Integrated Cooling Cover for Wheel Loader Fan Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional cooling structures for operating machines, such as wheel loaders, face challenges due to the separate provision of fan guards and grills, which increase the number of parts, hinder size reduction, generate wind noise, and increase ventilation resistance.
Innovation Solution
A cooling structure where a cover integrated into the vehicle body serves as both a fan guard and a grill, eliminating the need for separate components and allowing for easier maintenance, improved safety features, and reduced wind noise and ventilation resistance by integrating ventilation openings and a lock device.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a fan guard and a grill are separately provided around the cooling fan, then the cooling fan is protected and ventilation is enabled, but the number of parts increases and the cooling structure size cannot be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the fan guard and grill into a single integrated cover component. The cover includes a fan guard portion that surrounds the cooling fan and a grill portion with ventilation openings, eliminating the need for separate fan guard and grill parts. This merging reduces the number of parts while maintaining both protective and ventilation functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The cover serves multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as a fan guard to protect the cooling fan, a grill to enable ventilation through its openings, and a structural component of the vehicle body. This multi-functionality reduces the overall number of components needed in the cooling structure.
2Area of stationary object
If a fan guard and a grill are provided close to each other, then space is utilized efficiently, but wind noise is generated and ventilation resistance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The grill portion of the cover is designed with a specific pattern of ventilation openings that optimize airflow characteristics. The openings are strategically positioned and sized to reduce turbulence and wind noise while maintaining adequate ventilation. The local geometry of the grill portion is optimized to minimize harmful airflow effects.
3Reliability
If a separate fan guard is provided, then the cooling fan is protected, but maintenance of coolers becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The cover is designed to be movable and removable from the vehicle body, transforming from a static protective component to a dynamic one. This allows the cover to be easily removed for maintenance activities such as cleaning the radiator and other coolers, while still providing protection during normal operation. The movable nature enables easy access to the cooling components behind the cover.
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
The integrated cover design reduces the number of parts, simplifies the cooling structure configuration, enhances safety, and improves airflow efficiency by eliminating the need for separate fan guards and grills, thereby reducing wind noise and ventilation resistance.
Implementation Method 1
a cooling fan arranged between the cover and the radiator and close to the cover with an interval corresponding to a size of the ventilation opening portion
Implementation Method 2
a radiator provided at the vehicle body so as to be opposed to the cover
Data Source
AI summary
A cooling structure of an operating machine, such as a wheel loader, which structure cools an engine of the operating machine includes: a cover (such as a rear cover) forming a part of an outer surface of a vehicle body of the operating machine and including a large number of ventilation opening portions; a radiator provided at the vehicle body so as to be opposed to the cover; and a cooling fan arranged between the cover and the radiator and close to the cover with an interval corresponding to a size of the ventilation opening portion and provided so as not to be turnable relative to the vehicle body.