Oil cooler for vehicle having bypass valve operated by temperature of working fluid

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016146075-A1
Application number	US-201514864827-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 24, 2015
Priority date	Nov 21, 2014
Publication date	May 26, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An oil cooler for a vehicle includes an inflow tank through which a working fluid flows in. An outflow tank is spaced apart from the inflow tank by a predetermined interval and has a discharge hole at one side which faces the inflow tank. A plurality of tubes connect the inflow tank with the outflow tank longitudinally such that the working fluid flows therethrough. A bypass valve is integrally mounted at an outer side of the one end portion of the inflow tank and connected to an inner side of the inflow tank to bypass or flow the working fluid flowed therein into the inflow tank by selectively opening and closing according to a temperature of the working fluid. An outflow pipe has one end mounted to the discharge hole and another end thereof mounted to the bypass valve to connect the outflow tank with the bypass valve.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An oil cooler for a vehicle comprising:
an inflow tank through which a working fluid flows in; an outflow tank spaced apart from the inflow tank by a predetermined interval and having a discharge hole at one side which faces the inflow tank; a plurality of tubes connecting the inflow tank with the outflow tank longitudinally such that the working fluid flows therethrough; a bypass valve integrally mounted to an outer side of one end portion of the inflow tank and connected to an inner side of the inflow tank to bypass or flow the working fluid flowed therein into the inflow tank by selectively opening and closing according to a temperature of the working fluid; and an outflow pipe of which one end is mounted to the discharge hole and another end is mounted to the bypass valve to connect the outflow tank with the bypass valve such that the working fluid inside the outflow tank flows out via the bypass valve according to the operation of the bypass valve.

2 . The oil cooler for a vehicle of claim 1 , wherein
the inflow tank and the outflow tank have the plurality of tubes therebetween and are fixed by a side plate which connects both ends of the inflow tank with both ends of the outflow tank in a state of being disposed apart from each other.

3 . The oil cooler for a vehicle of claim 1 , wherein
the inflow tank has a length shorter than that of the outflow tank.

4 . The oil cooler of claim 1 , wherein
the outflow pipe has a cylindrical shape and is connected to the bypass valve such that the other end thereof contacts the one end of the inflow tank.

5 . The oil cooler of claim 1 , wherein
the working fluid is transmission oil introduced from a transmission.

6 . The oil cooler of claim 1 , wherein the bypass valve comprises:
a valve housing integrally mounted at the outer side of the one end of the inflow tank and protruding from the one end of the inflow tank; and a control unit disposed inside the valve housing and controlling the working fluid to flow into the inflow tank or to bypass the inflow tank by performing expansion or contraction according to the temperature of the inflowed working fluid.

7 . The oil cooler of claim 6 , the valve housing comprises:
a first inflow hole formed at one side thereof, which is the opposite side of the inflow tank, to mount an inflow port thereto; a bypass hole formed in another side thereof which is spaced apart from the first inflow hole to mount a bypass port thereto; a second inflow hole facing the first inflow hole at one surface which contacts the inflow tank and communicates with the inner side of the inflow tank; and a connecting hole spaced apart from the second inflow hole at a protruding part protruding from the one end of the inflow tank such that the other end of the outflow pipe is connected thereto.

8 . The oil cooler of claim 7 , wherein
the valve housing has a mounting space in which the first and second inflow holes, the bypass hole, and the connecting hole communicate therewith.

9 . The oil cooler of claim 7 , wherein the control unit comprises:
a sliding member of which one end is open and a mounting part is formed at a center of another end, at least one first opening hole is formed on one side corresponding to the first inflow hole and the bypass hole in a length direction, and at least one second opening hole is formed on another side corresponding to the second inflow hole and the connecting hole in the length direction, and which is slidably inserted inside the valve housing; an end cap fixed to a mounting hole, which is formed at the valve housing to insert the sliding member into the mounting hole, to close the mounting hole and to form a fixing groove at the center thereof; a fixing rod having one end fixed to the fixing groove; a deformable member inserted into the sliding member and moving forwardly or backwardly on the fixing rod by extending or contracting, respectively, according to the temperature of the working fluid to move the sliding member selectively forward and backward; and a first elastic member interposed between the valve housing and the sliding member and compressed or pulled to provide elastic force when the sliding member moves.

10 . The oil cooler of claim 9 ,
wherein the at least one first opening hole and the at least one second opening hole are formed at an upper side and a lower side of the sliding member, respectively, and the first opening hole at the upper side has an area greater than that of the second opening hole at the upper side.

11 . The oil cooler for vehicle of claim 9 ,
wherein when the deformable member is at its initial position, the first opening hole at the upper and and lower sides communicates with the first inflow hole and the bypass hole, respectively, the second opening hole formed at the upper side is disposed below the second inflow hole, and the second opening hole positioned at the lower side communicates with the connecting hole.

12 . The oil cooler for a vehicle of claim 9 ,
wherein when the deformable member deforms, the fixing rod ascends and maintains the bypass hole and the connection hole in an open state, and the first and second opening holes formed at the upper side communicate with the first and second inflow holes, respectively.

13 . The oil cooler for vehicle of claim 9 ,
wherein the sliding member and the deformable member are fixedly connected through a fixing ring which is mounted between the mounting part and the deformable member below the deformable member.

14 . The oil cooler for vehicle of claim 9 , wherein the bypass valve further comprises a seal ring, which prevents the working fluid flowing into the valve housing from leaking out from the valve housing, mounted between the valve housing and the end cap.

15 . The oil cooler for vehicle of claim 9 ,
wherein the end cap is fixed to the valve housing through a mounting ring that is fixedly mounted to an inner circumferential surface of mounting hole.

16 . The oil cooler for vehicle of claim 15 ,
wherein the mounting ring is fixedly mounted in a ring groove which is formed along the inner circumferential surface of the mounting hole.

17 . The oil cooler for vehicle of claim 9 ,
wherein the sliding member has at least one relief hole that is spaced apart from the mounting part at the other end in which the mounting part is formed and that is spaced apart from each other at a predetermined angle in a circumferential direction around the mounting part.

18 . The oil cooler for vehicle of claim 17 , wherein the bypass valve further comprises a pressure control disposed between the sliding member and the deformable member and selectively opening and closing the relief hole when a differential pressure is generated by the working fluid flowing inside the valve housing.

19 . The oil cooler for vehicle of claim 18 , wherein the pressure control unit comprises:
an opening and closing member that is disposed inside the other end of the sliding member to correspond to the relief hole, and that has a disk shape having a penetration hole formed at a center of the opening and closing member to correspond to the mounting part; and a second elastic member that is interposed between the opening and closing member and the deformable member inside the sliding member, and applies elastic force to the opening and closing member.

20 . The oil cooler for vehicle of claim 19 ,
wherein the opening and closing member includes a protrusion protrud

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd
• Inzi Controls Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kim Jae Yeon
• Kim Joo Hyung
• Lee Ji Chul

Classifications

• B60K11/02

  with liquid cooling · CPC title

• F16H57/0413 Primary

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

• F16K31/002

  actuated by temperature variation (thermo-electric F16K31/025) · CPC title

• F01M5/007 Primary

  Thermostatic control · CPC title

• F16H41/30 Primary

  relating to venting, lubrication, cooling, circulation of the cooling medium · CPC title