Vehicle cooling device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12392274-B2
Application number	US-202418410176-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 11, 2024
Priority date	Jan 30, 2023
Publication date	Aug 19, 2025
Grant date	Aug 19, 2025

Abstract

A cooling device of a vehicle is provided, which includes a transmission, a first coolant circuit where a first coolant which cools the internal combustion engine circulates, a second coolant circuit independent from the first coolant circuit, where a second coolant which cools the electric drive system circulates, and a fluid circuit where fluid which lubricates and cools friction engagement elements in the transmission circulates. The fluid circuit includes a first heat exchanger which exchanges heat between the fluid and the first coolant, a second heat exchanger in-series with the first heat exchanger which exchanges heat between the fluid and the second coolant, a first adjuster which changes a flow rate of the fluid passing through the first heat exchanger, and a second adjuster which changes a flow rate of the fluid passing through the second heat exchanger.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A cooling device of a vehicle, comprising:
a transmission connected to an internal combustion engine and an electric drive system, and configured to change a gear of an output of at least one of the internal combustion engine and the electric drive system and transfer the output to a driving wheel of the vehicle;
a first coolant circuit through which a first coolant configured to cool the internal combustion engine circulates;
a second coolant circuit independent from the first coolant circuit, through which a second coolant configured to cool the electric drive system circulates; and
a fluid circuit through which fluid configured to lubricate and cool friction engagement elements in the transmission circulates, the fluid circuit including:
a first heat exchanger configured to exchange heat between the fluid and the first coolant;
a second heat exchanger that is arranged in series with the first heat exchanger, and configured to exchange heat between the fluid and the second coolant;
a first adjuster valve configured to change a flow rate of the fluid passing through the first heat exchanger; and
a second adjuster valve configured to change a flow rate of the fluid passing through the second heat exchanger,

wherein the first adjuster valve changes the flow rate of the fluid passing through the first heat exchanger, independently from the flow rate of the fluid passing through the second heat exchanger.

2. The cooling device of the vehicle of claim 1 ,
wherein the fluid circuit further includes a first bypass passage bypassing the first heat exchanger, and
wherein the first adjuster valve is connected to a controller, and changes a ratio of the flow rate of the fluid passing through the first heat exchanger and a flow rate of the fluid passing through the first bypass passage based on a signal from the controller.

3. The cooling device of the vehicle of claim 2 ,
wherein when temperature of the fluid is below a first temperature, the controller outputs an energization signal to the first adjuster valve to make the flow rate of the fluid passing through the first heat exchanger larger, and
wherein when the temperature of the fluid is above the first temperature, the controller stops the energization signal to the first adjuster valve to make the flow rate of the fluid passing through the first heat exchanger smaller than the flow rate when the temperature is below the first temperature.

4. The cooling device of the vehicle of claim 3 , wherein when the temperature of the fluid is above a second temperature which is above the first temperature, the controller outputs the energization signal to the first adjuster valve to make the flow rate of the fluid passing through the first heat exchanger larger than the flow rate when the temperature is above the first temperature and below the second temperature.

5. The cooling device of the vehicle of claim 4 ,
wherein when the temperature of the fluid is above the second temperature and a temperature of the first coolant is above a third temperature, the third temperature being below the second temperature and approximately equal to the first temperature, the controller outputs the energization signal to the first adjuster valve to make the flow rate of the fluid passing through the first heat exchanger larger, and
wherein when the temperature of the fluid is above the second temperature and the temperature of the first coolant is below the third temperature, the controller stops the energization signal to the first adjuster valve to make the flow rate of the fluid passing through the first heat exchanger smaller than the flow rate when the temperature is above the third temperature.

6. The cooling device of the vehicle of claim 4 ,
wherein when the temperature of the fluid is above the first temperature and below the second temperature, and the temperature of the first coolant is above a fourth temperature, the fourth temperature being above the third temperature and approximately equal to the second temperature, and:
when the temperature of the second coolant is below a fifth temperature, the controller outputs the energization signal to the first adjuster valve to make the flow rate of the fluid passing through the first heat exchanger larger, and
when the temperature of the second coolant is above the fifth temperature, the controller stops the energization signal to the first adjuster valve to make the flow rate of the fluid passing through the first heat exchanger smaller than the flow rate when the temperature is below the fifth temperature.

7. The cooling device of the vehicle of claim 3 ,
wherein the first coolant circuit includes a third adjuster valve configured to make, when the temperature of the first coolant is below a third temperature, the flow rate of the first coolant passing through the first heat exchanger smaller than the flow rate when the temperature is above the third temperature,
wherein when the temperature of the fluid is below the first temperature and the temperature of the first coolant is above the third temperature, the controller outputs the energization signal to the first adjuster valve to make the flow rate of the fluid passing through the first heat exchanger larger, and
wherein when the temperature of the fluid is below the first temperature and the temperature of the first coolant is below the third temperature, the controller stops the energization signal to the first adjuster valve to make the flow rate of the fluid passing through the first heat exchanger smaller than the flow rate when the temperature is above the third temperature.

8. The cooling device of the vehicle of claim 7 ,
wherein the fluid circuit includes a fluid pump for circulation connected to a shaft inside the transmission, and configured to be driven by rotation of the shaft, and
wherein the controller stops the energization signal to the first adjuster valve, when the fluid pump is stopped.

9. The cooling device of the vehicle of claim 3 ,
wherein the fluid circuit further includes a second bypass passage bypassing the second heat exchanger,
wherein the second adjuster valve is a thermostat valve configured to change a ratio of the flow rate of the fluid passing through the second heat exchanger and a flow rate of the fluid passing through the second bypass passage according to the temperature of the fluid,
wherein when the temperature of the fluid is below the first temperature, the second adjuster valve makes the flow rate of the fluid passing through the second heat exchanger smaller, and
wherein when the temperature of the fluid is above the first temperature, the controller makes the flow rate of the fluid passing through the second heat exchanger larger than the flow rate when the temperature is below the first temperature.

10. The cooling device of the vehicle of claim 2 ,
wherein the fluid circuit includes a fluid pump for circulation connected to a shaft inside the transmission, and configured to be driven by rotation of the shaft, and
wherein the controller stops the energization signal to the first adjuster valve, when the fluid pump is stopped.

11. The cooling device of the vehicle of claim 3 ,
wherein the fluid circuit includes a fluid pump for circulation connected to a shaft inside the transmission, and configured to be driven by rotation of the shaft, and
wherein the controller stops the energization signal to the first adjuster valve, when the fluid pump is stopped.

12. The cooling device of the vehicle of claim 4 ,
wherein the fluid circuit includes a fluid pump for circulation connected to a shaft inside the transmission, and configured to be d

Assignees

• Mazda Motor

Inventors

• Kageyama Keitaro
• Hikitani Shinichi
• Koguchi Tomohiro
• Jo Yukio
• Shimo Daisuke
• Miyazaki Masahiro
• Fukuda Daisuke
• Tsuda Akira
• Tanaka Kenji
• Kumakura Kazufumi
• Gotan Hiroaki
• Okazaki Takahiro
• Honda Kenta
• Kakuda Yoshie
• Tohoda Toshiaki
• Kobayashi Kenta
• Murai Aki
• Yamamoto Masaki
• Miura Michiyuki
• Takahashi Yusaku

Classifications

• F01P3/20 Primary

  Cooling circuits not specific to a single part of engine or machine (F01P3/22 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F01P2050/24

  Hybrid vehicles · CPC title

• F01P7/14

  the coolant being liquid · CPC title

• F01P2060/045

  for transmissions · CPC title

• F16H57/0413

  Controlled cooling or heating of lubricant; Temperature control therefor · CPC title