Cooling conduit arrangement for hybrid vehicle with two radiators

• US 8,020,656 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2009
• Issued: 09/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Inoue, Yukari, Kiduka, Sachio
• Primary Examiner(s): Shriver, II; J. Allen
• Assistant Examiner(s): MEYER, JACOB B
• Application Number:
  US13/003,093
• Publication Number:
  US 20110114402A1
• Time in Patent Office: 812 Days
• Field of Search: 180/68.4, 180/65.21, 180/65.22, 180/232, 180/274, 280/784, 296/35.2, 296/187.03, 296/187.04, 296/193.09, 296/203.2
• US Class Current: 180/68.4
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 11/04 Arrangement or mounting of radiators, radiator shutters, or radiator blinds B60K11/085 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2001/003 with means for cooling the electrical propulsion units
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/40 characterised by the assembly or relative disposition of components
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/48 Parallel type
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles

Abstract

An inflow conduit through which coolant flows into a hybrid radiator that is arranged in front of an engine radiator is arranged on an upper portion of a bumper reinforcement and attached to the front of the hybrid radiator. As a result, damage to the inflow conduit can be inhibited and the coolant can be cooled by running air before it is cooled in the hybrid radiator.

Claims

1. A hybrid vehicle comprising:

an internal combustion engine;

an electric motor;

an inverter that drives the electric motor;

a compartment portion that houses the internal combustion engine, the electric motor, and the inverter in a front portion of the vehicle;

an internal combustion engine radiator which is arranged near the front-most portion of the compartment portion and in substantially a center in the vehicle width direction, and which performs heat exchange between coolant that cools the internal combustion engine and outside air;

an internal combustion engine radiator conduit through which the coolant that cools the internal combustion engine flows and which is arranged behind the internal combustion engine radiator, the internal combustion engine radiator conduit being attached to the internal combustion engine radiator;

a bumper that is arranged at the front side of the vehicle;

a reinforcement which is mounted to front ends of left and right side members that are disposed at left and right sides of the vehicle and are able to absorb energy from force applied from ahead, wherein the reinforcement has a structure which is capable of dispersing the force applied from ahead of the vehicle and transferring the force applied from ahead of the vehicle, to the left and right side members, and which extends in the vehicle width direction behind the bumper;

an electric motor radiator which is arranged behind the reinforcement and in front of the internal combustion engine radiator in the vehicle, and which performs heat exchange between coolant that cools the electric motor and the inverter, and outside air; and

an electric motor radiator conduit through which the coolant that has circulated through the electric motor and the inverter flows and which is arranged above the reinforcement and in front of the electric motor radiator, the electric motor radiator conduit being attached to the electric motor radiator.

2. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

the electric motor radiator conduit is a conduit through which the coolant flows into the electric motor radiator.

3. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the bumper includes an absorption member that absorbs energy during a collision, and the absorption member is disposed in the hybrid vehicle at a position that corresponds to the reinforcement member in a height direction of the hybrid vehicle.

4. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the electric motor radiator conduit is attached to the reinforcement so as to extend in a width direction of the vehicle and the electric motor radiator conduit is configured to move together with the reinforcement in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle.

5. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the electric motor radiator conduit is made of resin.