Abstract:
A fan shroud for a mobile vehicle having an opening therein for the easy removal of the cooling fan therethrough. A removable shroud section is provided in various embodiments, exemplifying efficient modes of manufacture for said removable shroud section and its attachment to said fan shroud.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     This invention relates to a radiator shroud with a removable shroud section that provides for easy removal of the cooling fan from a mobile vehicle. Specifically, multiple embodiments are disclosed by means of which a shroud with a removable shroud section may be readily and inexpensively manufactured and incorporated into a mobile vehicle.  
       SUMMARY  
       [0002]     Mobile vehicles, especially heavy-duty commercial vehicles, are commonly configured with the engine located longitudinally forward of the cab and mounted to a set of frame rails, which form the structure of the vehicle. Forward of the engine is a radiator or heat exchanger, which serves to reject waste heat created by the engine in powering the vehicle. This area of the engine compartment is often tightly packed with engine and vehicle accessories and subsystems, such as fluid and air conduits, pumps, reservoirs, generators, and other devices. In the center of all of this hardware is the engine cooling fan, which is located between the engine and the radiator. It is driven by the accessory belt or Front of Engine Accessory Drive (FEAD) and is mounted on a fan drive, which often provides a clutched or viscous link to the engine rotation. In order to improve the cooling performance of the engine cooling fan and radiator, a shroud is also provided. This shroud forces cooling air to pass through the radiator before passing through the cooling fan, and prevents recirculating air from hindering the performance of the cooling system.  
         [0003]     In the case of previous engine cooling system shrouds, the same barrier that the shroud presented to recirculating air, also became a barrier to removing the engine cooling fan from the fan drive. As a result, the shroud presented a barrier to servicing the fan drive itself, the FEAD and its belt, and any of a number of other engine accessory devices that may have been located in this area.  
         [0004]     Previous to the invention disclosed herein, a mechanic or service technician who needed to remove the engine cooling fan in order to perform maintenance upon one of these obscured devices was required to unbolt the entire shroud from the radiator. He or she would then remove any devices external to the shroud that prevented it from translating rearward, which often involved disconnecting several devices and even draining engine cooling and hydraulic systems. Once this was done, the technician would translate the shroud rearward, thereby exposing the front of the fan and its attachment to the fan drive. The next step was to remove the fan, and then translate the shroud forward and support it temporarily, so that it would not bear against the front of the engine nor prevent access thereto. Once the desired maintenance was complete, the entire process would be reversed. The shroud often presented an obstacle to serviceability in this way.  
         [0005]     The invention disclosed herein provides a path of removal of the engine cooling fan without requiring the unbolting and removal of the entire shroud, while retaining the benefit of the shroud and its ability to prevent recirculation of cooling air. The invention includes a shroud with a removable shroud section large enough for passage of the cooling fan. Multiple embodiments are presented, particularly those which provide an effective and inexpensive way to affix the removable shroud section to the shroud, yet retain it securely during vehicle operation, and allow it to be readily removed to provide access. Several of these embodiments do not require the use of tools.  
         [0006]     The figures listed illustrate a removable shroud section that is either completely removable, hinged on one end, slidably affixed to the shroud, or rotatable around a point on an axis perpendicular to that of the cooling fan. The removable shroud section may be hinged towards the front of the vehicle, hinged at the opposite end as that shown, or provided in any of a multitude of arrangements which would allow it to move out of the path of removal of the engine cooling fan.  
         [0007]     The invention as presented is a solution to one of the maintenance difficulties heretofore inherent in the design of cooling systems for mobile vehicles with longitudinally mounted engines and engine-driven fan cooled radiators. It is inexpensive to implement and has the potential to save a tremendous amount of time and resources in the maintenance of mobile vehicles, especially for commercial vehicles.  
     
    
     DRAWINGS  
       [0008]      FIG. 1 —A rear view of a vehicle made in accordance with a first embodiment of the invention.  
         [0009]      FIG. 2 —A rear view of a vehicle made in accordance with a second embodiment of the invention.  
         [0010]      FIG. 3 —A rear view of a vehicle made in accordance with a third embodiment of the invention.  
         [0011]      FIG. 4 —A rear view of a vehicle made in accordance with a fourth embodiment of the invention.  
         [0012]      FIG. 5 —A rear view of a vehicle made in accordance with a fifth embodiment of the invention.  
         [0013]      FIG. 6 —A rear view of a vehicle made in accordance with a sixth embodiment of the invention.  
         [0014]      FIG. 7 —A detailed view of the removable shroud section in a hinged embodiment and utilizing an integrated snap-in tab.  
         [0015]      FIG. 8 —A detailed view of the removable shroud section in a hinged embodiment and utilizing snap fasteners.  
         [0016]      FIG. 9 —A detailed view of the removable shroud section in a hinged embodiment and utilizing twist-lock fasteners.  
         [0017]      FIG. 10 —A detailed view of the removable shroud section in a hinged embodiment and utilizing conventional fasteners.  
         [0018]      FIG. 11 —A detailed view of the removable shroud section in a hinged embodiment and utilizing a formed hinge.  
         [0019]      FIG. 12 —A detailed view of the removable shroud section in a hinged embodiment and utilizing a living hinge.  
         [0020]      FIG. 13 —A detailed view of the removable shroud section in a completely removable embodiment and utilizing integrated snap-in tabs.  
         [0021]      FIG. 14 —A detailed view of the removable shroud section in a completely removable embodiment and utilizing snap fasteners.  
         [0022]      FIG. 15 —A detailed view of the removable shroud section in a completely removable embodiment and utilizing twist-lock fasteners.  
         [0023]      FIG. 16 —A detailed view of the removable shroud section in a completely removable embodiment and utilizing conventional fasteners. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0024]     The vehicle  101  shown in  FIG. 1  has a cab  102  and a hood  103  engaged to a chassis  104 . The chassis  104  has an engine  105 , which provides power for propulsion of vehicle  101 , and in so doing creates waste heat. The chassis  104  also has a radiator  106 , located forward of engine  105 , relative to vehicle  101  forward movement, which serves to reject said heat to the surrounding environment  107 . Attached to and driven by engine  105  in a conventional manner is fan  108 , which serves to increase heat transfer from radiator  106  to the surrounding environment  107 , by increasing airflow through radiator  106  when vehicle  101  is slowed or stopped. The fan  108  may be driven either directly or indirectly by the engine  105 . The radiator  106  has a shroud  109 , which channels said airflow through fan  108  in a conventional manner, and prevents recirculation thereof, thereby increasing the operating efficiency of radiator  106 . In accordance with the invention disclosed herein, shroud  109  is provided with a removable shroud section  110 , which is shown in its installed position.  
         [0025]     The vehicle  101  shown in  FIG. 2  has a similar chassis  104 , radiator  106 , fan  108 , shroud  109 , and removable shroud section  110 , as the vehicle  101  shown in  FIG. 1 . For the sake of clarity, cab  102 , hood  103 , and engine  105  are not shown in  FIG. 2 . Fan  108  is shown in its installed location. Removable shroud section  110  also is shown in its installed location.  
         [0026]     The vehicle  101  shown in  FIG. 3  has a similar chassis  104 , engine  105 , radiator  106 , fan  108 , shroud  109 , and removable shroud section  110 , as the vehicle  101  shown in  FIG. 1 . For clarity, cab  102  and hood  103  are not shown in  FIG. 3 . Removable shroud section  110  is shown in a hinged embodiment, and is shown in the open position. Fan  108  is shown in a location along path of removal projection lines  111 . In this way, the advantageous nature of shroud  109  having removable shroud section  110 , specifically by providing a path of removal of fan  108  without necessitating the removal of shroud  109 , is taught.  
         [0027]     The vehicle  101  shown in  FIG. 4  has a similar chassis  104 , engine  105 , radiator  106 , fan  108 , shroud  109 , and removable shroud section  110 , as the vehicle  101  shown in  FIG. 3 . Again for clarity, cab  102  and hood  103  are not shown in  FIG. 4 . Removable shroud section  10  is shown in a completely removable embodiment, and is shown projected from its installed location. Fan  108  is shown in a location along path of removal projection lines  111 , similarly showing the method by which it can more simply be removed from engine  105 .  
         [0028]     The vehicle  101  shown in  FIG. 5  has a similar chassis  104 , radiator  106 , fan  108 , shroud  109 , and removable shroud section  110 , as the vehicle  101  shown in  FIG. 2 . For clarity, cab  102 , hood  103 , and engine  105  are not shown in  FIG. 5 . Removable shroud section  110  is shown in a slidable embodiment, and is shown in a half-open position for the sake of illustration.  
         [0029]     The vehicle  101  shown in  FIG. 6  has a similar chassis  104 , radiator  106 , fan  108 , shroud  109 , and removable shroud section  110 , as the vehicle  101  shown in  FIG. 2 . For clarity, cab  102 , hood  103 , and engine  105  are not shown in  FIG. 6 . Removable shroud section  110  is shown in a rotatable embodiment, and is shown in the open position.  
         [0030]      FIG. 7  is a detailed view showing shroud  109  and removable shroud section  110  in a hinged embodiment. Removable shroud section  110  is provided with one or more tangs  112 , which in turn have catches  113 . Shroud  109  is provided with the same number of slots  114 , which each have a recess  115 . Catch  113  projects into recess  115  when tang  112  is inserted into slot  114 , thereby providing secure attachment of removable shroud section  110  to shroud  109 .  
         [0031]      FIG. 8  is a detailed view showing shroud  109  and removable shroud section  110  in a hinged embodiment. Removable shroud section  110  is provided with one or more conventional snap devices  116 . Shroud  109  is also provided with the same number of compatible snap features  117 . In this way, removable shroud section  110  may be retained in the closed position.  
         [0032]      FIG. 9  is a detailed view showing shroud  109  and removable shroud section  110  in a hinged embodiment. Removable shroud section  10  is provided with one or more common twist-lock fasteners  118  or their equivalent. Twist-lock fasteners  118  may be engaged to shroud  109  when removable shroud section  110  is in the closed position, thereby retaining removable shroud section  110  in the closed position.  
         [0033]      FIG. 10  is a detailed view showing shroud  109  and removable shroud section  110  in a hinged embodiment. Removable shroud section  110  is retained in the closed position by means of conventional fasteners  119 . Opening removable shroud section  110 , therefore, requires removable of conventional fasteners  119 .  
         [0034]      FIG. 11  is a detailed view showing shroud  109  and removable shroud section  110  in a hinged embodiment. Removable shroud section  110  is provided with a conventional formed interlocking hinge  120 . Shroud  109  is provided with a compatible formed hinge retainer  121 . The formed interlocking hinge  120  of removable shroud section  110  fits onto the compatible formed hinge retainer  121  of shroud  109 , thereby providing an inexpensive hinging mechanism.  
         [0035]      FIG. 12  is a detailed view showing shroud  109  and removable shroud section  110  in a hinged embodiment. Removable shroud section  110  is attached directly to shroud  109  by means of a living hinge  122 . Specifically, a living hinge is a conventional means whereby localized deformation of a thin and resilient plastic along a line of bending provides an inexpensive hinging mechanism.  
         [0036]      FIG. 13  is a detailed view showing shroud  109  and removable shroud section  110  in a completely removable embodiment. Similar to  FIG. 7 , removable shroud section  110  is provided with one or more tangs  112 , which in turn have catches  113 . Shroud  109  is provided with the same number of slots  114 , which each have a recess  115 . Again, catch  113  projects into recess  115  when tang  112  is inserted into slot  114 , thereby providing secure attachment of removable shroud section  110  to shroud  109 .  
         [0037]      FIG. 14  is a detailed view showing shroud  109  and removable shroud section  110  in a completely removable embodiment. Similar to  FIG. 8 , removable shroud section  110  is provided with one or more conventional snap devices  116 . Shroud  109  is also provided with the same number of compatible snap features  117 . Again, removable shroud section  110  is affixed to shroud  109  by means of snap devices  116  and  117 .  
         [0038]      FIG. 15  is a detailed view showing shroud  109  and removable shroud section  110  in a completely removable embodiment. Similar to  FIG. 9 , removable shroud section  110  is provided with one or more common twist-lock fasteners  118  or their equivalent, which may be engaged to shroud  109 , thereby affixing removable shroud section  110  to shroud  109 .  
         [0039]      FIG. 16  is a detailed view showing shroud  109  and removable shroud section  110  in a completely removable embodiment. Similar to  FIG. 10 , removable shroud section  110  is affixed to shroud  109  by means conventional fasteners  119 . Removing removable shroud section  110 , therefore, requires removal of conventional fasteners  119 .  
         [0040]     Other permutations of the invention are possible without departing from the teachings disclosed herein, provided that the function of the relationship of the removable shroud section  110  is to provide a path of removal of fan  108  without necessitating removal of shroud  109 . Other advantages to a vehicle  101  equipped with a shroud  109  having a removable shroud section  110  may also be inherent in the invention, without having been described above.