Hood with integral air duct

• US 7,370,718 B2
• Filed: 03/28/2005
• Issued: 05/13/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Deere & Company
• Original Assignee: Deere & Company
• Inventors: Jaramillo, Jennifer Lynn, Witwer, Jeffrey David, Tesch, Roger Howard, Hall, Stanley Kermit, Bocksnick, John Louis
• Primary Examiner(s): Ellis; Christopher P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): COOLMAN, VAUGHN
• Application Number:
  US11/091,458
• Publication Number:
  US 20060213708A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,142 Days
• Field of Search: 180 681- 684, 180/68.6, 180/69.2, 180/69.21, 180/69.24, 180/69.25
• US Class Current: 180/69.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/223 Ridable lawn mowers
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 11/10 Guiding or ducting cooling-air, to, or from, liquid-to-air heat exchangers
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 2003/187 arranged in series
• 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 7/10 by throttling amount of air flowing through liquid-to-air heat exchangers

Abstract

A hood covers an internal combustion engine on the rear of a grass mowing machine. The hood has a top surface with a plurality of air intake openings recessed below the top surface, and an integral air duct. The integral air duct extends over the engine between the air intake openings and an air inlet side of the radiator and/or oil cooler adjacent the rear of the grass mowing machine. The air intake openings closest to the air inlet side of the radiator and/or oil cooler are dimensioned to limit the air intake velocity and prevent buildup of debris on screens or grilles over the openings.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a plastic hood covering an internal combustion engine having a radiator with an air inlet side facing the rear of a grass mowing machine;

the plastic hood having a top surface with a plurality of air intake openings recessed below the top surface;

an air duct integral with the plastic hood under the air intake openings and extending horizontally over the engine between the top surface of the hood and an internal baffle separating the air duct from the engine, and around the rear of the crass mowing machine to the air inlet side of the radiator;

wherein the air intake openings closest to the air inlet side of the radiator are dimensioned to limit the air intake velocity therethrough.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the plastic hood includes a left side surface and a right side surface, each side surface having a plurality of air intake openings.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the air intake openings in the side surfaces that are closest to the air inlet side of the radiator are dimensioned to limit the air intake velocity therethrough.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the plastic hood has a rounded top surface.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the plastic hood is hinged to the rear of the grass mowing machine.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the plastic hood is rotational molded.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of screens over the air intake openings.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the air intake openings closest to the rear of the grass mowing machine are smaller in area than the air intake openings closest to the front of the grass mowing machine.