Snorkel and pressure relief valve for dual path cool air inlet system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10280879-B2
Application number	US-201615260528-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 9, 2016
Priority date	Sep 9, 2016
Publication date	May 7, 2019
Grant date	May 7, 2019

Abstract

An air intake assembly configured to direct air into a throttle body of an engine of an automotive vehicle includes an air cleaner enclosure, primary and secondary air intake ducts and a downstream air intake duct. The primary and secondary air intake ducts route air into the air cleaner enclosure through a first inlet. A method of directing the intake air into the throttle body is also provided. The air cleaner enclosure includes a valve that is configured to move from a closed position to an open position to draw air into the air cleaner enclosure through a second inlet. The valve is moved to the open position upon a pressure increase experienced within the air cleaner enclosure due to water intake. A snorkel has a snorkel inlet that is positioned at an elevation above the first and second inlets.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An air intake assembly arranged in an engine compartment of an automotive vehicle and configured for directing air into a throttle body of an engine of the vehicle, the air intake assembly comprising:
an air cleaner enclosure unit having a first air cleaner inlet, a second air cleaner inlet and an air cleaner outlet;
a valve disposed at the second air cleaner inlet and configured to move between (i) a closed position wherein air is inhibited from passing into the air cleaner enclosure unit through the second air cleaner inlet and (ii) an open position wherein air is permitted to pass into the air cleaner enclosure unit through the second air cleaner inlet;
a primary air intake duct that directs air between a primary air inlet and the first air cleaner inlet;
a secondary air intake duct that directs air between a secondary air inlet and the first air cleaner inlet wherein the secondary air intake duct directs air from the secondary air inlet to the first air cleaner inlet when the vehicle is stopped and wherein the primary air intake duct directs air from the primary air inlet to the first air cleaner inlet when the vehicle is moving, wherein an air pressure is higher at the primary air inlet than the secondary air inlet when the automotive vehicle is in motion; and
a downstream air intake duct fluidly connected between and configured to direct air from the air cleaner outlet to the throttle body;
wherein the valve is configured to move from the closed position to the open position based on a pressure increase within the air cleaner enclosure unit caused when air stops entering the air cleaner enclosure unit from the first air cleaner inlet.

2. The air intake assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a snorkel having a snorkel inlet and a snorkel outlet, wherein the snorkel inlet is positioned at an elevation above the primary and secondary air inlets and the snorkel outlet is fluidly connected to the second air cleaner inlet.

3. The air intake assembly of claim 1 wherein the air cleaner enclosure unit includes a barrier that fluidly separates the air cleaner enclosure unit into a first compartment having the first air cleaner inlet and a second compartment having the second air cleaner inlet.

4. The intake assembly of claim 3 wherein the first and second compartments share a common boundary at an air filter.

5. The intake assembly of claim 4 wherein the air filter includes an air filter divider that aligns with the barrier and inhibits water from entering the second compartment from the first compartment.

6. The air intake assembly of claim 1 wherein the valve is configured to move from the closed position to the open position upon water entering the air cleaner enclosure unit.

7. The air intake assembly of claim 6 wherein the water entering the air cleaner enclosure unit enters through and submerges the first air cleaner inlet, thereby preventing air from entering the air enclosure inlet through the first air cleaner inlet.

8. The air intake assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a common intake duct that delivers air into the air intake assembly through the first air cleaner inlet.

9. The air intake assembly of claim 8 wherein the primary air intake duct and the secondary air intake duct converge into the common intake duct.

10. The air intake assembly of claim 9 wherein the air intake assembly is configured to alternatively operate between the following three conditions:
(A) inlet air is directed into the air cleaner enclosure unit from the secondary air intake duct and routed concurrently (i) through the first air cleaner inlet, through the downstream air intake duct and into the throttle body and (ii) through the primary air intake duct out of the primary air inlet based on a higher air pressure at the secondary air inlet compared to the primary air inlet;
(B) inlet air is directed into the air cleaner enclosure unit from the primary air intake duct and routed concurrently (iii) through the first air cleaner inlet and into the throttle body and (iv) through the secondary air intake duct and out of the secondary air inlet based on a higher air pressure at the primary air inlet compared to the secondary air inlet; and
(C) inlet air is directed into the air cleaner enclosure unit through the second air cleaner inlet and into the throttle body based on inlet air being inhibited from entering the air cleaner enclosure in either of conditions (A) or (B).

11. The air intake assembly of claim 1 wherein the secondary air inlet is positioned under a hood of the engine compartment.

12. A method of directing intake air into a throttle body of an engine of an automotive vehicle, the method comprising:
arranging an air cleaner enclosure unit having a first air cleaner inlet, a second air cleaner inlet and an air cleaner outlet into an engine compartment of the automotive vehicle;
routing a primary air intake duct between a primary air inlet and the first air cleaner inlet;
routing a secondary air intake duct between a secondary air inlet and the first air cleaner inlet;
routing a downstream air intake duct between the air cleaner outlet and the throttle body; and
alternatively directing inlet air between the following three conditions:
(A) directing inlet air into the air cleaner enclosure unit in a first condition from the secondary air intake duct and routing the inlet air concurrently (i) through the first air cleaner inlet and into the throttle body and (ii) through the primary air intake duct out of the primary air inlet based on a higher air pressure at the secondary air inlet compared to the primary air inlet;
(B) directing inlet air into the air cleaner enclosure unit in a second condition from the primary air intake duct and routing the inlet air concurrently (iii) through the first air cleaner inlet and into the throttle body and (iv) through the secondary air intake duct and out of the secondary air inlet based on a higher air pressure at the primary air inlet compared to the secondary air inlet; and
(C) directing inlet air into the air cleaner enclosure unit in a third condition through the second air cleaner inlet and into the throttle body based on inlet air being inhibited from entering the air cleaner enclosure in the first and second conditions.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising arranging a snorkel having a snorkel inlet and a snorkel outlet such that the snorkel inlet is positioned at an elevation above the primary and secondary air inlets and the snorkel outlet is fluidly connected to the second air cleaner inlet.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein directing inlet air into the air cleaner enclosure unit from the secondary air intake duct includes directing the inlet air into the air cleaner enclosure unit when an air pressure is higher at the secondary air inlet than the primary air inlet.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the air pressure is higher at the secondary air inlet than the primary air inlet when the automotive vehicle is at idle, and wherein the air pressure is higher at the primary air inlet than the secondary air inlet when the automotive vehicle is in motion.

16. The method of claim 12 wherein directing inlet air into the air cleaner enclosure unit from the primary and secondary intake ducts both comprise directing inlet air into a common intake duct.

17. The method of claim 12 wherein directing inlet air into the air cleaner enclosure unit in the third condition through the second inlet comprises:
moving a valve disposed at the second air cleaner inlet from a closed position where air is inhib

Assignees

• Stempien Michael J
• Roten Marvin L
• Acsiniuc Marian
• Luchkovitz Kenneth J
• Fca Us Llc

Inventors

• Stempien Michael J
• Roten Marvin L
• Acsiniuc Marian
• Luchkovitz Kenneth J

Classifications

• F02M35/021

  Arrangements of air flow meters in or on air cleaner housings · CPC title

• F02M35/088 Primary

  Water, snow or ice proofing; Separation or drainage of water, snow or ice · CPC title