Abstract:
A support for a cooling device which consists of a heat exchanger and a fan shroud for a cooling fan, has a resilient body portion adapted to simultaneously engage the heat exchanger and the fan shroud. 
     Where the cooling device further comprises a second heat exchanger, such as a condenser, the support has a further portion adapted to engage the condenser. 
     The support allows the assembled components to be protected from vibration.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a support for a cooling device. In particular, an embodiment of the present invention relates to a support for supporting an automotive cooling device comprising a fan shroud and a heat exchanger within a vehicle. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,219,016 (Bolton et al.) discloses a cooling device having a fan shroud, a radiator and a condenser supported as a combination within an automobile. The cooling device is assembled by hanging the condenser off one side of the radiator and the fan shroud off the other side of the radiator. The base of the radiator is supported by a part of the automobile and the assembled cooling device is held in a position within the automobile by a mounting panel which is disposed to apply a downward pressure on the fan shroud, the radiator and the condenser. Resilient material is used as an intermediary between the radiator and that part of the automobile which supports its base and the top of the radiator and the mounting panel. The resilient material helps to insulate the assembled cooling device from the vibrations of the automobile. 
     The arrangement of the prior art is complicated to manufacture and assemble. Also, although the fan shroud, the radiator and the condenser are constrained to limit their movement relative to one another they are constrained by different elements and consequently different forces. This may permit relative movement between the fan shroud or condenser and the radiator, which may cause shear stresses to occur. 
     It would be advantageous to address these problems and in particular to provide a simple support which allows for the assembled components of a cooling device to be protected from vibrations. 
     An object of the invention is to provide a support which at least partly mitigates the problems of the prior art. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a support for a cooling device comprising at least a heat exchanger and a fan shroud, having a resilient body portion which is adapted to simultaneously engage the heat exchanger and fan shroud of the cooling device. 
     Preferably the body portion has wall portions defining respective cavities for engaging said heat exchanger and said fan shroud, the cavities being dimensioned to resiliently retain said heat exchanger and fan shroud. 
     Conveniently the body portion comprises elastomeric material. Advantageously the support comprises a first upper elastomeric layer, a second lower elastomeric layer and an intermediate layer of reinforcing mesh material. 
     Conveniently said mesh material comprises steel. 
     According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a support for a cooling device comprising a heat exchanger, a fan shroud for a cooling fan and a condenser, the support having a resilient body portion adapted to simultaneously engage the heat exchanger, the fan shroud and the condenser. 
     Preferably the body portion has wall portions defining respective cavities for engaging said heat exchanger, said fan shroud and said condenser, the cavities being dimensioned to resiliently retain said heat exchanger, fan shroud and condenser. 
     Advantageously the body portion is of elastomeric material. 
     Conveniently the support comprises a first upper elastomeric layer, a second lower elastomeric layer and an intermediate layer of reinforcing mesh material. 
     Advantageously the mesh material comprises steel. 
     According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a support for a cooling device comprising a heat exchanger and a fan shroud associated with the heat exchanger, the support comprising a body having a peripheral edge, a fan shroud cavity and a heat exchanger cavity, said peripheral edge defining a periphery of the fan shroud cavity and separately defining a periphery of the heat exchanger cavity, wherein said fan shroud cavity extends into the body and is adapted to receive and engage a fan shroud and said heat exchanger cavity extends into the body and is adapted to receive and engage a heat exchanger. 
     According to yet a further aspect of the present invention there is provided in combination: 
     a heat exchanger having peripheral portions; 
     a fan co-operating with the heat exchanger; 
     a fan shroud associated with the fan and the heat exchanger having peripheral portions; and 
     a support for engaging the fan shroud and the heat exchanger having a resilient body defining: 
     a first wall portion adapted to engage portions of the periphery of said fan shroud; 
     a second wall portion adapted to engage portions of the periphery of said heat exchanger; and 
     spacer means for spacing said heat exchanger from said fan shroud, 
     said body further comprising securing means for securing said heat exchanger to said support. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The novel features believed characteristic of the present invention are set forth in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, as well as a preferred mode of use, and further objects and advantages thereof, will best be understood by a reference to the following detailed description of illustrated embodiments when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
     FIG. 1 illustrates an exploded perspective view of a cooling device comprising a fan shroud, a radiator and a condenser. 
     FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective view of a cooling device support according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 3 illustrates a top plan views of the support illustrated in FIG.  2 . 
     FIG. 4 illustrates a cross sectional view of the support illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, wherein the cross-section is taken at the line A—A illustrated in FIG.  3  and 
     FIG. 5 illustrates a support according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention in combination with the cooling device illustrated in FIG.  1 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     In the following description like reference numerals refer to like parts. 
     Reference will first be made to FIG. 1 to illustrate the manner in which a fan shroud, a radiator and a condenser co-operates in combination to function as a cooling device for an automobile. The figure illustrates an exploded view of a cooling device  60 . In use a fan shroud  40 , a radiator  50  and a condenser  60  are supported in close proximity to each other, with the condensor foremost with respect to the direction (shown in arrow A) of incoming air and the radiator  50  between the condensor and the fan shroud  40 . The fan shroud  40  houses a fan which moves air through the core  52  of the radiator  50  and the core  64  of the condensor  60 . The fan shroud  40  has four fan shroud mounting portions  46  which are lugs, each having a planar portion with one semicircular end portion defining a fixing hole  44 , the planar portion extending into a respective arm portion  48 . Each arm portion  48  extends into an air guide portion  49  within which the fan  42  rotates. Two of the fan shroud mounting portions  46  are illustrated in the figure. 
     The radiator  50  has two tank portions  53  disposed vertically and opening into respective headers  54 ,  56 . The headers  54 ,  56  are vertically disposed, and are connected by the tubes of the core  52  which run generally horizontally in the view of FIG.  2 . To afford structural integrity the headers  54 , 56  are secured together by radiator side plates  55 , disposed top and bottom of the core  52 . The side plates are generally rectangular channel members projecting from the core. The condenser  60  has two condenser tanks  62 , coupled via the tubes of the condenser core  64 . The tanks  62  are disposed vertically to each side of the core. They have a generally semicircular cross-section on the horizontal plane. 
     In use, the fan  46  is caused to rotate by an associated motor which is supported by arms (not shown) within the circular air guide portion  49  of the shroud. The rotation causes a relatively reduced pressure within the confines of the fan shroud, and air is thus induced in the direction of the arrow A via the condenser  62  and the radiator  56 , in the process condensing refrigerant in the condenser and cooling coolant in the radiator. The fan shroud, as known in the art, effectively prevents reflux of air from the downstream side of the fan into the reduced pressure region. 
     In the embodiment, the fan shroud, the radiator and the condenser are engaged by four supports, each at a respective corner of the cooling module and composed of a resilient body. An exemplary ore of these will now be described with reference to FIGS. 2,  3  and  4 . 
     The support  2  has a three dimensional body  4  which has a maximum thickness in a first direction which is less than its lateral width in a second direction, its lateral extent being less than its longitudinal length in a third direction. In the orientation shown in FIG. 2, the body has a generally planar lower surface  130 , a first upper surface portion  38  which is generally planar to define a first region  37  of first thickness and an adjacent second upper surface portion  36  which is also generally planar. The second upper surface portion  36  is vertically offset from the first upper surface portion  38  to provide a second region  39  of greater thickness than that of first region  37 , which as will be later described permits the condenser to be correctly supported. A peripheral edge of the body has a substantially straight portion which extends the length of the body and an irregular portion extending from one end of the straight portion to the other end of the straight portion. The irregular edge portion is tapered inwardly with respect to a vertical direction as seen in FIG. 2, from where it meets the generally planar surface towards the lower surface. Thus the extent of the lower surface  130  is less than that of the upper surface  36 , 38 . The configuration of the irregular edge portion is selected for the reception of the body in a corresponding aperture in a vehicle structure. The lower surface  130  has an undulating contour which facilitates compression of the body. 
     The body has three distinct cavities  6 ,  8 ,  16  defined therein and exposed at the generally planar upper surface. Each of the cavities extends downwardly as seen in FIG. 2 into the upper surface and in the second width direction from the straight portion of the edge to define cavities each of which has lateral and longitudinal extent in the second and third directions. The three cavities are hereinafter referred to as the fan shroud cavity  6 , the radiator cavity  8  and the condenser cavity  16 . 
     The fan shroud cavity  6  is configured to receive the fan shroud mounting portion  46 . The fan shroud cavity  6  has a fan shroud cavity wall  18  defining the perimeter of the cavity, to correspond to configuration of the fan shroud mounting portions, namely having a semicircular cavity end portion. The base wall of the cavity has a hole  19  for receiving a fixing screw (not shown) passing in use through the hole  44  of the mounting portion and into the body work of the vehicle. 
     The radiator cavity  8  is configured to receive the radiator header  54  and the radiator side plate  55 . The radiator cavity  8  has a radiator header cavity  10  which is generally rectangular for engaging the walls of the header  54 , and a radiator side plate cavity  12 , which is also rectangular and extends into the base of the radiator header cavity  10  downwardly in the orientation of FIG. 2, for engaging the walls of the side plate  55 . 
     The condenser cavity  16  is adapted to receive a condenser tank  62 , and accordingly has a condenser cavity wall defining the perimeter of the cavity to conformally engage the external semicircular shape of the condensor tank. It will of course be appreciated that the particular shape of the cavity will be determined by the shape of the condensor. 
     The fan shroud cavity  6  is separated from the radiator cavity  8  by a first separating portion  26  of the body  4 . The first separating portion  26  is an integral part of the body  4  in the illustrated preferred embodiment. 
     The condenser cavity  16  is separated from the radiator cavity  8  by a second separating portion  28  of the body  4 . The second separating portion  28  is an integral part of the body  4  in the illustrated preferred embodiment. 
     Referring now to FIG. 3, it can be seen that the condenser cavity  16  is defined in the second region  39  of the body  4 , which has a greater thickness than the first region  37  of the body  4  in which the fan shroud cavity  6  and the condenser cavity  16  are defined. The difference in elevation provides for the condenser  52  to be supported in the condenser cavity  16  at an elevation which is different to that at which the fan shroud  40  and radiator  44  are supported by their respective cavities. It should be appreciated that the particular disposition of cavities is determined by the form and disposition of the elements of the cooling device. 
     The body  4  has three distinct layers: a first top layer  30 ; a second bottom layer  34  and an intermediate layer  32  disposed between the first layer  30  and the second layer  34 . 
     The second bottom layer  34  is formed from a resilient material. This layer could be any elastomeric material such as natural or synthetic rubber. The layer  34  of the body is in use engaged in an aperture of a vehicle body, as has been discussed and the resilient material reduces the transmission of vibrations from the vehicle to the cooling device. 
     The intermediate layer  32  is formed from a sheet of steel mesh to provide additional strength. The intermediate layer  32  lies between the first layer  30  and the second layer  34 . It is preferably made of steel. The first and second layers  30 ,  34  are formed from rubber which may be natural or artificial. 
     The fan shroud cavity  6  is formed wholly within the resilient: first top layer  30 . The cavity has dimensions somewhat smaller than the dimensions of the fan shroud mounting portion. The size differential is selected in concert with the properties of the top layer to allow insertion of the fan shroud mounting portion. When the fan shroud mounting portion is inserted into the fan shroud cavity  6 , the fan shroud cavity wall  18  is distorted outwardly from its equilibrium position to grip the fan shroud mounting portion, thereby to retain the fan shroud  40 . 
     The radiator cavity  8  is formed wholly within the first resilient layer  30  and is likewise sufficiently smaller than the dimensions of the portions of the radiator header  48  and radiator side plate  50  it is designed to receive to allow insertion and retention of the radiator. 
     The condenser cavity  16  is formed wholly within the resilient first layer  30 . The cavity is sized so that its dimensions are smaller than the dimensions of the portion of the condenser tank  54  it is designed to receive. When the condenser tank  54  is received by the condenser cavity  16 , the condenser cavity wall  22  is distorted from its equilibrium position, and grips the portions of condenser tank  54  adjacent the condenser tank edge portions  56 , thereby facilitating the retention of the condenser  52  in the condenser cavity  16 . 
     The use of a resilient material for the first top layer  30  in which the fan shroud cavity  6 , the radiator cavity  8  and the condenser cavity  16  are defined as well as providing retention of the associated components also dampens the transmission of vibrations to and between those components. 
     The support  2  has holes  24  in its body  4 . The holes pass through thickness of the body. In use screws or studs pass through the holes  24  for attachment of the support, or for attachment of retaining screws to the support. 
     Referring now to FIG. 5 the support  2  is shown in combination with the condenser  60  and the radiator  50 . A bolt  90  passes into one of the holes  24  via a hole in a bracket  51  which extends outwardly from the tank  52  of radiator  50 . This serves to secure the radiator to the support. A similar bolt passes through a similar bracket on the other side of the tank  56  into the second hole  24  (obscured by tank  56 ). 
     A bolt passes through the support of the fan shroud into the fixing hole  19  of the fan shroud cavity (also obscured by radiator tank  56 ). 
     As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art the support as particularly described above may have cavities of different shapes and size and of differing relative orientations and elevations when adapted to support a different cooling device. 
     While the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to a preferred embodiment, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and detail may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.