Internal combustion engine cooling device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9777617-B2
Application number	US-201113877171-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 12, 2011
Priority date	Nov 8, 2010
Publication date	Oct 3, 2017
Grant date	Oct 3, 2017

Abstract

An internal combustion engine cooling device includes a piston fixedly mounted within a device housing coupled to a plurality of flow paths through which cooling water flows, the piston disposed facing the interior of the device housing; a cylinder container that advances and retreats relative to the piston and has a flange valve that opens and closes a main flow path of the cooling water; a thermal expansion unit provided within the cylinder container that causes the cylinder container to advance and retreat due to volumetric changes attendant upon temperature changes; and a heat-emitting element provided within a piston casing that heats the thermal expansion unit when supplied with electricity. An insulating cover is provided to the exterior of the cylinder container at a portion of the cylinder container disposed facing the cooling water.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An internal combustion engine cooling device comprising:
a piston fixedly mounted within a device housing coupled to a plurality of flow paths through which cooling water flows, the piston disposed facing an interior of the device housing;
a cylinder container that advances and retreats relative to the piston and has a flange valve that opens and closes a main flow path of the cooling water;
a thermal expansion unit provided within the cylinder container that causes the cylinder container to advance and retreat due to volumetric changes attendant upon temperature changes; and
a heat-emitting element provided within a piston casing that heats the thermal expansion unit when supplied with electricity,
wherein an insulating cover is provided to an exterior of the cylinder container at a portion of the cylinder container disposed facing the cooling water,
wherein the insulating cover is sealed with respect to water flow,
wherein a resinous insulating material is provided between the inside of the insulating cover and the outside of the cylinder container, up to but excluding a portion of the insulating cover disposed facing a top portion of the cylinder container,
the portion of the insulating cover disposed facing the top portion of the cylinder container accounting for approximately one-third an entire length of the insulating cover,
wherein the insulating cover is made of metal.

2. The internal combustion engine cooling device according of claim 1 , wherein the internal combustion engine cooling device further comprises a seating that functions as a spring seat that engages one end of a spring means that biases a second flange valve movably provided at a tip of a thermo-sensitive portion of the cylinder container that opens and closes a sub flow path of the cooling water.

3. The internal combustion engine cooling device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a top end of the insulating cover is formed continuous with a valve plate of the flange valve.

4. An internal combustion engine cooling device comprising:
a piston fixedly mounted within a device housing coupled to a plurality of flow paths through which cooling water flows, the piston disposed facing an interior of the device housing;
a cylinder container that advances and retreats relative to the piston and has a flange valve that opens and closes a main flow path of the cooling water;
a thermal expansion unit provided within the cylinder container that causes the cylinder container to advance and retreat due to volumetric changes attendant upon temperature changes; and
a heat-emitting element provided within a piston casing that heats the thermal expansion unit when supplied with electricity,
wherein an insulating cover is provided to an exterior of the cylinder container at a portion of the cylinder container disposed facing the cooling water,
wherein the insulating cover is sealed with respect to water flow,
wherein a resinous insulating material is provided on the inside of the insulating cover to form an insulating part constituted as a multi-layered structure composed of a resinous insulating material layer and a layer of air between the insulating cover and the outer surface of the cylinder container, the multi-layered structure provided on the inside of the insulating cover up to but excluding a portion of the insulating cover disposed facing a top portion of the cylinder container,
the portion of the insulating cover disposed facing the top portion of the cylinder container accounting for approximately one-third an entire length of the insulating cover,
wherein the insulating cover is made of metal.

5. The internal combustion engine cooling device according to claim 4 , further comprising a seating that functions as a spring seat that engages one end of a spring means that biases a second flange valve movably provided at a tip of a thermo-sensitive portion of the cylinder container that opens and closes a sub flow path of the cooling water.

6. The internal combustion engine cooling device as claimed in claim 4 , wherein a top end of the insulating cover is formed continuous with a valve plate of the flange valve.

7. An internal combustion engine cooling device comprising:
a piston fixedly mounted within a device housing coupled to a plurality of flow paths through which cooling water flows, the piston disposed facing an interior of the device housing;
a cylinder container that advances and retreats relative to the piston and has a flange valve that opens and closes a main flow path of the cooling water;
a thermal expansion unit provided within the cylinder container that causes the cylinder container to advance and retreat due to volumetric changes attendant upon temperature changes; and
a heat-emitting element provided within a piston casing that heats the thermal expansion unit when supplied with electricity,
wherein an insulating cover is provided to an exterior of the cylinder container at a portion of the cylinder container disposed facing the cooling water,
wherein the insulating cover is sealed with respect to water flow,
wherein the insulating cover forms a layer of air between the insulating cover and the outer surface of the cylinder container, up to but excluding a portion of the insulating cover disposed facing a top portion of the cylinder container,
the portion of the insulating cover disposed facing the top portion of the cylinder container accounting for approximately one-third an entire length of the insulating cover,
wherein the insulating cover is made of metal.

8. The internal combustion engine cooling device according to claim 7 , further comprising a seating that functions as a spring seat that engages one end of a spring means that biases a second flange valve movably provided at a tip of a thermo-sensitive portion of the cylinder container that opens and closes la sub flow path of the cooling water.

9. The internal combustion engine cooling device as claimed in claim 7 , wherein a top end of the insulating cover is formed continuous with a valve plate of the flange valve.

Assignees

• Nakajima Tadao
• Suzuki Toshitaka
• Nippon Thermostat Kk

Inventors

• Nakajima Tadao
• Suzuki Toshitaka

Classifications

• F01P7/167 Primary

  by adjusting the pre-set temperature according to engine parameters, e.g. engine load, engine speed · CPC title

• G05D23/125

  the sensing element being placed outside a regulating fluid flow · CPC title

• G05D23/123

  the sensing element being placed within a regulating fluid flow · CPC title

• F16K31/002

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

• F16K31/025

  actuated by thermo-electric means · CPC title