Electrical connecting device for a motorized fan unit mounted on a finned body of a heat exchanger

In an assembly consisting of a heat exchanger, such as a cooling radiator for the internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle, together with a motorized fan unit mounted on the finned body of the heat exchanger for providing a forced draught through the latter, the motorized fan unit comprises an electric motor fixed on the heat exchanger body and driving a fan rotor which lies facing a major face of the heat exchanger body. A bundle of electric cables extending from the motor extends along at least part of that major face. The assembly includes an electrical connecting means including the bundle of cables and fastening means which holds the bundle of cables flat against the heat exchanger body and out of any contact with the fan rotor.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to an electrical connecting device for supplying 
power to a motorised fan unit mounted on a finned body of a heat 
exchanger, in particular a heat exchanger consisting of a radiator for 
cooling an internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle. More 
particularly, the invention is concerned with the electrical connections 
for a motorised fan unit that comprises an electric motor fixed on the 
finned body of the heat exchanger and driving a fan rotor which is 
disposed in facing relationship with one major face of the finned body. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
A heat exchanger of the above type is known from the publication of French 
patent specification No. 2 573 128, which discloses an arrangement in 
which the electric motor of the motorised fan unit is secured directly on 
the body of the heat exchanger instead of being secured either by cross 
members (or traverses), or by elements of the chassis or bodywork of the 
vehicle, as in conventional arrangements. The arrangement disclosed in the 
above mentioned French patent specification enables, in particular, the 
overall size of the assembly consisting of the heat exchanger and 
motorised fan unit to be reduced, while also reducing noise set up by the 
fan and also improving the flow of air delivered to the body of the heat 
exchanger by the fan. 
However, this known arrangement gives rise to a problem in connection with 
the electrical connections for the power supply to the motorised fan unit, 
due to the fact that the electric motor is located between the finned body 
of the heat exchanger and the fan itself, by contrast with conventional 
arrangements in which the fan rotor lies between the finned body and the 
electric motor. 
DISCUSSION OF THE INVENTION 
An object of the present invention is to provide a solution to all of the 
above mentioned problems, and which provides an electrical connecting 
device of the general type referred to above which enables the electric 
motor to be connected electrically in a particular simple and effective 
way. 
According to the invention, an electrical connecting device for a motorised 
fan unit mounted on a finned body of a heat exchanger, in which the 
motorised fan unit comprises an electric motor fixed on the finned body 
and driving a fan rotor disposed in facing relationship with one major 
face of the finned body, is characterised in that it comprises a bundle of 
electric cables which extend from the motor of the motorised fan unit and 
along at least part of the major face of the body, together with fastening 
means adapted to hold the cable bundle flat against the finned body in 
such a way as to be out of any contact with the fan rotor. 
As a result, the bundle of cables is in no danger of being damaged, either 
by the fan rotor or by the fins of the heat exchanger as a result of any 
vibrations in use. 
In one embodiment of the invention, the fastening means comprise a channel 
member with a U-shaped profile which is adapted to receive the cable 
bundle, and which has an inner end connected to the electric motor and an 
outer end extending beyond the perimeter of the fan rotor, so as to extend 
beyond the working zone of the fan rotor. 
Preferably, the inner end of the channel member is attached by integral 
bridge elements to a casing which surrounds the motor of the motorised fan 
unit. 
According to a preferred feature of the invention, the outer end of the 
channel member includes a transverse cap element situated between the 
bundle of electric cables and the perimeter of the fan rotor. 
The cooling fins of the heat exchanger body are preferably deformed 
locally, at least in a region close to the perimeter of the fan rotor, in 
order to define a hollow depression which constitutes a duct for receiving 
the channel member and the bundle of electric cables. 
In another embodiment, the fastening means include at least one cross bar, 
which transversely overlies the bundle of cables and which is provided 
with fastening lugs engaging between the cooling fins. 
This cross bar is preferably situated close to the perimeter of the fan 
rotor, and the cooling fins of the heat exchanger body are deformed 
locally, at least in the region in which the cross bar is situated, so as 
to define a hollow depression constituting a duct for receiving the bundle 
of cables. 
The invention is applicable especially to a heat exchanger which includes 
at least one header joined to the finned body through a header plate. 
In an alternative or complementary arrangement according to a feature of 
the invention, the fastening means comprise a bent-back flange which is 
fixed to the header and which is adapted to hold the bundle of cables 
against the finned body in the region of its junction with the header 
plate. This bent-back flange enables the bundle of cables to be tensioned 
in that part thereof which extends between the electric motor and the 
header. 
The fins of the heat exchanger body are preferably deformed locally over at 
least part of the length of the finned body, so as to define a hollow 
depression constituting a duct for receiving the bundle of cables. This 
hollow depression may be formed by local deformation of the cooling fins 
after the finned body has been assembled, or alternatively it may be 
formed beforehand, by cutting out a portion of each fin. In that case, 
identical cooling fins are preferably used, so that the duct extends over 
the whole length of the finned body. 
Where the body of the heat exchanger has a large number of cooling fins in 
the form of thin metal plates arranged parallel to each other, the hollow 
depression which defines the duct for receiving the bundle of cables 
preferably extends in a direction transverse to the cooling fins. 
Further features and advantages of the invention will appear more clearly 
on a reading of the detailed description of preferred embodiments of the 
invention which follows, and which is given by way of example only and 
with reference to the accompanying drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION 
Reference is first made to FIG. 1, which shows a heat exchanger 10 which is 
typically a radiator for the cooling of an internal combustion engine of a 
motor vehicle. The heat exchanger 10 comprises a body or matrix 12 of the 
finned type, which is fitted between two water headers 14 and 16 by means 
of two header plates 18 and 20. The radiator body 12 consists of a bundle 
of tubes 22 which extend through a large number of cooling fins 24. The 
ends of the tubes 22 are received sealingly in the header plates 18 and 
20. The cooling fins 24 are in the form of thin metal plates of generally 
rectangular form, which are disposed parallel to each other and at right 
angles to the axes of the tubes 22. 
A motorised fan unit 26 is mounted directly on the radiator body 12. The 
fan unit 26 comprises a motor 28 which drives a fan rotor 30 in rotation 
about an axis XX. The fan rotor 30 is arranged facing towards a generally 
rectangular major face 32 of the radiator body 12, which extends between 
the two header plates 18 and 20. The motor 28 is fixed to a triangular 
support 34 which is itself fixed on the radiator body 12 by any 
appropriate means, which may for example be those described in French 
patent specification No. 2 573 128 mentioned above. 
The fan rotor 30 comprises a hub 36 which is fixed on the shaft of the 
drive motor 28, and which is joined through its radial blades 38 to a 
generally circular skirt or shroud 40. The shroud 40, which defines the 
perimeter of the fan rotor, has a profile of any suitable selected form 
(see FIG. 4 for example), for the purpose of directing a stream of air F 
which is forced through the heat exchanger from one major face 42 of the 
radiator body 12, to leave the latter through the other major face 32. As 
can be seen in FIG. 4, the shroud 40 includes an annular flange 44 
directed towards the major face 32 of the radiator body, the outer edge of 
the flange 44 being very close to the face 32. 
The electric motor 28 is supplied with power through an electrical 
connecting means comprising a bundle 46 of electric cables, which extend 
from the motor 28, along at least part of the major face 32 of the 
radiator body 12, and beyond the header 14 (FIG. 1). 
In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, the arrangement includes a channel 
member 48, best seen in FIG. 5 and having a cross section which is 
generally U-shaped. The channel member 48 has an inner end 50 which is 
attached to a casing 52 surrounding the electric motor 28, while its outer 
end 54 extends beyond the perimeter of the fan rotor which is defined by 
the shroud 40. The channel member 48 is generally straight, and extends in 
a radial direction with respect to the axis of rotation XX of the motor, 
being generally transverse to the longitudinal direction defined by the 
cooling fins 24. 
The inner end 50 of the channel member 48 is attached to the casing 52 
through two integral connecting bridges 56. The channel member 48 can thus 
be made in one piece with the casing 52, for example by moulding in a 
suitable plastics material. In the region of its outer end 54, the channel 
member 48 has an axial slot 57, which enables the bundle of cables 46 
received in the member 48 to pass through the base of the latter so as to 
take them away from the free edge 44 of the shroud 40 of the fan rotor 
(see in particular FIG. 4). 
As can best be seen in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, the outer end 54 of the channel 
member 48 includes a transverse cap element 58 which overlies the cable 
bundle 46, so as to be interposed between the latter and the free edge 44 
of the fan rotor shroud. The cap element 58 lies in line with the free 
edge 44, as is best seen in FIG. 4, thus protecting the cable bundle 46 
from any accidental contact with the shroud edge 44. 
As is best seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, the cooling fins 24 are deformed locally 
in the region adjacent to the shroud 40 of the fan rotor, so as to provide 
a hollow depression which constitutes a duct in which the outer end of the 
channel member 48 and the bundle of cables 46 are received. This hollow 
depression 60 enables the cable bundle 46 to be separated even more from 
the free edge 44 of the fan rotor shroud. 
As a result, the bundle of cables 46 is held flat against the major face 32 
of the radiator body 12 by the channel member 48, so that the cables are 
safely out of any contact with the fan rotor. They are also sheltered from 
vibrations which could damage the cables by virtue of contact of the 
latter with the cooling fins 24. 
Reference is now made to FIGS. 6 to 8 showing a second embodiment of the 
invention. In this arrangement, the bundle of cables 46 is applied 
directly against the edges of the cooling fins 24. Here, the fastening 
means comprise a cross bar 62 having an oblong body 64. The cross bar 62 
is arranged to extend transversely across the cable bundle 46 so as to 
cover it. In this example, the cross bar 62 covers the bundle 46 
transversely in a region which is close to the shroud 40 of the fan rotor, 
and outside the latter. 
The body 64 of the cross bar has at one end a pair of bent-back lugs 66, 
while at its other end it has another pair of bent-back lugs 68. These 
lugs are arranged to engage between the cooling fins and to be deformed 
subsequently so that their ends 70 project outwards (as is best seen in 
FIG. 8). The cable bundle 46 is thus completely held flat against the 
radiator body 12. 
In order further to remove the cable bundle 46 from any contact with the 
shroud 40 of the fan rotor, the cooling fins 24 are deformed locally in 
the vicinity of the cross bar 62, so as to provide a hollow depression 72 
similar to the depression 60 of FIGS. 2 and 3. 
Reference is now made to FIGS. 9 to 11 showing a third embodiment of the 
invention. In these Figures, the fastening means comprise an upset flange 
74 which is fixed on to a lateral wall of the header 14, on the same side 
as the major face 32 of the radiator body. The flange 74 comprises an 
elongated body portion 76, one end of which is formed with a hole 78 for 
fastening of the flange on to the header. The other end of the body 
portion 76 includes a lug 80 which is bent back at right angles. The body 
portion 76 is formed with a hole 62 lying close to the zone of connection 
to the bent-back lug 80. 
The lug 74 extends in a direction transversely to that of the cooling fins, 
beyond and in line with the cable bundle 46. The body portion 76 and the 
bent-back end 80 are engaged against the header plate 18 at the level of 
the junction of the latter with the radiator body 12. 
The bundle of cables 46 is held flat against the major face 32 of the 
radiator body, and is then gripped between the flange 74 and the edge of 
the header plate 18, whence it passes through the flange 74 via the hole 
82. As a result, the bundle of cables 46 can be correctly tensioned, and 
applied firmly against the major face 32 of the radiator body 12, without 
any risk of being damaged by the fan rotor or by the cooling fins. The 
flange 74 can be used by itself, or in combination with the channel member 
48 or cross bar 62 featured in the embodiments previously described. 
Again, a local deformation is preferably formed in the cooling fins so as 
to provide a hollow depression which defines a duct for receiving the 
cable bundle 46; or, as shown in FIGS. 9 to 11, a notch 84 can be provided 
which extends over the whole length of the cable bundle. 
Whatever embodiment of electrical connecting device according to the 
invention is selected, the tube bundle 46 is held flat against the major 
face 32 of the radiator body 12 and is maintained out of any contact with 
the fan rotor, while being sheltered from the vibrations mentioned above 
which could cause damage to the cables by rubbing against the cooling 
fins. 
The invention is not limited to the embodiments described above by way of 
example, and it does extend to other versions. Thus for example, the 
invention can also be applied to other types of heat exchanger in which 
the cooling fins consist of corrugated plates instead of flat, parallel 
plates.