Radiator filler neck

A radiator filler neck for use with a radiator includes a core between upper and lower tanks and a pressure-valve radiator cap. The filler neck includes a hollow cylindrical body including a side wall between upper and lower openings. The upper opening includes an upper sealing seat for the radiator cap. The lower opening includes an internal sealing seat for the pressure valve of the radiator cap. The body has an interior within the side wall and between the upper and lower openings. An overflow aperture is provided in the interior of the body to permit transfer of overflow from the interior via an overflow passage to a concealed exterior overflow outlet; and the side wall does not include a visible exterior overflow outlet.

RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority from Australian provisional patent application 2020904012 filed on 4 Nov. 2020 and Australian non-provisional application 2021212074 filed on 5 Aug. 2021. The contents of both applications are incorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to radiators that form part of the engine cooling system of motor vehicles, being radiators that receive circulating coolant that has been heated in an engine block, which is then cooled in the radiator by air flowing through the radiator, for return to the engine block. Radiators of this type typically include a filler neck to which is fitted a filler cap with a pressure-relief valve, the filler neck permitting addition of fresh coolant to the radiator and thus to the cooling system.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In normal operation, a water-cooled engine has interconnected coolant channels running through it, with all the channels converging to a single outlet at the top of the engine. A pump drives hot coolant out of the engine to a radiator, which is a form of heat exchanger, and unwanted heat is passed from the radiator into an air stream, with the cooled liquid then returning to an inlet at the bottom of the engine to flow back into the channels again.

Usually the pump sends coolant up through the engine and down through the radiator, taking advantage of the fact that hot water expands, becomes lighter and rises above cool water when heated. Its natural tendency is to flow upwards, and the pump assists circulation.

The radiator is linked to the engine normally by rubber hoses, and has upper and lower tanks connected by a core, the core being a bank of many fine tubes. The tubes pass through holes in a stack of thin sheet-metal fins, so that the radiator core has a very large surface area and can lose heat rapidly to the cooler air passing through it. The upper tank includes a coolant inlet, normally in the form of a radiator filler neck sealed with a removable radiator cap, and the lower tank includes a coolant drain.

On most motor vehicles the tubes of a radiator run vertically, hence the above reference to “upper” and “lower” tanks. However, many modern, customised or racing vehicles have crossflow radiators with tubes that run from side to side, meaning that the two tanks are more appropriately referred to as side tanks, or inlet and outlet tanks. Nonetheless, for the sake of convenience throughout this specification, reference will continue to be made to the more traditional upright configuration and thus to there being upper and lower radiator tanks. In doing so, it is to be understood that this reference is not to limit the filler neck of the present invention to any particular in-use orientation.

In an engine at its ordinary working temperature, the coolant is only just below normal boiling point. The risk of boiling is avoided by increasing the pressure in the system, which raises the boiling point. The extra pressure is limited by the use of a radiator cap that has a pressure valve in it, such that excessive pressure opens the valve, allowing coolant to flow out of the filler neck through an overflow aperture via an overflow outlet. In a cooling system of this type, there is thus a continual slight loss of coolant if the engine runs very hot and the system needs topping up from time to time. Alternatively, most modern vehicles include a sealed system in which any overflow goes into an expansion tank, from which it is sucked back into the engine when the remaining liquid cools.

In some vehicles, there is an aim to minimise or simplify the appearance of many parts of an engine, including non-engine parts housed in an engine bay, particularly for customised, restored or show vehicles (such as “Street Cars” and “Hot Rods”) where engine aesthetics is more important than it otherwise might be. Minimising or simplifying an engine bay is often referred to as “smoothing” an engine bay, and might including re-running wiring and tubing so as to hide it, filling holes, removing unnecessary items, or simply hiding parts behind other parts. Of course, it would also be important in such situations to have clean and/or new parts wherever possible, and often to replace existing parts with equivalent parts that might be coloured or stainless steel and the like.

A vehicle's radiator is one of the most visually prominent parts in an engine bay, often visible even with an engine hood lowered, primarily due to its normal location at the front of an engine. Indeed, the upper portions of a radiator are usually very visually prominent in an engine bay, meaning that the appearance and positioning of a radiator filler neck and its cap are often primary deliberations in the smoothing of engine bays. Thus, it would be beneficial if the overflow tubing often required for use with radiators could be omitted or hidden while still using reasonably standard radiator tanks, filler necks and caps.

Before turning to a summary of the solution provided by the present invention, it should be appreciated that reference to any prior art in this specification is not, and should not be taken as, an acknowledgment or any form of suggestion that this prior art forms part of the common general knowledge in any country. It should also be appreciated that a reference to “vehicle”, or to specific types of vehicles, throughout this specification is not intended to be a limitation of the type of vehicle or type of radiator that the radiator filler neck of this invention might be used with.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a radiator filler neck for use with a radiator, the radiator having a core between upper and lower tanks, and a pressure-valve radiator cap, the filler neck including:

a hollow cylindrical body including a side wall between upper and lower openings, the upper opening including an upper sealing seat for the radiator cap, the lower opening including an internal sealing seat for the pressure valve of the radiator cap, the body thus having an interior within the side wall and between the upper and lower openings;

wherein an overflow aperture is provided in the interior of the body to permit transfer of overflow from the interior via an overflow passage to a concealed exterior overflow outlet, and wherein the side wall does not include a visible exterior overflow outlet.

The radiator filler neck of the present invention may include more than one overflow aperture in the interior of the body, each overflow aperture permitting transfer of overflow from the interior via a respective overflow passage to a respective concealed exterior overflow outlet. For example, two, three or four arrangements of overflow aperture, passage and concealed outlet may be provided, positioned ideally symmetrically about the cylindrical body of the filler neck.

In one form of the present invention, the cylindrical body is annular with a side wall thickness that is large enough such that the side wall can form, on its top edge at the upper opening, the upper sealing seat upon which a sealing flange of a radiator cap can rest so as to seal the filler neck when properly engaged with the radiator cap. Additionally, it is normal to provide at the upper opening of a filler neck, on the exterior of the side wall, suitable engagement grooves in the side wall for correspondingly shaped engagement lugs on the radiator cap to slidingly engage with when securing the radiator cap to the filler neck. Therefore, the side wall thickness of the cylindrical body also needs to be large enough to allow formation of these engagement grooves without impacting on the integrity of the filler neck.

The internal sealing seat of the cylindrical body will normally be a radially inwardly directed annular flange formed integrally with the bottom edge of the cylindrical body, the flange being wide enough such that the pressure valve of a radiator cap can seal against it when the radiator cap is secured to the filler neck. As will be appreciated by a skilled addressee, when the pressure within the radiator and engine cooling system increases above a set-point predetermined by the configuration of the pressure valve, the pressure valve unseats and permits coolant to overflow through the lower opening of the filler neck from the radiator core and the upper tank into the interior of the radiator filler neck. The subsequent functioning of the overflow aperture, the overflow passage and the overflow outlet of the radiator filler neck of the present invention will be described further below.

During assembly of the radiator, the cylindrical body of the filler neck is preferably rigidly attached, such as by welding, at its lower end to an opening in the upper tank, so as to permit coolant to be added to the cooling system through the upper opening of the filler neck, through the interior of the cylindrical body and through the lower opening of the filler neck, into the radiator core and the upper tank. This attachment results in a portion of the cylindrical body being outside and above the upper tank, being a portion whose exterior is thus visible when the radiator is in use, and a portion (usually a much smaller portion) being inside the upper tank and thus being concealed from view when the radiator is in use.

Indeed, so as to avoid unnecessary obstructions in the upper tank, the cylindrical body may be welded to the upper tank at its lowermost extent, such that the bottom edge of the cylindrical body is flush (or substantially flush) with the inner surface of the upper tank wall.

In both of these forms of attachment of the filler neck to the upper tank, the bottom edge of the cylindrical body is exposed only to the interior of the upper tank.

As mentioned above, the radiator filler neck of the present invention includes an overflow aperture in the interior of the cylindrical body, which is located to permit transfer of overflow from the interior, via its overflow passage, to a concealed exterior overflow outlet, without there being a visible overflow outlet on any portion of the side wall that is externally visible (externally visible from the point of view of someone viewing a fully assembled radiator in situ in an engine bay of a vehicle). In a preferred form, the overflow passage is formed within the side wall of the cylindrical body from the interior overflow aperture to the concealed exterior overflow outlet.

In one form, the overflow passage is formed within the side wall, passing through the side wall to exit the filler neck from the bottom edge of the cylindrical body, the passage thus obviously being of a diameter that is less than the thickness of the side wall. In this form, the overflow aperture in the interior of the cylindrical body could be located anywhere in the interior, and only need be configured so as to open to the overflow passage within the side wall, permitting fluid flow from the interior through the passage to the overflow outlet. In this form, the overflow outlet is concealed due to the location of the bottom edge of the side wall within the upper tank. Once again, this concealment is from the point of view of someone viewing a fully assembled radiator in situ within the engine bay of a vehicle.

The overflow outlet may be any suitable form of outlet, and may for instance simply be an internally threaded aperture that is suitable for receiving and engaging with a threaded overflow tube, itself in fluid communication with an overflow tank, or may be a hose connector fitting that secures to an overflow hose. Such an overflow tube/hose may be located within or behind the radiator so as to also be concealed, such as by being passed within and/or through the upper tank, the radiator core (or through a cutaway portion of the radiator core), and/or the lower tank, or behind or beside the upper tank, radiator core and lower tank, and then passing to an overflow tank located at a suitable location in the engine bay, again preferably being a concealed location.

Returning to the description provided above of the overflow functioning of a radiator filler neck and the pressure valve of a radiator cap, once overflow has passed through the lower opening of the filler neck (past the pressure valve forced open by the pressure in the radiator core and the cooling system), the overflow is able to pass through the overflow aperture, along the overflow passage within the side wall of the cylindrical body, and down to the overflow outlet in the bottom edge of the side wall.

With suitable overflow tubing or hosing secured to the overflow outlet, and passing through and out from within the upper tank to a non-pressurised overflow tank, the overflow is able to fill that overflow tank until the radiator and cooling system pressure reduces below the set point. In this respect, it will also be appreciated that the provision in the radiator cap of a two-way pressure valve will also then permit the transfer of coolant from the overflow tank back to the cooling system via the same pathway under suitable pressure conditions.

With the overflow outlet of the filler neck, and the associated outflow tubing or hosing, all able to be concealed from view, a radiator that utilises the filler neck of the present invention is thus visually simplified and smoothed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Illustrated inFIGS. 1aand 1bis a radiator filler neck10for use with a radiator12associated with, for example, the engine cooling system of a motor vehicle (not shown). The radiator12has a radiator core14between an upper tank16and a lower tank18, and a pressure-valve radiator cap20. Engine mounting members22are provided with the core14for mounting the radiator within the engine bay of the vehicle, and a coolant inlet24is provided in fluid communication with the upper tank16, with a coolant outlet26provided in fluid communication with the lower tank18.

The filler neck10is shown in better detail inFIG. 1c, where the hollow cylindrical body28of the filler neck10is shown as having a cylindrical side wall30between an upper opening32and a lower opening34. The upper opening32includes an upper sealing seat36for the radiator cap20shown inFIGS. 1aand 1b. The lower opening34includes an internal sealing seat38for the pressure valve40of the radiator cap20(the pressure valve40being shown inFIG. 2). In this form, the cylindrical body28thus has an interior42within the side wall30and between the upper and lower openings32,34.

An overflow aperture50is provided in the interior42of the body28, with the overflow aperture50located to permit transfer of overflow (as will be explained below) from the interior42of the filler neck10through an overflow passage51to an exterior, but concealed, overflow outlet52and then to an overflow tube53(evident inFIGS. 1a, 1band2).

As can be seen inFIG. 2, the cylindrical body28of the filler neck10is annular with a side wall30thickness that is large enough such that the side wall30forms, on its top edge at the upper opening32, the upper sealing seat36upon which a sealing flange of a radiator cap20can rest so as to seal the filler neck10when properly engaged. Additionally, the filler neck10includes, on the exterior of the side wall30near the top edge thereof, suitable engagement grooves56in the side wall30for correspondingly shaped engagement lugs on the radiator cap20to slidingly engage when securing the radiator cap20to the filler neck10. Therefore, the side wall30thickness of the cylindrical body28is large enough to allow formation of these engagement grooves56without impacting on the integrity of the filler neck10.

The internal sealing seat38of the cylindrical body28is a radially inwardly directed annular flange60formed integrally with the bottom edge62of the cylindrical body28, the flange60being wide enough such that the pressure valve40of the radiator cap20can seal against it when the radiator cap20is secured to the filler neck10, as can be seen inFIG. 2.

The cylindrical body28of the filler neck10is rigidly secured by welding66, at its lower end to an opening in the upper tank16, so as to permit coolant to be added to the cooling system through the upper opening32of the filler neck10, through the interior42of the cylindrical body38and through the lower opening34of the filler neck10, to allow the radiator core14, the lower tank18and the upper tank16to be filled with a suitable amount of coolant. This connection to the upper tank16results in a portion of the cylindrical body38being outside and above the upper tank16, being a portion whose exterior is thus visible when the radiator12is in use, and a portion (a much smaller portion) being inside the upper tank16and thus being concealed when the radiator12is in use. Therefore, the bottom edge62of the cylindrical body38is within the interior68of the upper tank16and is concealed.

As generally described above, when the pressure within the radiator and engine cooling system increases above a set-point predetermined by the configuration of the pressure valve40, the pressure valve40unseats and permits coolant to overflow through the lower opening34of the filler neck10from the radiator core14and the upper tank16into the interior42of the filler neck10.

As mentioned above, the radiator filler neck10includes an overflow aperture50in the interior42of the cylindrical body38, which is located to permit transfer of overflow from the interior42to an exterior overflow outlet52, via an overflow passage51within the side wall30, without the overflow aperture50or the overflow outlet52being externally visible on any portion of the side wall30that is externally visible in situ. In this respect, whether something is externally visible is determined from the point of view of a user viewing a fully assembled radiator in situ within the engine bay of a vehicle.

The overflow passage51is within the side wall30and passes therethrough to exit the filler neck10from the bottom edge62of the cylindrical body28, the passage51thus being of a diameter that is less than the thickness of the side wall30. The overflow aperture50could be located anywhere in the interior42, and the overflow passage52could be of any suitable path and configuration through the side wall30, and only need be configured so as to provide fluid communication from the interior through the passage to the overflow outlet. Additionally, although not shown in this embodiment, the filler neck10could have any number of overflow aperture/passage/outlet arrangements as necessary, each configured similarly to that described above, and ideally arranged symmetrically about the cylindrical body28.

The overflow outlet52is shown as internally threaded aperture that is suitable for receiving and engaging with a threaded overflow tube53, itself in fluid communication with an overflow tank (not shown). In this embodiment, the overflow tube53passes within and through the upper tank16, and then along a cutaway portion70of the radiator core14), through the lower tank18, and then the overflow tank, again preferably in a concealed location.

A second embodiment of a filler neck in accordance with the present invention is illustrated inFIG. 3, where the same reference numerals as used above for the first embodiment have been adopted, but in the100series.

Illustrated inFIG. 3is a radiator filler neck110for use with a radiator (not shown) as generally described above. The hollow cylindrical body128of the filler neck110has a cylindrical side wall130between an upper opening132and a lower opening134. The upper opening132includes an upper sealing seat136for a radiator cap (not shown). The lower opening134includes an internal sealing seat138for the pressure valve of a radiator cap. The cylindrical body128thus has an interior142within the side wall130and between the upper and lower openings132,134.

Two opposing overflow apertures150,150aare provided in the interior142of the body128, with each overflow aperture150,150alocated to permit transfer of overflow from the interior142of the filler neck110through respective overflow passages151,151ato respective concealed exterior overflow outlets152,152a.

In this second embodiment though, the filler neck110is not attached directly to the upper tank116, but is connected via an adaptor200that is itself welded to the upper tank116. The adaptor200is sized to house the lower portion of the filler neck110, engaging therewith via a threaded opening202and a correspondingly threaded skirt extending downwardly from the lower opening134of the filler neck110, to form an overflow chamber204therebetween suitably sealed with O-rings206,208.

Thus, the overflow outlets152,152aare not connected directly to the overflow tube153, but are connected via the overflow chamber204and an associated overflow chamber aperture210and passageway212, and then to the overflow tube153.

This connection to the upper tank116again results in a portion of the cylindrical body138being outside and above the upper tank116, being a portion whose exterior is thus visible when the radiator is in use, and a portion being inside the upper tank116and thus being concealed when the radiator is in use. Therefore, the bottom edge162of the cylindrical body138is again within the interior168of the upper tank116such that the overflow outlet152is concealed and thus the side wall130does not include a visible exterior overflow outlet.

A third embodiment of a filler neck in accordance with the present invention is illustrated inFIGS. 4aand 4b, where the same reference numerals as used above for the first embodiment have been adopted, but in the300series.

Illustrated inFIGS. 4aand 4bis a radiator filler neck310for use with a radiator (not shown) as generally described above. The hollow cylindrical body328of the filler neck310has a cylindrical side wall330between an upper opening332and a lower opening334. The upper opening332includes an upper sealing seat336for a radiator cap (not shown). The lower opening334includes an internal sealing seat338for the pressure valve of a radiator cap. The cylindrical body328thus has an interior within the side wall330and between the upper and lower openings332,334.

An overflow aperture350is provided in the interior of the body328, with the overflow aperture350located to permit transfer of overflow from the interior of the filler neck310through an overflow passage (not shown) to a concealed exterior overflow outlet (not shown) and then to an overflow tube353. In this embodiment, the connection of the filler neck310to a radiator tank (not shown) may be at any point along the sidewall330, although will ideally be closely adjacent the underside of the flange90, such that the overflow outlet and the overflow tube353are concealed and thus the side wall330does not include a visible exterior overflow outlet or overflow tube.

A fourth embodiment of a filler neck in accordance with the present invention is illustrated inFIGS. 5aand45, where the same reference numerals as used above for the first embodiment have been adopted, but in the400series.

Illustrated inFIGS. 5aand 5bis a radiator filler neck410for use with a radiator (not shown) as generally described above. The hollow cylindrical body428of the filler neck410has a cylindrical side wall430between an upper opening432and a lower opening434. The upper opening432includes an upper sealing seat436for a radiator cap (not shown). The lower opening434includes an internal sealing seat438for the pressure valve of a radiator cap. The cylindrical body428thus has an interior within the side wall430and between the upper and lower openings432,434.

An overflow aperture450is provided in the interior of the body428, with the overflow aperture450located to permit transfer of overflow from the interior of the filler neck410through an overflow passage (not shown) to a concealed exterior overflow outlet (not shown) and then to an overflow tube453. In this embodiment, the connection of the filler neck410to a radiator tank (not shown) will ideally be closely adjacent the underside of the large, square flange92, such that the overflow outlet and the overflow tube453are again concealed within the radiator tank below the flange and thus the exposed part of the side wall430, above the flange92, does not include a visible exterior overflow outlet or overflow tube.

Finally, it will be understood that there may be other variations and modifications made to the configurations described above that will also be within the scope of the present invention.