Coolant overflow bottle

Details Coolant overflow bottle Coolant overflow bottle

2000-02-10

2001-08-21

Argenbright, Tony M. (Department: 3747)

Internal-combustion engines

Cooling

C123S041650

Reexamination Certificate

active

06276311

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The field of the invention relates to engine cooling, more particularly to the cooling of liquid cooled internal combustion engines.
DESCRIPTION OF THE BACKGROUND ART
Vertical shaft internal combustion engines are becoming increasingly popular for use in lawn tractors. Their vertical shaft drives grass cutting blades without the use of a costly transmission. Consumer preferences, however, currently dictate lawn tractors with a low hood line. In a vertical shaft engine, this requires a short compact configuration. Even in larger tractors, such as those requiring an engine having 16 hp−35 hp, a low hood line is important to consumers. These larger engines, generate a significant amount of heat during operation and are typically liquid cooled. Liquid cooled vertical shaft engine are not easily shortened because of the necessity of a radiator to cool the liquid cooling the engine.
Liquid cooled engines have cooling circuits which circulates liquid coolant to maintain a desired engine temperature. These cooling circuits have coolant bottles for receiving heated coolant which expands beyond the volume capacity of the cooling circuit. When the coolant in the cooling circuit cools, it contracts, drawing coolant from the bottle back into the cooling circuit. The coolant bottles, are generally located proximate the radiator, and attached to an external portion of the engine increasing the overall external engine dimension.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a coolant overflow bottle having an interior volume for receiving coolant for use with a liquid cooled internal combustion engine.
The bottle includes a top, a bottom, and a pair of nested curved sidewalls joined at a leading edge, and joining the top and bottom. A rear wall is joined to the side walls at a trailing edge, and also joins the top and bottom. The bottle walls define an exterior shape for guiding air.
In another aspect, the present invention provides a liquid cooled vertical shaft internal combustion engine having a cooling circuit for cooling the engine. The cooling circuit has a fluid flowing therethrough. The engine includes a cylinder block having a vertical shaft and passageways, the passageways being part of the cooling circuit. A centrifugal fan is mounted adjacent the engine block, and is driven by the vertical shaft for rotation about a vertical central axis. The fan draws air from a substantially axial direction and expels it in a substantially radial direction. A radiator mounted adjacent the cylinder block at least partially encircles the centrifugal fan in a path of the expelled air. The radiator is coupled to the cooling circuit for circulating cooling fluid therethrough. A coolant overflow bottle is interposed between the centrifugal fan and the radiator for guiding air expelled by the fan toward the radiator.
A general objective of the present invention is to reduce the number of components required for an internal combustion engine. This objective is accomplished by providing a cooling bottle which also serves as an airflow guide.
Another objective of the present invention is to provide a compact internal combustion engine. This objective is accomplished by locating the cooling bottle in a space between the fan and radiator.
The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description. In the description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof, and in which there is shown by way of illustration a preferred embodiment of the invention.


REFERENCES:
patent: 3757984 (1973-09-01), Barton
patent: 4787445 (1988-11-01), Howcroft
patent: 5000333 (1991-03-01), Petrelli
patent: 5456218 (1995-10-01), Theorell
patent: 5722559 (1998-03-01), Branham
patent: 6145479 (2000-11-01), Rotter

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