Air Impeller Patents (Class 123/41.11)
  • Publication number: 20110209676
    Abstract: A fan drive system is provided that is hydraulically controlled having an electrical failure mode wherein midrange operation of the fan drive system is maintained. Accordingly, in the failure mode, a fan drive system hydraulic relief valve is not closed thereby ensuring a degree of operation of the fan drive system even during periods of electrical failure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 23, 2009
    Publication date: September 1, 2011
    Applicant: BorgWarnmer Inc.
    Inventors: Theodore A. Malott, JR., Joshua L. Roby
  • Publication number: 20110203538
    Abstract: A method of controlling a fan for cooling a condenser in an air conditioning system is provided. A compressor serves to drive a refrigerant around a fluid circuit which includes the condenser. The duty cycle of the compressor is measured over a period of time to determine a utilisation ratio which reflects the demand on the air conditioning system at that time. The fan is driven at a speed which is no lower than a minimum fan speed which is associated with the calculated utilisation ratio and ambient temperature. Therefore, the demand on the system is determined and exploited without any additional pressure sensors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2009
    Publication date: August 25, 2011
    Applicant: AGCO SA
    Inventor: Gabriel Menier
  • Publication number: 20110203539
    Abstract: A hydraulically controlled fan drive system is provided including a housing containing a hydraulic fluid, a pulley connected to the housing a fan shaft rotatably mounted to the housing by a hydraulically actuated clutch, a piston mounted within a piston housing for actuating the clutch, a pitot tube for delivering pressurized hydraulic fluid from the housing to the piston housing, a valve for controlling the fluid pressure within the piston housing, a shaft rotationally supporting the housing having passages extending through the pulley, a base connected with the shaft connecting the shaft with a structure, the base having coolant inlet and outlet, and an oil cooler connected with the base on a side of said base generally axially opposite of the pulley.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 28, 2009
    Publication date: August 25, 2011
    Applicant: BrogWarner Inc.
    Inventors: Dale M. Pickelman, JR., Theodore A. Malott, Christopher D. Reniger
  • Publication number: 20110132292
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for reducing aerodynamic drag on a moving vehicle. One example method comprises, during a first vehicle moving condition, operating the cooling fan, and during a second vehicle moving condition, selectively applying a braking torque on the fan.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 23, 2010
    Publication date: June 9, 2011
    Applicant: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: William Samuel Schwartz, Allan Roy Gale, Dinakara Karanth, Steven James Parks, Garrett O'Donohue
  • Patent number: 7938214
    Abstract: A vehicle motor system includes a motor that receives cooling fluid flow from two different cooling sources. A control, such as a valve, selectively changes the cooling flow between the two cooling sources in response to an operational state of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2011
    Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation
    Inventor: Robert Telakowski
  • Patent number: 7918193
    Abstract: A cooling device for a vehicle is provided at a vehicle comprising an engine control unit which stops an engine due to establishment of engine stoppage conditions and restarts the engine due to establishment of engine restart conditions. The cooling device for a vehicle is able to cool a coolant within a heat exchanger for cooling by cooling wind, which is guided from an exterior of the vehicle, passing through the heat exchanger for cooling. Cooling by driving force of either one of an electric motor or the engine can be selected in accordance with preset conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2011
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Toshihiko Kojima
  • Patent number: 7918194
    Abstract: A cooling device for a vehicle is provided at a vehicle comprising an engine control unit which stops an engine due to establishment of engine stoppage conditions and restarts the engine due to establishment of engine restart conditions. The cooling device for a vehicle is able to cool a coolant within a heat exchanger for cooling by cooling wind, which is guided from an exterior of the vehicle, passing through the heat exchanger for cooling. Cooling by driving force of either one of an electric motor or the engine can be selected in accordance with preset conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2011
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Toshihiko Kojima
  • Publication number: 20100326376
    Abstract: Method for control of cooling by means of an air flow configuration of a motor vehicle's cooling fan (1) whereby at least one cooling device (2;2?,2?), e.g. a radiator (2) for radiator liquid and a cooler (2?) for charge air for the engine, is/are aircooled by an air flow generated by inter alia the fan, comprising the step of determining air flow configuration by the fan's degree of protrusion (a) from a fan ring (4) running in the circumferential direction of the fan, preferably in air flow communication with a fan cowling (3). Optimizing the air flow configuration in manner controlled according to need by the degree of protrusion (a) by relocation of a movable portion (6) of the fan ring (4) in the axial direction (1?) of the fan (1). The invention relates also to a device that performs the method and to an engine with the elements described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 22, 2009
    Publication date: December 30, 2010
    Inventor: Rolf Dybdal
  • Patent number: 7856951
    Abstract: An invention relating to a control apparatus and a control method for a hydraulically driven cooling fan for reducing the peak pressure produced upon reversing the switch position of a switching valve, without stopping an engine, and without greatly modifying existing hydraulic circuitry or increasing the apparatus cost. In the invention, in the case that a reversing switch has been operated so as to output a reversal processing commencement instruction signal, control is carried out such that, under the condition that the rotational speed of the engine has decreased to not more than a stipulated rotational speed, capacity adjusting means is controlled, so as to reduce the capacity of a hydraulic pump, and thus reduce the fan rotational speed, and then the switch position of the switching valve is reversed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2010
    Assignee: Komatsu, Ltd.
    Inventors: Mitsuhiko Kamado, Shigeru Yamamoto, Tomohiro Nakagawa
  • Patent number: 7819094
    Abstract: The invention relates to a fan system for a controllably cooling a vehicle internal combustion engine comprising an electric fan motor and a control unit for controlling said fan motor, wherein said control unit controls the fan motor according to a regulation correcting variable dependent on a desired cooling power, the control unit is constructed in such a way that it controls the fan motor independently of the desired cooling power at a determined moment with a regulation-correcting variable increased with respect to a correcting variable for a predetermined space of time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2010
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Norbert Knab, Richard Vogt, Nikolas Haberl
  • Publication number: 20100107996
    Abstract: A work vehicle is provided with an engine, a traveling device driven by driving force from the engine to cause the work vehicle to travel, a first hydraulic pump driven by the driving force from the engine to discharge hydraulic oil, and a cooling device having a cooling fan driven by the hydraulic oil supplied by the first hydraulic pump to cool the engine, and a control unit. The control unit performs a normal cooling control in which an upper limit fan speed is determined based on an engine speed, and a cooling suppression control in which the upper limit fan speed determined based on the engine speed is suppressed to be less than the upper limit fan speed during the normal cooling control when a predetermined operation required to increase the engine speed is performed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 19, 2008
    Publication date: May 6, 2010
    Applicant: KOMATSU LTD.
    Inventors: Satoru Shintani, Shigeru Yamamoto, Kazuyuki Suzuki, Takeshi Takaura, Tomohiro Nakagawa
  • Patent number: 7669557
    Abstract: A cooling device for a vehicle is provided at a vehicle comprising an engine control unit which stops an engine due to establishment of engine stoppage conditions and restarts the engine due to establishment of engine restart conditions. The cooling device for a vehicle is able to cool a coolant within a heat exchanger for cooling by cooling wind, which is guided from an exterior of the vehicle, passing through the heat exchanger for cooling. Cooling by driving force of either one of an electric motor or the engine can be selected in accordance with preset conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2010
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Toshihiko Kojima
  • Publication number: 20090266313
    Abstract: The invention relates to a fan system for a controllably cooling a vehicle internal combustion engine comprising an electric fan motor and a control unit for controlling said fan motor, wherein said control unit controls the fan motor according to a regulation correcting variable dependent on a desired cooling power, the control unit is constructed in such a way that it controls the fan motor independently of the desired cooling power at a determined moment with a regulation-correcting variable increased with respect to a correcting variable for a predetermined space of time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 13, 2006
    Publication date: October 29, 2009
    Applicant: ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
    Inventors: Norbert Knab, Richard Vogt, Nikolas Haberl
  • Patent number: 7597070
    Abstract: A dual drive radiator fan and coolant pump system for a liquid-cooled reciprocating internal combustion engine includes a coolant pump with an impeller shaft driven by a first drive extending between the engine's crankshaft and a pump pulley and hub mounted upon the impeller shaft. A second drive extends between the crankshaft and a fan hub journaled upon the pump hub, so that the coolant pump and fan hub are driven independently.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2009
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: David R. Krolewski, Mike W. Drawe, Kathleen K. Drawe, legal representative
  • Patent number: 7584722
    Abstract: The invention relates to a vehicle engine system. The engine system includes an internal combustion engine, a cooler of a cooling circuit, an electric generator driven by the engine from a side of the engine which is other than that which faces the cooler, and a fan for moving air through the cooler, all disposed in an engine compartment. An electric motor is powered by the generator and mechanically drives the fan through an output shaft which is mechanically connected to the fan. The output shaft of the motor is disposed in the engine compartment near a mechanical power take-off of the engine. The mechanical power take-off includes a belt pulley connected to a free end of an engine crankshaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2009
    Assignee: Deere & Company
    Inventor: Joachim Sobotzik
  • Publication number: 20090188450
    Abstract: A cooling system for an internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle having a rotating member and using coolant in a liquid cooling system, is provided that comprises a radiator for dissipating the heat from the coolant, an electric pump for pumping the coolant through the cooling system, a mechanical pump operatively connected to the rotating member for pumping coolant through the cooling system, and a clutch for disengaging the second pump for minimizing the parasitic loss of the system and improving total fuel economy of the vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2009
    Publication date: July 30, 2009
    Inventors: Ronald F. Kline, Kevin J. Laboe, Antonio Vespa
  • Publication number: 20090165736
    Abstract: A cooling unit includes a motor, a driving shaft, a first fan, a second fan, and a fan shroud. The driving shaft extends from the motor and is disposed parallel to a core of a heat exchanger. The first fan is disposed to oppose the core for generating air for cooling the core. The first fan has a first rotation shaft connected to the driving shaft through a gear such that the first fan is rotated by the driving shaft. The fan shroud is configured to support the first fan and conduct the air from the core to the first fan. The second fan has a second rotation shaft disposed coaxial with the driving shaft and rotatable with the driving shaft. The second fan is rotated by the driving shaft when the first fan is rotated, thereby to supply the motor with air for cooling the motor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2008
    Publication date: July 2, 2009
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Takeuchi, Takuya Usami
  • Publication number: 20090164084
    Abstract: A method to operate a vehicle equipped with an electronic controlled internal combustion engine. The engine fan is used as a dynamic fan brake when the vehicle exceeds a minimum predetermined operating parameter for a predetermined period of time, and is disabled once the vehicle is operating within predetermined operating parameters.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2007
    Publication date: June 25, 2009
    Inventors: Jeffery S. Hawkins, Todd C. Slater, Charles C. Blake, Miguel Menoyo-Alonso, Darren P. Aherne, Matthew T. Baird
  • Publication number: 20090159020
    Abstract: Generally disclosed and claimed is an non-belt driven motor vehicle cooling fan having an interruptible driving force such as electrical or hydraulic driving force. More specifically disclosed is a vehicle cooling fan having an driving force interrupted when the vehicle enters water that may contact the fan.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2007
    Publication date: June 25, 2009
    Applicant: DEERE & COMPANY
    Inventors: Derek Scott Hall, Kevin Lee Pfohl, Jahmy Jomont Hindman
  • Publication number: 20090120386
    Abstract: An invention relating to a control apparatus and a control method for a hydraulically driven cooling fan for reducing the peak pressure produced upon reversing the switch position of a switching valve, without stopping an engine, and without greatly modifying existing hydraulic circuitry or increasing the apparatus cost. In the invention, in the case that a reversing switch has been operated so as to output a reversal processing commencement instruction signal, control is carried out such that, under the condition that the rotational speed of the engine has decreased to not more than a stipulated rotational speed, capacity adjusting means is controlled, so as to reduce the capacity of a hydraulic pump, and thus reduce the fan rotational speed, and then the switch position of the switching valve is reversed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 6, 2006
    Publication date: May 14, 2009
    Applicant: Komatsu, Ltd.
    Inventors: Mitsuhiko Kamado, Shigeru Yamamoto, Tomohiro Nakagawa
  • Patent number: 7507270
    Abstract: A working vehicle, such as an agricultural combine, includes a vehicle body and an internal combustion engine carried by the vehicle body. The internal combustion engine includes a heat exchanger. An air scoop has an inlet positioned near a top of the vehicle body and facing in an upward direction, and an outlet positioned in association with the heat exchanger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2009
    Assignee: Deere & Company
    Inventors: Brian Joseph Maas, Alan David Sheidler, Robert Vincent Shannon, Jr., Yong Ho Park, Mark Michael Chaney, Gary Stone Keys, II
  • Publication number: 20090064946
    Abstract: The invention relates to a fan drive device (1) for driving at least one fan impeller (2), comprising at least one first drivable coolable housing element (9, 10) with at least one output disc (13) which can be connected to the at least one drivable coolable housing element (9, 10) in such a way as to be capable of transmitting torque by fluid friction, wherein at least one fluid can be admitted to at least one torque-transmitting space, and the mass flow of said fluid can be regulated by means of a valve element (30), wherein the valve element (30) can be actuated by at least one actuator (26, 27), and at least a section of the actuator (26, 27) is arranged in at least one retaining element (33) for fastening to a motor unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 12, 2007
    Publication date: March 12, 2009
    Applicant: BEHR GMBH & CO. KG
    Inventors: Gerold Schultheiss, Rudolf Stoklossa, Roman Woiterski
  • Publication number: 20090007856
    Abstract: Along with a rotational speed sensor being fitted to the crank shaft of an engine, a rotational speed sensor is fitted to a cooling fan; and the energy consumption of the cooling fan is estimated by using a map based upon an engine rotational speed (a pulley rotational speed Np) and a fan rotational speed Nf which have been detected by these rotational speed sensors. By controlling the operation of the engine based upon the energy consumption of the cooling fan which has been estimated in this manner, it is possible to control the operation of the engine more appropriately.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 24, 2007
    Publication date: January 8, 2009
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hideto Minekawa
  • Publication number: 20080236981
    Abstract: Systems, methods and devices for the control of fans are presented. More specifically, embodiments of the present invention relate to a fan clutch control unit for a vehicle fan. The fan clutch control unit executes a control loop section and a strategy section to provide control functionality. The fan clutch control unit may be provided as a pre-packaged control board or integrated into a fan clutch.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2008
    Publication date: October 2, 2008
    Inventors: Jason Powers, Thomas Deuter
  • Publication number: 20080202453
    Abstract: The invention relates to an electronic module (2) for a fan or a cooling air blower of an internal combustion engine in a motor vehicle. According to the invention, the electronic module (2) comprises at least one deformable element (12, 28, 68), which when deformed can engage with part (4) of the fan or the motor vehicle in a detachable manner.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 16, 2006
    Publication date: August 28, 2008
    Applicant: ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
    Inventors: Andreas Ewert, Jens Ulrich, Markus Liedel, Ursula Linnenschmidt
  • Patent number: 7415945
    Abstract: A method of controlling a fluid actuated fan drive system (12) for an engine (14) includes determining an engine speed. The speed of a fluid actuated engine-cooling fan (16) is limited when the engine speed is greater than or equal to an engine over-speed level. The fluid controlled fan drive system (12) includes a sensor (31) that generates an engine speed signal. The system (12) also includes the fluid actuated engine-cooling fan (16) and an engagement circuit (36) that is coupled thereto. A controller (28) is coupled to the sensor (31) and the engagement circuit (36) and limits operating speed of the engine-cooling fan (16) to less than a predetermined level when the engine speed signal is indicative of an engine over-speed condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2008
    Inventor: Michael D. Tuttle
  • Publication number: 20080121195
    Abstract: The invention relates to a vehicle engine system. The engine system includes an internal combustion engine, a cooler of a cooling circuit, an electric generator driven by the engine from a side of the engine which is other than that which faces the cooler, and a fan for moving air through the cooler, all disposed in an engine compartment. An electric motor is powered by the generator and mechanically drives the fan through an output shaft which is mechanically connected to the fan. The output shaft of the motor is disposed in the engine compartment near a mechanical power take-off of the engine. The mechanical power take-off includes a belt pulley connected to a free end of an engine crankshaft.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 3, 2007
    Publication date: May 29, 2008
    Inventor: Joachim Sobotzik
  • Patent number: 7363885
    Abstract: A combustion engine according to the present invention has a unitary fan-pulley assembly (F), in which a cooling fan (8) and a starter pulley (9) are formed integrally with each other. The cooling fan (8) is fixed to a crankshaft (1). The pulley (9) receives a starting force when engaged with engagement pawls 14b integral with a recoil starter (14). A bracket (11) is fixedly mounted on the crankshaft (1) together with the unitary fan-pulley assembly (F) for urging engagement grooves (92), each defined between neighboring engagement projections (91) of the starter pulley (9), in an axial direction of the unitary fan-pulley assembly (F).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2008
    Assignee: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hitomi Miyake, Shinichi Tanba, Ichiro Uemura, Tetsuhiro Yamakawa
  • Patent number: 7347167
    Abstract: A method for controlling a cooling system for an internal combustion engine having first and second cooling fans is provided, comprising operating the first cooling fan at a first rotational frequency which is greater than a combustion frequency of the internal combustion engine and operating the second cooling fan at a second rotational frequency which is less than the combustive vibration frequency of the internal combustion engine. Since the rotational frequencies of the first and second cooling fans are different from the combustion frequency of the internal combustion engine, the resonance between the rotational vibration of the cooling fans and the combustive vibration of the internal combustion engine may be prevented. Also, since the rotational frequencies of the first and second cooling fans are different from each other so that the resonance between their rotational vibrations may be prevented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2008
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuya Sugiyama, Eiji Kosaka, Shinichi Ohshima, Tatsunori Iwasaki
  • Patent number: 7347168
    Abstract: An improved vehicle cooling system is disclosed having the capability of controlling various thermal components of the system to effectively control the heating and cooling of an engine of the vehicle based on instantaneous vehicle and ambient conditions and also based upon predictive conditions. These predictive conditions can include information about the upcoming terrain of the route along which the vehicle will travel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2008
    Assignee: Freightliner LLC
    Inventors: Dieter Reckels, Cristin Paun, Shiva Duraiswamy, Nitin Magoo
  • Patent number: 7310959
    Abstract: The present invention relates to control of a fan during which the power of the fan is determined from the characteristic curves of the fan motor, the operating parameters of the cooling system and the reference variables which are predefined in the form of temperature levels. The various temperature levels which are to be set have different associated characteristic curves for actuating the fan motor. If the reference variable for the control changes, this also means a change in the characteristic curves for actuating the fan motor. In order to prevent the fan motor from whining, the operation of the fan motor is kept constant for a settable minimum waiting time when the reference variable for the control of the fan changes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2007
    Assignee: Daimler AG
    Inventors: Hans Braun, Ralf Körber, Michael Timmann, Jochen Weeber
  • Patent number: 7293636
    Abstract: An electronically-controlled viscous fan drive in which the output drive to the fan is electronically controlled by the movement of viscous fluid from a fluid reservoir and into the operating and working chamber of the coupling during normal operation. A radially balanced valve disk coupled to a spring controls the relative movement of viscous fluid from a fluid reservoir to the working chamber by sealingly engaging and disengaging a fill hole fluidically coupling the fluid reservoir to the working chamber. The clutch plate and cover and body, along with the features defined between the clutch plate and cover and body are cast to the desired size and shape, therein allowing easier and more precise manufacturing and more cost effective manufacturing as compared with traditional designs that are stamped and having machined-in features.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2007
    Assignee: BorgWarner Inc.
    Inventor: James P. May
  • Patent number: 7182047
    Abstract: A cooling system for an internal combustion engine mounted within a vehicle includes a radiator for rejecting heat to ambient air and an axial fan mounted within a fan shroud associated with a radiator. The fan has a stationary hub equipped with louvers which may be controlled so as to either block off or allow airflow through the hub, and consequentially through the radiator. In this manner, the airflow past the fan may be greatly increased when the vehicle is operated at a higher groundspeed, while decreasing the amount of power consumed by the fan.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2007
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: William Schwartz
  • Patent number: 7137362
    Abstract: An on/off clutch assembly is disclosed having a two component spring end cap. The spring end cap includes a steel cap portion and a non-metallic portion. The non-metallic portion extends along the entire length of the steel cap portion and is located between the steel cap portion and the piston rod. The new design insulates the steel piston rod from the steel spring end cap. This results in reduced corrosion of seals within the clutch assembly and contributes to improved conditions for bearings within the clutch assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2006
    Assignee: BorgWarner Inc.
    Inventor: Samuel Edgar Settineri
  • Patent number: 7134406
    Abstract: The present invention provides a means for momentarily reducing cooling fan load on an engine when a machine encounters sudden loads. The system includes an engine, a load driven by the engine, a cooling system associated with the machine, and one or more controllable cooling fans for delivering air to the cooling system. A controller continually monitors engine speed, reducing fan load when engine speed is both decreasing faster than a maximum rate and is lower than the desired speed. The controller then re-engages the fan load when engine speed is approximately equal to the desired speed or when a maximum disengagement time has elapsed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2006
    Assignee: Deere & Company
    Inventor: Todd Alan Loes
  • Patent number: 7017531
    Abstract: The invention involves a vehicle with a cab. The environment of the cab may be maintained by a heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system that will provide cool air to the cab in hot weather and warm air to the cab in colder weather. The HVAC system will have its own specific air heating and cooling components. The HVAC has a supply to the cab for providing the cool or warm air depending on the need. A siphon or alternative point of distribution of the HVAC output may be a HVAC diversion line that leads into the inlet of the turbocharger or supercharger of the vehicle engine to mix with ambient air entering the turbocharger. In an alternative embodiment, a compressed air source may be bled into the turbocharger or supercharger inlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2006
    Assignee: International Truck Intellectual Property Company, LLC
    Inventors: Scott A. Wooldridge, Brian J. Jacquay, James C. Bradley
  • Patent number: 6933687
    Abstract: A dual motor configuration 10 is provided for driving two fans for moving air to cool an engine. The dual motor configuration includes a primary brushless motor 18 constructed and arranged to be electronically controlled to drive a first fan 16 over a range of speeds. A secondary brush motor 24 is constructed and arranged to be electronically controlled to drive a second fan 22 over a range of speeds. The secondary brush motor includes an electronic switching device 26 associated therewith for receiving a pulse width modulated signal for controlling speed of the secondary brush motor. Thus, different combinations of speeds of the first and second motors can be selectively chosen to meet cooling requirements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2005
    Assignee: Siemens VDO Automotive Inc.
    Inventors: John Makaran, Erich Maier
  • Patent number: 6745727
    Abstract: An engine cooling fan (18) is coupled to an engine (14) of a truck (10) through an electric-operated clutch (20) for selectively placing the cooling fan in driven and non-driven relationship with the engine. A control system (22) processes certain data for indicating when engine speed (N) exceeds a reference engine speed (EFC_N_LMX), for indicating when vehicle speed (VSS) exceeds a reference vehicle speed EFC_VSS_LMX), and for indicating when rate of change of engine speed exceeds a selected rate of change of engine speed. The clutch places the fan in non-driven relationship with the engine when the processing discloses vehicle speed exceeding the reference vehicle speed coincident with the processing of the data disclosing either engine speed exceeding the reference engine speed or rate of change of engine speed exceeding the selected rate of change of engine speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2004
    Assignee: International Engine Intellectual Property Company, LLC
    Inventors: Thomas M. Kramer, Jeffery D. Jenks, James T. Beaucaire
  • Patent number: 6604360
    Abstract: An energy recovery system for an internal combustion engine includes a turbocharger unit having a turbocharger turbine receiving exhaust from the engine and a second turbine driven by the exhaust gasses. The second turbine drives an electrical generator. The generator supplies electrical power to an electrical control unit, which supplies power to an electric fan motor which drives an engine cooling fan driven by. The control unit also supplies electrical power to an electric coolant pump motor which drives an engine coolant pump. The second turbine is preferably a variable geometry turbine whose geometry is controlled so that its power absorption matches the electrical load of the generator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2003
    Assignee: Deere & Company
    Inventor: Carl Thomas Vuk
  • Patent number: 6474274
    Abstract: A flywheel energy storage system for maintaining fan speed of a cooling fan on an internal combustion engine. The flywheel energy storage system allows a fan to rotate independent of the internal combustion engine and use energy stored in a flywheel for the continued rotation of the fan when a speed of the internal combustion engine falls below a predetermined speed. In this manner, the fan can provide an adequate air flow to cool the components of the internal combustion engine regardless of the speed of the internal combustion engine. To accomplish this, a fan is coupled to a clutch and a flywheel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2002
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventor: David L. Lehman
  • Publication number: 20020073941
    Abstract: A flywheel energy storage system for maintaining fan speed of a cooling fan on an internal combustion engine. The flywheel energy storage system allows a fan to rotate independent of the internal combustion engine and use energy stored in a flywheel for the continued rotation of the fan when a speed of the internal combustion engine falls below a predetermined speed. In this manner, the fan can provide an adequate air flow to cool the components of the internal combustion engine regardless of the speed of the internal combustion engine. To accomplish this, a fan is coupled to a clutch and a flywheel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2000
    Publication date: June 20, 2002
    Inventor: David L. Lehman
  • Patent number: 6385968
    Abstract: The invention concerns an arrangement for a discharge system for combustion gases from a motor-driven vehicle which gives the vehicle a low IR signature. According to the invention, the gas outflow channel (28), at least in an area of the channel adjacent to the discharge aperture (32), has a boundary wall (34) which is perforated right up to the open discharge aperture (32) and surrounded by a cooling air channel (38). The arrangement is such that cooling air can sweep over the inner side as well as the outer side of the perforated wall (34).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2002
    Assignee: Hagglunds Vehicle AB
    Inventors: Tore Gustafsson, Alfons Falk, Orjan Olsson
  • Patent number: 6305333
    Abstract: Air blower apparatus (20) in which a fan boss (41) at the rotational center portion of a fan (29) has a recessed form. Meanwhile, the central part of the body portion (21) of the air blower apparatus (20), i.e., a boss portion (38), has a projecting form to be housed within the recessed fan boss (41). The central part of the body potion (21), i.e., the boss portion (38), is housed within the recessed fan boss (41) at the rotational center portion of the fan (29), and the rotary shaft (39) of the body portion (21) of the air blower apparatus (20) is mounted on the fan (29).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2001
    Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Maruta, Nobumi Yoshida, Hiroshi Endo
  • Patent number: 6273034
    Abstract: A method of controlling an internal combustion engine having a variable speed fan includes controlling the variable speed fan with closed loop control based on fan motor hydraulic pressure. A reference fan pressure is based on an applied fan request signal. The actual fan motor pressure is monitored, and an error signal is determined by comparing the reference fan pressure to the actual fan pressure. The fan is driven based on the error signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2001
    Assignee: Detroit Diesel Corporation
    Inventors: Jeffery Scott Hawkins, Steve Miller Weisman
  • Patent number: 6220207
    Abstract: In an engine cooling system which includes an intercooler for precooling combustion air supplied to an engine, an oil cooler for cooling a hydraulic working fluid for use in a hydraulic excavator, a radiator for cooling cooling water supplied to the engine, a cooling fan in the form of a centrifugal fan, and a suction duct for introducing the cooling air to the suction side of the cooling fan, an opening diameter of a suction duct downstream end is smaller than an opening diameter of a rotary shroud suction-side end, and the suction duct downstream end is positioned inside the rotary shroud suction-side end in overlapped relation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2001
    Assignee: Hitachi Construction Machinery Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Koji Kawasaki, Shigehisa Funabashi, Zenji Kaneko, Masaki Kanahara, Koji Tahara
  • Patent number: 6192838
    Abstract: An engine cooling apparatus suitable for use in a vehicle shortens engine warm-up time without decreasing the heat-radiation capacity of a radiator. A shroud is disposed between a radiator and a water-cooled engine. A first air passage for blowing air toward the engine and its auxiliaries is formed in the upper side of the shroud, and a second air passage for discharging air having passed through the radiator to outside the engine compartment is formed in the lower side of the shroud. Accordingly, air is prevented from directly striking the engine and from passing around to the upstream side of the radiator through gaps between the walls of the engine compartment and the radiator. Thus the engine warm-up time is shortened without reducing the heat-radiation capacity of the radiator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2001
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroki Matsuo, Tetsuji Nobuta, Kazuya Makizono, Toshio Morikawa, Hikaru Sugi, Shun Kurata, Manabu Miyata, Koji Ito