WO2008004965A1

WO2008004965A1 - Cooler shutter

Info

Publication number: WO2008004965A1
Application number: PCT/SE2007/050470
Authority: WO
Inventors: Zoltan Kardos
Original assignee: Scania Cv Ab (Publ)
Priority date: 2006-07-03
Filing date: 2007-06-27
Publication date: 2008-01-10
Also published as: SE530115C2; SE0601458L

Abstract

The invention relates to a radiator louvre (10) for regulating the air flow through one or more cooler elements of a motor vehicle. The radiator louvre comprises a plurality of mutually superposed louvre blades (11, 11 ') pivotable about a common pivot spindle (12), and a control mechanism (20) by which the louvre blades can, by pivoting about said pivot spindle, be switched to and fro between a turned-in open position and a turned-out closed position.

Description

Cooler shutter

FIELD OF THE INVENTION AND STATE OF THE ART

The present invention relates to a radiator louvre for regulating the air flow through one or more cooler elements of a motor vehicle.

A cooler device for a motor vehicle usually comprises a radiator liquid cooler with a cooler element for cooling of radiator liquid for the motor vehicle's combustion engine. If the motor vehicle is provided with a supercharged combustion engine and/or a so-called EGR (exhaust gas recirculation) system for leading exhaust gases back to the combustion engine, the cooler device may also comprise a charge air cooler with a cooler element for cooling of charge air for the combustion engine and/or an EGR cooler with a cooler element for cooling of exhaust gases which are to be led back to the combustion engine. The respective cooler elements each have elongate pipelines extending parallel with and at a distance from one another, and cooling flanges connected to the pipelines, whereby the medium which is to be cooled (i.e. radiator fluid, charge air or exhaust gases respectively) is led through these pipelines and is cooled, via the cooling flanges, by ambient air which passes through air passages between the pipelines. The cooling flow of ambient air through the air passages is generated by movement of the vehicle and/or by a fan incorporated in the cooler device.

A known practice is to use screening means in the form of various types of radiator louvres for regulating the air flow through one or more cooler elements of a cooler device in a motor vehicle. These louvres are often arranged immediately in front of or behind one or more cooler elements and are usually manoeuvrable, either manually or automatically, by a control system to and fro between an open position in which the louvres do to only a small extent or not at all limit the air flow through the relating cooler element or elements, and a closed position in which the louvres substantially completely or at least largely limit the air flow through said cooler element or elements. A radiator louvre of the type indicated above often comprises a number of pivotable blades each adapted to being pivoted about its pivot spindle extending in the blade's axial direction during manoeuvring of the louvre between the aforesaid open and closed positions. In the open position the respective blades usually extend substantially perpendicular to the adjacent cooler element's side surface and in the closed position the respective blades usually extend substantially parallel with the cooler element's side surface. Radiator louvres of this type are known from, for example, US 4 753 288 A and DE 3 836 374 Al.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

The object of the present invention is to provide a radiator louvre which is of relatively simple and space-saving configuration.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to the present invention, said object is achieved with a radiator louvre exhibiting the features indicated in claim 1.

According to the invention, the radiator louvre comprises a plurality of mutually superposed blades pivotable about a common pivot spindle, and a control mechanism by which the blades can, by pivoting about said spindle, be switched to and fro between a turned-in open position and a turned-out closed position. This louvre is of fan-like construction. With the construction according to the invention, it is possible to achieve a radiator louvre of simple configuration. In the radiator louvre according to the invention, an individual blade may be arranged to be always in the same plane irrespective of the louvre's setting position, which means that the individual blade, supposing that it is of slight thickness, occupies very little space perpendicular to that plane whatever the setting position. The result is that a radiator louvre according to the invention is well suited to use in narrow spaces. Preferred embodiments of the radiator louvre according to the invention are indicated by the dependent claims and the description set out below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention is described in more detail below on the basis of embodiment examples with reference to the attached drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 depicts a schematic front view of a radiator louvre according to an embodiment of the present invention, with the louvre in an open position,

Fig. 2 depicts the radiator louvre according to Fig. 1 in a closed position,

Fig. 3 depicts an enlarged detail of parts of constituent blades of the radiator louvre according to Fig. 1 , and

Fig. 4 depicts an enlarged detail corresponding to Fig. 3 of parts of radiator louvre blades of an alternative configuration.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Figs. 1-3 illustrate a radiator louvre 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. This radiator louvre is for regulating the air flow through one or more cooler elements 1, 2 of a motor vehicle. The louvre 10 comprises a plurality of mutually superposed blades 11 pivotable about a common pivot spindle 12, and a control mechanism 20 by which the blades 11 can, by pivoting about said spindle 12, be switched to and fro between a turned-in open position (see Fig. 1) and a turned-out closed position (see Fig. 2). In the closed position, the blades 11 together screen a larger area than in the open position, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2. The louvre blades 11 are so arranged that in the open position they are stacked on top of one another, as illustrated in Fig. 1. In the embodiment illustrated, the respective blades 11 each have substantially the shape of a narrow thin circle sector. In this case the blades 11 are so arranged that in the closed position they together cover an area of circle sector shape, as illustrated in Fig. 2. Mutually adjacent blades 11 are so arranged that in the closed position they overlap one another along their long sides facing one another. The blades 11 are with advantage provided with seal strips (not depicted) for sealing the joints 13 between mutually adjacent blades.

The louvre blades 11 may for example be made of thin sheetmetal, e.g. sheet aluminium.

Each louvre blade 11 is pivotable in its plane of extent about said pivot spindle 12 and has an inner end 11a via which the blade is supported for pivoting about the spindle 12, and an opposite outer end l ib accommodated in a guide groove in a guide rail 14. The outer end 1 Ib of the blade 11 is movable along the guide rail 14 during the pivoting of the blade about the spindle 12.

The louvre blades 11 are provided with entrainment means 30 for causing the blades to drag one another along during their pivoting from the open position to the closed position.

In the example illustrated in Fig. 3, the entrainment means 30 take the form of tabs 31 and protrusions 32 cooperating with the tabs. In this case, each of the pivotable blades 11 is provided, at its outer side edge l ie, i.e. the side edge facing towards the guide rail 14, with such a tab 31 protruding from the side edge 1 Ic in the plane of the blade. Each of the pivotable blades 11 is also provided at its outer side edge l ie with a protrusion on the upper side of the blades 11. The tabs 31 are arranged on what in the turn-out direction Pl is seen as the rear portion of the outer side edge 1 Ic of the respective blade, while the protrusions 32 are arranged on what is seen in the turn-out direction as the forward portion of the outer side edge l ie of the respective blade. During turning out of a blade 11 in the direction indicated by the arrow Pl , its tab 31 will, after the blade has turned through a certain angle, come to abut against the protrusion 32 of the next blade below, with the result that continued pivoting in the turn-out direction Pl will cause the upper blade to drag with it in rotation about the pivot spindle 12 the blade situated immediately below. To ensure that it is only acted upon by the blade situated immediately above, the protrusion 32 on a blade 11 may only protrude to a height equal to or less than the thickness of the blade immediately above.

Alternatively, the entrainment means 30 might take the form of bent-down hooks and tabs cooperating with the hooks. In that case each of the pivotable blades 11 is provided at its outer side edge l ie, i.e. the side edge facing towards the guide rail 14, with such a hook, which protrudes from the side edge l ie and is bent down towards the blade below. Each of the pivotable blades 11 is further provided at its outer side edge l ie with a tab protruding in the plane of the blade. In such cases the hooks are arranged on what is seen in the turn-out direction Pl as the rear portion of the outer side edge 1 Ic of the respective blade, whereas the tabs are arranged on what is seen in the turn-out direction as the forward portion of the outer side edge l ie of the respective blade. During turning out of a blade 11, its hook will, after the blade has turned through a certain angle of rotation, abut against the tab of the blade immediately below, with the result that continued pivoting in the turn-out direction will cause the upper blade to drag with it in rotation about the pivot spindle 12 the blade situated immediately below. To ensure that it only acts upon the blade situated immediately below, the hook of a blade 11 may only be bent down to an extent equal to or smaller than the thickness of the blade situated immediately below.

In the example illustrated in Fig. 4, the entrainment device 30 takes the form of short narrow pegs 33 and recesses 34 cooperating with the pegs. In this case each of the pivotable blades 11 is provided at its outer end l ib with such a peg 33 which protrudes up from the upper side of the blade towards the blade situated immediately above. The pegs 33 are arranged on what it in the turn-out direction Pl is seen as the rear portion of the respective blade. Each of the pivotable blades 11 is further provided at its outer end 1 Ib with an elongate recess 34 extending along the blade's outer side edge l ie. The recess 34 has with advantage the shape of a slit which extends substantially parallel with the blade's outer side edge and is somewhat larger in width than the diameter of the peg of the blade immediately below, as illustrated in Fig. 4. During turning out of a blade 11 in the direction represented by the arrow Pl, its peg 33 will move in the recess 34 of the blade situated immediately above and will, after the blade has turned through a certain angle of rotation, abut against a stop in the form of the forward edge of the recess 34, with the result that continued pivoting in the turn-out direction Pl will cause the blade to drag with it in rotation about the pivot spindle 12 the blade situated immediately above. To ensure that it only acts upon the blade situated immediately above, the length of the peg 33 of a blade 11 may only be equal to or less than the thickness of the blade situated immediately above. The pegs 33 might of course alternatively be arranged to protrude from the underside of the blades in order to engage with a recess provided in the blade situated immediately below.

The louvre blade 11 ' turned out furthest in the closed position is provided with an entrainment device 40 (see Fig. 2) to enable it, during pivoting from the closed position to the open position, to drag with it the other blades 11 in order to turn them back to the open position. This entrainment device 40, which may for example have the shape of a tab or peg, is with advantage arranged on what in the turn-out direction Pl is seen as the forward side edge 1 Id of this blade 11 ' and will protrude from its side plane far enough to be able to engage successively with the forward side edge of all the blades situated below or above during pivoting in the return direction P2 in order to drag them with it from the turned-out closed position to the turned-in open position.

In the embodiment illustrated, the control mechanism 20 comprises a drawline 21 connected to the blade 11 ' turned out furthest in the closed position, by means of which drawline the blades can be drawn from the open position to the closed position. The control mechanism 20 further comprises a manoeuvring means 22, preferably in the form of an electric motor, for applying a pulling force to the drawline 21, and a return spring 23 connected to said blade 11 ' to bring the blades back from the closed position to the open position. The return spring 23 is with advantage arranged to extend about the blades' pivot spindle 12 and may for example take the form of a coil spring or leaf spring.

The forward louvre blade 11 ' may thus be pivoted, against the action of the return spring 23, from the turned-in open position to the turned-out closed position (i.e. anticlockwise in Figs. 1 and 2) by drawing in the drawline 21. During this pivoting movement, the other blades will successively be entrained in rotation about the pivot spindle 12 by the aforesaid entrainment means 30. When thereafter the drawline is released, the return spring 23 will pivot the forward blade 11 ' back towards the open position (i.e. clockwise in Figs. 1 and 2). During this returning pivoting movement, the other blades will successively be entrained in rotation about the spindle 12 by the aforesaid entrainment means 40.

The radiator louvre 10 according to the invention is for example suited to being used for limiting the flow of cooling ambient air through a cooler device comprising a charge air cooler 3 for cooling of charge air for the combustion engine of a motor vehicle and an EGR cooler 4, arranged beside and substantially in plane with the charge air cooler, for cooling of exhaust gases which are to be led back to said combustion engine, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2. In such situations, the louvre 10 is arranged immediately in front of or behind these coolers 3, 4 in such a way that in the closed position it screens substantially the whole of the EGR cooler's cooler element 2 but only part of the charge air cooler's cooler element 1. For satisfactory functioning of the motor vehicle's combustion engine, it is in fact sufficient to prevent ice formation in the EGR cooler's cooler element and in a smaller portion of the charge air cooler's cooler element so that the pipelines of the EGR cooler's cooler element are kept open for exhaust gases to flow through and at least some of the pipelines of the charge air cooler's cooler element are kept open for charge air to flow through in cold weather.

The invention is of course in no way limited to the embodiments described above, since many possibilities for modifications thereof are likely to be obvious to a specialist in the field without thereby departing from the fundamental concept of the invention as defined in the attached claims.

Claims

1. A radiator louvre for regulating the air flow through one or more cooler elements of a motor vehicle, characterised in that the radiator louvre (10) comprises a plurality of mutually superposed louvre blades (11, 11') pivotable about a common pivot spindle (12), and a control mechanism (20) by which the louvre blades (11, 11') can, by pivoting about said pivot spindle (12), be switched to and fro between a turned-in open position and a turned-out closed position.

2. A radiator louvre according to claim 1 , characterised in that the louvre blades (11, 11') are so arranged that in the open position they are stacked on top of one another.

3. A radiator louvre according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that mutually adjacent louvre blades (11, 11') are so arranged that in the closed position they overlap one another along their long sides facing one another.

4. A radiator louvre according to any one of claims 1-3, characterised in that the louvre blades (11, 11 ') are provided with entrainment means (30) for causing the louvre blades to drag one another along during pivoting of the louvre blades from the open position to the closed position.

5. A radiator louvre according to any one of claims 1 -4, characterised in that the louvre blade (11 ') turned out furthest in the closed position is provided with an entrainment means (40) for ensuring that, during pivoting from the closed position to the open position, it drags with it the other louvre blades in order to pivot them back to the open position.

6. A radiator louvre according to any one of claims 1 -5, characterised in that the control mechanism (20) comprises a drawline (21) connected to at least one of the louvre blades (11 ') for drawing the louvre blades from the open position to the closed position.

7. A radiator louvre according to claim 6, characterised in that the control mechanism (20) comprises a manoeuvring means (22), preferably in the form of an electric motor, for applying a pulling force to the drawline (21).

8. A radiator louvre according to any one of claims 1 -7, characterised in that the control mechanism (20) comprises a return spring (23) connected to at least one of the louvre blades (11 ') for returning the louvre blades from the closed position to the open position.

9. A radiator louvre according to any one of claims 1-8, characterised in that the louvre blades (11, 11 ') are so configured that in the closed position they jointly cover a circle sector-shaped area.

10. A radiator louvre according to any one of claims 1 -9, characterised in that each louvre blade (11, 11 ') is pivotable in its own plane of extent about said pivot spindle (12).

11. A radiator louvre according to any one of claims 1-10, characterised in that each louvre blade (11, 11 ') has an inner end (1 Ia) via which the louvre blade is supported for pivoting about said pivot spindle (12), and an opposite outer end (1 Ib) which is accommodated in a guide rail (14) and is movable along this guide rail during the louvre blade's pivoting about the pivot spindle (12).