JP2018176822A - Vehicle engine cooling device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To stably maintain a closed state of a gap between a shroud and a fan ring.SOLUTION: A vehicle engine cooling device includes: a radiator 1 attached to a vehicle body; a fan 2 which is rotatably attached to an engine and is disposed facing the radiator; a fan ring 10 attached to the engine and enclosing the fan; a shroud 11 attached to the radiator and having a cylindrical opening end part 17 positioned at the outer side of the fan ring in a radial direction; and an elastic member 20 which is fixed to the fan ring and removably contacts with an inner peripheral surface of the opening end part of the shroud.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle engine cooling device, and more particularly to a vehicle engine cooling device provided with a radiator for cooling engine cooling water and a fan for generating an air flow passing through the radiator.

  Generally, in a vehicle engine cooling device, a radiator for cooling engine cooling water is attached to a vehicle body, while a fan is rotatably attached to the engine, and an air flow generated by the rotation of the fan passes through the radiator to The heat exchange of the cooling water is promoted to cool the cooling water and thus the engine.

  A fan ring surrounding the fan is attached to the engine in order to efficiently guide the air flow after passing through the radiator to the fan. And a shroud is attached to the radiator for guiding the air flow inward of the fan ring. The gap between the shroud and the fan ring is closed by a rubber fan cover to prevent air leakage from the gap.

  A typical fan cover has a ring-like overall shape and a curved or tongue-like cross-sectional shape, with its proximal end attached to the shroud and its distal end elastically pressed against the fan ring And slidably contact with each other.

  Since the engine is resiliently supported by the vehicle body via the engine mount, relative movement occurs between the engine and the radiator during traveling of the vehicle, and relative movement occurs between the shroud and the fan ring. However, when the fan cover slides on the fan ring, relative movement between the two is allowed, and at the same time, air leakage is prevented (see, for example, FIG. 3 of Patent Document 1).

Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 2-111929

  However, if the relative movement amount is increased due to any reason, there is a possibility that the fan cover may come off the fan ring. In addition, in the conventional fan cover structure, it is difficult to return to the original position after the fan cover is removed, and the cover tends to be released. As a result, the closed state of the gap can not be maintained, air leakage may occur, the fan cover may be caught in the fan and be damaged, or repair at the maintenance shop may be necessary to reinstall the fan cover. Can occur.

  Accordingly, the present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a vehicle engine cooling device capable of stably holding the closed state of the gap between the shroud and the fan ring.

According to one aspect of the invention,
A radiator attached to the car body,
A fan rotatably mounted on the engine and disposed opposite the radiator;
A fan ring attached to the engine and surrounding the fan;
A shroud attached to the radiator and having a cylindrical open end located radially outward of the fan ring;
An elastic member fixed to the fan ring and releasably in contact with the inner circumferential surface of the open end of the shroud;
An engine cooling device for a vehicle is provided.

  Preferably, the elastic member has a chevron cross-sectional shape that protrudes radially outward.

  Preferably, the open end has a radially inward projecting protrusion, and the elastic member has a recess for receiving the protrusion.

  Preferably, the projection comprises an axially projecting axial projection, and the recess comprises an axial recess for receiving the axial projection.

  Preferably, the open end axially slidably contacts the elastic member.

  Preferably, the open end and the elastic member each have a tapered surface which gradually expands in diameter toward the engine side and can slide relative to each other.

  According to the present invention, the closed state of the gap between the shroud and the fan ring can be stably maintained.

1 is a schematic side sectional view of an engine cooling device for a vehicle according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a detailed view of a portion II of FIG. 1; It is a II part detail equivalent figure of a comparative example. FIG. 12 is a diagram corresponding to the detail of Part II of the second modified example of the first embodiment. FIG. 12 is a diagram corresponding to the detail of Part II of the third modified example of the first embodiment. FIG. 12 is a diagram corresponding to the detail of Part II of the fourth modified example of the first embodiment. It is a II part detail equivalent figure of 2nd Embodiment. FIG. 12 is a diagram corresponding to the detail of Part II of the modification of the second embodiment.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments.

First Embodiment
FIG. 1 is a schematic side sectional view of an engine cooling device of a vehicle according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The vehicle and an engine (internal combustion engine) as a vehicle power source mounted on the vehicle are not shown because they are well known. In the present embodiment, the vehicle is a large vehicle such as a truck, and the engine is a diesel engine. However, the type and application of the vehicle and the internal combustion engine are not particularly limited. For example, the vehicle may be a small vehicle such as a passenger car, and the engine may be a gasoline engine.

  In the illustrated example, each direction of orthogonal three axes, that is, each direction of front, rear, left, right, upper and lower is defined as illustrated. However, it should be noted that the directions are merely determined for the sake of easy understanding of the explanation. Each direction of front and rear, right and left upper and lower sides of an example of illustration corresponds with each direction of vehicles. The engine is vertically mounted on a vehicle, and a radiator 1 is disposed at a distance in front of the engine.

  The engine cooling device includes a radiator 1 attached to a vehicle body (not shown) of the vehicle, and a fan 2 rotatably attached to the engine and disposed to face the radiator. Here, "attached" includes not only directly attached to an object to be attached but also indirectly attached to an object to be attached via an intermediate structure (a bracket or the like).

  The radiator 1 is a member that exchanges heat with the outside air to cool the engine cooling water. The radiator 1 has an inlet header 3 into which cooling water from the engine is introduced, a core 4 for passing the cooling water introduced to the inlet header 3 and exchanging heat with the outside air, and cooling after passing through the core 4 It integrally has an outlet header 5 for introducing water and discharging it to the engine. Here, a downflow type in which the cooling water flows from top to bottom is adopted, but a crossflow type in which the cooling water flows laterally may be adopted. The radiator 1 is disposed perpendicularly to a central axis C (referred to as a fan axis) C of the fan 2, that is, in an upright state, and attached to the vehicle body via a bracket (not shown). However, the radiator 1 may not be disposed perpendicular to the fan axis C, and may be disposed slightly inclined with respect to the direction perpendicular to the fan axis C. As is well known, the radiator 1 has a square shape in a front view. The radiator 1 is disposed forward at the front end of the vehicle and receives traveling wind from the front when the vehicle travels. The fan axis C is parallel to the crankshaft axis direction of the engine.

  In the present embodiment, the air-cooling intercooler 6 is disposed to overlap in front of the radiator 1 at a predetermined distance, but the intercooler 6 may be omitted. The intercooler 6 is attached to the radiator 1 via a bracket (not shown). The intercooler 6 may not be disposed so as to overlap the radiator 1, the installation position thereof is arbitrary, and may be independently mounted on the vehicle body at another place not overlapping the radiator 1.

  The fan 2 is disposed behind the radiator 1 so as to face the rear surface portion of the radiator 1. The fan 2 has a plurality of radially extending fan blades 7, a central fan clutch 8 to which the fan blades 7 are attached, and a mounting boss 9 to which the fan clutch 8 is coaxially attached. The mounting boss 9 is coaxially mounted on a rotating member (for example, a fan drive pulley) provided on the engine and rotationally driven by a crankshaft. As a result, the fan 2 is rotatably attached to the engine. The engine is elastically and vibration-proof supported on the vehicle body via the engine mount.

  When the engine is operated, the mounting boss 9 and the fan clutch 8 are rotationally driven around the fan axis C, and when the fan clutch 8 is in a connected state, the plurality of fan blades 7 are also rotationally driven around the fan axis C Ru. Hereinafter, it is assumed that the fan clutch 8 is in the connected state and the fan blade 7 is rotating while the fan 2 is in operation.

  When the fan 2 is activated, the fan 2 sucks the air in front of it and discharges it backward to generate an air flow flowing from the front to the back. Due to the suction of the fan 2, an air flow passing through the radiator 1 is also generated in the radiator 1 from the front to the rear. When the vehicle travels, traveling air is added to the suction air flow, and the cooling water in the radiator 1 is cooled by the air flow. The air flow discharged to the rear of the fan 2 hits the engine and cools the engine. Of course, the intake air in the intercooler 6 is also cooled by these air flows.

  In order to allow the fan 2 to efficiently suck the air after passing through the radiator, the engine cooling device of the present embodiment has the fan ring 10 surrounding the fan 2 and the air after passing through the radiator inward of the fan ring 10 And a shroud (radiator shroud) 11 for guiding.

  The fan ring 10 is made of metal (in this embodiment, made of aluminum) and is formed in a substantially annular shape, coaxially disposed on the fan shaft C, and radially outward with a predetermined minute clearance with respect to the fan blade 7 It is arranged. The terms "radial direction", "circumferential direction" and "axial direction" mean the radial direction, circumferential direction and axial direction based on the fan axis C unless otherwise specified. The fan ring 10 is installed mainly for the purpose of rectifying the air flow as it passes through the fan 2.

  The fan ring 10 is attached to the engine. In the present embodiment, the ring side mounting bracket 12 is fixed to a rear end portion of the fan ring 10 by welding, for example, at a plurality of places (for example, three places) in the circumferential direction. On the other hand, a plurality of (for example, three) engine side mounting brackets 13 extending forward from here are fixed to the engine by bolting or the like. The ring side mounting bracket 12 and the engine side mounting bracket 13 are connected by a bolt 15 in a state in which a rubber elastic washer 14 for vibration isolation is interposed. Thus, the fan ring 10 is attached to the engine.

  The shroud 11 is made of a relatively hard material such as resin or metal, and in the present embodiment, is an integral molded product made of resin. The front end portion 16 of the shroud 11 is formed in a square frame shape corresponding to the core 4 of the radiator 1 and is attached to the rear outer peripheral edge of the core 4 by a plurality of bolts (not shown). The shroud 11 also has at its rear end a cylindrical open end 17 located radially outward of the fan ring 10. The square frame shaped front end portion 16 and the cylindrical open end portion 17 are integrally connected by the connecting wall 18. In the present embodiment, the connection wall 18 is parallel to the back surface or back surface of the core 4, but the present invention is not limited to this, and may be inclined. The connecting wall 18 covers the rear surface of the core 4 between the open end 17 and the front end 16. Due to the structure of the shroud 11, the air after passing through the core is guided toward the inner fan 2 of the fan ring 10. The open end 17 has a constant inner diameter.

  A radial gap is formed between the open end 17 of the shroud 11 and the fan ring 10 to allow their relative movement during vehicle travel. The engine cooling device of the present embodiment further includes an elastic member 20 in order to keep the gap whose size changes according to the relative movement always in a sealed state. The elastic member 20 is formed in a ring shape as a whole, fixed to the fan ring 10, and releasably in contact with the inner circumferential surface of the open end 17. In particular, the elastic member 20 is formed in a circular ring shape as a whole, is fixed to the entire outer periphery of the fan ring 10, and is releasably in contact with the entire inner peripheral surface of the opening end 17. The elastic member 20 is formed of an elastic material, in this embodiment rubber.

  FIG. 2A and FIG. 2B show the details of part II of FIG. FIG. 2A shows a state (initial natural state) before the installation of the shroud 11 and before the deformation of the elastic member 20, and FIG. 2B shows a state after the installation of the shroud 11 and the elastic member 20. Indicates the state of Here, the upper side of the figure represents the radially outer side, and the lower side of the figure represents the radially inner side.

  As shown in FIG. 2 (A), the cross-sectional shape of the fan ring 10 is generally formed in a smooth curved shape that is convex inward in the radial direction. A front end wall 21, an intermediate wall 22 and a rear end wall 23 are respectively formed on the outer peripheral surface of the fan ring 10 so as to rise radially outward. An angular S-shaped bent crank 24 is formed at the front end of the ring side mounting bracket 12, and the crank 24 is fitted between the middle wall 22 and the rear end wall 23, and the middle wall 22 and the rear end After being engaged with the wall 23 itself, the crank 24 is welded to the fan ring 10.

  On the other hand, the elastic member 20 is formed by molding a rubber plate. As shown, the elastic member 20 has a radially outwardly projecting cross-sectional shape, in particular, a radially outwardly projecting chevron cross-sectional shape. Here, “a chevron shaped cross-sectional shape projecting radially outward” means that the top 25 of the elastic member 20 is located radially outward with respect to the front end 27 and the rear end 28 of the elastic member 20, and the top 25 Is a cross-sectional shape that is located between the front end 27 and the rear end 28 in the axial direction. In this embodiment, the front end portion 27, the top portion 25 and the rear end portion 28 have a cross-sectional shape that is smoothly connected in an arch shape, and has a cross-sectional shape that is symmetrical in the front-rear direction.

  Further, in the present embodiment, in the top 25 of the elastic member 20, a recess 26 that is recessed radially inward is formed. The recess 26 is formed like a slit extending around the entire circumference of the elastic member 20 as a whole.

  The front end 27 of the elastic member 20 is fixed to the inner surface of the front end wall 21, and the rear end 28 of the elastic member 20 is fixed to the inner surface of the middle wall 22. Thus, the elastic member 20 has a mountain-shaped cross-sectional shape between the front end wall 21 and the intermediate wall 22. The fixing method is optional, but may be adhered using an adhesive, or the elastic member 20 may be integrally molded simultaneously when the fan ring 10 is manufactured. In the state before deformation, the elastic member 20 protrudes radially outward with respect to the fan ring 10 (in particular, the front end wall 21 thereof) by a height H1.

  As shown in FIG. 2 (B), the open end 17 of the shroud 11 has a protrusion 30 projecting radially inward. In the case of the illustrated example, the protrusion 30 is formed by bending the rear end of the open end 17 radially inward at a right angle. The projecting portion 30 is formed in a circular ring shape when viewed across the opening end 17. The recess 26 is for receiving the protrusion 30.

  The open end 17 of the shroud 11 is attached to or engaged with the elastic member 20 by sliding it backward on the elastic member 20 and fitting the protrusion 30 into the recess 26. In the state after the attachment, as shown, the elastic member 20 is compressed radially inward, and the height of the elastic member 20 is reduced to H2. Then, in the elastic member 20, the top 25 adjacent to the front of the recess 26 is elastically brought into close contact with the inner circumferential surface 31 of the opening end 17, and a strong sealing state is realized. In particular, since the elastic member 20 has a chevron cross-sectional shape, only the top 25 is in close contact with each other, high contact pressure can be obtained at the contact portion between the two, and high sealability can be obtained. Of course, relative movement between the open end 17 and the fan ring 10 is permitted by elastic deformation of the elastic member 20.

  The assembling method will be described with reference to FIG. 1. The engine to which the fan 2 and the fan ring 10 are attached is previously attached to the vehicle body, and then the radiator 1 is attached to the vehicle body. When the radiator is attached, the shroud 11 is attached to the radiator 1 in advance and unitized. First, the open end 17 of the shroud 11 is positioned and positioned around the elastic member 20, and then the entire unit is pushed backward while deforming the elastic member 20 to slide the open end 17 on the elastic member 20, and finally The protrusion 30 is fitted into the recess 26. Thereby, attachment of the shroud 11 to the elastic member 20 is easily completed only by fitting. After this, the radiator 1 is attached to the vehicle body. The intercooler 6 may be attached to the radiator 1 in advance and be unitized, or may be attached to the radiator 1 after the radiator 1 is attached to the vehicle body.

  Although FIG. 1 shows an example in which the fan axis C is parallel to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, the fan axis C may be slightly inclined with respect to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. For example, if the engine is slightly inclined backward due to the layout of the vehicle, the fan shaft C is also slightly inclined backward.

  Next, the operation and effect of the present embodiment will be described in comparison with a comparative example.

  FIG. 3 shows a comparative example different from this embodiment, and shows a particularly general structure. In the comparative example, the gap between the shroud 11A and the fan ring 10A is closed by a rubber fan cover 40. The fan cover 40 has a ring-like overall shape and a curved or tongue-like cross-sectional shape, and its proximal end 41 is attached to the shroud 11A, and its distal end 42 is resiliently attached to the fan ring 10A. It is pressed and slidably contacted. The fan cover 40 is curved downward after extending rearward from the proximal end 41 and is slidably contacted with the fan ring 10A at its distal end 42.

  Since the engine is resiliently supported by the vehicle body via the engine mount, relative movement occurs between the engine and the radiator during traveling of the vehicle, and relative movement occurs between the shroud 11A and the fan ring 10A. . However, when the fan cover 40 is elastically deformed and slides on the fan ring 10A, relative movement of the both is allowed, and at the same time, air leakage is prevented.

  However, if the relative movement amount is increased due to any reason, the fan cover 40 may be detached from the fan ring 10A as shown by a virtual line in the drawing. In addition, the fan cover 40 has an initial natural shape extending radially inward of the fan ring 10A as shown by a phantom line so that the fan cover 40 can be in close contact with the fan ring 10A when mounted. For this reason, in the structure of the fan cover 40 of the comparative example, it is difficult to return to the original position after the fan cover 40 is detached, and the cover tends to be detached. As a result, the closed state of the gap can not be maintained, air leakage may occur, the fan cover 40 may be caught in the fan and be damaged, or repair in the maintenance shop may be necessary to reinstall the fan cover 40, etc. Problems can arise.

  Although the phantom line in the drawing shows the fan cover 40 detached to the front of the fan ring 10A, the fan cover 40 may be detached to the rear of the fan ring 10A at a circumferential position without the ring side mounting bracket 12.

  On the other hand, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the relatively small elastic member 20 fixed to the fan ring 10 with the open end 17 of the shroud 11 positioned radially outward of the fan ring 10 is an open end. It is in close contact with the inner circumferential surface of the part 17. In this case, since the elastic member 20 does not have an elongated structure as in the comparative example, the shape of the elastic member 20 is stabilized. Further, since the open end 17 of the shroud 11 is also made of a hard material such as resin, its shape is stable. As a result, the seal structure combining the two can stably maintain the sealed state.

  Further, since the projection 30 of the opening end 17 is fitted into the recess 26 of the elastic member 20, the elastic member 20 can be elastically deformed following the movement of the projection 30 even when relative movement occurs. . Thereby, the detachment of the projection 30 from the recess 26 can be suppressed, and the open end 17 can be made difficult to be detached from the elastic member 20.

  In addition, even if the relative movement amount is increased and the open end 17 is temporarily separated from the elastic member 20 and separated, it is possible to use the open end 17 with the opportunity that the relative movement amount is increased next. The elastic member 20 can be remounted. That is, even if the open end 17 is detached, it does not deform like the fan cover 40 of the comparative example, and maintains the same shape, so that the elastic member 20 can be easily reattached. Therefore, repair for reattachment is basically unnecessary.

  For the above reasons, according to the present embodiment, the closed state of the gap between the shroud 11 and the fan ring 10 can be stably maintained.

  Incidentally, the height H2 in the mounted state as shown in FIG. 2B is set to a sufficient height such that the shroud 11 and the fan ring 10 do not collide with each other when the shroud 11 and the fan ring 10 move relative to each other. There is. Such collision may cause collision noise, and at least one of the two may be damaged. The height H2 is set to a height sufficient to prevent the open end 17 from colliding with the crank portion 24 of the ring-side mounting bracket 12 as much as possible even if the open end 17 deviates to the rear of the elastic member 20. ing. If the height H2 is reduced on the contrary, although the above advantages are reduced, there is an advantage that the rigidity of the elastic member 20 is increased and the shape stability is increased.

  Next, a modification of this embodiment will be described. The same parts as those of the above-described basic embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals in the drawings and the description thereof is omitted, and the differences will be mainly described below.

  In the first modification, as shown by phantom lines in FIG. 2B, the open end 17 is further extended rearward, and an extension 50 located rearward of the recess 26 is formed. The projecting portion 30 is provided at a proximal end position of the extending portion 50, that is, at an intermediate position of the opening end 17 located a predetermined distance forward of the rear end 51 of the opening end 17.

  According to this, the top 25 of the elastic member 20 adjacent to the rear of the recess 26 can also be in close contact with the inner circumferential surface 31 of the opening end 17, and the sealing performance can be enhanced.

  Next, in a second modification shown in FIG. 4, the elastic member 20 is in the form of a tube made of a rubber plate and has a closed cross-sectional shape. The front end 27 of the elastic member 20 is fixed to the inner surface of the front end wall 21 of the fan ring 10, the rear end 28 is fixed to the inner surface of the middle wall 22 of the fan ring 10, and the inner peripheral wall 52 is a fan It is fixed to the outer circumferential surface 53 of the ring 10. Thus, the separate tubular elastic member 20 manufactured in advance can be easily fixed to the fan ring 10, and the mounting operation of the elastic member 20 can be facilitated.

  Next, in a third modification shown in FIG. 5, the protrusion 30 of the opening end 17 of the shroud 11 has an axial protrusion 54 protruding in the axial direction, and the recess 26 of the elastic member 20 is an axial protrusion It has an axial recess 55 for receiving 54.

  In the case of the present modification, the axial projections 54 are substantially triangular in cross section and provided in pair at the front and rear of the tip end of the projection 30, whereby the projection 30 is in the shape of an arrow. And, in a form complementary to this, the axial concave portion 55 is also made into a substantially triangular shape in cross section, and a pair is provided before and after the bottom of the concave portion 26, whereby the concave portion 26 has an arrow-like cross sectional shape.

  In this case, since the protrusion 30 is less likely to be detached from the recess 26, the detachment between the two can be suppressed and the sealed state can be further maintained. In addition, since the axial projection 54 and the axial recess 55 have an arrow-like cross-sectional shape, attachment of the projection 30 to the recess 26 (including reattachment after detachment) is facilitated, while the recess of the projection 30 is It is possible to make it difficult to leave 26.

  In addition, the shape of the axial direction protrusion 54 and the axial direction recessed part 55, arrangement | positioning, etc. are arbitrary. For example, their cross-sectional shapes may be semicircular or the like, or they may be provided only on one side.

  Next, in a fourth modification shown in FIG. 6, the elastic member 20 is formed of a rubber sponge containing a large number of air bubbles. The elastic member 20 is preferably made of an EPDM rubber sponge excellent in heat resistance, weather resistance, durability and the like. The elastic member 20 can be fixed to the fan ring 10 by adhesion or the like as the tube-like elastic member 20 shown in FIG. The same effect as that of the basic embodiment can be exhibited by this modification as well.

  Although not shown in the drawings, other variations are possible. For example, the number of the protrusions 30 and the recesses 26 may be plural. The configurations of the above-described basic embodiments and modifications can be combined partially or entirely, as long as there is no contradiction.

Second Embodiment
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the present embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that the opening end 17 of the shroud 11 has no protrusion 30 and the elastic member 20 also has no recess 26.

  As shown in FIG. 7A, the elastic member 20 has a smooth top 25. Further, as shown in FIG. 7B, the open end 17 of the shroud 11 also has a smooth inner circumferential surface 31. The open end portion 17 extends rearward from the top 25 and extends to the vicinity of the front and rear position of the intermediate wall 22 of the fan ring 10 as in the first modified example shown by a phantom line in FIG. . The other structural features are the same as the basic embodiment of the first embodiment shown in FIG.

  The open end 17 of the shroud 11 is attached to or engaged with the elastic member 20 by sliding it backward on the elastic member 20 and simply fitting it on the outside of the elastic member 20. In the state after the attachment, as shown in FIG. 7B, the elastic member 20 is compressed radially inward, and the height of the elastic member 20 is reduced from H1 to H2. Then, the top 25 of the elastic member 20 is elastically brought into close contact with the inner peripheral surface 31 of the opening end 17, so that a strong sealing state is realized. In particular, since the elastic member 20 has a chevron cross-sectional shape, only the top 25 is in close contact with each other, high contact pressure can be obtained at the contact portion between the two, and high sealability can be obtained. The relative relative movement between the open end 17 and the fan ring 10 is permitted by the elastic deformation of the elastic member 20.

  In addition, when the open end 17 moves in the axial direction relative to the fan ring 10, the relative movement is permitted by the open end 17 sliding on the elastic member 20. That is, the open end 17 is in contact with the elastic member 20 so as to be axially slidable. As a result, it is possible to relatively move the open end 17 and the elastic member 20 while keeping the close state between the open end 17 and the elastic member 20, and maintain the gap between the shroud 11 and the fan ring 10 in the closed state.

  In addition, even when the relative movement amount is increased and the open end 17 is temporarily separated from the elastic member 20 and separated, as in the above, the open end 17 is used by utilizing the opportunity when the relative movement amount is increased next. The elastic member 20 can be remounted.

  Thus, the closed state of the gap between the shroud 11 and the fan ring 10 can be stably maintained also in the present embodiment.

  Incidentally, the height H2 in the mounted state as shown in FIG. 7B is also set to a sufficient height such that the shroud 11 and the fan ring 10 do not collide with each other during relative movement. Further, the height H2 is set to a sufficient height such that the open end 17 does not collide with the crank portion 24 of the ring side mounting bracket 12 when the open end 17 slides backward with respect to the elastic member 20. ing.

  Next, a modification of this embodiment will be described. In the modification shown in FIG. 8, the shapes of the open end 17 and the elastic member 20 are changed. That is, the open end 17 and the elastic member 20 have tapered surfaces 60 and 61 which are gradually enlarged in diameter toward the rear (engine side) and can slide relative to each other.

  More specifically, the rear end 62 of the open end 17 is bent radially outward so as to be inclined with respect to the axial direction. A tapered surface 60 is formed by the inner peripheral surface of the rear end portion 62. On the other hand, correspondingly, the shape of the elastic member 20 is inclined with respect to the axial direction between the front end 27 and the rear end 28 rising radially outward, and between the front end 27 and the rear end 28 And the inclined portion 63 extending. A tapered surface 61 is formed by the outer peripheral surface of the inclined portion 63. The elastic member 20 is formed of a molded rubber plate as in the basic example of the first embodiment shown in FIG.

  When the open end 17 of the shroud 11 is attached to the elastic member 20, the elastic member 20 is compressed to reduce its height from H1 to H2, and the tapered surface 61 of the elastic member 20 is the tapered surface of the open end 17. Close to 60

  According to the configuration of the present modification, axial relative movement of the shroud 11 and the fan ring 10 is permitted by the sliding of the tapered surfaces 60 and 61. Further, since the tapered surfaces 60 and 61 are tapered with the rear side open, the opening end 17 can be easily attached to the elastic member 20 at the time of assembly. It is also easy to reattach after leaving. Therefore, according to this modification as well, it is possible to stably maintain the closed state of the gap between the shroud 11 and the fan ring 10.

  Also in the second embodiment, it is possible to apply the configuration of the tube-shaped elastic member 20 shown in FIG. 4 or the elastic member 20 made of a rubber sponge shown in FIG. Other various modifications are possible.

  The configurations of the above-described embodiments and the examples and modifications can be partially or totally combined unless there is a particular contradiction. The embodiments of the present invention are not limited to the above-described embodiments, and all variations, applications, and equivalents included in the concept of the present invention defined by the claims are included in the present invention. Accordingly, the present invention should not be interpreted in a limited manner, and can be applied to any other technology falling within the scope of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Radiator 2 Fan 10 Fan ring 11 Shroud 17 Opening end 20 Elastic member 26 Recess 30 Protrusion 54 Axial projection 55 Axial recess 60, 61 Tapered surface

Claims (6)

A radiator attached to the car body,
A fan rotatably mounted on the engine and disposed opposite the radiator;
A fan ring attached to the engine and surrounding the fan;
A shroud attached to the radiator and having a cylindrical open end located radially outward of the fan ring;
An elastic member fixed to the fan ring and releasably in contact with the inner circumferential surface of the open end of the shroud;
An engine cooling device for a vehicle comprising: The engine cooling device for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the elastic member has a chevron cross-sectional shape that protrudes radially outward. The engine cooling device for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the open end has a radially inward projecting portion, and the elastic member has a recess for receiving the projecting portion. The engine cooling device for a vehicle according to claim 3, wherein the protrusion has an axial protrusion that protrudes in the axial direction, and the recess has an axial recess that receives the axial protrusion. The engine cooling device for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the opening end axially slidably contacts the elastic member. The engine cooling device for a vehicle according to claim 5, wherein the opening end portion and the elastic member each have a tapered surface which gradually expands in diameter toward the engine side and can slide relative to each other.

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