Air compressor unit for vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10137909-B2
Application number	US-201514704370-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 5, 2015
Priority date	May 15, 2014
Publication date	Nov 27, 2018
Grant date	Nov 27, 2018

Abstract

An air compressor unit for vehicle (2) includes an air compressor (13) for compressing sucked air, an electric motor (14) for driving the air compressor (13), an after-cooler (17) for cooling compressed air generated in the air compressor (13) and an after-cooler cooling fan (18) for generating cooling air for the after-cooler (17) by being driven by a drive force of the electric motor (14). The air compressor (13) and the electric motor (14) are arranged one above the other.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An air compressor unit configured to be mounted on a vehicle, the air compressor unit comprising:
an air compressor for compressing sucked air;
an electric motor for driving the air compressor;
an after-cooler for cooling compressed air generated in the air compressor;
an after-cooler cooling fan for generating cooling air flow for the after-cooler; and
an air compressor cooling fan for cooling the air compressor;
wherein the after-cooler includes:
a first cooling unit having a first flow passage into which the compressed air generated in the air compressor flows and configured to be cooled by cooling air flow generated by the air compressor cooling fan flowing in contact with the first cooling unit; and
a second cooling unit having a second flow passage into which the compressed air cooled in the first cooling unit flows and configured to be cooled by the cooling air flow generated by the after-cooler cooling fan, wherein the second cooling unit is configured to cause direct heat exchange between the compressed air and the cooling air flow generated by the after-cooler cooling fan flowing in contact with the second cooling unit so as to further cool the compressed air,
wherein the air compressor cooling fan is configured as an axial fan, and
wherein the first cooling unit and the air compressor are arranged on an extension line of a rotary shaft of the air compressor cooling fan.

2. An air compressor unit according to claim 1 , wherein the after-cooler cooling fan is driven by a drive force of the electric motor.

3. An air compressor unit according to claim 2 , wherein the air compressor is arranged adjacent to an air suction side of the after-cooler cooling fan.

4. An air compressor unit according to claim 3 , wherein a rotary shaft of the after-cooler cooling fan and a rotary shaft of the air compressor are coaxially provided.

5. An air compressor unit according to claim 4 , wherein the after-cooler cooling fan is a centrifugal blower.

6. An air compressor unit according to claim 1 , wherein the after-cooler is provided laterally to the air compressor.

7. An air compressor unit according to claim 1 , wherein the air compressor cooling fan is provided laterally to the air compressor.

8. An air compressor unit according to claim 6 , wherein the after-cooler cooling fan is configured as a centrifugal blower to be driven by a drive force of the electric motor, and
wherein the first cooling unit is arranged laterally to the air compressor and the second cooling unit is arranged laterally to the after-cooler cooling fan.

9. An air compressor unit according to claim 8 , wherein the first flow passage is provided to meander along a horizontal direction in a state where the air compressor unit for vehicle is installed on the vehicle; and wherein the second flow passage is provided to meander along the horizontal direction in the state where the air compressor unit for vehicle is installed on the vehicle.

10. An air compressor unit according to claim 8 , wherein the first flow passage is provided to meander along a vertical direction in a state where the air compressor unit for vehicle is installed on the vehicle; and wherein the second flow passage is provided to meander along the vertical direction in the state where the air compressor unit for vehicle is installed on the vehicle.

11. An air compressor unit according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a base member to which the air compressor and the electric motor are mounted; and
a controller for controlling the drive of the electric motor,
wherein the controller is arranged at a side opposite to a side where the air compressor is arranged with respect to the base member, and
wherein the controller is arranged laterally to the electric motor.

12. An air compressor unit according to claim 1 , wherein the air compressor and the electric motor are arranged one above the other.

13. An air compressor unit according to claim 11 , wherein the air compressor and the electric motor are separately arranged above and below the base member.

Assignees

• Nabtesco Corp

Inventors

• Mizufune Toru
• Kuromitsu Masaru
• Takahashi Akira
• Miyauchi Tatsuo

Classifications

• F04C2230/60

  Assembly methods · CPC title

• F04C29/04

  Heating; Cooling (of machines or engines in general F01P); Heat insulation (heat insulation in general F16L59/00) · CPC title

• F01C21/007 Primary

  General arrangements of parts; Frames and supporting elements · CPC title

• B61D27/0072 Primary

  Means for cooling only (cooling in general F25) · CPC title

• F04C23/005

  of dissimilar working principle · CPC title