BE1025208B1 - COOLER WITH SHRINKED CORE FOR A VEHICLE - Google Patents

Abstract

A core cooler (80) for a vehicle cooling device (10), more particularly for a working vehicle, includes a series of consecutively arranged cooler cores (90A, 90B, 90C) from a first end (82) of the core cooler (80) to a second end (84) of the core cooler (80), the liquid of each cooler core (90A, 90B, 90C) being separated from the other cooler cores (90A, 90B, 90C), and having a first bin (92A, 92B, 92C) containing a respective first fluid port (94A, 94B, 94C), a second bin (96A, 96B, 96C), each containing a respective second fluid port (98A, 98B, 98C), and at least one fluid passage (100A, 100B, 100C) between the first bin (92A, 92B, 92C) and the second bin (96A, 96B, 96C), and define a heat transferring surface (86), the second fluid ports (98A, 98B, 98C) of the second bin (96A, 96B, 96C) extend to and are connected to a common edge (99) of the core cooler (80). The core cooler (80) is characterized in that each second tray (96A, 96B, 96C) of the respective cooler cores (90A, 90B, 90C) is arranged in a staggered manner with respect to an adjacent second tray (90A, 90B, 90C).

Description

COOLER WITH SHRINKED CORE FOR A VEHICLE

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to vehicles, and more particularly to work vehicles that contain heat exchangers.

In work vehicles such as agricultural vehicles, many of the components generate heat during normal operation. Excessively produced heat can cause damage to the components and components in their environment, and undesirably change the performance characteristics of the components. This is especially the case with hydraulic motors, pumps and gearboxes, where temperature control of the fluid, such as oil, can be important for operation.

To manage the heat generated during operation, many vehicles are equipped with fluid-air coolers that send relatively cool air through the surfaces that are heated by the relatively warm fluid to extract the heat from the fluid and then return the fluid. to the source component. Many such coolers have multiple cores whose fluids are separated from each other to keep the liquids separate from each other during cooling and to prevent different types of liquid from being mixed together. The cores of the cooler can be separated, for example, through walls inside the cooler that separate the liquids of each individual core.

Each individual core has an inlet connected to a component to receive the fluid from the component, an outlet to return the cooled fluid to the component, and one or more fluid passages between the inlet and outlet through which the fluid flows to extract heat from the liquid. The inlet can be formed in an upper container of the cooler and the outlet can be formed in a lower container of the cooler, so that the liquid flows through the upper container to the lower container. In some cores there may be many fluid passages to increase the amount of material in contact with the hot fluid and thus also the amount of heat removed from the fluid. A fan directed towards the heated material then allows relatively cool air to flow through the heated material to remove heat from the material

BE2017 / 5350, allowing the material to extract more heat from the liquid that flows through the cooler.

One particular problem with prior art coolers is related to the arrangement of the cores within the cooler. In particular, the positions of the inlet and / or outlet openings of the cores may be in an area of the cooler that is difficult to access once the cooler is built into the vehicle. Many of the ports are located at the front of the cooler, which cannot be accessed and makes it difficult, for example, to replace a hose or connector.

Compared to the prior art, what is needed here is a cooler with ports with easier access and which still offer sufficient cooling performance.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention provides a cooler with consecutively arranged cooler cores, the second trays of which are arranged squarely.

In one form, the invention is directed to a core cooler for a cooling device of a vehicle, more particularly for a working vehicle, which comprises a series of cooler cores arranged successively from a first end of the core cooler to a second end of the core cooler, the liquid is separated from each cooler core from the other cooler cores, and each containing a first bin with a respective first fluid port, and a second bin with a respective second fluid port, and with at least one fluid passage between the first bin and the second bin, and which has a define a heat transfer surface, wherein the second fluid ports of the second trays extend to and are connected to a common edge of the core cooler. The core cooler is characterized in that each second bin of the respective cooler cores is arranged squarely relative to an adjacent second bin.

An advantage of this invention is that the inlets and / or outlets at the

BE2017 / 5350 side (s) of the core cooler can be placed instead of at the front for easier access.

Another advantage is that the arranged arrangement of the cooler cores provides suitable cooling performance.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other features and advantages of this invention and the way to achieve them will become more apparent and the invention may be better understood by reference to the following description of embodiments of the invention together with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side view of an embodiment of a work vehicle in the form of a combine formed according to the present invention;

Figure 2 is a sectional view of a core cooler formed in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 3 is a sectional view of the core cooler as shown in Figure 2; and

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the core cooler shown in Figures 2-3.

Corresponding references (numbers and / or letters) indicate corresponding components throughout all the different views. The examples set forth herein illustrate embodiments of the invention and such examples should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention in any way.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The terms grain, straw, and non-thinned ears are used throughout this specification primarily for convenience, but it is to be understood that these terms are not intended to be limiting. So grain refers to that part of it

BE2017 / 5350 the harvest material that is threshed and separated from the part of the harvest material to be discarded, referred to as non-grain, MOG (in English) or straw. Incomplete threshed harvest material is called non-threshed ears. Also the terms forward, backward left and right, when used in connection with the vehicle and / or components thereof, are usually determined with reference to the forward direction of travel of the harvesting machine, but again, they should not be interpreted as limiting terms. The terms in length, length and cross are determined with respect to the length direction of the agricultural vehicle and may not be seen as limiting.

Referring now to the drawings and more particularly to Figure 1, a work vehicle is shown in the form of a combine harvester 10, which generally has a chassis 12, wheels 14 and 16 contacting the ground, a mower 18, a feed housing 20, an operator cabin 22, a threshing and separation system 24, a cleaning system 26, a grain tank 28 and a discharge conveyor 30. The unloading conveyor 30 is illustrated as a unloading auger, but can also be configured as a conveyor belt, a chain lift, etc. In the illustrated embodiment, the working vehicle 10 is supposed to be a combine harvester, but it could also be another type of working vehicle, such as a tractor , windrower, excavator with spoon, a bulldozer, excavator, wood grab, etc.

Front wheels 14 are larger flotation-type wheels and rear wheels 16 are smaller steerable wheels. The driving force is selectively applied to the front wheels 14 by a power source in the form of a diesel engine 32 and a transmission (not shown). Although combine harvester 10 is shown with wheels, it is also to be understood that combine harvester 10 may contain caterpillars, e.g., full or half caterpillars.

Mower 18 is mounted on the front of the combine harvester 10 and includes a cutter bar 34 to cut crops off a field while moving the combine harvester 10. A rotary reel 36 supplies crop to the header 18, and a double auger 38 feed chopped crop sideways inwards on each side of the feed housing 20. Feed housing 20 transports the cut crop to the

BE2017 / 5350 threshing and separation system 24, and is selectively movable vertically using suitable actuators, eg hydraulic cylinders (not shown).

The threshing and separation system 24 is of the axial flow type and generally includes a rotor 40 that is at least partially enclosed by and rotatable within a correspondingly perforated threshing basket 42. The cut crops are threshed and separated by the rotation of the rotor 40 inside the concave 42, and larger elements, such as stems, leaves and the like, are unloaded from the rear of combine harvester 10. Smaller elements of the harvest material, including grain and non-grain, including particles that are lighter than grain, such as husks, dust and straw, are discharged through the perforations of concave 42.

Grain separated by the threshing and separation unit 24 falls onto a grain dish 44 and is transported to the cleaning system 26. Cleaning system 26 may include an optional pre-cleaning screen 46, an upper screen 48 (also known as a short straw screen), a lower screen 50 (also referred to as a cleaning screen) and a cleaning fan 52. Grain on sieves 46, 48 and 50 is subjected to a cleaning action by fan 52 which generates an air flow through the sieves to remove chaff and other impurities such as dust from the grain by causing this material to float in the air to discharge it via the combine harvester straw cap 54. The grain bowl 44 and the pre-cleaning screen 46 move back and forth in the longitudinal direction of the machine to transport the grain and finer harvesting material that is not grain to the upper surface of the upper screen 48. The upper screen 48 and the lower screen 50 are arranged vertically with respect to each other, and also move back and forth in the longitudinal direction of the machine to spread the grain over sieves 48, 50, while cleaned grain under the influence of gravity through the openings of the seven 48, 50 can fall.

Cleaned grain falls on a clean grain auger 56 which is placed transversely below and in front of the lower sieve 50. Clean grain auger 56 receives clean grain from each screen 48, 50 and from the lower bowl 58 of the cleaning system 26. Clean grain auger 56 transports the clean grain laterally to a generally vertical grain elevator 60 to feed it to the grain tank 28

BE2017 / 5350. Non-thorn ears fall out of the grain cleaning system 26 into a jack trough for non-thorn ears 62. The non-thorn ears are transported via an auger for non-thorn ears 64 and return auger 66 to the upstream end of the cleaning system 26 to perform a repeated cleaning action undergo. Transverse jacks 68 on the bottom of grain tank 28 transport the clean grain in the grain tank 28 to the unloading auger 30 to discharge it from the combine harvester 10.

According to an aspect of the present invention and with reference to Figures 3 and 5, the combine harvester 10 includes a cooling device core cooler 80 that is a liquid / air heat exchanger containing a series of cores 90A, 90B, 90C arranged sequentially from a first end 82 from the cooler 80 to a second end 84 of the cooler 80. As shown herein, the cores 90A, 90B, 90C are arranged sequentially in a direction indicated by arrow D from the first end 82 to the second end 84 along a width W of the core cooler 80. It should be appreciated that the cores 90A, 90B, 90C may alternatively be arranged sequentially along a height H or thickness T of the core cooler 80 without departing from this invention. In addition to the first end 82 and second end 84, the cooler 80 may also have a heated surface 86, which may be referred to as a heat-transferring surface, which is heated by liquid flowing through the cores 90A, 90B, 90C and thus flowing through the cooler 80, which is further described herein. It should be understood that although the cooler 80 is shown with three cooler cores 90A, 90B, 90C, it can only contain two cooler cores or more than three cooler cores, e.g. four or more, and the number of cooler cores can therefore vary depending on of the number of components to be connected and the cooling requirements of the cooler 80. The heated surface 86 may be arranged such that a cooling air stream generated by a cooling fan 110 flows through the heated surface 86 to extract heat from the heated surface 86 and thus from the liquid flowing through the cooler 80. As is known, the cooling fan 110 may be configured and arranged to either squeeze out or extract the cooling air through the heated surface 86 to produce a cooling air flow.

BE2017 / 5350

As can be seen, each cooler core 90A, 90B, 90C includes a first bin 92A, 92B, 92C respectively with a first fluid port 94A, 94B, 94C, a second bin 96A, 96B, 96C and with a second fluid port 98A, 98B, 98C, respectively and one or more fluid passages 100A, 100B, 100C between the first bin 92A, 92B, 92C and the second bin 96A, 96B, 96C by fluid between the first fluid port 94A, 94B, 94C and second fluid port 98A, 98B, 98C. The first bins 92A, 92B, 92C and second bins 96A, 96B, 96C are mainly open zones at the top and bottom of each cooler core 90A, 90B, 90C. The liquid of each cooler core 90A, 90B, 90C is separated from that of the other cooler core 90A, 90B, 90C so that different liquids that flow through the cooler core 90A, 90B, 90C of different components do not come into contact or mix with each other in the cooler 80. For example, it would be undesirable to mix hydraulic oil of one component with transmission fluid of another component, as this would have a negative effect on the properties and performance of both fluids. The liquids of the cooler cores 90A, 90B, 90C can be separated by, for example, having their own closed liquid flow system for each cooler core 90A, 90B, 90C, the individual cores 90A, 90B, 90C forming the cooler 80. Alternatively, the cooler core 90A, 90B, 90C can each occupy a defined space in the inner volume of the cooler 80 and be separated from each other by walls in the cooler 80. Other constructions can also be used, as long as the liquid of each cooler core 90A, 90B 90C remains separate from the fluid of the other cooler cores 90A, 90B, 90C of the cooler 80. As shown, the fluid ports 94A, 94B, 94C of the first trays 92A, 92B, 92C can be fluid inlets that receive heated fluid from a component to to flow through the fluid passages 100A, 100B, 100C, thereby gradually cooling, before flowing out of the fluid ports 98A, 98B, 98C, which would be outlets from the second trays 96A, 96B, 96C, to return to the respective component flow. It should be appreciated that alternatively the fluid ports 98A, 98B, 98C of the second trays 96A, 96B, 98C may be fluid inlets, whereas the fluid ports 94A, 94B, 94C of the first trays 92A, 92B, 92C are fluid outlets. Further, the fluid passages 100A, 100B, 100C of the cores 90A, 90B, 90C, as shown, can

BE2017 / 5350 generally extend parallel to each other.

With reference now more specifically to Figure 3, on which it can be seen that the second trays 96A, 96B, 96C of the cooler cores 90A, 90B, 90C are each arranged with respect to an adjacent second tray 96A, 96B, 96C. It is to be understood that, within the context of this invention and especially the exemplary embodiment shown in Figures 2-4, the second trays 96A, 96B, 96C can be pivoted with respect to an adjacent second tray 96A, 96B, 96C in the sense that each successive second bin 96A, 96B, 96C has a portion that is below an adjacent second bin, allowing the fluid ports 98A, 98B, 98C to fully extend from a lower side of the cooler 80. More generally, the second bins 96A, 96B, 96C are squared with respect to an adjacent second bin so that those adjacent second bins, e.g., second bins 96A and 96B, only partially overlap in at least two dimensions within the core cooler 80 so that the second bins 96A, 96B, 96C each have at least two dimensions that differ from the respective dimensions of an adjacent second bin 96A, 96B, 96C. For example, as illustrated in Figure 3, the second bin 96A is squared with respect to the second bin 96B so that the second bin 96A is stacked on top of the second bin 96B, and a bin width TWA of the second bin 96A and a bin width TWB of the second bin 96B differ from each other, with the bin width TWB being larger than TWA. Similarly, the second bin 96B is squared with respect to the second bin 96C so that the second bin 96B is stacked on top of the second bin 96C and the bin width TWB of the second bin 96B and a bin width TWC of the second bin 96C are different, with the baking width TWC is greater than TWB and TWA. Since the bin widths TWA, TWB, and TWC are all different, the number of fluid passages 100A, 100B, 100C can also be different, with each cooler core 90A, 90B, 90C having a number of fluid passages 100A, 100B, 100C that are directly related to the bin widths TWA , TWB, TWC of the respective second bin 96A, 96B, 96C, ie the cores with wider second bins have more fluid passages. Alternatively, the number of fluid passages 100A, 100B, 100C in each cooler core 90A, 90B, 90C can be kept the same, notwithstanding the different bin widths TWA, TWB, TWC, due to the widths of the

BE2017 / 5350 fluid passages 100A, 100B, 100C. To stack the cooler cores 90A, 90B, 90C as shown in Figures 2-3, each cooler core 90A, 90B, 90C defines a core height CHA, CHB, CHC, the core heights CHA, CHB, CHC being uneven and increasing in the direction D from the first end 82 to the second end 84. This slotted arrangement of the cooler cores 90A, 90B, 90C can extend fully to the second end 84 of the cooler 80, each cooler being squared with respect to one or more adjacent cores . Referring more specifically to Figure 2, it is to be noted that although the second bins 96A, 96B, 96C of the cooler cores 90A, 90B, 90C are staggered relative to each other, the first bins 92A, 92B, 92C of the cooler cores 90A, 90B, 90C can generally be aligned as shown. It should also be appreciated that in some embodiments, the first trays 92A, 92B, 92C may also be squared with respect to each other. It should further be appreciated that although the second bins 96A, 96B, 96C of the cooler cores 90A, 90B, 90C are stacked on top of each other so that the adjacent second bins 96A, 96B, 96C abut each other, the second bins 96A, 96B, 96C do not necessarily have to make contact with each other to be squared and therefore can be placed apart, if desired.

Referring more specifically to Figure 2, it can be seen that the fluid ports 94A, 94B, 94C of the first trays 92A, 92B, 92C all extend in a first flow direction of the fluid FD1, shown as extending in and out of the page . Thus, the fluid ports 94A, 94B, 94C are all parallel to each other. Similarly, the fluid ports 98A, 98B, 98C of the second trays 96A, 96B, 96C are all parallel to each other in a second flow direction of the fluid FD2 rotated 90 ° with respect to the first flow direction of the fluid FD1. Further, the respective fluid ports 98A, 98B, 98C of the second trays 96A, 96B, 96C extend to and are connected to a common edge 99 of the core cooler 80 so that the fluid ports 98A, 98B, 98C can all extend from a relatively easy accessible part of the core cooler 80, shown here as the common edge 99. It should be understood that the fluid ports 98A, 98B, 98C extend to and are connected to the common edge 99 in the sense that the fluid flowing to and / or from or

BE2017 / 5350 can flow out of the fluid ports 98A, 98B, 98C beyond the common edge 99 upon entering or exiting the respective cooler core 90A, 90B, 90C. By having such a configuration, the fluid moving in one of the flow directions of the fluid FD1, FD2 can flow to the cooler cores 90A, 90B, 90C, flow through the cooler cores 90A, 90B, 90C, and out of the cooler cores 90A , 90B, 90C flows when moving in the other flow direction of the liquid FD2, FD1 which is rotated 90 ° with respect to the flow direction of the incoming liquid. Such fluid flow permits the placement of fluid ports 94A, 94B, 94C, 98B, 98C on vertical surfaces of the cooler 80 for easier accessibility; this in contrast to known coolers, which have fluid ports on the same or the same or opposite surface (s) of the cooler. Furthermore, the arrangement of the cooler 80 described herein permits the placement of the ports 98A, 98B, 98C on one side, instead of on the front of the cooler 80 with little or no loss of space within the cooler 80 and with no or only a negligible negative effect on the cooling performance of the cooler 80 during operation.

Now with reference to Figure 4, a perspective view of the cooler 80 is shown around the previously described first flow direction of the fluid FD1 from the fluid ports 94A, 94B, 94C of the first trays 92A, 92B, 92C and the second flow direction of the fluid FD2 of the fluid ports 98A, 98B, 98C of the second trays 96A, 96B, 96C. As can be seen, the first flow direction of the fluid FD1 from the fluid ports 94A, 94B, 94C of the first trays 92A, 92B, 92C can extend through a plane defined by the heat transferring surface 86, which is represented as a front face of the cooler 80, while the second flow direction of the fluid FD2 from the fluid ports 98A, 98B, 98C of the second trays 96A, 96B, 96C can extend through a plane defined by a side face 120 of the cooler 80. As herein When a cooler is in the form of a polygonal prism, a front surface of a cooler will generally be the largest or second largest surface, in terms of surface area, defined by the width W and height H of the cooler 80 Furthermore, a side surface of a cooler, when the cooler is the

BE2017 / 5350 takes the form of a polygonal prism, generally being a surface that connects a front surface to the opposite rear surface, and can be delimited by either the thickness T and the width W, or the thickness T and the height H. Off the aforementioned should therefore show how by rotating in the exemplary embodiments of this invention the first flow direction of the fluid FD1 of the fluid ports 94A, 94B, 94C of the first trays 92A, 92B, 92C by 90 ° with respect to of the second flow direction of the fluid FD2 from the fluid ports 98A, 98B, 98C of the second trays 96A, 96B, 96C can permit placement of the fluid ports 94A, 94B, 94C on the front face 86 and placement of the fluid ports 98A, 98B 98C on the side face 120 of the cooler 80, ie the respective flow directions of the liquids FD1, FD2 can extend through planes defined by respective vertical e surfaces. Alternatively, the cooler can be formed such that the second trays 96A, 96B, 96C are arranged in a staggered position with respect to each other while also the first bins 92A, 92B, 92C are staggered in relation to each other, whereby the fluid ports 98A, 98B, 98C of the second trays 96A, 96B, 96C can extend from the side surface 120 of the cooler 80, while the fluid ports 94A, 94B, 94C of the first trays 92A, 92B, 92C can also extend from the side surface 120 of the cooler 80, that is, the respective flow direction of the fluids FD1, FD2 can extend through a common plane.

Although this invention has been described with respect to at least one embodiment, this invention can be further modified within the spirit and scope of this disclosure. This patent application is therefore intended to cover all variations and uses or modifications of the invention by making use of its general principles. Furthermore, this application is intended to cover such deviations from this disclosure as known within the known or customary practice from the prior art to which this invention belongs and which fall within the limits of the appended claims.

Claims (14)

A core cooler (80) for a cooling device of a vehicle (10), in particular for a work vehicle, comprising: a series of cooler cores (90A, 90B, 90C) arranged sequentially from a first end (82) of the core cooler (80) to a second end (84) of the core cooler (80), the liquid from each cooler core (90A, 90B, 90C) is separated from the other cooler cores t90A, 90B, 90C), and each containing a first bin (92A, 92B, 92C) with a respective first fluid port (94A, 94B, 94C), a second bin (96A, 96B, 96C) each having a respective second fluid port (98A, 98B, 98C), and at least one fluid passageway (100A, 100B, 100C) between the first bin (92A, 92B, 92C) and the second bin (96A, 96B, 96C) and defining a heat transferring surface (86), wherein the second fluid ports (98A, 98B, 98C) of the second trays (96A, 96B, 96C) extend to and are connected to a common edge (99) of the core cooler ( 80); characterized by: each second bin (96A, 96B, 96C) of the respective cooler cores (90A, 90B, 90C) is squared with respect to an adjacent second bin (96A, 96B, 96C). The core cooler (80) of claim 1, wherein two or more second trays (96A, 96B, 96C) of the respective cooler cores (90A, 90B, 90C) are stacked on the top of a consecutive second tray (96B, 96C). The nuclear cooler (80) of claim 1, wherein the respective first fluid ports (94A, 94B, 94C) of the first trays (92A, 92B, 92C) all extend in a first flow direction (FD1) of the fluid and the respective second fluid ports (98A, 98B, 98C) of the second trays (96A, 96B, 96C) all extend in a second flow direction of the fluid (FD2), while the second flow direction of the fluid (FD2) extends through a plane that BE2017 / 5350 is defined by a side face (120) of the cooler (80) and / or the first flow direction of the liquid flow (FD1) extending through a face defined by the side face (120) of the core cooler (80). The core cooler (80) of claim 3, wherein the second flow direction of the fluid (FD2) is rotated 90 ° with respect to the first flow direction of the fluid (FD1). The core cooler (80) of claim 1, wherein the cooler cores (90A, 90B, 90C) each define a core height (CHA, CHB, CHC) between the respective first bin (92A, 92B, 92C) and respective second bin (96A, 96B, 96C), wherein the core heights (CHA, CHB, CHC) of at least two cooler cores (90A, 90B, 90C) are uneven. The core cooler (80) of claim 5, wherein the core heights (CHA, CHB, CHC) of the cooler cores (90A, 90B, 90C) increase in a direction (D) to the second end (84) of the core cooler (80) . The core cooler (80) of claim 1, wherein the respective second bin (96A, 96B, 96C) of each cooler core (90A, 90B, 90C) defines a bin width (TWA, TWB, TWC), the bin widths (TWA, TWB) , TWC) from at least two of the second bins (96A, 96B, 96C). The core cooler (80) of claim 7, wherein the bin widths (TWA, TWB, TWC) of the second bins (96A, 96B, 96C) increases in a direction (D) to the second end (84) of the core cooler (80 ). The core cooler (80) according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein the respective fluid passages (100A, 100B, 100C) of the cooler cores (90A, 90B, BE2017 / 5350 90C) generally extend parallel to each other. A core cooler (80) according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein two or more cooler cores (90A, 90B, 90C) have a different number of respective fluid passages (100A, 100B, 100C) and / or two or more cooler cores (90A, 90B, 90C) have the same number of respective fluid passages (100A, 100B, 100C). The nuclear cooler (80) according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein the respective first fluid ports (94A, 94B, 94C) of the first bin (92A, 92B, 92C) are inlets and the respective second fluid ports (98A, 98B, 98C) from the second bin (96A, 96B, 96C). The core cooler (80) according to one or more of the preceding claims, further comprising a cooling fan (110) configured to cause cooling air to flow over the series of cooler cores (90A, 90B, 90C). A vehicle (10), preferably a work vehicle, comprising the core cooler (80) according to one or more of the preceding claims and a series of components which are each connected via a liquid to a respective cooler core (90A, 90B, 90C) of the core cooler (80). The vehicle (10) of claim 13, wherein each component is configured to send a heated fluid to the respective coupled cooler core (90A, 90B, 90C), wherein two or more of the heated fluids differ from each other.