FIELD
The present disclosure relates to the field of agricultural and industrial vehicles.
DEFINITION
As used in the present disclosure, the following terms are generally intended to have the meaning as set forth below, except to the extent that the context in which they are used indicate otherwise.
Grille: The expression ‘grille’ used hereinafter in this specification refers to, but is not limited to, a grating or screen of metal bars or wires or mesh, placed in front of something as protection or to allow ventilation or discreet observation.
Radiator: The expression ‘radiator’ used hereinafter in this specification refers to, but is not limited to, a heat exchanger unit which is used for dissipating heat from a heated material or component such as an internal combustion engine.
BACKGROUND
The background information herein below relates to the present disclosure but is not necessarily prior art.
Agricultural vehicles are driven across thick vegetation for various purposes, namely, reaping, harvesting, bush hogging, mowing and so on. Traditionally driven by front-mounted engines covered with a hood, the farm vehicles are required to produce considerable traction and thus engine power is transferred through the wheels to move over the uneven surfaces offered in the fields. The engines need to be cooled for obtaining optimum performance, which is generally carried out by blowing air over a radiator of the engine using a radiator fan. The radiator fan sucks in air through grilles mounted on the operative front end of the engine hood. Such a suction inadvertently also attracts solid material such as straw, husk, dust, dirt, mud or soil, remains of weed or shrub and the like from the outside. Such matter gets clogged in the fine openings of the radiator grille.
Clogging of a radiator grille obstructs the path of cooling air to be sucked in by the radiator fan. This adversely affects the cooling performance of the radiator, leading to drop in efficiency of the vehicle’s engine. Hence, frequent declogging of a radiator grille of agricultural vehicles is required.
When an engine is cranked and subsequently started, the radiator fan also starts rotating, and the fan runs continuously as long as the engine is in operation. When the radiator grille is required to be cleaned, it is recommended that the vehicle operator switches OFF the engine, to perform the cleaning. Another reason for switching OFF the engine is that, when the engine runs with a clogged radiator, it is possible that the engine gets overheated. Therefore, it is desirable that the engine temperature be brought down for proper running of the engine. Such stopping results in loss of productivity. Manual cleaning is also a tedious task.
Reversing direction of rotation of the radiator fan in order to create an outward draft has been attempted in the past. However, in this arrangement, temperature of the oil driving the radiator fan would still keep on increasing, whether the fan is driven in forward or reverse direction. Moreover, the hydraulic pump would be under continuous load in case the same fan is driven in forward and reverse direction. Both these consequences are undesirable from the point of efficiency and life of components.
There is, therefore, need for a system which ameliorates the aforementioned issues.
OBJECTS
Some of the objects of the present disclosure, which at least one embodiment herein satisfies, are as follows:
An object of the present disclosure is to provide a system for declogging a radiator grille.
Another object of the present disclosure is to provide a system for declogging a radiator grille, which is efficient.
Yet another object of the present disclosure is to provide a system for declogging a radiator grille, which is easy to install.
Still another object of the present disclosure is to provide a system for declogging a radiator grille, which is easy to operate.
Yet another object of the present disclosure is to provide a system for declogging a radiator grille, which is economical.
Other objects and advantages of the present disclosure will be more apparent from the following description, which is not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.
SUMMARY
The present disclosure envisages a system for declogging a grille. The grille is disposed in an operative front portion of a radiator. The system of the present disclosure comprises a fan, a motor and a power supply unit. The fan is configured to thrust air through the grille from an operative inner side to an operative outer side of the grille. The motor is configured to drive the fan and the power supply unit is configured to drive the motor.
According to an aspect of the present disclosure, the fan is mounted between the grille and the radiator.
According to another aspect of the present disclosure, the grille is disposed in an operative front portion as well as operative front left and front right portions of a hood covering an engine compartment of a vehicle.
According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, magnitude of outward thrust generated by the fan is three times the magnitude of inward thrust generated by a fan cooperating with the radiator.
According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, the power supply means is a hydraulic pump and the motor is a hydraulic motor.
According to yet another embodiment, the power supply means is configured to supply power of constant magnitude to the motor for driving the fan. According to still another embodiment, the power supply means is configured to supply power of variable magnitude to the motor for driving the fan.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWING
A system for declogging a radiator grille of the present disclosure will now be described with the help of the accompanying drawing, in which:
Figure 1 illustrates a schematic left side view of a vehicle of prior art;
Figure 2 illustrates a schematic left side view of a vehicle with the system of the present disclosure;
Figure 3 illustrates a schematic top view of a vehicle with the system of the present disclosure;
Figure 4 illustrates a top view of a system of the present disclosure;
Figure 5 illustrates a front view of a system of Figure 4;
Figure 6 illustrates an isometric view of a system of Figure 4;
Figure 7 shows a fan of the present disclosure;
Figure 8A shows a side view of a motor of the present disclosure;
Figure 8B shows a front view of a motor of the present disclosure; and
Figure 9 shows a coupling of the present disclosure.
Figure 10a illustrates a top view of a lever of the present disclosure; and
Figure 10b illustrates a front view of the lever of Figure 10a.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS
10 System of the present disclosure
1 Fan of the present disclosure
1a Motor of the present disclosure
2 Power supply unit
3 Grille
4 Radiator
5 Radiator fan
6 Engine compartment
7 Hood
8 Coupling
9 Lever
9a Port
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Embodiments, of the present disclosure, will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing.
Embodiments are provided so as to thoroughly and fully convey the scope of the present disclosure to the person skilled in the art. Numerous details are set forth, relating to specific components, and methods, to provide a complete understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be apparent to the person skilled in the art that the details provided in the embodiments should not be construed to limit the scope of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, well-known processes, well-known apparatus structures, and well-known techniques are not described in detail.
The terminology used, in the present disclosure, is only for the purpose of explaining a particular embodiment and such terminology shall not be considered to limit the scope of the present disclosure. As used in the present disclosure, the forms “a”, “an” and “the” may be intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly suggests otherwise. The terms “comprises”, “comprising”, “including” and “having” are open ended transitional phrases and therefore specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, modules, units and/or components, but do not forbid the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. The particular order of steps disclosed in the method and process of the present disclosure is not to be construed as necessarily requiring their performance as described or illustrated. It is also to be understood that additional or alternative steps may be employed.
Agricultural vehicles need to be driven through thick vegetation or in the presence of husk, straw, weed etc. for tasks such as ripping, harvesting, bush hogging, mowing and so on. Due to the unevenness of the fields, such vehicles are required to be driven by powerful engines, which heat up quickly during operation. Radiators are essential components, which come with fans mounted on an operative front of the radiator for sucking air for cooling. The surrounding debris also gets sucked with the air draft only to get clogged in the grille meant for the same purpose. Such a grille needs to be cleaned often, which adds to stoppage time. Also, operating the engine with a clogged grille leads to overheating of the engine, which is detrimental to its performance. Hence, a quick and efficient solution is required for declogging a grille of an agricultural vehicle or a similar machine running on an engine and employs a radiator grille.
The present disclosure envisages a system 10 for declogging a grille 3, as illustrated in schematic diagrams of Figure 2 and Figure 3, and in top view of Figure 4, front view of Figure 5 and isometric view of Figure 6. The grille 3 is disposed in an operative front portion as well as in operative front-left as well as front-right portions of a hood 7 provided on an engine compartment 6 of a vehicle, particularly in front of a radiator 4. Nevertheless, the engine could be any engine such as that of a diesel generator, and so on. According to the present disclosure, the system 10 comprises a fan 1, a motor 1a and a power supply unit 2. The fan 1 is configured to be driven by the motor 1a, which is in turn driven by the power supply unit 2. The fan 1, shown in Figure 4, is configured to thrust air through the grille 3 from an operative inner side to an operative outer side of the grille 3. The fan is disposed between a radiator 4 and the grille 3. The fan 1 is mounted on a bracket which is fitted onto the grille 3 on its operative inner side. The motor 1a also is mounted on the bracket. In an embodiment, the motor 1a is a hydraulic motor. The hydraulic motor 1a, shown in Figure 5a and Figure 5b, which drives the fan 1, has two ports – a delivery port and a return port.
According to an aspect of the present disclosure, the power supply unit 2 is a hydraulic pump of an existing hydraulic circuit fitted into an agricultural vehicle. This hydraulic pump 2 primarily performs braking and steering, drives various attached mechanisms involving raising and lowering as well as powering motors and other devices. The pump 2 is in turn driven by the vehicle’s engine. A part of the hydraulic circuit is tapped onto by means of hoses with quick release couplings (QRCs) 8, shown in Figure 6, made with auxiliary QRC ports 9a or any port in the hydraulic system having high pressure outlet in the range of 120-180 bar of the hydraulic pump. These auxiliary ports are generally tapped onto for applications like lifting, ploughing and the like. Also, an existing QRC lever 9 as illustrated in Figure 10a and Figure 10b is configured to direct the hydraulic fluid towards the hydraulic motor which drives the fan 1 of the present disclosure. According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, the speed of the fan 1 is constant, and thus, magnitude of the thrust of air passing through the grille 3 is also constant. According to yet another embodiment, speed of rotation of the fan 1 can be modulated by changing release speed of the QRC lever 9 and hence, magnitude of the thrust provided by the fan for declogging the grille 3 can be varied.
According to another aspect of the present disclosure, magnitude of outward thrust generated by the fan 1 of the present disclosure is approximately more than three times the inward thrust generated by the fan 5 cooperating with the radiator 4 in a conventional agricultural vehicle such as a tractor. This justifies the higher efficiency of the fan 1 of the present disclosure in comparison with that of the radiator fan 5 operated in reverse direction. According to an embodiment, the speed of rotation (RPM) of the fan 1 of the present disclosure is approximately three times the speed of rotation (RPM) of the radiator fan 5.
For convenience of operation, a linkage to the QRC lever 9 is routed into the vehicle driver’s cabin or operational area. The lever 9 can therefore be operated in a seated position by actuating the linkage. Thus, the driver is not required to stop the vehicle and step down from his seat to perform cleaning of the grille 3. Actuating the QRC lever 9 while the engine is ON instantaneously rotates the fan 1. In case the grille 3 is clogged with straw, husk, dirt and so on, the matter is ‘sneezed’ out of the grille 3 instantaneously by the outward thrust due to air made to flow outwards therethrough. As the QRC lever 9 is released, the hydraulic circuit in the vehicle resumes back its neutral circuit.
According to an embodiment, the diameter of the fan 1 is 9 inch, and is driven by a 2.5 cc hydraulic motor.
The system 10 of present disclosure can be installed inside any existing tractor or similar agricultural vehicle or in any other machine in the market running on an engine and employs a radiator grille without the need of major alteration, and with minimal retrofitment. Also, the system 10 of the present disclosure does not require costly components such as non-return solenoid valves, timing controller circuits, and so on. Moreover, the installation of the fan 1 of the present disclosure does not affect efficiency of cooling of the radiator 4.
The present disclosure is not limited to a hydraulic type of drive for the fan 1. The fan 1 can be driven by other sources of power such as a motor driven by a pneumatic pump, an electric motor driven by a battery and the like.
When an element is referred to as being “mounted on”, “engaged to”, “connected to” or “coupled to” another element, it may be directly on, engaged, connected or coupled to the other element. As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed elements.
The terms first, second, third, etc., should not be construed to limit the scope of the present disclosure as the aforementioned terms may be only used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer or section from another component, region, layer or section. Terms such as first, second, third etc., when used herein do not imply a specific sequence or order unless clearly suggested by the present disclosure.
Terms such as “inner”, “outer”, “beneath”, “below”, “lower”, “above”, “upper” and the like, may be used in the present disclosure to describe relationships between different elements as depicted from the figures.
The foregoing description of the embodiments has been provided for purposes of illustration and not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Individual components of a particular embodiment are generally not limited to that particular embodiment, but, are interchangeable. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the present disclosure, and all such modifications are considered to be within the scope of the present disclosure.
TECHNICAL ADVANCEMENTS
The present disclosure described herein above has several technical advantages including, but not limited to, the realization of a system for declogging a radiator grille, which:
• is efficient;
• is easy to install;
• easy to operate;
• does not affect efficiency of other systems; and
• economical.

The foregoing disclosure has been described with reference to the accompanying embodiments which do not limit the scope and ambit of the disclosure. The description provided is purely by way of example and illustration.
The embodiments herein and the various features and advantageous details thereof are explained with reference to the non-limiting embodiments in the following description. Descriptions of well-known components and processing techniques are omitted so as to not unnecessarily obscure the embodiments herein. The examples used herein are intended merely to facilitate an understanding of ways in which the embodiments herein may be practiced and to further enable those of skill in the art to practice the embodiments herein. Accordingly, the examples should not be construed as limiting the scope of the embodiments herein.
The foregoing description of the specific embodiments so fully reveal the general nature of the embodiments herein that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily modify and/or adapt for various applications such specific embodiments without departing from the generic concept, and, therefore, such adaptations and modifications should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalents of the disclosed embodiments. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation. Therefore, while the embodiments herein have been described in terms of preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the embodiments herein can be practiced with modification within the spirit and scope of the embodiments as described herein.
The use of the expression “at least” or “at least one” suggests the use of one or more elements or ingredients or quantities, as the use may be in the embodiment of the disclosure to achieve one or more of the desired objects or results.
Any discussion of documents, acts, materials, devices, articles or the like that has been included in this specification is solely for the purpose of providing a context for the disclosure. It is not to be taken as an admission that any or all of these matters form a part of the prior art base or were common general knowledge in the field relevant to the disclosure as it existed anywhere before the priority date of this application.
The numerical values mentioned for the various physical parameters, dimensions or quantities are only approximations and it is envisaged that the values higher/lower than the numerical values assigned to the parameters, dimensions or quantities fall within the scope of the disclosure, unless there is a statement in the specification specific to the contrary.
While considerable emphasis has been placed herein on the components and component parts of the preferred embodiments, it will be appreciated that many embodiments can be made and that many changes can be made in the preferred embodiments without departing from the principles of the disclosure. These and other changes in the preferred embodiment as well as other embodiments of the disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the disclosure herein, whereby it is to be distinctly understood that the foregoing descriptive matter is to be interpreted merely as illustrative of the disclosure and not as a limitation.

We claim:
1. A system (10) for declogging a grille (3), said grille (3) disposed in an operative front portion of and spaced apart from a radiator (4), said system (10) comprising:
a. a fan (1) configured to thrust air through said grille (3) from an operative inner side to an operative outer side of said grille (3);
b. a motor (1a) configured to drive said fan (1); and
c. a power supply means (2) configured to drive said motor (1a).
2. The system (10) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said fan (1) is mounted between said grille (3) and said radiator (4).
3. The system (10) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said grille (3) is disposed in an operative front portion as well as operative front left and front right portions of a hood (7) covering an engine compartment (6) of a vehicle.
4. The system (10) as claimed in claim 1, wherein magnitude of outward thrust generated by said fan (1) is greater than the magnitude of inward thrust generated by a fan (5) cooperating with said radiator (4).
5. The system (10) as claimed in claim 4, wherein speed of rotation of said fan (1) is at least three times the speed of rotation of said fan (5) cooperating with said radiator (4).
6. The system (10) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said power supply means (2) is a hydraulic pump (2) and said motor (1a) is a hydraulic motor.
7. The system (10) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said power supply means (2) is configured to supply power of constant magnitude to said motor (1a) for driving said fan (1).
8. The system (10) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said power supply means (2) is configured to supply power of variable magnitude to said motor (1a) for driving said fan (1).