WO2018162826A1

WO2018162826A1 - Cooling unit for motor vehicle front end

Info

Publication number: WO2018162826A1
Application number: PCT/FR2018/050488
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jean-Paul Herlem; Stephan ANDRE
Original assignee: Valeo Systemes Thermiques
Priority date: 2017-03-06
Filing date: 2018-03-02
Publication date: 2018-09-13
Also published as: FR3063456A1; FR3063456B1; CN211592230U; EP3592595A1

Abstract

The subject of the invention is a cooling unit for a motor vehicle front end, the unit (1) comprising a housing (2) and at least one heat exchanger encapsulated in the housing (2), the housing (2), comprising: – a frame (3) accommodating an air inlet regulating device (4) provided with at least one mobile flap, referred to as the front frame, – a hood (5), referred to as the rear hood, the said frame and the said hood being fixed to one another removably, the housing (2) delimiting a closed volume (V) and being configured modularly so as to allow the said at least one exchanger to be fitted into and removed from the housing in a longitudinal direction (X) and/or in a transverse direction (Y) and/or in a vertical direction (Z).

Description

COOLING UNIT FOR FRONT OF VEHICLE

AUTOMOBILE

The subject of the invention is a cooling unit for the front face of a motor vehicle.

The normal operation of a motor vehicle requires the intake and the capture of a large quantity of air, for the air supply of the engine or of one of its elements such as the turbocharger, or for the cooling of an element of the engine or the passenger compartment of the vehicle.

This large amount of air is captured by the front of the vehicle. Part of the air flow thus captured is passed through a cooling system, also called "cooling unit", arranged between the front face of the vehicle and the vehicle engine, before being admitted into the engine to allow the fuel combustion. The heat treatment module includes heat exchangers forming part of a cabin air conditioning heat loop and an engine cooling radiator.

A major drawback of these cooling units lies in the fact that part of the air arriving through the inlet orifice does not pass through the heat exchanger (s) and dissipates spontaneously in the engine compartment.

Such a disadvantage then necessitates the provision of relatively large heat exchangers in order to ensure an appropriate heat exchange for the desired cooling performance in the circulation loops passing through these heat exchangers.

Another drawback of known cooling units lies in the fact that the heat exchangers arranged in the cooling unit are difficult to access. The slightest operation on one any of the components of this cooling unit requires in fact to disassemble at least the upper portion of the housing.

The present invention aims to improve the situation.

For this purpose, the subject of the invention is a cooling unit for a front face of a motor vehicle, the unit comprising a housing and at least one heat exchanger mounted in the housing, the housing comprising:

a housing frame of an air inlet regulating device provided with at least one movable flap, said front frame,

a cover, said back cover, said frame and said cover being removably attached to one another, the housing delimiting a closed volume and comprising removable junction elements to selectively allow assembly or disassembly of said at least one an exchanger in the housing in at least two different mounting or dismounting directions.

Thanks to the unit according to the present invention, the leaks around the heat exchanger or exchangers are limited, which makes it possible to improve its efficiency and to reduce the dimensions of the heat exchanger or heat exchangers, thus reducing the space requirement and the weight of the cooling unit. The enclosure defining a closed volume is configured in a modular manner, namely that it consists of a set of modules or juxtaposable elements combinable with other elements of the same nature or contributing to the same function. The housing is associated with a support to allow the implementation and the juxtaposition of the heat exchangers as well as other elements such as a set of controlled flaps, a fan motor group, etc. tightly.

The casing thus allows a mounting or disassembly of the at least one exchanger in the casing according to at least two different mounting or dismounting directions, namely a longitudinal direction, a transverse direction and / or a vertical direction, independently of the others. heat exchangers or other elements such as the motor-fan unit, etc.

In addition, access to the heat exchangers that comprise the cooling unit is facilitated, which simplifies the maintenance operations to be performed on these heat exchangers throughout the life of the vehicle.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the rear cover comprises a housing for a motor-fan unit for moving air.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the housing comprises at least one removable connecting element between the front frame and the rear cover.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the housing comprises at least one connection cover between the front frame and the rear cover.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the housing comprises a single cover, a removable connecting element between the front frame and the rear cover, a removable connecting element between the cover and the front frame and a removable connecting element between the cover and the back cover.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the housing comprises two covers, said first and second cover, a removable connecting element between the front frame and the first cover, a removable connecting element between the front frame and the second cover, a removable connecting element between the first cover and the rear cover and a removable connecting element between the second cover and the rear cover.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the housing comprises fasteners of the unit to a beam of the motor vehicle.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the unit comprises a cooling radiator of the vehicle engine and / or a condenser of a heating, ventilation and / or air conditioning device of the vehicle and / or an evaporator of the heating device, ventilation and / or air conditioning and / or a subcooler of the heating, ventilation and / or air conditioning device.

The invention also relates to a structure for a front end of a motor vehicle, comprising a cooling unit as described above.

Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent on reading the description which follows. This is purely illustrative and should be read in conjunction with the attached drawings in which:

- Figure 1 illustrates an exploded view of a cooling unit according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 illustrates a schematic cross-sectional view of a housing of the unit of FIG. 1 according to a first embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 3 illustrates a schematic cross-sectional view of a housing of the unit of FIG. 1 according to a second embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 4 illustrates a schematic cross-sectional view of a housing of the unit of FIG. 1 according to a third embodiment of the invention; and

- Figure 5 illustrates a schematic cross-sectional view of a housing of the unit of Figure 1 according to a fourth embodiment of the invention.

Referring to Figure 1, the cooling unit 1 comprises a housing 2 in which is encapsulated at least one heat exchanger (three heat exchangers in Figure 1). By encapsulated means that the heat exchanger or heat exchangers are included in the housing 2 so sealed without air leak around the heat exchanger or exchangers.

The housing 2 comprises a frame 3 for housing an air inlet regulating device provided with at least one movable flap 4, said front frame 3.

The housing 2 also comprises a cover 5, said back cover.

In Figure 1, the air inlet control device 4 comprises an upper portion 6 of movable flaps and a lower portion 7 of movable flaps.

In FIG. 1, the three heat exchangers encapsulated in the casing 2 are respectively a radiator 8, a condenser 9 and an evaporator 10.

As can be seen in FIG. 1, the rear cover 5 comprises a motor-fan unit 1 1 for moving air in order to suck air into the motor vehicle.

The casing 2 comprises, in the embodiment of FIG. 1, an upper cover 10 connecting the front frame 3 and the rear cover 5.

The upper cover 10 is shaped to cover the front frame 3, the three heat exchangers 8, 9 and 10, and the rear cover 5.

In its position installed in the motor vehicle, the housing 2 is arranged so that the frame 3 is disposed forward, while the cover 4 is arranged behind, relative to an inlet direction of a flow of air F in the case.

The air flow F is mainly parallel to a longitudinal direction of the motor vehicle, denoted X.

A transverse direction is noted Y.

A vertical direction is noted Z.

The housing 2 therefore extends in a longitudinal direction (X), transverse (Y) and vertical (Z), for example relative to the axes of the vehicle, once mounted.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the front frame 3 and the rear cover 4 are removably attached to one another.

The housing 2 delimits a closed volume, V, in which the heat exchangers are disposed (more particularly visible in FIGS. 2 to 5).

The housing 2 is configured in a modular way to allow assembly and disassembly of at least one of the exchangers in the longitudinal direction X, the transverse direction Y, the vertical direction Z, or a combination of these directions, as it will to be detailed.

As shown in the figures, the housing 2 comprises at least one removable connecting element.

The removable junction element is for example a sealless sealing bead provided with two fingers which cooperate with each other, known per se.

As can be seen from FIG. 1, the casing comprises members 20 for fastening the unit 1 to a beam of the motor vehicle, not shown.

With reference to FIG. 2, the closed volume is delimited solely by the front frame 3 and the rear cover 5.

The housing 2 comprises at least one removable connecting element between the front frame 3 and the rear cover 5.

In FIG. 2, the housing 2 comprises two removable connecting elements between the front frame 3 and the rear cover 5.

The first removable connecting element, 12, is disposed in the upper part, while the other removable connecting element 13 is arranged in the lower part.

Upper part means part near the vehicle bonnet, as opposed to the lower part, which is understood to be close to the floor of the vehicle. In other words, the upper part corresponds to the highest part of the cooling unit 1 in the vertical direction (Z) and, by analogy, the lower part corresponds to the lowest part of the cooling unit 1 according to the vertical direction (Z).

Because the connecting elements are removable, it is possible to reversibly separate the front frame 3 of the rear cover 5, which allows access to the heat exchangers in the housing 2.

According to the configuration of FIG. 2, it is possible to assemble and disassemble the heat exchangers, if only one of the removable junction elements is detached, either in the Z direction or in a combination of the Z and X directions (by pivoting of the exchanger).

With reference to FIG. 3, the closed volume is delimited solely by the front frame 3, the rear cover 5 and a connection cover 14 of the front frame 3 and the rear cover 5.

The connection cover 14 is called the lower cover 14.

In FIG. 3, the housing 2 comprises an upper removable connecting element 12 between the front frame 3 and the rear cover 5, a lower removable connecting element 13 between the lower cover 14 and the front frame 3 and a removable connecting element lower 13 'between the lower cover 14 and the rear cover 5.

The lower cover 14 extends in the direction X, orthogonal to the front frame 3 and the rear cover 5.

The lower junction elements 15 and 16 are advantageously secured to the ends of the lower cover 14.

Because the connecting elements 12, 13 are removable, it is possible to reversibly separate the front frame 3, the rear cover 5 and the lower cover 14, which allows access to the heat exchangers in the housing 2 In other words, the housing 2 comprises junction elements 12, 13 removable so as to be able to configure the unit of cooling 1, including the housing 2, and thus access the heat exchangers in a direction X, Y or Z depending on the constraints, for example steric nature, and the needs of the front panel module.

According to the configuration of Figure 3, it is possible to assemble and disassemble the heat exchangers:

if the two lower removable connecting elements 13, 13 'are detached, in the direction Z (from below),

- If one of the removable connecting elements 12, 13, 13 ', is detached, either in the Z direction or in a combination of directions Z and X (by pivoting the exchanger).

With reference to FIGS. 4 and 5, the closed volume is delimited solely by the front frame 3, the rear cover 5 and two connection covers of the front frame 3 and the rear cover 5.

The first connection cover is called lower cover 14.

The second connection cover is the top cover 10.

The upper cover 10 and the lower cover 14 extend parallel to the X direction in the embodiment of FIG. 4 and parallel to the X direction and the Z direction in the embodiment of FIG. 5.

In FIGS. 4 and 5, the housing 2 comprises:

two upper movable connecting elements 12, 12 'respectively between the front frame 3 and the top cover 10, and the top cover 10 and the rear cover 5, and

two lower removable connecting elements 13, 13 'respectively between the lower cover 14 and the front frame 3 and the lower cover 14 and the rear cover 5.

The upper (respectively lower) joining elements are advantageously secured to the ends of the upper cover (respectively lower).

Because the connecting elements are removable, it is possible to reversibly separate the front frame 3, the rear cover 5, the lower cover 14, and the top cover 10, which allows access to the heat exchangers in the case 2.

According to the configurations of FIGS. 4 and 5, it is possible to assemble and disassemble the heat exchangers:

if the two lower removable junction elements or the two upper removable junction elements are detached, in the Z direction from below (respectively from the top),

if one of the removable junction elements is detached, either in the Z direction or in a combination of the Z and X directions (by pivoting the exchanger), and

- If the two removable joining elements associated with the front frame, or the two removable connecting elements associated with the rear cover are detached, in the X direction.

Of course, the invention is not limited to the illustrated embodiments.

For example, it is possible to provide, in addition or replacement of the lower and upper covers, one or two side covers extending in the direction Y between the front frame 3 and the rear cover 5.

Note that the top cover is not shaped to serve as a hood of the motor vehicle nor can it help to close the hood of the vehicle.

It is also noted that, in so far as they are not incompatible, the described embodiments can be combined with one another.

The unit according to the present invention comprising a casing for encapsulating heat exchangers, air leaks are limited, which reduces the size of heat exchangers while improving the coefficient of thermal performance of the vehicle, and reduce the emission of C0 ₂ of the motor vehicle.

The housing according to the invention being modular, that is to say that the elements constituting it (the front frame, the rear cover, possibly the cover or caps) are reversibly detachable, access to the exchangers is facilitated while throughout the life of the vehicle, whether for assembly in original equipment or assembly and disassembly during maintenance operation of the vehicle, or for a retrofit.

The invention also relates to a structure for a front end of a motor vehicle, comprising the cooling unit 1.

The support comprises the beam integral with the cooling unit.

The beam is advantageously a bottom rail, an upper cross member, or a lateral amount of the support.

The support optionally comprises an anti-bumper beam.

Claims

1. Cooling unit (1) for the front face of a motor vehicle, the cooling unit (1) comprising a housing (2) and at least one heat exchanger (8, 9, 10) included in the housing (2), the housing (2) comprising:

a frame (3) for housing an air inlet regulating device (4) provided with at least one movable flap, said front frame,

a cover (5), said rear cover, said frame and said cover being removably attached to one another, the housing (2) delimiting a closed volume (V) and comprising removable connecting elements (12); , 13) for selectively enabling said at least one exchanger to be mounted or dismantled in the housing (2) in at least two different mounting or dismounting directions.

2. Cooling unit according to claim 1, wherein the rear cover (5) comprises a housing for a motor-fan unit (1 1) for moving air.

3. Cooling unit according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the housing (2) comprises at least one removable connecting element (12, 13) between the front frame (3) and the rear cover (5).

4. Cooling unit according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the housing (2) comprises at least a connection cover (10, 14) of the front frame (3) and the rear cover (5).

Cooling unit according to claim 4, wherein the housing (2) comprises a single cover (14), a removable connecting element (12) between the front frame (3) and the rear cover (5), an element detachable joint (13) between the cover (14) and the front frame (3) and a removable connecting element (13 ') between the cover (14) and the rear cover (5).

6. Cooling unit according to claim 4, wherein the housing (2) comprises two covers (10, 14), said first and second cover, a removable connecting element (12) between the front frame (3) and the first cover (10), a removable connecting element (13) between the front frame (3) and the second cover (14), a removable connecting element (12 ') between the first cover (10) and the rear cover (5). ) and a removable connecting element (13 ') between the second cover (14) and the rear cover (5).

7. Cooling unit according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the housing (2) comprises fasteners (20) of the unit (1) to a beam of the motor vehicle.

Cooling unit according to one of the preceding claims, comprising a cooling radiator of the vehicle engine and / or a condenser of a heater, ventilation and / or air conditioning of the vehicle and / or an evaporator of the heating device. , ventilation and / or air conditioning and / or a subcooler of the heating, ventilation and / or air conditioning device.

9. Structure for front face of a motor vehicle, comprising a cooling unit (1) according to one of the preceding claims.