Under ram air conditions (e.g., when the vehicle is moving), the use of air dams can reduce the load on the fan'"'"'s motor by cooling properties of ram air, while reducing recirculation, thereby increasing efficiency.

Claims

1. A cooling module comprising:

a shroud having at least one fan opening in a wall thereof to permit air to pass though the shroud;

a heat exchanger associated with the shroud;

at least one fan to permit air moved by the fan to pass through the heat exchanger in a certain direction;

a drive device to drive the fan; and

a plurality of air dams constructed and arranged to allow air to flow more freely through the cooling module in the certain direction than in a direction opposite the certain direction,

wherein the air dams are shaped to have a flow deflecting surface and a flow impeding surface opposite the flow deflecting surface,

wherein the air dams are arranged in at least two-axially staggered rows with a first row of air dams provided along a first axis so as to define a space between adjacent air dams and, a second row of air dams is disposed on a second axis spaced from the first axis, with the flow deflecting surface of each air dam of the second row being oriented in the same direction as the flow deflecting surfaces of the first row of air dams and each flow deflecting surface of the second row of air dams being disposed to generally obstruct said space.

2. The cooling module of claim 1, wherein the air dams are integrally molded with the shroud.

3. The cooling module of claim 2, wherein the air dams are biased in a relatively open position.

4. The cooling module of claim 1, wherein the air dams are made of a semi-flexible material.

5. The cooling module of claim 1, wherein the plurality of air dams are disposed adjacent to the shroud.

6. The cooling module of claim 1, wherein the plurality of air dams are disposed adjacent to the heat exchanger.

7. The cooling module of claim 1, wherein the drive device is a motor.

8. The cooling module of claim 1, further comprising a support plate between an air dam of the first row and an air dam of the second row.