Patent ID: 7444962

Claim:
A coolant circuit ( 37 ) for an internal combustion engine ( 38 ) having two cylinder banks ( 39 , 40 ), a radiator ( 52 ) for cooling a coolant, a pump ( 41 ) for pumping the coolant and a thermostatic valve ( 5 ″) including a mixing chamber ( 47 ) and first and second flow control valves ( 50 , 51 ), said pump being connected to the radiator ( 32 ) via an intake line ( 42 ) for receiving coolant therefrom and pumping it to the cylinder banks ( 39 , 40 ) via line strands ( 43 , 44 ), said cylinder banks ( 39 , 40 ) being in communication with the mixing chamber ( 47 ) via discharge lines ( 45 , 46 ), a radiator line ( 48 ) extending from the mixing chamber ( 47 ) to the radiator ( 52 ) for returning coolant to the radiator under the control of a main flow control valve ( 50 ), a bypass line ( 49 ) extending from the mixing chamber ( 47 ) to the intake line ( 42 ) for bypassing the radiator ( 52 ) during engine warm-up under the control of a by-pass flow control valve ( 51 ), and a heating circuit ( 53 , 54 ) including a heater ( 55 ) and extending from one of the cylinder banks ( 39 , 40 ) to the pump intake line ( 42 ), said heating circuit ( 53 , 54 ) including a heater control valve ( 57 ) for controlling the flow of coolant from said one of the cylinder banks ( 39 , 40 ) to said pump supply line ( 42 ) so that, upon opening of the heater flow control valve ( 57 ), heated coolant flows not only from said one of the cylinder banks ( 39 , 40 ) but also from the other of said cylinder banks ( 39 , 40 )) via the discharge lines ( 45 , 46 ) and the mixing chamber ( 47 ) and also the one of the cylinder banks ( 39 , 40 ) through said heater ( 55 ) to said pump ( 41 ).