Vehicle with fan unit producing an amplified air flow to a heat exchanger

• US 8,919,300 B2
• Filed: 12/11/2012
• Issued: 12/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Audi AG (Volkswagen AG)
• Original Assignee: Audi AG (Volkswagen AG)
• Inventors: Klinkert, Carsten, Schwartze, Sebastian, Main, Eduard, Karmann, Siegfried
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Hung Q
• Application Number:
  US13/710,939
• Publication Number:
  US 20130146001A1
• Time in Patent Office: 749 Days
• Field of Search: 123/41.56, 123/41.58, 123/41.62, 123/41.7, 123/195.R, 123/195.C, 123/198.E, 123/41.63, 123/41.65, 180 681- 684, 180/68.6, 165/44, 293/115
• US Class Current: 123/41.58
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00021 Air flow details of HVAC devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 11/08 Air inlets for cooling; Shutters or blinds therefor radiator or grille guards B60R19/52
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 5/02 Pumping cooling-air; Arrangements of cooling-air pumps, e.g. fans or blowers
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 25/08 the working fluid being air, e.g. for ventilation
• CPC Class Codes: F04F 5/16 displacing elastic fluids

Abstract

A vehicle includes a heat exchanger which is disposed in a cooling system, and a fan unit which forms part of a radiator grille and is constructed to generate an air flow through the heat exchanger. The fan unit has at least one fan which is constructed to generate a primary air flow, and a ring element which is constructed to generate from the primary air flow an amplified secondary air flow to the heat exchanger.

Claims

1. A vehicle, comprising:

a heat exchanger disposed in a cooling system; and

a fan unit arranged in front of the heat exchanger as viewed in a first direction, said fan unit forming part of a radiator grille and constructed to generate an air flow through the heat exchanger, said fan unit having at least one fan constructed to generate a primary air flow, a ring element which is constructed to provide exit of the primary air flow and to generate from the primary air flow an amplified secondary air flow to the heat exchanger, and which has opposite sides spaced from one another in a second direction which is transverse to the first direction, and a blower arranged on one of the sides of the ring element for providing an intake of air in the second direction into the ring element.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the ring element has a hollow configuration formed on an inside with a circumferential gap via which the primary air flow exits the ring element in direction of the heat exchanger.

3. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the ring element forms at least in part a frame of the radiator grille.

4. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the fan unit includes a plurality of said fan.

5. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the ring element has a wing profile.

6. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the fan unit is positioned in front of the heat exchanger, as viewed in a travel direction.

7. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising an internal combustion engine, said heat exchanger being arranged between the fan unit and the internal combustion engine, as viewed in travel direction.

8. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the fan unit further comprises another blower arranged on an opposite side of the ring element as considered in the second direction and also providing an intake of air into the ring element.

9. In combination,

a radiator grille;

and

a fan unit forming part of the radiator grille and being arranged in front of a heat exchanger disposed in a cooling system of a vehicle, as viewed in a first direction, said fan unit including at least one fan constructed to generate a primary air flow, a ring element which is constructed to provide exit of the primary air flow and to generate from the primary air flow an amplified secondary air flow to the heat exchanger disposed in the cooling system of the vehicle, and which ring element has opposite sides spaced from one another in a second direction which is transverse to the first direction, and a blower arranged on one of the sides of the ring element for providing an intake of air in the second direction into the ring element.

10. The combination of claim 9, wherein the ring element has a hollow configuration formed on an inside with a circumferential gap via which the primary air flow exits the ring element in direction of the heat exchanger.

11. The combination of claim 9, wherein the ring element forms at least in part a frame of the radiator grille.

12. The combination of claim 9, wherein the ring element has a wing profile.

13. The combination of claim 9, wherein the fan unit further comprises another blower arranged on an opposite side of the ring element as considered in the second direction and also providing an intake of air into the ring element.