Internal-combustion engines – Cooling – Indicators and safety devices
Reexamination Certificate
2000-08-29
2001-10-09
Kamen, Noah P. (Department: 3747)
Internal-combustion engines
Cooling
Indicators and safety devices
C123S041010
Reexamination Certificate
active
06298809
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to automotive cooling systems and, more specifically, to an automatic emergency cooling and refilling system which detects when the temperature in a vehicle's cooling system rises above a selected level and automatically activates an atomized spray over the face of the radiator to prevent the engine from overheating thereby allowing an operator to continue driving uninterrupted to a desirable location. Previously an overheated condition could strand a vehicle in a hazardous or threatening location and could require road service or having the motorist leave the vehicle in search of water or a telephone.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are numerous engine cooling systems for vehicles. While these cooling systems for vehicles may be suitable for the purposes for which they were designed, they would not be as suitable for the purposes of the present invention as heretofore described. It is thus desirable to provide an emergency cooling and refilling system that can be adapted to fit any application involving a heat exchanger, such as an automobile radiator and transmission cooler/air conditioner condenser coil or residential and commercial central air condenser coils. The present invention can be factory installed or retrofit to existing units and is automatically activated when a thermocouple detects a high temperature condition and activates a pump that moves fluid from an independent reservoir to atomizers facing the component to be cooled and sprayed thereupon. The atomized spray takes on a spiraling nature due to the presence of a rotational nozzle within atomizer that is acted upon by the passage of the pressurized fluid traveling through diagonal channels cut in the nozzle's head. The present invention also provides a means for a vehicle operator to replace radiator fluid with fluid from the independent reservoir simply by activating a switch in an accessible panel that monitors and controls operation of the emergency system. A fill sensor located within the radiator will detect when the desired amount of fluid has been introduced to the cooling system and will automatically discontinue operation.
SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to cooling systems for vehicles and, more specifically, to an emergency cooling and refilling system for motor vehicles, air conditioning systems and other heat exchanger applications wherein said system is automatically initiated when a high temperature condition is detected by a thermocouple communicating with the cooling system of the apparatus being maintained. Fluid is then transferred from an independent reservoir through a pump and into a conduit where it is pressurized. The conduit contains a plurality of atomizers strategically placed to provide a means of egress for the pressurized fluid during atomization and the resulting spray is ejected upon the object to be cooled such as a radiator or condensing coil. The emission from the atomizer takes on a rotational effect due to the properties of a free-spinning rotational nozzle within the atomizer. The atomizer has a threaded two-piece housing with a central recess and inlet conduit extending longitudinally therethrough and said inlet conduit leads to a fluid inlet recess situated within the interior portion of the conduit and an egress recess on a distal end of the atomizer and in an exterior region of the conduit facing the component to be cooled thereby providing a passageway through which fluid can travel. The central recess houses the atomization components comprising a spring loaded ball-type check valve and an atomizing rotational nozzle having a cylindrical nozzle head and a shank being of sufficient diameter to nestle inside the spring without restricting the potential for the axial rotation of the nozzle. When the atomizer is assembled the nozzle head is placed against the egress recess of the housing with the shank residing within a first end of the spring and the ball of the check valve held in place against the inlet conduit by a second end of said spring. The spring exerts an opposing bias to the nozzle and to the check ball. Fluid enters the atomizer through the inlet recess, passes through the inlet conduit where the flow into the central recess is restricted by the ball of the check valve which is of a greater diameter than the inlet conduit until the pressure within the conduit is greater than the bias presented by the spring resulting in the ball moving away from the inlet recess and compressing the spring thereby increasing the bias applied to the nozzle against the egress portion of the housing. Diagonally cut channels extend from the upper side portion of the nozzle head to the top thereof providing the only path for the pressurized fluid to travel from the central recess to the egress recess. The pressure of the fluid passing through the channels causes the propeller-like axial rotation of the nozzle head resulting in a spiraling, atomized spray.
A primary object of the present invention is to provide an emergency cooling and refilling system for vehicles capable of detecting a high temperature condition and automatically applying an atomized spray to the radiator to prevent the engine from overheating and possibly damaging or disabling the vehicle.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an emergency cooling and refilling system for vehicles capable of refilling the vehicle's radiator with fluid from an independent reservoir when the radiator is in a low fluid condition.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide an emergency cooling and refilling system to be utilized with heat exchanger applications such as central air conditioning.
A further object of the present invention is to provide an emergency cooling and refilling system that could be factory installed or easily retrofit to existing units.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide an emergency cooling and refilling system that when applied to a vehicle has a control panel inside the cab to allow the driver to monitor the system's status and to enable him to control functions manually or automatically.
A yet further object of the present invention is to provide an emergency cooling and refilling system having a thermocouple device to detect when the temperature in vehicle's cooling system exceeds a predetermined level and communicates to the system the need to initiate operation.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an emergency cooling and refilling system having a three way electrically operated valve on the pump's discharge line to transfer flow between the atomization conduit and the emergency refill conduit.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an emergency cooling and refilling system having a solenoid valve that is acted upon by the thermocouple device and activates the pump.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide an emergency cooling and refilling system having a plurality of atomizers.
A further object of the present invention is to provide an emergency cooling and refilling system wherein each atomizer has an internal rotational nozzle and a spring loaded check valve with said spring exerting an opposing bias to the nozzle and the check ball.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide an emergency cooling and refilling system wherein each nozzle head has a plurality of diagonal channels cut into the upper portion thereof providing a passage for pressurized fluid flow from the side of the nozzle head to the top resulting in atomization of the fluid and the axial rotation of the nozzle as the fluid passes therethrough providing greater force in the ejection of the atomized spray
Additional objects of the present invention will appear as the description proceeds.
To the accomplishment of the above and related objects, this invention may be embodied in the form illustrated in the accompanying drawings, attenti
Kamen Noah P.
Kroll Michael I.
LandOfFree
Emergency cooling and refilling system does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Emergency cooling and refilling system, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Emergency cooling and refilling system will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2581299