Air conducting apparatus for outgoing air guidance

• US 9,827,844 B2
• Filed: 07/01/2015
• Issued: 11/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dr Ing hc F Porsche AG (Volkswagen AG)
• Original Assignee: Dr Ing hc F Porsche AG (Volkswagen AG)
• Inventors: Schneider, Klaus
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan, Hau V
• Assistant Examiner(s): CLEMMONS, STEVE M
• Application Number:
  US14/788,849
• Publication Number:
  US 20160009170A1
• Time in Patent Office: 881 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 11/04 Arrangement or mounting of radiators, radiator shutters, or radiator blinds B60K11/085 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 11/08 Air inlets for cooling; Shutters or blinds therefor radiator or grille guards B60R19/52
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2304/05 Reducing production costs, e.g. by redesign
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 11/10 Guiding or ducting cooling-air, to, or from, liquid-to-air heat exchangers
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 2050/22 Motor-cars

Abstract

A mid-mounted radiator in a motor vehicle has at least one outgoing air guide attached laterally on the left and right of the radiator. In vehicles with a relatively low cooling requirement, the lateral outgoing air guides are removed and the openings are closed by a cover.

Claims

1. An air conducting apparatus for guiding outgoing air from a radiator of a motor vehicle, the radiator having a rear side, the air conducting apparatus comprising:

a radiator frame substantially surrounding and holding the radiator, the radiator frame being formed with a rear wall opposed to and spaced rearward of the rear side of the radiator and opposite side walls extending between the rear wall and the radiator to define a central outgoing air guide between the rear wall of the radiator frame and the rear side of the radiator, and outgoing air openings communicating with the central outgoing air guide, the outgoing air openings including a lower air outlet opening aligned for directing at least part of air passing through the radiator down toward a roadway surface and opposite side air outlet openings in the side walls of the frame; and

a plurality of air flow control members, the air flow control members comprising;

downwardly oriented air conducting elements configured for mounting respectively to the side walls of the radiator frame, the downwardly oriented air conducting elements having inlets communicating with the opposite side air openings of the radiator frame and outlets that open down;

laterally oriented air conducting elements configured for mounting respectively to the side walls of the radiator frame, the laterally oriented air conducting elements having inlets communicating with the opposite side air openings of the radiator frame and outlets that open laterally of the radiator frame and in a side region of the motor vehicle; and

covers configured for covering the opposite side air outlet openings of the radiator frame, wherein

selected ones of the downwardly oriented air conducting elements, the laterally oriented air conducting elements and the covers are mounted to the radiator frame in accordance with radiator cooling requirements.

2. The air conducting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the downwardly oriented air conducting elements are funnel-shaped and have downwardly oriented widened air outlets directed toward air openings in a front part of the vehicle.

3. The air conducting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the central outgoing air guide is of triangular cross section and the lower air outlet opening is between the radiator and the rear wall of the radiator frame.

4. The air conducting apparatus of claim 3, wherein the lower air outlet opening formed in the radiator frame is directed toward air openings in a front part of the vehicle.

5. The air conducting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the laterally oriented air conducting elements are elongate outgoing air ducts oriented in the vehicle to run approximately horizontally and transversely at positions aligned with a lower part of the central outgoing air guide, and the outlet of each of the air ducts communicating with an orifice opening in a side region of a front part of the vehicle.

6. The air conducting apparatus of claim 5, wherein the orifice openings in the side region of the front part of the vehicle are arranged in a region of high flow velocity and a corresponding negative pressure.

7. The air conducting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the air conducting elements or the covers are clipped to the radiator frame.

8. The air conducting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the radiator frame further comprises clip receptacles for receiving upper and lower pins or tube parts of the radiator and positioning the radiator in the radiator frame.

9. The air conducting apparatus of claim 1, further comprising seals on an underside of the radiator frame in a region of the frame side walls, the seals adjoining a seal on a transverse sealing strip.

10. An air conducting apparatus for guiding outgoing air from a radiator of a motor vehicle that has a front part with a bottom wall facing a roadway surface and opposite side regions extending up from the bottom wall, the radiator being above the bottom wall of the front part of the vehicle and between the side regions thereof, the radiator having a rear side, the air conducting apparatus comprising:

a radiator frame substantially surrounding and holding the radiator, the radiator frame being formed with a rear wall opposed to and spaced rearward of the rear side of the radiator and opposite side walls extending between the rear wall and the radiator to define a central outgoing air guide between the rear wall of the radiator frame and the rear side of the radiator, and outgoing air openings communicating with the central outgoing air guide, the outgoing air openings including a lower air outlet opening aligned for directing at least part of air passing through the radiator down through at least one central opening in the bottom wall of the front part and toward the roadway surface and opposite side air outlet openings in the side walls of the frame; and

a plurality of air flow control members, the air flow control members comprising;

downwardly oriented air conducting elements configured for mounting respectively to the side walls of the radiator frame, the downwardly oriented air conducting elements having inlets communicating with the opposite side air openings of the radiator frame and outlets that communicate with lateral openings in the bottom wall of the front part of the vehicle;

laterally oriented air conducting elements configured for mounting respectively to the side walls of the radiator frame, the laterally oriented air conducting elements having inlets communicating with the opposite side air openings of the radiator frame and outlets that communicate with lateral openings in the side regions of the front part; and

covers configured for covering the opposite side air outlet openings of the radiator frame, wherein

selected ones of the downwardly oriented air conducting elements, the laterally oriented air conducting elements and the covers are mounted to the radiator frame in accordance with radiator cooling requirements.

11. The air conducting apparatus of claim 10, wherein the laterally oriented air conducting elements are elongate outgoing air ducts oriented in the vehicle to run approximately horizontally and transversely at positions aligned with a lower part of the central outgoing air guide, and the outlet of each of the air ducts communicating with an orifice opening in a side region of a front part of the vehicle.