Vehicular Cooling Device Air Intake Duct Impact Protection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing vehicle cooling devices with air intake ducts extending backwardly from the cooler body are prone to damage and coolant leakage upon impact, as the impact load is directly transmitted to the cooler body, leading to potential damage and leakage during collisions.

Innovation Solution

The cooling device design features an air intake duct that is displaceable relative to the cooler body, with a lower attachment strength than the cooler body to the vehicle, allowing the duct to disconnect and move forwardly upon impact, reducing the risk of damage to the cooler body and leakage of coolant. Additionally, the cooler body is attached to the vehicle through metallic members and the air intake duct through resin members, ensuring stable disconnection and reduced positional misalignment risks.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If the air intake duct extends backwardly from the cooler body to a position close to the rear end of the vehicle, then the cooling device is applicable to differential pressure air introducing type vehicles and can introduce ambient air effectively, but the impact load upon collision from rearward is transmitted directly to the cooler body, causing damage risk and coolant leakage

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveapplicability to differential pressure air introducing type vehiclesVSAvoidrisk of cooler body damage and coolant leakage

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The air intake duct is designed to be movable relative to the cooler body, allowing it to change position dynamically. Specifically, the duct can move forwardly upon impact to reduce damage, while maintaining proper positioning during normal operation for effective cooling air introduction.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The attachment strength between the air intake duct and cooler body is deliberately set to be lower than the attachment strength of the cooler body to the vehicle body. This parameter change allows the duct to detach or move forward upon impact, protecting the cooler body while maintaining normal function during operation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Manufacturing precision

If the air intake duct is attached strongly to the cooler body, then the duct maintains stable positioning and reduces misalignment, but the impact load is transmitted directly to the cooler body causing damage

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepositional alignment between duct and cooler bodyVSAvoidresistance to impact load

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

Different attachment strengths are applied at different locations in the system. The air intake duct is attached to the cooler body with lower strength, while the cooler body itself is attached to the vehicle body with higher strength. This local differentiation allows the duct to move forward upon impact, protecting the cooler body while maintaining adequate positioning during normal operation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

3Strength

If the cooler body is attached to the vehicle body with high strength, then the cooler body remains stable and prevents damage, but the air intake duct cannot disconnect upon impact to reduce transmitted load

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveattachment strength of cooler body to vehicle bodyVSAvoidattachment strength differentiation between duct and cooler body

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The attachment system is segmented into two distinct connections: one between the air intake duct and cooler body, and another between the cooler body and vehicle body. Each connection has different strength characteristics, allowing the duct to detach or move forward upon impact while the cooler body remains securely mounted to the vehicle body.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This design effectively reduces the risk of cooler body damage and coolant leakage during collisions, maintaining vehicle functionality and enhancing cooling performance by minimizing positional misalignment and attachment strength discrepancies.

Implementation Method 1

a cooler body 24 of a heat exchanging type... with heat exchanging between the coolant and the ambient air

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectHeat exchanging: Heat Exchanger

Data Source

PatentUS10828979B2Vehicular cooling device

Publication Date: 2020.11.10 TOYOTA JIDOSHA KK

AI summary

A cooling device of a vehicle includes a cooler body of a heat exchanging type and an air intake duct which are disposed in a rear portion of the vehicle. The air intake duct extends backwardly from the cooler body in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and is disposed such that the air intake duct is displaceable relative to the cooler body forwardly of the vehicle upon application of an impact load to the air intake duct. The cooler body is attached to a body of the vehicle, while the air intake duct is attached to the cooler body, such that a strength of attachment of the air intake duct to the cooler body is lower than a strength of attachment of the cooler body to the body of the vehicle.