Patent ID: 8534569
Filing Date: 2013-09-17
Classification: F01P

Abstract:
1. A cooling device for a vehicle, comprising: a first passage through which a cooling medium is circulated between the an interior of an engine and a radiator; a second passage through which the cooling medium is circulated between the interior of the engine and a heater core; and a thermostat that operates in response to a temperature of the cooling medium, wherein the thermostat permits circulation of the cooling medium in the first passage when the temperature of the cooling medium is high, and stops the circulation of the cooling medium in the first passage when the temperature of the cooling medium is low, wherein the second passage functions as a bypass passage through which the cooling medium circulates bypassing the radiator when the temperature of the cooling medium is low; wherein the thermostat includes: a temperature sensitive portion; a valve body that is moved in correspondence with the temperature of the cooling medium flowing around the temperature sensitive portion, in such a manner as to selectively permit and stop the circulation of the cooling medium through the first passage; and a tubular guide member that covers an outer circumference of the temperature sensitive portion and guides the cooling medium that has flowed into the thermostat via the second passage to a space around the temperature sensitive portion; wherein a clearance between the temperature sensitive portion and the guide member forms a variable passage; and wherein the thermostat is configured to decrease a minimum cross-sectional area of the variable passage when the valve body permits the circulation of the cooling medium through the first passage, compared to the minimum cross-sectional area of the variable passage at the time when the valve body stops the circulation of the cooling medium through the first passage.