Fan shroud assembly

• US 9,303,530 B2
• Filed: 01/13/2014
• Issued: 04/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Albert, John M., Alexander, Joseph H., Hoang, Sebastian Dinh
• Primary Examiner(s): Low, Lindsay
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, Long T
• Application Number:
  US14/153,467
• Publication Number:
  US 20150198066A1
• Time in Patent Office: 813 Days
• Field of Search: 123/41.01, 123/41.21, 123/41.49, 123/41.63, 123/41.65, 415/119, 415/213.1, 415/173.3, 415/214.1, 415/201, 415/208.1, 415/173.7
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 25/24 Casings modified for heating or cooling F01D25/14; Casing parts, e.g. diaphragms, casing fastenings casings for rotary machines or engines in general F16M ; special arrangements in stators dealing with breaking-off of part of rotor F01D21/045
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 5/06 Guiding or ducting air to, or from, ducted fans

Abstract

A fan shroud assembly includes a first fan shroud and a second fan shroud. The first fan shroud includes a first segment, a second segment, and a flexible, gas impermeable seal interconnecting the first and second segments. The first segment includes an annular body. The flexible, gas impermeable seal is coupled to the first segment. The second segment includes a circumferential connecting wall and a flange extending from the circumferential connecting wall. The second fan shroud is coupled to the second segment.

Claims

1. A condenser, radiator, and fan module (CRFM), comprising:

a first fan shroud including a first segment, a second segment, and a flexible, gas impermeable seal interconnecting the first and second segments, wherein the first segment includes an annular body, the annular body defines a first circumferential edge and a second circumferential edge, the flexible, gas impermeable seal is coupled to the first segment along an entirety of the second circumferential edge of the annular body, the second segment includes a circumferential connecting wall and a flange extending from the circumferential connecting wall, the circumferential connecting wall includes a first circumferential edge and a second circumferential edge, the flexible, gas impermeable seal is coupled to the second segment along an entirety of the first circumferential edge of the circumferential connecting wall, and the flange is coupled to the circumferential connecting wall along an entirety of the second circumferential edge of the circumferential connecting wall;

a second fan shroud coupled to the second segment, wherein the second fan shroud includes a shroud body and a circumferential support wall extending from the shroud body, the flange is disposed on the shroud body, and the circumferential connecting wall is disposed on the circumferential support wall such that the circumferential connecting wall surrounds the circumferential support wall;

a fan disposed within the annular body; and

a radiator coupled to the second fan shroud.

2. The CRFM of claim 1, wherein the flexible, gas impermeable seal is molded with the first and second segments.

3. The CRFM of claim 1, wherein the first segment is configured to be coupled to an engine.

4. The CRFM of claim 3, wherein the flexible, gas impermeable seal has an undulated shape when the first segment is coupled to the engine and the second fan shroud is coupled to the radiator.

5. The CRFM of claim 4, further comprising a radiator support structure, wherein the second fan shroud is coupled to the radiator via the radiator support structure.

6. The CRFM of claim 1, wherein the annular body completely surrounds the fan.

7. The CRFM of claim 1, wherein the flexible, gas impermeable seal is a baffle.

8. The CRFM of claim 1, wherein the flexible, gas impermeable seal is integrally coupled to the first segment and the second segment so as to form a one-piece structure.

9. The CRFM of claim 1, wherein the first segment is made of a first material, the second segment is made of a second material, and the first material has the same stiffness as the second material.

10. The CRFM of claim 9, wherein the flexible, gas impermeable seal is made of a third material, and a stiffness of the first and second materials is greater than a stiffness of the third material.

11. The CRFM of claim 1, wherein the flexible, gas impermeable seal 122 has an S-shape.

12. The CRFM of claim 1, wherein the fan includes a central ring and a plurality of blades coupled to the central ring, the central ring surrounds a rotation axis, and the blades are rotatable about the rotation axis.

13. A condenser, radiator, and fan module (CRFM), comprising:

a first fan shroud including a first segment, a second segment, and a flexible, gas impermeable seal interconnecting the first and second segments, the first segment including an annular body, wherein the second segment includes a circumferential connecting wall and a flange extending from the circumferential connecting wall;

a second fan shroud coupled to the second segment, wherein the flexible, gas impermeable seal is integrally coupled to the first segment and the second segment so as to form a one-piece structure, the second fan shroud includes a shroud body and a circumferential support wall extending from the shroud body, the flange is disposed on the shroud body, and the circumferential connecting wall is disposed on the circumferential support wall such that the circumferential connecting wall surrounds the circumferential support wall;

a fan disposed within the annular body; and

a radiator coupled to the second fan shroud.

14. The CRFM of claim 13, wherein the first segment is made of a first material, the second segment is made of a second material, and the flexible, gas impermeable seal is made of a third material, and the third material has a stiffness that is less than the stiffness of the first material and the second material.

15. The CRFM of claim 14, wherein the stiffness of the first material is the same as the stiffness of the second material.