Patent Description:
A vehicle in which a turbocharger is mounted is equipped with an intercooler for cooling heat generated by charging air. The intercooler is classified into an air cooled intercooler that cools charged air using air supplied during driving and a water cooled intercooler that cools the charged air using a coolant.

Recently, there has been a tendency to adopt the water cooled intercooler. Considerate change in an engine system is required to mount the water cooled intercooler on an engine. For example, an overall change in the front region of the vehicle is required to additionally mount a low-temperature radiator through which a coolant for heat exchange with the charged air flows. Further, in case of the water cooled intercooler, a number of components are added in comparison with the air cooled intercooler. At least for these reasons, the water cooled intercooler has a complicated structure, and a layout configuration of the components of the water cooled intercooler becomes difficult.

<CIT> describes a radiator-intercooler integrated module according to the preamble of claim <NUM>.

<CIT> discloses a combination of an air-cooled intercooler and a liquid-cooled intercooler.

<CIT> and <CIT> each describe a water cooled intercooler.

The present disclosure has been made in an effort to solve the above-described problems associated with prior art. In one aspect, the present disclosure provides a radiator-intercooler integrated module capable of simplifying a structure thereof, and simplifying layout design of a front region of a vehicle for a water cooled intercooler.

Objectives of the present disclosure are not limited to the above-described objectives, and other objectives of the present disclosure, which are not mentioned, can be clearly understood from the following description by those having ordinary skill in the art which the present disclosure pertains. The features of the present disclosure for achieving the above objectives of the present disclosure and performing the following characteristic functions of the present disclosure, which will be described later, are as follows.

According to the present invention, this is achieved by a radiator-intercooler integrated module according to the features of claim <NUM> and a vehicle according to the features of claim <NUM>. Further advantageous embodiments are described in the subclaims.

According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a radiator-intercooler integrated module capable of simplifying layout design of a front region of a vehicle even if a water cooled intercooler instead of an air cooled intercooler is applied to cool supercharged air. Effects of the present disclosure are not limited to the above-mentioned effects. Other unmentioned effects can be clearly recognized from the following description by those having ordinary skill in the art.

The above and other features of the present disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof illustrated in the accompanying drawings which are given hereinbelow by way of illustration only, and thus are not limitative of the present disclosure, and wherein:.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Specific structures or functions described in the embodiments of the present disclosure are merely for illustrative purposes. Embodiments according to the concept of the present disclosure may be implemented in various forms, and it should be understood that they should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments described in the present specification, but include all of modifications included in the scope of the appended claims.

It will be understood that, although the terms "first," "second," etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another element. For instance, a first element discussed below could be termed a second element without departing from the teachings of the present invention. Similarly, the second element could also be termed the first element.

It will be understood that when an element is referred to as being "coupled" or "connected" to another element, it can be directly coupled or connected to the other element or intervening elements may be present therebetween. In contrast, it should be understood that when an element is referred to as being "directly coupled" or "directly connected" to another element, there are no intervening elements present. Other expressions that explain the relationship between elements, such as "between," "directly between," "adjacent to," or "directly adjacent to," should be construed in the same way.

Like reference numerals denote like components throughout the specification. In the meantime, the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting. It will be further understood that the terms "comprise," "include," "have," etc., when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated components, steps, operations, and/or elements, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other components, steps, operations, and/or elements thereof.

As illustrated in <FIG>, a radiator-intercooler integrated module <NUM> according to the present invention includes a low-temperature radiator <NUM> and a water cooled intercooler <NUM>. The low-temperature radiator <NUM> and the water cooled intercooler <NUM> are integrated as a single assembly.

Referring to <FIG> and <FIG>, the low-temperature radiator <NUM> includes an inlet tank <NUM>, an exit tank <NUM>, and a radiator core <NUM>. The inlet tank <NUM> and the exit tank <NUM> are disposed at each side of the radiator core <NUM>. According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, as illustrated in <FIG>, when the radiator-intercooler integrated module according to the present disclosure is mounted in a vehicle, the inlet tank <NUM> is disposed below the radiator core <NUM>, and the exit tank <NUM> is disposed above the radiator core <NUM>. According to another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, as illustrated in <FIG>, when the radiator-intercooler integrated module according to the present disclosure is mounted in a vehicle, the exit tank <NUM> is disposed below the radiator core <NUM>, and the inlet tank <NUM> is disposed above the radiator core <NUM>. Hereinafter, the present invention is described based on which the inlet tank <NUM> is disposed below the radiator core <NUM>. However, as described above, the positions of the inlet tank <NUM> and the exit tank <NUM> may be changed.

The inlet tank <NUM> may include a water inlet <NUM>. The water inlet <NUM> may be supplied with a coolant from a coolant supply source or an electric water pump (EWP). The radiator core <NUM> may be disposed above the inlet tank <NUM>. On the contrary, as described above, when the exit tank <NUM> is disposed below the radiator core <NUM> and the inlet tank <NUM> is disposed above the radiator core <NUM>, the radiator core <NUM> may be disposed below the inlet tank <NUM>. The radiator core <NUM> may include coolant pipelines <NUM> along which a coolant flows. The coolant of the inlet tank <NUM> which is introduced from the water inlet <NUM> flows through the radiator core <NUM>. Heat exchange between cooling wind passing the radiator core <NUM> and the coolant passing the coolant pipelines <NUM> occurs at the radiator core <NUM>. A plurality of radiator cooling fins <NUM> may be provided to the radiator core <NUM> along the coolant pipelines <NUM> and promote cooling of the coolant while the cooling wind passes the radiator cooling fins <NUM>.

The exit tank <NUM> may be disposed above the radiator core <NUM>. On the contrary, as described above, when the inlet tank <NUM> is disposed above the radiator core <NUM>, the exit tank <NUM> may be disposed below the radiator core <NUM>. The coolant cooled while passing the radiator core <NUM> may be introduced into the exit tank <NUM>. The exit tank <NUM> may be equipped with a water outlet <NUM>. The coolant passing the exit tank <NUM> may be discharged to the outside of the radiator-intercooler integrated module <NUM> through the water outlet <NUM>. The coolant recirculates around the radiator-intercooler integrated module <NUM> through the electric water pump (EWP). The exit tank <NUM> may include an opening <NUM> that passes through a part of the exit tank <NUM>. A holding space S is provided inside the exit tank <NUM>.

As illustrated in <FIG>, the water cooled intercooler <NUM> is integrated into the low-temperature radiator <NUM>. In particular, the water cooled intercooler <NUM> is mounted on the exit tank <NUM> and is received in the holding space S. The water cooled intercooler <NUM> may include a first tank <NUM>, a second tank <NUM>, and a cooling core <NUM>. The first tank <NUM> and the second tank <NUM> may be disposed at each side of the cooling core <NUM>. The first tank <NUM> may have an air inlet <NUM> and an air outlet <NUM>. Compressed air of a turbocharger may be introduced into the air inlet <NUM>. The air flowing into the outlet tank <NUM> through the air inlet <NUM> may be discharged through the air outlet <NUM>. According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the first tank <NUM> may protrude from the exit tank <NUM> and, more particularly, may protrude from the opening <NUM>.

Air introduced into the first tank <NUM> passes the cooling core <NUM>. As indicated by an arrow and a dotted line of <FIG>, the compressed air supplied through the turbocharger is introduced into the first tank <NUM> through the air inlet <NUM>, cooled through the cooling core <NUM>, and then discharged through the air outlet <NUM> of the first tank <NUM>. The cooling core <NUM> may include air pipelines <NUM> through which the compressed air introduced into the first tank <NUM> may flow. As illustrated in <FIG>, the compressed air passing the air pipelines <NUM> is configured to exchange heat with the coolant passing the radiator core <NUM> and then flow in the outlet tank <NUM> from the radiator core <NUM>, thereby reducing a temperature thereof. Arrows of <FIG> indicate a flow direction of the coolant.

In other words, the coolant inside the low-temperature radiator <NUM> may be cooled by the cooling wind. The coolant cooled in this way cools the compressed air introduced into the cooling core <NUM> in the exit tank <NUM> while passing the water cooled intercooler <NUM>. Meanwhile, <FIG> illustrates a case where the exit tank <NUM> is disposed above the radiator core <NUM> and the coolant moves up from bottom to top. On the contrary, <FIG> illustrates a flow direction of the coolant that moves down from top to bottom when the exit tank <NUM> is disposed below the radiator core <NUM>.

According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, a plurality of intercooler cooling fins <NUM> are provided along the air pipelines <NUM>. The intercooler cooling fins <NUM> enables a coolant to more effectively cool air inside the air pipelines <NUM> while the coolant passes by the air pipelines <NUM>. The compressed air passing the air pipelines <NUM> may pass the second tank <NUM>, pass the air pipelines <NUM> again, and return to the first tank <NUM>. The cooled compressed air returning to the first tank <NUM> exits through the air outlet <NUM> and is supplied to an intake manifold <NUM>.

<FIG> illustrates an exemplary front region of a vehicle in which a water cooled intercooler is mounted, and <FIG> illustrates a front region of a vehicle in which the radiator-intercooler integrated module according to the present disclosure is mounted. As illustrated in <FIG>, a heat exchanger including a radiator and a condenser is generally disposed in front of an engine <NUM> and an intake manifold <NUM> of a vehicle. In the vehicle to which the water cooled intercooler is applied, a low-temperature radiator <NUM> is typically disposed in front of a high-temperature radiator <NUM> disposed in the front region of a vehicle, and is disposed between a condenser <NUM> and the high-temperature radiator <NUM>. The high-temperature radiator <NUM> is configured to cool an engine coolant, and the low-temperature radiator <NUM> is configured to cool a coolant of a water cooled intercooler <NUM>.

Charged air passing a turbocharger <NUM> may be cooled while passing the water cooled intercooler <NUM> and is delivered to the intake manifold <NUM>. The cooling of the charged air may be performed at the low-temperature radiator <NUM> and by the coolant circulating through the water cooled intercooler <NUM>. In contrast, in the present disclosure illustrated in <FIG>, the low-temperature radiator <NUM> is juxtaposed with the condenser <NUM>. Accordingly, the low-temperature radiator <NUM> may be cooled without a loss of cooling wind, and thus a size of the low-temperature radiator <NUM> may be reduced.

Further, since the water cooled intercooler <NUM> is integrated into the low-temperature radiator <NUM>, a structure of the radiator-intercooler integrated module may be simplified, and thus an effect of reducing an overall cost may be achieved. According to the present disclosure, the low-temperature radiator <NUM> and the water cooled intercooler <NUM> are mounted at a position where the air cooled intercooler is disposed in the related art. Accordingly, there is no need to change the layout or the engine structure of the vehicle, thereby reducing investment expenses.

Claim 1:
A radiator-intercooler integrated module, comprising:
a low-temperature radiator (<NUM>);
wherein the low-temperature radiator (<NUM>) includes:
an inlet tank (<NUM>) into which a water-based coolant flows;
a radiator core (<NUM>) disposing the coolant in heat exchange relationship with air, wherein the coolant from the inlet tank (<NUM>) flows into the radiator core (<NUM>); and
an exit tank (<NUM>), wherein the coolant passing through the radiator core (<NUM>) flows into the exit tank (<NUM>),
wherein the inlet tank (<NUM>) and the exit tank (<NUM>) are disposed at opposite ends with respect to the radiator core (<NUM>), respectively,
characterised in that the radiator-intercooler integrated module comprises a water-cooled intercooler (<NUM>) formed integrally with the low-temperature radiator (<NUM>) into a single body.