Cooling system for vehicles, and vehicles

Abstract

To provide a vehicle cooling system that can maintain the cooling performance of the condenser while suppressing a decrease in the cooling performance of the radiator when the radiator is positioned behind the condenser. [Solution] The cooling device for a vehicle is positioned behind an air intake opening at the front of the vehicle and has a condenser having a first front portion and a first rear portion, to which air passing through the intake is directed; a radiator positioned behind the condenser and having a second front portion and a second rear portion, with the second front portion facing the first rear portion; and a fan provided on the second rear portion side of the radiator to direct the air from the intake to the condenser and the radiator, wherein the space between the lower parts of the first rear portion of the condenser and the second front portion of the radiator is larger than the space between the upper parts of the first rear portion of the condenser and the second front portion of the radiator.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a cooling device for a vehicle and a vehicle having such a cooling device.

Background Art

[0002] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an example of a cooling device in which air passing through an air intake such as a front grille opening in the front of a vehicle hits a condenser and a radiator in this order and is arranged side by side. The condenser and radiator in Patent Document 1 are arranged one on top of the other in parallel front to back and, for example, stand upright with respect to a horizontal plane.

[0003] The condenser in Patent Document 2 is inclined forward on the upper side compared to the lower side. A fan is provided on the back surface of the condenser. The radiator is arranged further behind and spaced apart from the condenser and the fan. The air introduced from the air intake is applied to the outside of the condenser and the fan.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] For example, in the cooling device for a vehicle described in Patent Document 1, the air introduced from the air intake and taking away the heat of the condenser may go straight to the radiator immediately behind, making it difficult to lower the temperature of the radiator.

[0006] In the vehicle cooling system described in Patent Document 2, the condenser and radiator are not stacked front to back but are spaced apart, thus requiring space in the front-to-back direction to install the condenser and radiator.

[0007] The present invention aims to provide a vehicle cooling system that can suppress a decrease in the cooling performance of a radiator while maintaining the cooling performance of a condenser, when the radiator is arranged side by side behind the condenser, and a vehicle having such a cooling system. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] A cooling device for a vehicle according to one aspect of the present invention comprises: a condenser positioned behind an air intake opening to the front of the vehicle, having a first front portion and a first rear portion, to which air passing through the intake is directed; a radiator positioned behind the condenser, having a second front portion and a second rear portion, with the second front portion facing the first rear portion; and a fan provided on the second rear portion side of the radiator, for directing the air from the intake to the condenser and the radiator, wherein the space between the lower portions of the first rear portion of the condenser and the second front portion of the radiator is larger than the space between their upper portions, or the space between the left and right ends of the first rear portion of the condenser and the second front portion of the radiator is larger than the space between the left and right ends. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a vehicle cooling system that can suppress a decrease in the cooling performance of a radiator while maintaining the cooling performance of a condenser when the radiator is arranged in a row behind the condenser, and a vehicle having such a cooling system. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1]A schematic diagram showing the arrangement of the cooling device at the front of the vehicle according to the first embodiment and the heat source located behind it. [Figure 2] A schematic perspective view showing an example of a left-side bracket for positioning the condenser, radiator, and their relative positions in the cooling system shown in Figure 1. [Figure 3] A schematic perspective view showing an example of a right-side bracket for positioning the condenser, radiator, and their relative positions in the cooling system shown in Figure 1. [Figure 4] A schematic diagram showing plates provided along the planes defined by the vertical and front-to-back directions of the left bracket in Figure 2. [Figure 5] A schematic diagram showing a modified version of the plate shown in Figure 4. [Figure 6] A schematic diagram showing the arrangement of the cooling device at the front of the vehicle according to the second embodiment and the heat source located behind it. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] Hereinafter, a vehicle 10 having a cooling device 12 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0012] (First Embodiment) A vehicle 10 having a cooling device 12 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 5.

[0013] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing a part of the front section of the vehicle 10 according to the first embodiment. The front, rear, top, and bottom of the vehicle 10 are as shown in Figure 1.

[0014] As shown in Figure 1, the vehicle 10 has an air intake 10a that opens at the front of the vehicle 10. An example of an air intake 10a is a grille (front grille) provided on the body of the vehicle 10, which can take in air F into the body when the vehicle 10 is in motion. In addition to the grille, the air intake 10a into the body may also be located in other places, such as on the lower front of the vehicle 10.

[0015] The vehicle 10 has a cooling device 12 and a heat source 14 provided, for example, behind the cooling device 12.

[0016] The cooling device 12 is provided on the rear side of the vehicle 10 relative to the air intake 10a of the air F. The cooling device 12 has a condenser (first heat exchanger) 22, a radiator (second heat exchanger) 24, and a fan 26. The condenser 22, the radiator 24, and the fan 26 are preferably arranged at or near the center in the vehicle width direction of the vehicle 10. The condenser 22 is provided behind the grill facing the grill as the intake 10a. The radiator 24 is provided behind the condenser 22. The fan 26 is provided on the back side of the radiator 24.

[0017] The condenser 22 is used, for example, as a heat exchanger for an air conditioner in a cab (not shown). The condenser 22 cools the gaseous refrigerant by exchanging heat between the gaseous refrigerant and the air F taken in from the intake 10a. The condenser 22 has an outer appearance formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. The condenser 22 has a first front surface portion 22a and a first back surface portion 22b as the largest pair of surfaces of the substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape of the condenser 22. The front surface portion 22a of the condenser 22 faces the intake (grill) 10a, and the air F passing through the intake 10a is applied to the front surface portion 22a. It is preferable that there is no fan between the back surface of the condenser 22 according to the present embodiment, that is, between the back surface portion 22b of the condenser 22 and the front surface portion 24a of the radiator 24.

[0018] For the sake of simplicity of explanation, the front surface 22a and the rear surface 22b of the capacitor 22 are assumed to be flat and parallel to each other. The sizes of the front surface 22a and the rear surface 22b of the capacitor 22 are assumed to be the same. And the front surface 22a and the rear surface 22b of the capacitor 22 are inclined with respect to the front surface 24a and the rear surface 24b of the radiator 24 described later. Depending on the degree of inclination of the radiator 24, the front surface 22a and the rear surface 22b of the capacitor 22 may be parallel to a certain plane S that defines the up, down, left, and right of the vehicle 10. However, in this embodiment, the front surface 22a and the rear surface 22b of the capacitor 22 are assumed to be inclined with respect to a certain plane S that defines the up, down, left, and right of the vehicle 10. In this embodiment, the upper part of the capacitor 22 is arranged on the rear side with respect to the lower part of the capacitor 22.

[0019] The capacitor 22 rotates about a central axis C extending in the left - right direction as a support axis and is fixed at a desired angle. The central axis C may be at the upper end (upper edge) of the rear surface 22b of the capacitor 22 or may be further above the upper end of the rear surface 22b of the capacitor 22. Here, an example where the central axis C is at the upper end of the rear surface 22b of the capacitor 22 will be described.

[0020] Assume that the rear surface 22b of the capacitor 22 is deviated by an angle θ around the axis of the central axis C with respect to the certain plane S that defines the up, down, left, and right of the vehicle 10, including the central axis C. The position of the capacitor 22 shown by the solid line and the position shown by the broken line are assumed to be deviated by an angle θ around the axis of the central axis C. Here, assume that the front - side with respect to the plane S is the + direction of the angle θ. When the front surface 24a of the radiator 24 is parallel to the plane S, it is preferable that θ>0°. When using the brackets 32 and 34 described later, when the front surface 24a of the radiator 24 is parallel to the plane S, for example, when it is assumed that the heat generation amount of the heat source 14 is relatively low, θ = 0° may be acceptable. Therefore, θ≧0° may be acceptable.

[0021] Note that Figure 1 shows an example where the angle θ of the solid line capacitor 22 is θ1 > 0°, and the angle θ of the dashed line capacitor 22 is θ2 > θ1 > 0°. The upper limit of the angle θ can be appropriately set depending on the area of ​​the front part 22a of the capacitor 22 that receives air F and its relationship to the amount of heat generated by the heat source 14, but for example it can be greater than 30° and 45° or less.

[0022] The radiator 24 is used as a heat exchanger to cool the coolant circulating around a heat source 14, such as an engine, motor, battery, or ECU. The radiator 24 cools the coolant by exchanging heat with air F taken in from the intake port 10a. The radiator 24 may be a downflow type that flows the coolant from top to bottom, or a crossflow type that flows the coolant horizontally.

[0023] The radiator 24, like the condenser 22, is formed in a roughly rectangular parallelepiped shape. The radiator 24 has a second front portion 24a and a second rear portion 24b as the largest pair of surfaces of its roughly rectangular parallelepiped shape. The front portion 24a of the radiator 24 faces the rear portion 22b of the condenser 22, and the front portion 24a is exposed to air F taken in from the intake port 10a and passed through the condenser 22, as well as air F that has wrapped around the outside of the condenser 22.

[0024] Then, of the two largest rectangular parallelepiped faces of the radiator 24, one, the front portion 24a, faces the rear portion 22b of the condenser 22, and the other faces the fan 26. For simplicity of explanation, the front portion 24a and the rear portion 24b of the radiator 24 are assumed to be planar and parallel to each other. The front portion 24a and the rear portion 24b of the radiator 24 are assumed to be the same size.

[0025] Furthermore, it is preferable that the condenser 22 and the radiator 24 be formed to be approximately the same size relative to each other. Therefore, when viewing the cooling system 12 from the front of the vehicle 10, it is preferable that the front portion 22a of the condenser 22 is visible, while the front portion 24a of the radiator 24 is not visible or is almost invisible.

[0026] Here, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, the capacitor 22 has a left side portion (first left side portion) 22c between the front portion 22a and the rear portion 22b, and a right side portion (first right side portion) 22d between the front portion 22a and the rear portion 22b. The radiator 24 has a left side portion (second left side portion) 24c between the front portion 24a and the rear portion 24b, and a right side portion (second right side portion) 24d between the front portion 24a and the rear portion 24b.

[0027] The left side portion 22c of the condenser 22 and the left side portion 24c of the radiator 24 are arranged along a plane defined, for example, in the longitudinal and vertical directions of the vehicle 10. The right side portion 22d of the condenser 22 and the right side portion 24d of the radiator 24 are arranged along a plane defined, for example, in the longitudinal and vertical directions of the vehicle 10.

[0028] In this embodiment, the front portion 24a and rear portion 24b of the radiator 24 may be positioned such that the upper part of the radiator 24 is positioned rearward relative to the lower part, or the lower part is positioned rearward relative to the upper part. In this embodiment, for the sake of simplicity of explanation, the front portion 24a and rear portion 24b of the radiator 24 are assumed to be parallel to a certain plane S that defines the top, bottom, left, and right of the vehicle 10.

[0029] In this embodiment, the space between the lower parts of the rear portion 22b of the capacitor 22 and the front portion 24a of the radiator 24 is larger than the space between their upper parts.

[0030] The distance between the intake port 10a and the condenser 22 is set appropriately. The distance between the condenser 22 and the radiator 24 is set appropriately. The distance between the front portion 24a of the radiator 24 and the rear portion 22b of the condenser 22 should be such that it can be recognized that the radiator 24 is placed on top of the rear side of the condenser 22. Also, the distance between the front portion 24a of the radiator 24 and the rear portion 22b of the condenser 22 is such that, for example, the distance between the upper end of the rear portion 22b of the condenser 22 and the upper end of the front portion 24a of the radiator 24, as shown in Figure 1, makes it more difficult for air F to enter through the intake port 10a than the distance between the lower end of the rear portion 22b of the condenser 22 and the lower end of the front portion 24a of the radiator 24.

[0031] The fan 26 is located at the rear of the radiator 24 on the rear portion 24b side and is used to cool the condenser 22 and the radiator 24. It is preferable that the fan 26 be located on the rear portion 24b of the radiator 24. When the fan 26 is operated, it creates a negative pressure in a region R on the rear portion 24b side of the radiator 24, for example, compared to the rear side of the fan 26. As a result, the fan 26 directs the air F taken in from the intake 10a onto the condenser 22 and the radiator 24, and also directs the air F that has passed through the condenser 22 and the radiator 24 further towards the rear.

[0032] Air F from the intake port 10a is directly directed onto the front surface 22a of the condenser 22. Of the air F, the air that passes through the condenser 22 is heated by the condenser 22 through heat exchange and then directed onto the front surface 24a of the radiator 24 via the rear surface 22b of the condenser 22.

[0033] The space between the bottom of the condenser 22 and the bottom of the radiator 24 is wider than the space between the top of the condenser 22 and the top of the radiator 24. When the fan 26 creates negative pressure in region R, the air F from the intake 10a tries to enter the space between the rear part 22b of the condenser 22 and the front part 24a of the radiator 24 by passing over the top of the condenser 22. Even with the negative pressure in region R, the gap (space) between the top of the condenser 22 and the top of the radiator 24 is relatively narrow, making it difficult for air F to directly enter the space between the rear part 22b of the condenser 22 and the front part 24a of the radiator 24 by passing through the space between the top of the condenser 22 and the top of the radiator 24 from the intake 10a.

[0034] Furthermore, when the fan 26 creates negative pressure in region R, the air F from the intake 10a attempts to enter the space between the rear part 22b of the condenser 22 and the front part 24a of the radiator 24, passing under the condenser 22. The gap (space) between the bottom of the condenser 22 and the bottom of the radiator 24 is relatively wide, and the negative pressure in region R makes it easy for air F to directly enter the space between the rear part 22b of the condenser 22 and the front part 24a of the radiator 24 through the space between the bottom of the condenser 22 and the bottom of the radiator 24 from the intake 10a. As a result, the air F from the intake 10a is directed onto the front part 24a of the radiator 24, passing under the condenser 22. Since this air F is not air heated by the condenser 22, it easily contributes to the cooling of the radiator 24.

[0035] Furthermore, when the fan 26 creates negative pressure in region R, the air F from the intake 10a attempts to enter the space between the rear portion 22b of the condenser 22 and the front portion 24a of the radiator 24, passing through the left and right sides of the condenser 22. As the gap (space) widens from the top to the bottom of the left and right sides of the condenser 22 and radiator 24, the negative pressure in region R allows air F to enter directly between the rear portion 22b of the condenser 22 and the front portion 24a of the radiator 24 more easily from the lower side than from the upper side, passing through the spaces on the left and right sides of the condenser 22 and radiator 24, respectively. The air F from the intake 10a then passes through the lower side of the left and right sides of the rear portion 22b of the condenser 22, rather than the upper side, and is directed onto the front portion 24a of the radiator 24. Since this air F is not heated by the condenser 22, it easily contributes to the cooling of the radiator 24.

[0036] Here, in Figure 1, the symbol S1 represents the area when the front portion 22a of the capacitor 22, shown by the solid line, is projected onto the surface S, and the symbol S2 represents the area when the front portion 22a of the capacitor 22, shown by the dashed line, is projected onto the surface S. Furthermore, it is assumed that there is a constant distance in the front-to-back direction between the central axis C at the top of the capacitor 22 and the front portion 24a at the top of the radiator 24. For example, suppose that the capacitor 22 shown in Figure 1 is tilted with the central axis C extending in the left-to-right direction as its pivot axis. In this case, assume that the position of the capacitor 22 shown by the solid line and the position shown by the dashed line are offset by an angle θ around the axis of the central axis C. Area S2 is smaller than area S1. Therefore, when viewed from the intake 10a side, the amount that the capacitor 22 hides from the front portion 24a of the radiator 24 is reduced at the position shown by the dashed line compared to the position shown by the solid line. Therefore, at the position indicated by the dashed line, more air F is directed directly onto the front surface 24a of the radiator 24, without passing through the condenser 22, compared to the position indicated by the solid line.

[0037] When the distance between the central axis C at the top of the condenser 22 and the front part 24a at the top of the radiator 24 is constant in the front-to-back direction, the greater the distance between the bottom of the condenser 22 and the bottom of the radiator 24, the greater the cooling performance of the radiator 24. On the other hand, the greater the distance between the bottom of the condenser 22 and the bottom of the radiator 24, the smaller the area of ​​the condenser 22 facing the intake port 10a. Therefore, depending on the angle θ, the area of ​​the front part 22a of the condenser 22 that receives air F decreases.

[0038] The cooling performance required of the radiator 24 can be appropriately changed depending on the amount of heat expected to be generated by the heat source 14. For example, if the cooling performance of the radiator 24 is sufficient when the condenser 22 and the radiator 24 are stacked parallel to each other, the angle θ of the back portion 22b of the condenser 22 with respect to the surface S, that is, the angle θ of the back portion 22b of the condenser 22 with respect to the front portion 24a of the radiator 24, will be relatively small, such as close to 0°. If it is necessary to further improve the cooling performance of the radiator 24, the angle θ of the back portion 22b of the condenser 22 with respect to the surface S, that is, the angle θ of the back portion 22b of the condenser 22 with respect to the front portion 24a of the radiator 24, will be relatively large.

[0039] For example, the maximum angle θ of the condenser 22 with respect to the surface S, that is, the angle θ of the rear part 22b of the condenser 22 with respect to the front part 24a of the radiator 24, is preferably 45° or less, and more preferably 30° or less. In this case, the air F that passes through the intake port 10a can be directed onto the front part 22a of the condenser 22. In addition, while the condenser 22 is cooled by the air F taken in from the intake port 10a, the radiator 24 on the rear side of the condenser 22 can be cooled by the air F that has circulated around the bottom and sides of the condenser 22.

[0040] For example, a vehicle 10 such as a BEV, HEV, PHEV, or FCEV has a package that includes a battery as a heat source 14. Such a package is appropriately selected for each vehicle type. For example, the number of batteries installed in the vehicle 10 may change depending on the package, and the allowable heat generation of the vehicle 10 may change. Thus, the allowable heat generation of the battery as a heat source 14 may differ for each vehicle type.

[0041] Furthermore, the permissible amount of heat generated by a vehicle 10 with an engine may differ depending on the type of engine (which serves as a heat source 14) and the engine's displacement. Additionally, the vehicle 10 may have a motor or ECU as a heat source 14. The permissible amount of heat generated by a motor or ECU may differ depending on the type. Furthermore, the permissible amount of heat generated by the vehicle 10 may differ depending on the environment in which it is used.

[0042] Thus, the vehicle 10 may have different specifications for the heat source 14 through which the coolant circulates. In such cases, the appropriate distribution ratio of the amount of air (cooling air) F to the front part 22a of the condenser 22 and the front part 24a of the radiator 24, as well as the temperature of the air (cooling air) F, may differ for each specification of the heat source 14.

[0043] For example, efforts are underway to standardize parts not only in vehicles of the same model but also in vehicles of different models 10. Even if the allowable heat generation capacity of the heat source 14 differs, if the same specifications of condenser 22 and radiator 24 are used in each vehicle 10, it becomes necessary to adjust the cooling performance of the condenser 22 and the radiator 24 located on the rear side of the condenser 22.

[0044] When using the cooling device 12 according to this embodiment, the tilt angle of the condenser 22 relative to the radiator 24 can be adjusted. In this case, the condenser 22, which is at the very front of the cooling device 12, can be cooled by the air F taken in from the intake port 10a. Furthermore, by adjusting the tilt angle of the condenser 22 relative to the radiator 24, the cooling device 12 can adjust how much air F, which is less affected by the heat from the condenser 22, is supplied to the front part 24a of the radiator 24. For this reason, the cooling device 12 according to this embodiment can adjust the cooling performance of the radiator 24 according to, for example, the allowable heat generation of the heat source 14. Accordingly, the vehicle 10 according to this embodiment can set the cooling performance of the radiator 24 to a desired state while maintaining the cooling performance of the condenser 22. In addition, by arranging the radiator 24 behind the condenser 22, the cooling device 12 can suppress the expansion of the space required for arranging the condenser 22 and the radiator 24.

[0045] Therefore, according to this embodiment, a cooling device 12 for a vehicle 10 is provided that can suppress a decrease in the cooling performance of the radiator 24 while maintaining the cooling performance of the condenser 22 when the radiator 24 is arranged side by side behind the condenser 22, and a vehicle 10 having such a cooling device 12 is provided.

[0046] Figure 2 shows a left bracket 32 ​​for positioning the relative positions of the condenser 22 and radiator 24 on the left side of the vehicle 10. Figure 3 shows a right bracket 34 for positioning the relative positions of the condenser 22 and radiator 24 on the right side of the vehicle 10. Figure 4 shows a schematic diagram of a plate 52 provided along the plane defined by the vertical and longitudinal directions of the left bracket 32 ​​in Figure 2.

[0047] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the cooling system 12 has a pair of brackets 32 and 34 for positioning the relative positions of the condenser 22 and the radiator 24. The pair of brackets 32 and 34 fix the condenser 22 to the radiator 24 from both sides in the width direction of the vehicle 10. In this embodiment, the pair of brackets 32 and 34 can continuously adjust and fix the inclination angle of the rear portion 22b of the condenser 22 relative to the front portion 24a of the radiator 24.

[0048] As shown in Figure 2, the left bracket 32 ​​has a first-first bracket body (first bracket body) 42 fixed to the left end of the capacitor 22 and a second-second bracket body (second bracket body) 44 fixed to the left end of the radiator 24. The positional relationship between the first-first bracket body 42 and the second-second bracket body 44 is fixed by, for example, a plurality of bolts 46. The left end of the capacitor 22 refers to one or more of the left end of the front portion 22a, the left end of the rear portion 22b, and the left side portion 22c of the capacitor 22. The left end of the radiator 24 refers to one or more of the left end of the front portion 24a, the left end of the rear portion 24b, and the left side portion 24c of the radiator 24. In this embodiment, for example, the first-first bracket body 42 is fixed to the left end of the front portion 22a and the left side portion 22c of the capacitor 22.

[0049] Each of the first bracket bodies 42 is bent into a roughly L-shape and is formed of two bodies spaced apart vertically. The first bracket body 42 may be formed as a single body or as three or more bodies.

[0050] Multiple sets of bolt fixing holes 42a are formed in the bracket body 42 of the first-first bracket. Each bolt fixing hole 42a is formed to a size that allows one bolt 46 to be fixed. Preferably, each set of multiple sets of bolt fixing holes 42a is provided at equal intervals along the direction in which the left side portion 22c of the capacitor 22 extends (up and down direction). Each set of multiple sets of bolt fixing holes 42a is formed at the same interval as the interval between vertically adjacent bolt insertion holes 56, which will be described later.

[0051] In Figure 2, the bracket body 42 of 1-1 is shown as being fixed with bolts 48 to the bolt fixing holes 42b on the front surface 22a side of the capacitor 22, but it is not necessarily required to be fixed to the front surface 22a of the capacitor 22. Also, in Figure 2, 10 bolt fixing holes 42b are shown. When the bracket body 42 is fixed to the front surface 22a of the capacitor 22 with bolts 48, it is sufficient that each bracket body 42 is fixed through two or more bolt fixing holes 42b.

[0052] For example, the first and second bracket bodies 44 are fixed to the left end of the front portion 24a of the radiator 24. The first and second bracket bodies 44 are formed as a single unit, but may be formed from two or more units.

[0053] The first and second bracket bodies 44 are spaced apart vertically and comprise plates 52 and 54 provided along surfaces defined by the vertical and front-rear directions. The plates 52 and 54 protrude forward of the second front portion 24a. The plates 52 and 54, i.e., the first and second bracket bodies 44, have bolt insertion holes 56 as adjustment parts that allow the position of the bolts 46 to be adjusted. Each plate 52 and 54 has a pair of bolt insertion holes 56. Note that plate 52 is located above plate 54.

[0054] Figure 4 shows a view of the plate 52 of the first-second bracket body 44 from the left side. In this embodiment, the bolt insertion holes 56 are each formed as arc-shaped slits. Preferably, the central axis of the arc of the arc-shaped bolt insertion hole 56 coincides with the rotational axis C of the capacitor 22. That is, the central axis of the arc of the arc-shaped bolt insertion hole 56 may be at the upper end (upper edge) of the rear surface 22b of the capacitor 22, or it may be even higher than the upper end of the rear surface 22b of the capacitor 22. Here, we assume that the central axis of the arc of the arc-shaped bolt insertion hole 56 is at the upper end (upper edge) of the rear surface 22b of the capacitor 22.

[0055] In Figure 4, the upper edge of each bolt insertion hole 56 is formed in an arc shape equidistant from the central axis of the arc of the bolt insertion hole 56. Similarly, the lower edge of each bolt insertion hole 56 is formed in an arc shape equidistant from the central axis of the arc of the bolt insertion hole 56.

[0056] The plate 52 has multiple (two) arc-shaped slits, which are bolt insertion holes 56, arranged vertically. Since the central axis C of the arc of the bolt insertion hole 56 is above the plate 52, when comparing the two bolt insertion holes 56 of the plate 52, the arc length (opening length in the front-to-back direction) of the lower bolt insertion hole 56 is longer than the arc length (opening length in the front-to-back direction) of the upper bolt insertion hole 56. An example of a hypothetical end face Sr formed by connecting the two rearmost positions of the two bolt insertion holes 56 is parallel to the surface S.

[0057] The same applies to the two bolt holes 56 in plate 54 shown in Figure 2. Note that since plate 54 is located below plate 52, the distance from the central axis C of the arc of the bolt holes 56 is greater. For this reason, the arc length (opening length in the front-to-back direction) of the bolt holes 56 in plate 54 is formed to be longer than the arc length (opening length in the front-to-back direction) of the bolt holes 56 in plate 52.

[0058] In the example of the bolt insertion hole 56 of the plate 52 shown in Figures 2 and 4, the bolt 46 may be positioned at any position between the front and rear ends of the bolt insertion hole 56. In this case, by fixing the bolt 46 to the bolt fixing hole 42a of the first bracket body 42 through the bolt insertion hole 56 of the first-second bracket body 44, the first-first bracket body 42 is positioned within a predetermined angle θ relative to the first-second bracket body 44.

[0059] As shown in Figure 3, the right-side bracket 34 has a second-first bracket body (first bracket body) 62 fixed to the right end of the capacitor 22 and a second-second bracket body (second bracket body) 64 fixed to the right end of the radiator 24. The second-first bracket body 62 and the second-second bracket body 64 are fixed in position by, for example, a number of bolts 66. The right end of the capacitor 22 refers to one or more of the right end of the front portion 22a, the right end of the rear portion 22b, and the right side portion 22d of the capacitor 22. The right end of the radiator 24 refers to one or more of the right end of the front portion 24a, the right end of the rear portion 24b, and the right side portion 24d of the radiator 24. In this embodiment, for example, the second-first bracket body 62 is fixed to the right end of the front portion 22a and the right side portion 22d of the capacitor 22.

[0060] In this embodiment, the second-first bracket body 62 has a first component 63a and a second component 63b.

[0061] The first component 63a is bent into a roughly L-shape. The first component 63a may be formed as a single unit, or as two units, as in the first bracket unit 42 of the first-1. Furthermore, the first component 63a may be formed as three or more units.

[0062] Multiple sets of bolt fixing holes 62a are formed in the first component 63a. Each bolt fixing hole 62a is sized to accommodate one bolt 66. Preferably, each set of bolt fixing holes 62a is provided at equal intervals along the direction in which the right side portion 22d of the capacitor 22 extends (up and down direction).

[0063] The second component 63b is shown as being fixed with a bolt 68 to a bolt fixing hole 62b on the front side of the first component 63a and on the front portion 22a side of the capacitor 22, but it is not necessarily fixed to the front portion 22a of the capacitor 22. The second component 63b is also fixed with a nut 69b to a screw shaft 69a that extends forward from the first component 63a.

[0064] For example, the second-second bracket body 64 is fixed to the right end of the front portion 24a of the radiator 24. The second-second bracket body 64 is formed as a single unit, but it may be formed from two or more units.

[0065] The second-second bracket body 64 includes a plate 72 provided along a surface defined by the vertical and front-rear directions. The plate 72 protrudes forward of the second front portion 24a. The second-second bracket body 64 has bolt insertion holes 74 as an adjustment part that allows adjustment of the position of the bolts 66. Two pairs of bolt insertion holes 74 are formed in the plate 72, spaced apart vertically. Preferably, the bolt insertion holes 74 are formed symmetrically with the same shape and size as the bolt insertion holes 56 of the first-second bracket body 44 shown in Figures 2 and 4.

[0066] Therefore, in this embodiment, the bolt insertion holes 74 are formed as arc-shaped slits, similar to the bolt insertion holes 56. For this reason, it is preferable that the central axis of the arc of the arc-shaped slit bolt insertion hole 74 coincides with the central axis C of rotation of the capacitor 22. That is, the central axis of the arc of the arc-shaped slit bolt insertion hole 74 may be at the upper end (upper edge) of the rear surface 22b of the capacitor 22, or it may be even higher than the upper end of the rear surface 22b of the capacitor 22. Here, we assume that the central axis of the arc of the arc-shaped slit bolt insertion hole 74 is at the upper end (upper edge) of the rear surface 22b of the capacitor 22.

[0067] By adjusting the position of the bolt 46 relative to the bolt insertion hole 56 of the left bracket 32 ​​and the position of the bolt 66 relative to the bolt insertion hole 74 of the right bracket 34 to a position between the front and rear ends of the bolt insertion holes 56 and 74, the inclination angle of the rear portion 22b of the condenser 22 relative to the front portion 24a of the radiator 24 can be adjusted steplessly, and the condenser 22 can be fixed in the adjusted position.

[0068] As shown in Figures 2 and 4, markers 58 are formed around the bolt insertion holes 56 of the plate 52. The markers 58 indicate an example of the position where the bolts 46 will be placed. The markers 58 are located at an intermediate position between the front and rear ends of the bolt insertion holes 56. As shown in Figure 3, markers 76 are formed around the bolt insertion holes 74. The markers 76 indicate an example of the position where the bolts 66 will be placed.

[0069] The markers 58 and 76 are arranged symmetrically. It is sufficient that the markers 58 and 76 are visible. For this reason, it is preferable that the markers 58 and 76 be formed as markers of a color that stands out against the color of the bracket bodies 44 and 64. Alternatively, it is also preferable that the markers 58 and 76 be formed as notches in the bracket bodies 44 and 64, for example, by punching.

[0070] For example, in Figure 4, the arrangement of three bolts 46 in the upper bolt insertion hole 56 of the plate 52 is shown by dashed lines. By placing the bolt 46 at the front end of the bolt insertion hole 56, the angle θ of the rear part 22b of the condenser 22 relative to the front part 24a of the radiator 24 can be set to 30°. Similarly, by placing the bolt 46 at the intermediate position where the marker 58 is located between the front and rear ends of the bolt insertion hole 56, the angle θ of the rear part 22b of the condenser 22 relative to the front part 24a of the radiator 24 can be set to 15°. Similarly, by placing the bolt 46 at the rear end of the bolt insertion hole 56, the angle θ of the rear part 22b of the condenser 22 relative to the front part 24a of the radiator 24 can be set to 0°.

[0071] By using the brackets 32 and 34 according to this embodiment, the upper part of the condenser 22 can be positioned close to the upper part of the radiator 24, while the lower part of the condenser 22 can be positioned appropriately close to or far from the lower part of the radiator 24. For this reason, depending on the various specifications of the heat source 14, for example, the positional relationship between the condenser 22 and the radiator 24 can be fixed in a stepless manner or in multiple stages using, for example, one type of bracket 32 ​​and 34. Therefore, by adjusting the positional relationship between the condenser 22 and the radiator 24, it is possible to manufacture various types of vehicles 10 with different allowable heat generation capacities of the heat source 14, for example, using common parts (condenser 22, radiator 24, and a pair of brackets 32 and 34).

[0072] In Figure 4, an example was described in which the upper and lower edges of each bolt insertion hole 56 are formed in an arc shape equidistant from the central axis of the arc of the bolt insertion hole 56. However, the upper and lower edges of each bolt insertion hole 56 may not be formed in an arc shape equidistant from the central axis of the arc of the bolt insertion hole 56, but rather as shown in Figure 5, for example, as divided holes (circular holes) 56a, 56b, 56c that can accommodate the diameter of the bolt 46. In Figure 5, the bolt insertion hole 56 is shown as divided holes 56a, 56b, 56c, but adjacent holes 56a, 56b and holes 56b, 56c may be in communication with each other. As shown in Figure 5, the rearmost hole 56a of the bolt insertion holes 56 is positioned offset vertically. An example of a hypothetical end face Sr connecting the two rearmost positions of the two bolt insertion holes 56 is inclined toward face S. The end face Sr is positioned with the lower side facing forward and the upper side facing backward. For this reason, the rear portion 22b of the condenser 22 may be positioned so that it is always inclined with respect to the front portion 24a of the radiator 24, such that the angle θ > 0°. For example, if a bolt 46 is inserted through hole 56a, the angle θ can be set to, for example, 10°. If a bolt 46 is inserted through hole 56b, the angle θ can be set to, for example, 20°. If a bolt 46 is inserted through hole 56c, the angle θ can be set to, for example, 30°.

[0073] In this embodiment, an example has been described in which the first- and second bracket bodies 44 have bolt insertion holes 56 as arc-shaped slits or holes (circular holes) 56a, 56b, 56c, which are adjustment parts that allow the position of the bolt 46 to be adjusted. For example, it is also preferable that the first-first bracket body 42 has bolt insertion holes (adjustment parts) as arc-shaped slits or holes (circular holes) 56a, 56b, 56c, and the first-second bracket body 44 has one circular bolt fixing hole. It is also preferable that both the first-first bracket body 42 and the first-second bracket body 44 have bolt insertion holes (adjustment parts) as arc-shaped slits or holes (circular holes) 56a, 56b, 56c.

[0074] (Second Embodiment) A vehicle 10 having a cooling device 12 according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 6. This embodiment is a modification of the first embodiment, and the same reference numerals are used for the same components as those described in the first embodiment, and detailed descriptions are omitted.

[0075] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram showing a part of the front section of the vehicle 10 according to the second embodiment.

[0076] The front, rear, left, and right sides of the vehicle 10 are as shown in Figure 6. As shown in Figure 6, the vehicle 10 has an air intake 10a that opens at the front of the vehicle 10 for air F.

[0077] The rear portion 22b of the capacitor 22 is formed such that, for example, the space on the right side is relatively narrow, while the space on the left side is wider than the space on the right side. In other words, in this embodiment, the space between the left sides of the rear portion 22b of the capacitor 22 and the front portion 24a of the radiator 24 is larger than the space between the right sides.

[0078] The capacitor 22 is tilted with respect to a central axis C that extends vertically, and is fixed at a desired angle. The central axis C may be at the right end (right edge) of the rear surface 22b of the capacitor 22, or it may be further to the right of the right end of the rear surface 22b of the capacitor 22.

[0079] Air F from the intake port 10a is directly directed onto the front surface 22a of the condenser 22. Of the air F, the air that passes through the condenser 22 is heated by the condenser 22 through heat exchange and then directed onto the front surface 24a of the radiator 24 via the rear surface 22b of the condenser 22.

[0080] The space between the leftmost part of the capacitor 22 and the leftmost part of the radiator 24 is wider than the space between the rightmost part of the capacitor 22 and the rightmost part of the radiator 24. At this time, the air F from the intake 10a tries to enter the space between the rear part 22b of the capacitor 22 and the front part 24a of the radiator 24 by passing to the right of the rear part 22b of the capacitor 22. However, the space between the rightmost part of the capacitor 22 and the rightmost part of the radiator 24 is relatively narrow, making it difficult for the air F to enter the space between the rear part 22b of the capacitor 22 and the front part 24a of the radiator 24. In addition, the air F from the intake 10a tries to enter the space between the rear part 22b of the capacitor 22 and the front part 24a of the radiator 24 by passing to the left of the rear part 22b of the capacitor 22. The space between the leftmost part of the condenser 22 and the leftmost part of the radiator 24 is relatively wide, and air F can easily enter the space between the rear part 22b of the condenser 22 and the front part 24a of the radiator 24. Therefore, the air F from the intake 10a passes to the left side of the rear part 22b of the condenser 22 and is directed to the front part 24a of the radiator 24. Since this air F is not air heated by the condenser 22, it easily contributes to the cooling of the radiator 24.

[0081] Furthermore, some of the air F that passes from the intake port 10a through the upper and lower sides of the rear portion 22b of the condenser 22 is directed towards the front portion 24a of the radiator 24. Since this air F is not air heated by the condenser 22, it easily contributes to the cooling of the radiator 24.

[0082] It is also preferable that the space on the left side of the rear portion 22b of the capacitor 22 is relatively narrow compared to the space on the front portion 24a of the radiator 24, and the space on the right side is wider than the space on the left side. Therefore, it is sufficient that the space between the left and right ends of the rear portion 22b of the capacitor 22 and the front portion 24a of the radiator 24 is larger than the space between the left and right ends.

[0083] According to this embodiment, it is possible to provide a cooling device 12 for a vehicle 10 that can suppress a decrease in the cooling performance of the radiator 24 while maintaining the cooling performance of the condenser 22, when the radiator 24 is arranged side by side behind the condenser 22, and a vehicle 10 having such a cooling device 12.

[0084] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and can be modified in various ways during implementation without departing from its essence. Furthermore, each embodiment may be combined as appropriate, and in that case, the combined effects can be obtained. Moreover, the above embodiments include various inventions, and various inventions can be extracted by selecting combinations from the multiple constituent elements disclosed. For example, if the problem can be solved and effects obtained even if some constituent elements are deleted from all the constituent elements shown in the embodiment, then the configuration with these deleted constituent elements can be extracted as an invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0085] 10...Vehicle, 10a...Intake, 12...Cooling system, 14...Heat source, 22...Condenser, 24...Radiator, 26...Fan.

Claims

1. A condenser is positioned behind an air intake opening at the front of the vehicle, and has a first front portion and a first rear portion, with air passing through the intake directed to the first front portion. A radiator is arranged behind the capacitor, having a second front portion and a second rear portion, with the second front portion facing the first rear portion. A fan is provided on the second rear side of the radiator, which directs the air from the intake port onto the condenser and the radiator. It has, The space between the lower parts of the first rear part of the capacitor and the second front part of the radiator is larger than the space between their upper parts. Or, The space between the left and right ends of the first rear portion of the capacitor and the second front portion of the radiator is larger than the space between the left and right ends of the first rear portion of the capacitor and the space between the left and right ends of the second front portion of the radiator. A cooling system for vehicles.

2. The radiator has a pair of brackets that define the inclination angle of the first rear portion of the condenser in multiple steps or continuously with respect to the second front portion of the radiator, The cooling device according to claim 1.

3. When the space between the lower parts is larger than the space between the upper parts, The pair of brackets secure the condenser to the radiator from both sides in the width direction of the vehicle. The cooling device according to claim 2.

4. The pair of brackets mentioned above are, A first bracket body provided on the capacitor, A second bracket body provided on the radiator, Equipped with, The cooling device according to claim 2 or claim 3.

5. The second bracket body has an adjustment part that allows adjustment of the bolt position for fixing it to the first bracket body. The cooling device according to claim 4.

6. The intake opening that opens on the front of the vehicle, The cooling device according to claim 1 and A vehicle that possesses.

Images