Vehicle with parallel engine cooling systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11499470-B2
Application number	US-202016862045-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 29, 2020
Priority date	Apr 29, 2020
Publication date	Nov 15, 2022
Grant date	Nov 15, 2022

Abstract

The technology disclosed herein relates to a grounds maintenance vehicle. The grounds maintenance vehicle has an engine and an engine shroud defining a cooling volume around the engine. The shroud defines a shroud intake. An engine oil conduit extends from the engine and a heat exchanger is coupled to the engine oil conduit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A grounds maintenance vehicle comprising:
an engine enclosure defining an air intake area, wherein a screen extends across the air intake area, and the engine enclosure comprising at least one inner enclosure surface defining at least one airspace volume between the air intake area and the inner enclosure surface;
an engine disposed in the engine enclosure;
an engine shroud defining an engine cooling volume about a portion of the engine; and
a heat exchanger disposed in the engine enclosure, the heat exchanger configured to receive engine oil, wherein the vehicle defines a first airflow pathway extending from the air intake area to the engine shroud, and a second airflow pathway extending from the air intake area through the heat exchanger, wherein the first airflow pathway and the second airflow pathway are arranged in parallel.

2. The grounds maintenance vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising a first fan disposed across the first airflow pathway and a second fan disposed across the second airflow pathway.

3. The grounds maintenance vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the at least one airspace volume is a single airspace volume.

4. The grounds maintenance vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the at least one airspace volume comprises a first airspace volume and a second airspace volume discrete from the first airspace volume, and the first airflow pathway extends through the first airspace volume and the second airflow pathway extends through the second airspace volume.

5. The grounds maintenance vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the engine shroud defines a shroud intake that extends to an airspace volume of the at least one airspace volume.

6. The grounds maintenance vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising a combustion intake extending from the engine shroud to an air cleaner.

7. The grounds maintenance vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the inner enclosure surface forms a seal around each of the heat exchanger and the engine shroud.

8. The grounds maintenance vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the screen defines an upper surface, a back surface and a front surface of the engine enclosure.

9. The grounds maintenance vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the engine enclosure defines an engine cavity isolated from the at least one airspace volume, and the engine is disposed in the engine cavity.

10. A grounds maintenance vehicle comprising:
an engine;
an engine shroud defining a shroud intake and an engine cooling volume around the engine;
an engine oil conduit extending from the engine; and
a heat exchanger coupled to the engine oil conduit, wherein the vehicle defines a first airflow pathway extending through the engine shroud and the engine cooling volume, and a second airflow pathway extending through the heat exchanger, wherein the first airflow pathway and the second airflow pathway are arranged in parallel.

11. The grounds maintenance vehicle of claim 10 , further comprising an engine enclosure containing the engine, the engine enclosure defining an air intake area, wherein at least one screen extends across the air intake area and wherein the air intake area is upstream of the shroud intake and the heat exchanger.

12. The grounds maintenance vehicle of claim 11 , wherein the screen defines an upper surface, a back surface and a front surface of the engine enclosure.

13. The grounds maintenance vehicle of claim 11 , wherein the engine enclosure further comprises at least one inner enclosure surface, wherein an airspace volume is defined between the screen and each inner enclosure surface, and wherein an airspace volume is upstream of each of the shroud intake and the heat exchanger.

14. The grounds maintenance vehicle of claim 13 , wherein the shroud intake extends to the airspace volume.

15. The grounds maintenance vehicle of claim 13 , wherein the inner enclosure surface defines a first inner surface opening and the shroud intake extends across the opening.

16. The grounds maintenance vehicle of claim 13 , wherein the inner enclosure surface defines a second inner surface opening and the heat exchanger extends across the opening.

17. The grounds maintenance vehicle of claim 10 , further comprising a combustion intake extending from the engine shroud to an air cleaner.

18. The grounds maintenance vehicle of claim 10 , further comprising a first fan configured to direct airflow into the engine shroud.

19. The grounds maintenance vehicle of claim 10 , further comprising a fan configured to direct airflow into the heat exchanger.

20. A grounds maintenance vehicle comprising:
a vehicle frame;
drive wheels coupled to the vehicle frame;
an implement coupled to the vehicle frame;
an engine enclosure coupled to the vehicle frame, wherein the engine enclosure defines an engine cavity and an airspace volume isolated from the engine cavity within the engine enclosure, and where the engine enclosure comprises a screened area between the airspace volume and an ambient environment;
an engine disposed in the engine cavity of the engine enclosure;
a first engine cooling system comprising an engine shroud defining an engine cooling volume about a portion of the engine, wherein the first engine cooling system defines a first airflow pathway extending from the screened area to the engine cavity via the engine cooling volume;
a second engine cooling system comprising a heat exchanger, an oil flow pathway from the engine to the heat exchanger, and a second airflow pathway extending from the screened area to the engine cavity through the heat exchanger, wherein the first engine cooling system and the second engine cooling system operate in parallel; and
a combustion intake extending from the shroud into the engine.

21. The grounds maintenance vehicle of claim 20 , wherein the implement comprises a cutting deck.

Assignees

• Exmark Mfg Company Incorporated

Inventors

• Tate Jeremy J
• Dragoo Derek L

Classifications

• F01P1/02 Primary

  Arrangements for cooling cylinders or cylinder heads, e.g. ducting cooling-air from its pressure source to cylinders or along cylinders · CPC title

• F01M5/002

  Cooling · CPC title

• F01P5/02

  Pumping cooling-air; Arrangements of cooling-air pumps, e.g. fans or blowers · CPC title

• A01D34/66

  with two or more cutters · CPC title

• A01D2101/00

  Lawn-mowers · CPC title