Heat exchange – Radiator core type – With edge cover or frame means
Reexamination Certificate
1995-03-09
2001-03-06
Atkinson, Christopher (Department: 3743)
Heat exchange
Radiator core type
With edge cover or frame means
C165S173000, C165S906000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06196305
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to cooling systems for heavy duty truck engines and, more specifically, to a radiator assembly for a cooling system for a heavy duty truck engine.
2. Description of the Related Art
Internal combustion engines generate heat which must be dissipated or otherwise transferred from the engine to a heat sink such as ambient air surrounding the engine and its components. In a motor vehicle, a cooling system is the heat sink for the engine. Motor vehicle cooling systems typically include flow passages for fluid coolant which passes through a cooling jacket portion of an engine block for the engine and the flow passages are coupled in fluid coolant communication with a fluid coolant reservoir through hoses or the like. Fluid coolant reservoirs are commonly referred to as radiators and transfer heat from fluid coolant in the cooling system to the ambient atmosphere through a plurality of heat transfer mechanisms in a core of the radiator. More specifically, such radiators typically include a radiator core having a pair of tanks fixedly secured to either end thereof. Such radiators usually employ a gasket at the juncture between the tanks and the radiator core to facilitate fluid communication from one tank to the radiator core and from the radiator core to another tank as heat is transferred from fluid coolant in the cooling system to the ambient atmosphere surrounding the radiator.
Certain motor vehicles require greater cooling requirements than others. For example, the engines employed in freight vehicles of all sizes and especially those used in heavy duty trucks have substantial cooling requirements. Such vehicles typically operate using compression ignition or diesel engines and are designed for relatively long operating lives. Unfortunately and despite the longevity of such engines, the cooling systems employed and specifically the radiators employed have not enjoyed comparable operating life spans. Specifically, it is not uncommon for the plastic tanks on such radiators to fail under the repeated cycling of fluid coolant at elevated temperatures and pressures. Such failures include hairline cracks in the stress points of the tanks and broken bleeder flanges and petcocks and oblong flanges due to excessive clamping of hoses to prevent coolant seepage. Further, such radiators often employ inferior fastening mechanisms at the tank/header juncture. These fastening mechanisms include a plurality of crimp tabs disposed along a perimeter of the header. However, these crimp tabs become stressed and weakened due to excessive retightening, thus allowing fluid coolant to leak over time and leading to tank/header separation. Such fluid coolant leaks ultimately result in loss of fluid coolant, which, if undetected, can also lead to engine overheating, cracked engine blocks and blown head gaskets. More importantly, such fluid coolant leaks can result in higher down time costs and loss of income for such vehicles.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is, therefore, one object of the present invention to provide an improved steel tank radiator assembly replacing a plastic crimp tab radiator assembly for a cooling system on an internal combustion engine.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a radiator assembly with an improved fastening mechanism.
To achieve the foregoing objects, the present invention is a radiator assembly for a cooling system on an internal combustion engine including a radiator core having a plurality of tube-flow passages for transferring heat from a fluid coolant to ambient atmosphere and at least one tank in fluid communication between the internal combustion engine and the radiator core. The radiator core includes a header flange extending about at least a portion of a perimeter of one end of the radiator core. The tank includes a clamp flange extending about at least a portion of a perimeter of the tank corresponding to and in adjacent relationship with the header flange of the radiator core. The radiator assembly further includes an improved fastening mechanism for fixedly securing the tank to the radiator core so as to resist leakage from the radiator assembly between the tank and the radiator core by applying a pair of clamping forces acting on both the header flange of the radiator core and the corresponding clamping flange on the tank orthogonal to these flanges and in opposite directions relative to each other.
One advantage of the present invention is that a radiator assembly is provided for a cooling system on heavy duty truck engines. Another advantage of the present invention is that the radiator assembly has an improved fastening mechanism which securely attaches a tank to a radiator core and which substantially improves the leak resistant characteristics of the radiator assembly over crimp tab fastening mechanisms. Yet another advantage of the present invention is that the radiator assembly is more efficient and cost effective than such conventional radiator assemblies in that the number of tanks to header separations and leakages are reduced, thereby reducing vehicle operating down time and avoiding serious and costly engine repairs due to the inadvertent and unexpected loss of fluid coolant through a failed radiator.
Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood after reading the subsequent description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings.
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Atkinson Christopher
Bliss McGlynn P.C.
Great Lakes, Inc.
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