Improvements in or relating to radiator shields

Abstract

A radiator protective cover comprises a main body and a maintenance panel. The body is formed of a mesh sheet material and includes: a plurality of fastening points for mounting the body over a rear face of a radiator of an internal combustion engine; a service hole for providing access to the rear of the heat sink in use; and a plurality of retained fasteners arranged around the periphery of the service hole; wherein the service panel is releasably mounted to the main body using a retained fastener to cover the service hole.

Description

[0001] The present disclosure relates to improvements in or relating to radiator shields. In particular, the present invention relates to a radiator shield, an internal combustion engine component, and a method of forming a radiator shield. Background Art

[0002] An internal combustion engine assembly may include an engine block, a fan, and a radiator. A radiator shield may be provided to protect rotating components, such as fan blades of a fan. Repair and maintenance of the radiator, fan, or other components of the internal combustion engine assembly may require the removal of the radiator shield. The internal combustion engine assembly may include additional components, such as conduits (e.g., cooling circuit conduits), which extend across the radiator shield and are close to the radiator shield when installed. This may then require the disassembly and removal of the conduits before the radiator shield can be removed. This in turn may require draining one or more fluid systems, such as a cooling circuit. This may result in lost time and additional inconvenience and expense when performing repair or maintenance of the internal combustion engine assembly. Summary of the invention

[0003] An embodiment of the present disclosure provides a radiator shield including a main body and a service panel;

[0004] The body is formed of a mesh sheet material and comprises:

[0005] - a plurality of fastening points for mounting the body on the rear face of a radiator of an internal combustion engine;

[0006] - a service aperture for providing access to the rear of the radiator in use; and

[0007] - a plurality of retained fasteners arranged around the periphery of the service opening;

[0008] wherein the service panel is releasably mounted to the body using the retained fasteners to cover the service opening.

[0009] Another embodiment of the present disclosure provides an internal combustion engine assembly comprising:

[0010] - Engine block;

[0011] -fan;

[0012] - radiator; and

[0013] - Radiator guard;

[0014] The radiator guard comprises a main body and a maintenance panel;

[0015] The body is formed of a mesh sheet material and comprises:

[0016] - a plurality of fastening points for mounting the body on the rear face of the radiator;

[0017] - a service aperture for providing access to the rear of the radiator in use; and

[0018] - a plurality of retained fasteners arranged around the periphery of the service opening;

[0019] wherein the service panel is releasably mounted to the body using the retained fasteners to cover the service opening.

[0020] Another embodiment of the present disclosure provides a method for forming the radiator shield of the above embodiment, comprising:

[0021] - forming a mesh of mesh sheet material, said mesh comprising said service aperture;

[0022] - folding and optionally welding the mesh to form at least a portion of the body of the radiator shield;

[0023] - attaching a plurality of retained fasteners around the perimeter of the service hole;

[0024] - said repair panel formed of a mesh material; and

[0025] - Mounting the service panel to at least a portion of the body using the plurality of retained fasteners. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] One or more embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0027] Figure 1 is a perspective view of an assembly of a first portion of a body of a radiator shield and a service panel according to the present disclosure;

[0028] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A rear view of the assembly;

[0029] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 A side view of an assembly of

[0030] Figure 4 It is used to form Figure 1 A view of a mesh of a first portion of a radiator shield;

[0031] Figure 5 is a perspective view of an internal combustion engine assembly according to the present disclosure;

[0032] Figure 6 is a perspective view of an assembly of a first portion of a body and a service panel of another radiator shield according to the present disclosure;

[0033] Figure 7 yes Figure 6 A rear view of the assembly;

[0034] Figure 8 yes Figure 6 A side view of an assembly of

[0035] Fig. 9 It is used to form Figure 6 a view of a mesh of a first portion of a radiator shield; and

[0036] Fig.10 is a cross-sectional view of a retained fastener of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0037] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used in this specification have the same meaning as commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which the claimed subject matter belongs. It should be understood that the above overview and the following examples of the present disclosure are exemplary and explanatory only, and are not limitations of any subject matter claimed.

[0038] The following description relates to embodiments of the present disclosure. The description of the embodiments is not intended to include all possible embodiments of the present disclosure claimed in the appended claims. Many modifications, improvements, and equivalents not explicitly described in the following embodiments may fall within the scope of the appended claims. Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, features described as part of one embodiment may be combined with features of one or more other embodiments.

[0039] In this specification, the use of the singular includes the plural unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. In this application, the use of "and / or" means "and" and "or" unless otherwise stated.

[0040] The present disclosure generally relates to a radiator shield 1, which includes a main body 10 and a service panel 50. Figures 1 to 5 A first embodiment of a radiator guard 1 is shown in FIG.

[0041] The body 10 may include a separate first portion 10A and a second portion 10B which, in use, can be mounted adjacent to each other on the rear face 61 of the heat sink 60, such as Figure 5 As shown in . The first part 10A and the second part 10B may be separately detachable. Alternatively, the body 10 may comprise a single part.

[0042] A service aperture 12 for providing access to the rear of the radiator 60 in use is provided in the body 10 , optionally in the first portion 10A of the body 10 .

[0043] The body 10 is formed from a mesh sheet material and includes a plurality of fastening points 13 for mounting the body 10 over a rear face 61 of a radiator of an internal combustion engine.

[0044] The service panel 50 may also be formed from a mesh sheet material.

[0045] The mesh sheet material of the body 10 and / or the service panel 50 may be a slotted mesh sheet material. The size and shape of the material openings may be set to meet the requirements of Table 4 of EN ISO 13857. For example, the mesh sheet material may include a perforated slot pattern. The perforated slot pattern may include 8 mm x 48 mm slots with 4 mm spacing between slot ends and between adjacent rows.

[0046] The mesh sheet material may have a material thickness of 1.0 to 2.0 mm, optionally 1.6 mm.

[0047] A plurality of retained fasteners 15 are arranged around the perimeter of the service hole 12. The retained fasteners 15 allow the service panel 50 to be mounted to and removed from the body 10 while the retained fasteners 15 remain associated with the body 10, e.g., connected to the body.

[0048] An example of a fastener 15 being retained is shown in FIG. Fig.101 is shown in cross section. The retained fastener 15 may include a threaded insert 70 fixedly mounted to the first portion 10A of the body 10 by suitable means, such as by welding. The threaded bolt 71 of the retained fastener 15 may be received in the threaded insert 70. At one end, the threaded bolt 71 may include a flange head 72, and at the other end, a dome nut 73 may be attached, and the dome nut is optionally attached in a fixed manner by applying glue or other fixing agent to the threads. In use, the threaded bolt 71 is loosened from the threaded insert 70 by acting on the flange head 72 to rotate the threaded bolt 71, and thereby the flange head 72 is spaced apart from the threaded insert 70, and the service panel 50 can be mounted to the body 10. The flange head 72 can then pass through the key slot in the service panel 50 so that the threaded bolt 71 can engage in the narrowed portion of the key slot. The threaded bolt 71 can then be tightened by acting on the flange head 72 to sandwich the service panel 50 between the rear face of the flange head 72 and the face of the threaded insert 70 and / or the body 10. Throughout this process, the presence of the dome nut 73 can prevent the threaded bolt 71 from being over-loosened and separated from the threaded insert 70, thereby ensuring that the retained fastener 15 does not become separated from the body 10.

[0049] Figures 1 to 4 A first portion 10A of the body of the radiator shield 1 is shown. A service panel 50 may be mounted to the first portion 10A to form an assembly. A second portion 10B ( Figure 5 ) may or may not be provided with its own service panel for mounting thereto.

[0050] The body 10 may include a rear face, a top wall, a bottom wall and at least one side wall. In the case where the body 10 is a single part, the body 10 may include two side walls. In the case where the body 10 includes a separate first part and a second part, each part may include a single side wall.

[0051] exist Figures 1 to 3 In the example shown, the first portion 10A of the body 10 includes a rear face 20 , a top wall 21 , a bottom wall 22 and side walls 23 .

[0052] The top surface 21 and / or the bottom surface 22 may be planar. The rear surface 20 may be planar. The side wall 23 may include a vertical first surface 23A angled perpendicularly to the rear surface 20 and an inclined second surface 23B inclined relative to the rear surface 20 and the first surface 23A.

[0053] The service opening 12 may include a rear aperture 12A in the rear face 20 and a sidewall aperture 12B in the sidewall 23 .

[0054] Service panel 50 may include a rear portion 50A releasably mountable over rear aperture 12A and a sidewall portion 50B releasably mountable over sidewall aperture 12B.

[0055] The rear hole 12A and the side wall hole 12B may consist of a single hole.

[0056] The side wall hole 12B may be in the angled second face 23B and the side wall portion 50B of the service panel 50 may be angled relative to the rear portion 50A.

[0057] At least one of the retained fasteners 15 may be located on the angled second face 23B, and at least one, optionally at least two, retained fasteners 15 may be located on the rear face 20 .

[0058] The first portion 10A of the body 10 may include one or more additional extensions. Figures 1 to 3 As shown, one or more side flanges may extend from the edge of the rear face 20. The side flange(s) may extend perpendicular to the rear face 20 or at an angle to the rear face 20. The side flange(s) may extend from the rear face 20 in a direction opposite to the direction in which the side wall 23 extends from the rear face 20. The first side flange 25 may form a roof structure to prevent access from above. The second side flange 26 may form a wall structure to prevent access from the side.

[0059] The service panel 50 may also include side flanges 55. The side flanges 55 may extend perpendicular to the rear portion 50A. The side flanges 55 may extend from the rear portion 50A generally in a direction opposite to the direction in which the sidewall portions 50B extend from the rear portion 50A.

[0060] Figure 4 A mesh is shown for forming a first portion 10A of the body 10 of the radiator shield 1. The mesh may be planar. The mesh material of the mesh may be, for example, flat rolled mild steel.

[0061] The mesh comprises a maintenance hole 12. The maintenance hole 12 can be passed through at least one fold line.

[0062] Forming the first portion 10A of the body 10 of the radiator shield 1 may include folding the mesh about the plurality of fold lines 80, and optionally welding the mesh to form the first portion 10A of the body 10 of the radiator shield 1. The plurality of retained fasteners 15 may be attached about the perimeter of the service hole 12. The service panel 50 may also be formed from the mesh material and then mounted to the first portion 10A using the plurality of retained fasteners 15.

[0063] When the body 10 includes the first portion 10A and the second portion 10B, the first portion 10A and the second portion 10B may each be formed of separate individual webs of mesh sheet material.

[0064] Figure 5 An example of an internal combustion engine assembly 100 is shown, which includes an engine block 101, a fan 102, a radiator 60 and a radiator guard 1 as described above.

[0065] The radiator guard 1 , when mounted on the rear face 61 of the radiator 50 , may be interposed between the rear face 61 of the radiator 60 and the front end of the engine block 101 of the internal combustion engine.

[0066] The body 10 may cover a plurality of fan blades of the fan 102 when mounted on the rear face 61 of the heat sink 60 .

[0067] In the case where the body 10 includes separate first and second parts 10A, 10B, the first and second parts can be mounted adjacent to each other on the rear face 61 of the heat sink 60 in use. The first and second parts 10A, 10B can substantially surround the fan axis of the fan 102 when mounted on the rear face 61 of the heat sink 60.

[0068] The internal combustion engine assembly may also include one or more conduits 105 , optionally including cooling circuit conduits, extending across the body 10 of the radiator shield 1 .

[0069] Figures 6 to 9 Another embodiment of a radiator guard comprising a main body 10 and a service panel 50 is shown. In the following description, only the differences between the embodiments will be described. In other respects, the design and use of the radiator guard can be as discussed with respect to the previous embodiments. The same reference numerals are used for the same parts.

[0070] The first portion 10A of the body 10 may include one or more additional extensions. Figures 6 to 8 As shown, one or more side flanges may extend from an edge of the rear face 20. The side flange(s) may extend perpendicular to the rear face 20. The side flange(s) may extend from the rear face 20 in a direction opposite to the direction in which the side wall 23 extends from the rear face 20. The first side flange 125 may form a first wall structure to prevent access from the side. The second side flange 126 may form a second wall structure to prevent access from the side.

[0071] The service panel 50 may also include side flanges 55. The side flanges 55 may extend perpendicularly to the rear portion 50A. The side flanges 55 may extend from the rear portion 50A generally in a direction opposite to the direction in which the sidewall portions 50B extend from the rear portion 50A. In use, the side flanges 55 of the service panel 50 may abut the first side flange 125 and / or the second side flange 126 of the first portion 10A of the body 10 when installed. One or more retainable fasteners 15 may be provided to connect the side flanges 55 of the service panel 50 to one or more of the side flanges 125, 126 of the first portion 10A of the body 10.

[0072] Industrial Applicability

[0073] The present disclosure provides a radiator shield, which includes a main body and a maintenance panel;

[0074] The body is formed of a mesh sheet material and comprises:

[0075] - a plurality of fastening points for mounting the body on the rear face of a radiator of an internal combustion engine;

[0076] - a service aperture for providing access to the rear of the radiator in use; and

[0077] - a plurality of retained fasteners arranged around the periphery of the service opening;

[0078] wherein the service panel is releasably mounted to the body using the retained fasteners to cover the service opening.

[0079] Advantageously, providing a service hole and service panel can improve access to the rear of the radiator and at the same time can reduce the time and difficulty of servicing and repairing the radiator. In addition, the radiator guard of the present disclosure can prevent the need to completely remove / disassemble the radiator guard or a major portion thereof from the radiator to allow access to the rear of the radiator and other components.

[0080] Advantageously, using the retained fasteners to install the service panel can allow very quick and direct access to the rear of the radiator. Access can be tool-less, or may only require readily available tools, such as a hex key or a wrench. When accessing the rear of the radiator, using the retained fasteners can advantageously avoid the risk of parts becoming separated and lost within the interior of the internal combustion engine.

[0081] Advantageously, the radiator shield of the present disclosure can maintain sufficient structural strength when formed from a mesh sheet material. Advantageously, the use of a mesh sheet material can allow the radiator shield to have a lower weight, thereby improving its manual handling characteristics and material costs. The radiator shield can also be formed from rolled material, and can be formed from a mesh of sheet material, which may then require only folding and optional welding. This can reduce manufacturing costs compared to radiator shields that require cast or machined parts.

[0082] Importantly, the provision of a service panel can avoid the need to disassemble and / or remove other components of the internal combustion engine when accessing the radiator. For example, a cooling circuit may typically have cooling ducts passing immediately behind the radiator. Other components, such as a manifold box or mounting bracket, can be located immediately adjacent to the radiator. Use of a service panel can avoid the need to disrupt the cooling circuit or remove the manifold box or mounting bracket, greatly reducing the time, difficulty, and expense of repairing and maintaining the radiator and other components of the internal combustion engine.

[0083] Using a mesh sheet material for the body can improve airflow and reduce noise and weight.

[0084] The body may be sized and dimensioned to cover a plurality of fan blades of a fan of an internal combustion engine, in use.

[0085] The body may comprise separate first and second parts which are mountable adjacent each other over the rear face of the heat sink in use, the first and second parts being separately removable.

[0086] The first portion and the second portion may be mountable about a fan shaft of the internal combustion engine.

[0087] The body may include a rear face, a top wall, a bottom wall, and at least one side wall;

[0088] wherein the maintenance opening may include a rear hole in the rear face and a side wall hole in the side wall; and

[0089] The service panel may include a rear portion releasably mountable over the rear aperture and a sidewall portion releasably mountable over the sidewall aperture.

[0090] Advantageously, the service panel and the service hole extending into the side wall can improve access to the radiator from the side, i.e. in a direction parallel to the plane of the rear face of the radiator. This can improve access where components of the internal combustion engine can be positioned close to and aligned with the rear face of the radiator.

[0091] The rear hole and the sidewall hole may consist of a single hole.

[0092] The sidewall may include a vertical first face angled perpendicularly to the rear face and an inclined second face inclined relative to the rear face and the first face, wherein the sidewall aperture is in the inclined second face and the sidewall portion of the service panel is inclined relative to the rear portion.

[0093] At least one of the retained fasteners may be located on the angled second face, and at least one, optionally at least two, retained fasteners may be located on the rear face.

[0094] The service panel may be formed from a mesh sheet material. Using a mesh sheet material for the service panel may improve airflow and reduce noise and weight.

[0095] The present disclosure also provides an internal combustion engine assembly, comprising:

[0096] - Engine block;

[0097] -fan;

[0098] - radiator; and

[0099] - Radiator guard;

[0100] The radiator guard comprises a main body and a maintenance panel;

[0101] The body is formed of a mesh sheet material and comprises:

[0102] - a plurality of fastening points for mounting the body on the rear face of the radiator;

[0103] - a service aperture for providing access to the rear of the radiator in use; and

[0104] - a plurality of retained fasteners arranged around the periphery of the service opening;

[0105] wherein the service panel is releasably mounted to the body using the retained fasteners to cover the service opening.

[0106] The radiator guard, when mounted over the rear face of the radiator, may be interposed between the rear face of the radiator and the front end of the engine block of the internal combustion engine.

[0107] The body may cover a plurality of fan blades of the fan when mounted over the rear face of the heat sink.

[0108] The body may comprise separate first and second parts which, in use, are mountable adjacent each other over the rear face of the heat sink.

[0109] The first portion and the second portion may substantially surround a fan axis of the fan when mounted over the rear face of the heat sink.

[0110] The internal combustion engine assembly may also include one or more conduits, optionally including cooling circuit conduits, extending across the body of the radiator shroud.

[0111] The service panel may be formed from a mesh sheet material.

[0112] The present disclosure also provides a method for forming the above-mentioned radiator protective cover, comprising:

[0113] - forming a mesh of mesh sheet material, said mesh comprising said service aperture;

[0114] - folding and optionally welding the mesh to form at least a portion of the body of the radiator shield;

[0115] - attaching a plurality of retained fasteners around the perimeter of the service hole;

[0116] - said repair panel formed of a mesh material; and

[0117] - Mounting the service panel to at least a portion of the body using the plurality of retained fasteners.

[0118] The body may include a first portion and a second portion, and the first portion and the second portion may each be formed from separate individual webs of mesh sheet material.

[0119] Folding the body web may include at least one fold forming a through-service hole.

[0120] Forming the service panel may include folding the service panel to form a rear portion and side wall portions that are angled relative to each other.

[0121] It should be understood that at least some of the drawings and descriptions of the present disclosure have been simplified to focus on elements relevant to a clear understanding of the present disclosure, while other elements that will be understood by those skilled in the art have been omitted for the purpose of clarity. Because these elements are well known to those skilled in the art and because they do not necessarily contribute to a better understanding of the present disclosure, descriptions of these elements are not provided herein.

Claims

1. A radiator shield, comprising a main body and a maintenance panel; The body is formed of a mesh sheet material and comprises: - a plurality of fastening points for mounting the body on the rear face of a radiator of an internal combustion engine; - a service aperture for providing access to the rear of the radiator in use; and - a plurality of retained fasteners arranged around the periphery of the service opening; wherein the service panel is releasably mounted to the body using the retained fasteners to cover the service opening.

2. A radiator shield according to claim 1, wherein the body is sized and dimensioned to cover a plurality of fan blades of a fan of the internal combustion engine in use.

3. A radiator shield as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the body comprises separate first and second parts which can be mounted adjacent each other over the rear face of the radiator in use, the first and second parts being separately removable.

4. The radiator guard of claim 3, wherein the first portion and the second portion are mountable about a fan shaft of the internal combustion engine.

5. A radiator shield according to any preceding claim, wherein the body comprises a rear face, a top wall, a bottom wall and at least one side wall; wherein the maintenance opening comprises a rear hole in the rear face and a side wall hole in the side wall; and The service panel includes a rear portion releasably mounted over the rear aperture and a sidewall portion releasably mounted over the sidewall aperture.

6. The radiator shield of claim 5, wherein the rear aperture and the sidewall aperture consist of a single aperture.

7. A radiator shield as claimed in claim 5 or claim 6, wherein the side wall includes a vertical first face angled perpendicularly to the rear face and an inclined second face inclined relative to the rear face and the first face, wherein the side wall hole is in the inclined second face and the side wall portion of the service panel is inclined relative to the rear portion.

8. The radiator shield of claim 7, wherein at least one of the retained fasteners is located on the angled second face and at least one, optionally at least two, retained fasteners are located on the rear face.

9. A radiator shield according to any preceding claim, wherein the service panel is formed from a mesh sheet material.

10. An internal combustion engine assembly comprising: - Engine block; -fan; -heat sink; as well as - Radiator guard; The radiator guard comprises a main body and a maintenance panel; The body is formed of a mesh sheet material and comprises: - a plurality of fastening points for mounting the body on the rear face of the radiator; - a service aperture for providing access to the rear of the radiator in use; and - a plurality of retained fasteners arranged around the periphery of the service opening; wherein the service panel is releasably mounted to the body using the retained fasteners to cover the service opening.

11. The internal combustion engine assembly of claim 10, wherein the radiator guard, when mounted over the rear face of the radiator, is interposed between the rear face of the radiator and a front end of an engine block of the internal combustion engine.

12. An internal combustion engine assembly according to claim 10 or claim 11, wherein the body covers a plurality of fan blades of the fan when mounted over the rear face of the radiator.

13. An internal combustion engine assembly according to any one of claims 10 to 12, wherein the body comprises separate first and second parts which, in use, are mountable adjacent each other over the rear face of the radiator.

14. The internal combustion engine assembly of claim 13, wherein the first portion and the second portion substantially surround a fan axis of the fan when mounted over the rear face of the radiator.

15. An internal combustion engine assembly according to any one of claims 10 to 14, further comprising one or more conduits, optionally including cooling circuit conduits, extending across the body of the radiator shroud.

16. An internal combustion engine assembly according to any one of claims 10 to 15, wherein the service panel is formed from a mesh sheet material.

17. A method of forming a radiator shield according to any one of claims 1 to 9, comprising: - forming a mesh of mesh sheet material, said mesh comprising said service aperture; - folding and optionally welding the mesh to form at least a portion of the body of the radiator shield; - attaching a plurality of retained fasteners around the perimeter of the service hole; - forming said repair panel of mesh material; as well as - Mounting the service panel to at least a portion of the body using the plurality of retained fasteners.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the body comprises a first portion and a second portion, and the first portion and the second portion are each formed from separate individual webs of mesh sheet material.

19. A method according to claim 17 or claim 18, wherein folding the body web comprises forming at least one fold through the service hole.

20. A method according to any one of claims 17 to 19, wherein forming the service panel comprises folding the service panel to form a rear portion and side wall portions that are angled relative to each other.

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