Air intake system for an engine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11060490-B2
Application number	US-201916577301-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 20, 2019
Priority date	Jun 22, 2017
Publication date	Jul 13, 2021
Grant date	Jul 13, 2021

Abstract

In one example, an air intake system is provided. The air intake system includes a first air inlet duct providing intake air to an engine intake conduit, the first air inlet duct including an opening positioned external to an engine compartment. The air intake system also includes a second air inlet duct positioned upstream of the engine intake conduit and external to the engine compartment, the second air inlet duct including a porous material spanning an opening in the second air inlet duct, the porous material having a plurality of defined openings sized to prevent snow from traveling therethrough and collect on the porous material thereby impeding airflow through the second air inlet duct during snowy and icy conditions.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An air intake system for an engine, comprising:
a first air inlet duct providing intake air to an engine intake conduit and including an opening positioned external to an engine compartment; and
a second air inlet duct positioned upstream of the engine intake conduit and external to the engine compartment, the second air inlet duct including a porous material spanning an opening in the second air inlet duct, the porous material having a plurality of defined openings sized to prevent snow from traveling therethrough and collect on the porous material thereby selectively impeding airflow through the second air inlet duct,
where the porous material is a foam plug having a defined porosity,
where the porosity of the foam plug is between 30 and 80 pores per inch, and
where selectively impeding airflow through the second air inlet duct includes inhibiting airflow through the second air inlet duct when the foam plug is below a threshold temperature and allowing airflow through the second air inlet duct when the foam plug is above the threshold temperature.

2. The air intake system of claim 1 , where the first air inlet duct is positioned longitudinally behind the second air inlet duct with regard to a direction of forward travel of a vehicle in which the engine is mounted.

3. The air intake system of claim 1 , where the first air inlet duct is positioned vertically above the second air inlet duct with respect to gravity with the engine mounted in a vehicle.

4. The air intake system of claim 1 , where the second air inlet duct is positioned adjacent to a grille reinforcement structure and behind a front grille of a vehicle in which the engine is mounted.

5. The air intake system of claim 1 , where a cross-sectional area of an opening of the first air inlet duct is greater than a cross-sectional area of an opening of the second air inlet duct.

6. The air intake system of claim 1 , further including a second porous material operably received within the second air inlet duct.

7. An air intake system for an engine of a vehicle, comprising:
a first air inlet duct including an opening positioned external to an engine compartment; and
a second air inlet duct positioned external to the engine compartment and below the first air inlet duct, the second air inlet duct having a porous material spanning an opening in the second air inlet duct, the porous material having a plurality of defined openings sized to prevent snow from traveling therethrough and collect on the porous material thereby selectively impeding airflow through the second air inlet duct,

where selectively impeding airflow through the second air inlet duct includes inhibiting airflow through the second air inlet duct when the porous material is below a threshold temperature and allowing airflow through the second air inlet duct when the porous material is above the threshold temperature.

8. An air intake system for an engine, comprising:
a first inlet flow path routing airflow through a gap between an engine hood and a headlamp, a first air inlet duct, and an air filter in an airbox, an opening of the first air inlet duct positioned external to the engine compartment; and
a second inlet flow path routing airflow through a front grille below the engine hood, a porous material spanning a second air inlet duct external to the engine compartment, and the air filter, the porous material having a plurality of defined openings sized to prevent snow from traveling therethrough and collect on the porous material thereby selectively impeding airflow through the second air inlet duct,
where selectively impeding airflow through the second air inlet duct includes inhibiting airflow through the second air inlet duct when the porous material is below a threshold temperature and allowing airflow through the second air inlet duct when the porous material is above the threshold temperature.

9. The air intake system of claim 8 , where the first air inlet duct includes a housing lip sealing with the engine hood to form a boundary of the engine compartment.

10. The air intake system of claim 8 , where the porous material is a sheet of mesh formed with a material selected from the group consisting of polypropylene, nylon, metal, and alloy.

11. The air intake system of claim 8 , wherein the porous material is a sheet of mesh.

12. The air intake system of claim 11 , wherein the sheet of mesh is substantially planar and has a plurality of spaced apart holes therethrough, each hole of the spaced apart holes having a defined opening size therethrough.

13. The air intake system of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of spaced apart holes are square-shaped and the defined opening size of each hole of the plurality of spaced apart holes is between 1 millimeter by 1 millimeter to 5 millimeters by 5 millimeters, inclusive.

14. The air intake system of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of spaced apart holes are separated by a support structure having a defined width.

15. The air intake system of claim 14 , wherein the defined width is between 0.5 millimeters to 4 millimeters.

16. The air intake system of claim 15 , where the porous material is a sheet of planar mesh having a plurality of spaced-apart openings therethrough, each opening in the plurality of openings having a defined opening size between 1 millimeter to 4 millimeters across, inclusive.

17. The air intake system of claim 12 wherein each hole of said plurality of holes is shaped from the group consisting of square, circular, rectangular, triangular, diamond, and trapazoid.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Mccann Joseph Matthew
• Lowrie David
• Labadie James
• Boulton Jeff
• Virk Preet Kamal

Classifications

• F02M35/161 Primary

  Arrangement of the air intake system in the engine compartment, e.g. with respect to the bonnet or the vehicle front face · CPC title

• F02M35/10091 Primary

  characterised by details of intake ducts: shapes; connections; arrangements (ducts within or on the plenum chamber F02M35/10039) · CPC title

• F02M35/02441

  Materials or structure of filter elements, e.g. foams · CPC title

• F02M35/02466

  Meshes; Grids; Perforated plates · CPC title

• F02M35/108

  with primary and secondary intake passages · CPC title