Engine-mountable cooling system

Abstract

An engine-mountable cooling system for a vehicle includes a fluid cooling component, a fan shroud and an elongate engine-mounting cross member. The fluid cooling component includes an upper portion, a lower portion and first and second opposed cooling component side portions. The fan shroud includes an engine-mounting shroud portion coupled to the lower portion of the fluid cooling component and a second shroud portion positioned at least partially above the engine-mounting shroud portion. The elongate engine-mounting cross member is spaced from and positioned above the engine-mounting shroud portion and includes a first cross member end portion coupled to the first cooling component side portion and a second cross member end portion coupled to the second cooling component side portion. The cooling system is mountable to an engine such that the engine-mounting cross member and the engine-mounting shroud portion support substantially the entire weight of the cooling system.

1 . An engine-mountable cooling system for a vehicle, the cooling system comprising:
 a fluid cooling component comprising an upper portion, a lower portion and first and second opposed cooling component side portions;   a fan shroud comprising an engine-mounting shroud portion coupled to the lower portion of the fluid cooling component and a second shroud portion positioned at least partially above the engine-mounting shroud portion; and   an elongate engine-mounting cross member spaced from and positioned above the engine-mounting shroud portion comprising a first cross member end portion coupled to the first cooling component side portion and a second cross member end portion coupled to the second cooling component side portion;   wherein the cooling system is mountable to an engine such that the engine-mounting cross member and the engine-mounting shroud portion support substantially the entire weight of the cooling system.   
     
     
         2 . An engine-mountable cooling system according to  claim 1 , wherein the fluid cooling component further comprises a front portion and a rear portion and the engine-mounting shroud portion comprises first and second shroud end portions and an intermediate shroud base portion extending between the first and second shroud end portions, the shroud base portion spanning across the rear portion of the fluid cooling component and being mountable to the engine, the first shroud end portion extending forwardly from a rear portion of the fluid cooling component and along the first cooling component side portion of the cooling system and being attached thereto, the second shroud end portion extending forwardly from a rear portion of the fluid cooling component and along the second cooling component side portion and being attached thereto. 
     
     
         3 . An engine-mountable cooling system according to  claim 1 , wherein the engine-mounting shroud portion comprises a neck portion comprising a first rim portion and the second shroud portion comprises a second rim portion, the first and second rim portions together comprising an annular rim that defines a central fan shroud opening. 
     
     
         4 . A manifold for an air cooling component of a vehicle cooling system, the manifold comprising:
 a body comprising first and second air flow ports and defining a fluid passageway between said air flow ports, the body being adapted for coupling to a side portion of the air cooling component with the second port being in fluid communication with the air cooling component;   the body further comprising a first mounting portion extending upwardly from the body to a location above the air cooling component, the first mounting portion comprising first mounting features positioned for use in mounting the manifold directly to a radiator and to an upper mounting cross member of the cooling system; and   the body further comprising a second mounting portion extending downwardly from the body to a location below the air cooling component, the second mounting portion comprising second mounting features positioned for use in mounting the manifold directly to the radiator and to a lower mounting cross member.   
     
     
         5 . A manifold according to  claim 4 , wherein the first mounting features comprise a first aperture and a second aperture, the first aperture being adapted to receive a first fastener therethrough such that the first fastener is also received by the radiator to fasten the manifold to the radiator, the second aperture being adapted to receive a second fastener therethrough such that the second fastener is also received by the upper mounting cross member to fasten the manifold to the upper mounting cross member; and
 wherein the second mounting features comprise a third aperture and a fourth aperture, the third aperture being adapted to receive a third fastener therethrough such that the third fastener is also received by the radiator to fasten the manifold to the radiator, the fourth aperture being adapted to receive a fourth fastener therethrough such that the fourth fastener is also received by the lower mounting cross member to fasten the manifold to the lower mounting cross member.   
     
     
         6 . A manifold according to  claim 4 , wherein the manifold is monolithic. 
     
     
         7 . An air cooler assembly for a cooling system for a vehicle, the air cooler assembly comprising:
 a radiator portion;   an air cooling portion comprising an uppermost portion, a lowermost portion, and first and second opposed side portions; and   first and second opposed manifolds, each manifold comprising:
 a body fluidly coupled to a respective one of the first and second side portions of the air cooling portion; 
 an upper mounting portion extending upwardly from the body and above the uppermost portion of the air cooling portion; and 
 a lower mounting portion extending downwardly from the main body and below the lower-most portion of the air cooling portion; 
   wherein the upper and lower mounting portions of the first and second manifolds are adapted to together support substantially the entire combined weight of the air cooling portion and the radiator.   
     
     
         8 . An air cooler assembly according to  claim 7  further comprising an upper engine mounting cross member extending from side to side of the radiator, wherein the upper mounting portions of the first and second manifolds each comprise a first upper mounting feature and a second upper mounting feature, the first upper mounting features being adapted for use in mounting the radiator to the upper mounting portions, and the second upper mounting features being adapted for use in mounting the upper mounting portion to the upper engine-mounting cross member of the cooling system; and
 further comprising a lower engine mounting cross member extending from side to side of the radiator, wherein the lower mounting portions of the first and second side manifolds each comprise first lower mounting features and second lower mounting features, the first lower mounting features being adapted for use in mounting the radiator to the lower mounting portions, and the second lower mounting features being adapted for use in mounting the lower mounting portions to a lower engine-mounting component of the cooling system. 
 
     
     
         9 . An air cooler assembly according to  claim 8 , wherein the lower engine mounting cross member comprises a portion of a fan shroud with an interior surface bounding a portion of an air flow passageway from the radiator. 
     
     
         10 . A surge tank for an engine-mountable cooling system for a vehicle, the surge tank comprising an internal reservoir volume for containing coolant fluid and a mounting member adapted to mount the cooling system to an engine of the vehicle such that the surge tank supports a substantial portion of the weight of the cooling system. 
     
     
         11 . A surge tank according to  claim 10 , wherein the surge tank is elongated in a side to side direction when mounted in the vehicle and comprises a first side end portion, a second side end portion opposed to the first side end portion, and an intermediate portion extending between the first and second side end portions, the first and second side end portions being adapted to mount a fluid cooling component of the cooling system to the surge tank, the intermediate portion being adapted to mount the cooling system to the engine. 
     
     
         12 . A surge tank according to  claim 10 , wherein the surge tank comprises two primary components, the two primary components being an upper portion and a lower portion that together define the internal reservoir volume, one of the upper and lower portions being comprised primarily of a first material, the other of the upper and lower portions being comprised primarily of a second material, the first material being substantially more rigid than the second material. 
     
     
         13 . A surge tank according to  claim 12 , wherein the mounting member comprises said one of the upper and lower portions. 
     
     
         14 . An engine-mounted cooling system for a vehicle, comprising:
 a charge air cooler comprising an upper portion and a lower portion;   a radiator mounted to the charge air cooler;   an upper engine-mounting member attached to an upper portion of the charge air cooler; and   a lower engine-mounting member attached to a lower portion of the charge air cooler;   wherein the upper and lower engine-mounting members couple the integrated cooling system to an engine and support at least the majority of the entire weight of the cooling system.   
     
     
         15 . An engine-mounted integrated cooling system according to  claim 14 , wherein the charge air cooler comprises a first side manifold and a second side manifold, and the upper engine-mounting member is attached to both the first and second side manifolds. 
     
     
         16 . An engine-mounted integrated cooling system according to  claim 15 , wherein the charge air cooler comprises a first side manifold and a second side manifold, and the lower engine-mounting member is attached to both the first and second side manifolds. 
     
     
         17 . An engine-mounted integrated cooling system according to  claim 14 , wherein the charge air cooler comprises a first side manifold and a second side manifold, and the lower engine-mounting member is attached to both the left side manifold and the right side manifold. 
     
     
         18 . An engine-mounted integrated cooling system according to  claim 14 , wherein the upper engine-mounting member comprises a portion of a surge tank. 
     
     
         19 . An engine-mounted integrated cooling system according to  claim 14 , wherein the lower engine-mounting member comprises a portion of a fan shroud. 
     
     
         20 . An engine-mounted integrated cooling system according to  claim 14 , wherein the charge air cooler comprises a first side manifold and a second side manifold, and the lower engine-mounting member is attached to both the first and second side manifolds.