Swing-out coolers and cooling fans

• US 8,960,342 B2
• Filed: 03/11/2011
• Issued: 02/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Deere & Company
• Original Assignee: Deere & Company
• Inventors: Werner, Gregory K., Didelot, David R., Heine, Karl G., Montocchio, Denis J., Latham, David D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shriver, II, J. Allen
• Assistant Examiner(s): JOHNS, HILARY LYNN
• Application Number:
  US13/046,510
• Publication Number:
  US 20120211292A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,446 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 180/68.1
• CPC Class Codes: B23P 11/00 Connecting or disconnecting metal parts or objects by metal-working techniques not otherwise provided for connecting sheet metal or metal tubes, rods or profiles B21D39/00; riveting B21J; soldering, unsoldering, welding B23K; hand tools for connecting wire or strip B25B25/00; connecting metal parts by adhesives F16B11/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 11/04 Arrangement or mounting of radiators, radiator shutters, or radiator blinds B60K11/085 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 11/06 with air cooling
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2300/125 Heavy duty trucks
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2300/50 Tilting frame vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4935 Heat exchanger or boiler making

Abstract

A vehicle is provided having at least one swing-out cooling assembly. A method of assembling the at least one swing-out cooling assembly on the vehicle is further provided.

Claims

1. A vehicle including:

a chassis;

a plurality of ground-engaging members operably coupled to the chassis;

an engine supported by the chassis and cooperating with the plurality of ground-engaging members to move the vehicle; and

at least one cooling assembly positioned adjacent to the engine, the at least one cooling assembly including at least one cooling panel that is configured to receive a fluid and at least one fan that is configured to pivot outwardly relative to the at least one cooling panel about a first substantially vertical axis, the at least one cooling panel being configured to pivot outwardly relative to the engine about a second substantially vertical axis to expose the engine.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the at least one cooling panel is removably coupled to the at least one fan with a hand-operable coupler.

3. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the at least one cooling panel includes a first cooling panel and a second cooling panel, the first cooling panel being positioned adjacent to the at least one fan and the second cooling panel being positioned adjacent to the engine.

4. The vehicle of claim 3, wherein the first and second cooling panels are arranged in a parallel configuration such that the first cooling panel is intermediate the second cooling panel and the at least one fan.

5. The vehicle of claim 4, wherein the first and second cooling panels are arranged in a stacked configuration such that a top surface of the first cooling panel is directly adjacent a top surface of the second cooling panel, and the top surfaces of the first and second cooling panels define a generally continuous surface.

6. The vehicle of claim 3, wherein the first and second cooling panels pivot outwardly about the second substantially vertical axis.

7. The vehicle of claim 3, wherein the first cooling panel is releasably coupled to the second cooling panel with a hand-operable coupler, the first cooling panel being configured to pivot away from the second cooling panel to expose an outer surface of the second cooling panel.

8. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the vehicle is a dump truck.

9. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the fan being is configured to pivot in an outward direction relative to the at least one cooling panel, and the at least one cooling panel is configured to pivot in the outward direction of the fan.

10. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the first substantially vertical axis is spaced apart from the second substantially vertical axis.

11. A vehicle including:

a chassis;

a plurality of ground-engaging members operably coupled to the chassis;

an engine compartment coupled to the chassis and housing an engine; and

at least one cooling assembly coupled to the engine compartment, the cooling assembly including an air propelling member, a first cooler; and

a second cooler, the first and second cooler configured to receive a fluid, the second cooler being intermediate the first cooler and the engine, the air propelling member being pivotable from a closed position to an open position about a substantially vertical axis, the first cooler being pivotable from a closed position to an open position about a substantially vertical axis, and the second cooler being pivotable from a closed position to an open position about a substantially vertical axis, the first cooler being intermediate the second cooler and the air propelling member when in the closed position, the air propelling member configured to pivot relative to the first cooler.

12. The vehicle of claim 11, wherein the first cooler is configured to pivot relative to the second cooler and the air propelling member, and the second cooler is configured to pivot relative to the engine and the first cooler.

13. The vehicle of claim 11, wherein the air propelling member is parallel to the first and second coolers and the first cooler is parallel to the second cooler.

14. The vehicle of claim 11, wherein the air propelling member pivots away from the first cooler about a first substantially vertical axis and the first cooler pivots away from the second cooler about a second substantially vertical axis that is spaced apart from the first substantially vertical axis.

15. The vehicle of claim 11, wherein the air propelling member pivots up to 45 degrees between the closed position and the open position.

16. The vehicle of claim 11, wherein the first and second coolers each pivot up to 20 degrees between the closed position and the open position.

17. The vehicle of claim 11, further comprising a first hand-operable coupler configured to removably couple the air propelling member with the first cooler and a second hand-operable coupler configured to removably couple the first cooler with the second cooler.

18. The vehicle of claim 11, wherein the substantially vertical axes of the first cooler and second cooler are coincident.

19. A vehicle including:

a chassis;

a plurality of ground-engaging members operably coupled to the chassis;

an engine compartment coupled to the chassis and housing an engine; and

at least one cooling assembly coupled to the engine compartment, the cooling assembly including;

an air propelling member configured to draw a flow of air toward the engine compartment, the air propelling member pivotable from a closed position to an open position about a first axis;

a first cooler having an inner side and an outer side, the outer side being adjacent the air propelling member in a direction of the flow of air, the first cooler pivotable from a closed position to an open position about a second axis; and

a second cooler having an inner side adjacent the engine compartment and an outer side adjacent the inner side of the first cooler in the direction of the flow of air, the second cooler being pivotable from a closed position to an open position about a third axis, the first axis, the second axis and the third axis substantially parallel.

20. The vehicle of claim 19, wherein the air propelling member is parallel to the first and second coolers, and the first cooler is parallel to the second cooler.

21. The vehicle of claim 19, wherein the first axis comprises a first substantially vertical axis and the second axis comprises a second substantially vertical axis, the air propelling member pivots away from the first cooler about the first substantially vertical axis and the first cooler pivots away from the second cooler about the second substantially vertical axis that is spaced apart from the first substantially vertical axis.

22. The vehicle of claim 19, further comprising a first hand-operable coupler configured to removably couple the air propelling member with the first cooler and a second hand-operable coupler configured to removably couple the first cooler with the second cooler.

23. The vehicle of claim 19, wherein the first axis of the air propelling member is spaced apart from the second and third axes.

24. The vehicle of claim 19, wherein the second and third axes are coincident.