Claims:We claim:

1. An exhaust cooling fan assembly (100) for a vehicle, the assembly comprising:
a shroud (10) connectable to a vehicle body, the shroud comprises frame (11) and a shroud hub (12) supported by the frame (11);
a motor (20) having a housing (22) mounted in the shroud hub (12), wherein, a drive shaft (21) of the motor (20) extends outwardly from the shroud hub (12);
a fan (30) including a fan hub (31) and a plurality of blades (32) extending radially on the fan hub (31) is mounted on the drive shaft of the motor; and
a protection cover (40) mounted on the shroud hub (12), wherein, the protection cover (40) is adapted to enclose at least a portion of gap between the shroud hub (12) and the fan hub (31) to prevent entry of foreign particles towards the drive shaft (21) of the motor (20).

2. The assembly (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the shroud hub (12) is configured at a substantially central portion of the shroud (10), and the shroud hub is supported by a plurality of support members (13) extending radially from the frame (11).

3. The assembly (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the protection cover (40) comprises a base portion (41) and a casing portion (42).

4. The assembly (100) as claimed in claim 3, wherein the base portion (41) of the protection cover (40) comprises a plurality of projections (43) extending outwardly from the base portion (41).

5. The assembly (100) as claimed in claim 4, wherein each of the plurality of projections comprises (43) at least one provision for connecting the protection cover (40) to the shroud hub (12).

6. The assembly (100) as claimed in claim 3, wherein the casing portion (42) of the protection cover (40) is substantially cylindrical in shape.

7. The assembly (100) as claimed in claim 6, wherein the casing portion (42) comprises a plurality of ribs (44) on an inner surface (45).
8. The assembly (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the protection cover (40) is made of nylon material.

9. The assembly (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fan hub (31) includes a wall (33) that extends around the periphery of the face of fan hub (31) over which the fan blades (32) are coupled.

10. The assembly (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fan (30) is mounted on the drive shaft (21) of the motor (20) such that the wall (33) extends toward the motor (20), and the fan hub (31) that faces away from the motor (20).

11. The assembly (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the protection cover (40) is mounted on the shroud hub (12) such that a predetermined gap is defined between a casing portion (42) of the protection cover (40) and a wall (33) of the fan hub (31).

12. A vehicle comprising an exhaust cooling fan assembly (100) as claimed in claim 1.
, Description:TECHNICAL FIELD

Present disclosure generally relates to field of automobiles. Particularly, but not exclusively relates to a radiator cooling fan assembly for a vehicle. Further, embodiments of the disclosure discloses an exhaust cooling fan assembly having a protection cover to prevent entry of foreign particles into the exhaust cooling fan assembly.
BACKGROUND
Generally, vehicles may be used to transport goods or passengers from one location to another location. The vehicles may be provisioned with a propulsion unit known as engine for developing power required to operate the vehicle. The engine may generate the power by burning mixture of air and fuel. The engine may be rated with a suitable capacity, to manoeuvre the vehicle in different road conditions. Conventional, vehicles such as passenger vehicles and goods carrying vehicles are equipped with cooling units such as air conditioning system for improving comfort of the occupants. Due to terrain variations and operation of cooling units, load acting on the automobile may be varied which would generate excessive heat in the engine. In order to cool the engine, and to maintain the engine within the operating temperatures, engine cooling units such as radiator arrangement may be provided in the vehicles. Generally, the radiator may be operated during movement of the vehicle to cool the engine coolant. The radiator of the vehicle functions to cool the engine and to avoid stalling and limping of the vehicle due to overheating of engine. The radiator may also be termed as a heat exchanger, which exchanges heat from the engine coolant with the surrounding air. The radiator may be disposed in communication with a radiator fan. The radiator fan may circulate air onto the radiator to dissipate the heat from engine coolant to surrounding air. Also, in order to cool the engine compartment, an additional exhaust fan may be used in vehicles, especially rear-engine vehicles. As the ram air entering from the front of the vehicle cannot reach a rear engine compartment, an additional exhaust fan may be provided to exhaust the hot air and gases formed in the engine compartment.

The cooling fan assembly may be utilized for purpose of cooling engine compartment and the cooling fan assembly plays an important role in the vehicle. In the conventional vehicles, both front and rear engine vehicles, the cooling fan assembly may extracts hot air from engine compartment thus helping in achieving in optimized temperature of the engine. Since the exhaust cooling fan is exposed to the outside environment, generally there exists a problem of jamming or clogging of foreign particles such as polyethylene bags, clothes, garbage etc., which may damage the motor of exhaust cooling fan assembly. In such circumstances, the exhaust cooling fan assembly may warrant for periodic failures which would affect the performance of the vehicle and fail to maintain the engine compartment temperatures at an optimal level.
Considering the above, in some of the conventional vehicles the exhaust cooling fan assembly may be protected from entry of foreign particles using a grill or a mesh at its front or rear side. However, usage of the grill or mesh adds extra weight and consumes a lot of space for packaging of the exhaust cooling fan assembly. Addition of grill also increases cost of manufacturing. In addition, the presence of grill in front of exhaust fan may obstruct the air flow therefore becomes a bottle neck for efficient performance of the cooling system of the vehicle.
The present disclosure is directed to overcome one or more limitations stated above.
SUMMARY
The one or more shortcomings of the prior art are overcome by a mechanism as claimed and additional advantages are provided through the provision of mechanism as claimed in the present disclosure.

In one non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure an exhaust cooling fan assembly for a vehicle is disclosed. The assembly comprising of a shroud connectable to an exhaust cooling fan , the shroud comprises frame and a shroud hub supported by the frame. A motor mounted in the shroud hub, wherein, a driveshaft of the motor extends outwardly from the shroud hub. Further, a fan including a fan hub and a plurality of blades extending radially on the fan hub is mounted on the drive shaft of the motor. The assembly also includes a protection cover mounted on the shroud hub, wherein, the protection cover is adapted to enclose at least a portion of gap between the shroud hub and the fan hub to prevent entry of foreign particles towards the drive shaft of the motor.
In an embodiment, the shroud hub is configured at a substantially central portion of the shroud and the shroud hub is supported by a plurality of support members extending radially from the frame.

In an embodiment, the protection cover comprises a base portion and a casing portion. The base portion of the protection cover comprises a plurality of projections extending outwardly from the base portion. Each of the plurality of projections comprises at least one provision for connecting the protection cover to the shroud hub.

In an embodiment, the casing portion of the protection cover is substantially cylindrical in shape. The casing portion comprises a plurality of ribs on an inner surface.
In an embodiment, the protection cover is made of nylon material.
In an embodiment, the fan is mounted on the drive shaft of the motor such that an inner face that faces toward the motor, and an outer face that faces away from the motor. The fan hub includes a wall that extends around the periphery of the face of fan hub over which the fan blades are coupled.
In an embodiment, the protection cover is mounted on the shroud hub such that a predetermined gap is defined between a casing portion of the protection cover and a wall of the fan hub.
Additional features and advantages are realized through the techniques of the present disclosure. Other embodiments and aspects of the disclosure are described in detail herein and are considered a part of the claimed disclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS

The novel features and characteristic of the disclosure are set forth in the appended claims. The disclosure itself, however, as well as a preferred mode of use, further objectives and advantages thereof, will best be understood by reference to the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment when read in conjunction with the accompanying figures. One or more embodiments are now described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying figures wherein like reference numerals represent like elements and in which:

Figure 1. illustrates an exploded view of an exhaust cooling fan assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
Figure 2. illustrates a front perspective view of protection cover of the exhaust cooling fan assembly of Figure 1.
Figure 3. illustrates a rear perspective view of protection cover of Figure 2.
Figure 4. illustrates a front perspective view of the exhaust cooling fan assembly of Figure 1.
Figure 5. illustrates a rear perspective view of the exhaust cooling fan assembly of Figure 1.
Figures 6a and Figures 6b illustrates graphical representation of experimental results of temperature rise test of the exhaust cooling fan assembly having a protection cover, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
The figures depict embodiments of the disclosure for purposes of illustration only. One skilled in the art will readily recognize from the following description that alternative embodiments of the structures and methods illustrated herein may be employed without departing from the principles of the disclosure described herein.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the present document, the word "exemplary" is used herein to mean "serving as an example, instance, or illustration." Any embodiment or implementation of the present subject matter described herein as "exemplary" is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments.

While the disclosure is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiment thereof has been shown by way of example in the drawings and will be described in detail below. It should be understood, however that it is not intended to limit the disclosure to the forms disclosed, but on the contrary, the disclosure is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternative falling within the spirit and the scope of the disclosure.

The terms “comprises”, “comprising”, or any other variations thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a setup, device or method that comprises a list of components or steps does not include only those components or steps but may include other components or steps not expressly listed or inherent to such setup or device or method. In other words, one or more elements in a system or apparatus proceeded by “comprises… a” does not, without more constraints, preclude the existence of other elements or additional elements in the system or apparatus.

In the following detailed description of the embodiments of the disclosure, reference is made to the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof, and in which are shown by way of illustration specific embodiments in which the disclosure may be practiced. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the disclosure, and it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. The following description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense.

The exhaust cooling fan assembly (100) for a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure comprises of a shroud (10), a motor (20), a fan (30) and a protection cover (40). Referring to Figures 1, 4 and 5, the shroud (10) may be configured to couple the exhaust cooling fan assembly (100) with of the vehicle. The shroud (10) includes a frame (11) of predetermined cross section and a shroud hub (12). The shroud hub (12) may be supported to the frame (11) by a plurality of support members (13) extending radially from the frame (11). The frame (11) has mounting means to couple the exhaust cooling fan assembly (100) with the vehicle body. The shroud (10) may be made of any suitable material such as plastic or metals. In an embodiment of the disclosure, the frame of the shroud may be configured in rectangular or square shape, and the shroud hub (12) may be configured in circular or square shape.

The motor (20) functions as an electrical drive member for rotation of the fan (30). The motor (20) includes a drive shaft (21) that extends outwardly from one end of the motor housing (22). Whereas, the other end of the motor housing (22) has terminals for supplying electricity to the motor (20) and a sensor (50) for measuring various variables of the motor such as torque, speed, temperature etc., The motor housing (22) may be mounted in the shroud hub (12) by means of fastening elements, such that the drive shaft (21) of the motor (20) extends outwardly from the shroud hub (12).

The fan (30) including a fan hub (31) and a plurality of blades (32) that extends radially from the fan hub (31) may be mounted on the drive shaft (21) of the motor (20). The fan hub (31) includes a wall (33) that extends around the periphery of the face of fan hub (31) and to which the fan blades (32) are coupled. An aperture (34) extends through the center of the fan hub (31) through which the fan (30) may be coupled with drive shaft (21) of the motor (20). A clip (35) may be utilized to engage the drive shaft (21) and the outer face of the fan hub (31) to couple the fan (30) to the drive shaft (21). The fan (30) may be made of any suitable material such as plastic or metals. The fan (30) is mounted on the drive shaft (21) of the motor (20) such that an inner face (45) that faces toward the motor (20), and an outer face (46) that faces away from the motor (20). The fan (30) may be rotated by the motor (20) at a constant speed or variable speed, such that the fan draws hot air and exhaust the hot air.

Referring to Figures 2 and 3, the protection cover (40) includes a substantially cylindrical casing portion (42) with a base portion (41). The base portion (41) further includes a plurality of projections (43) extending outwardly from the base portion (41), wherein the plurality of projections (43) have at least one provision for connecting the protection cover (40) to the shroud hub (12) by means of any fastening elements. The protection cover (40) may be mounted on the shroud hub (12) such that the protection cover (40) is adapted to enclose at least a portion of gap between the shroud hub (12) and the wall (33) of the fan hub (31) to prevent entry of foreign particles towards the drive shaft (21) of the motor (20). The casing portion (42) comprises a plurality of ribs (44) on the inner surface (45) to improve the structural rigidity of the protection cover (40). The plurality of ribs (44) also aids to maintain sufficient contact with the yoke portion (23) of the motor (20) and to reduce vibration and noise at the vehicle level by use of protection cover (40). The protection cover (40) may be made of any suitable material such as nylon. In an embodiment, a plurality of ribs (44) may also be configured between the base portion (42) and the plurality of projections (43). The ribs (44) may improve strength of the joint, and may maintain structural rigidity of the projections.
In an embodiment of the disclosure, the material of the protection cover may be selected based on mechanical, thermal properties as temperature in vehicle is more. In an exemplary embodiment, the protection cover may be made of Nylon 6/6 or Poly Amide 6/6 material. In an exemplary embodiment, the Nylon 6/6 may have high mechanical strength and superior resistance to wear and organic chemicals. Also, the nylon material may have more than double the strength and stiffness of unreinforced nylons and a heat deflection temperature which approaches its melting point.

In some embodiments of the disclosure, the exhaust cooling fan assembly (100) may use for rear engine vehicle, and may be mounted in front of the engine compartment (not shown in the figures).

During operation of the exhaustcooling fan assembly (100), if materials like polyethylene bags, clothes, garbage etc., enters the cooling fan assembly, the protection cover (40) may not allow these foreign particles to entangle or jam or clog or damage the drive shaft (21) of the motor (20). Because the protection cover (40) along with the wall of the fan (30) completely encloses the yoke (24) and drive shaft (21) of the motor (20), such that only a minimum predetermined gap is defined between a casing portion (42) of the protection cover (40) and a wall (33) of the fan hub (31).

Referring now to Figures 6a and 6b which are exemplary embodiments of the disclosure illustrating graphical representations of the results of temperature rise test of the exhaust cooling fan assembly (100) having a protection cover (40). Temperature rise test has been done with protection cover and without protection cover. The graphs shown in Figure’s 6a and 6b illustrates test results at for 23 degree Celsius and 100 degree Celsius of the exhaust cooling fan assembly (100) with cover and without cover. It can be observed form the graphs that the temperature of different parts in the exhaust cooling fan assembly (100) remains in safe operating limits event with the presence of the protection cover (40).

Also, the plastic part entry prevention has been simulated on bench. Polythene bags of different lengths have been put in front of exhaust fan and it was observed that no polythene bags get entangled at shaft area of motor due to presence of protection cover (40) in the exhaust cooling fan assembly (100).

It is to be understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art would design the exhaust cooling fan assembly in any shape, dimension and configuration to cool the engine without deviating from the scope of the present disclosure. Also, various modifications and variations may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. Therefore, it is intended that the present disclosure covers such modifications and variations provided they come within the ambit of the appended claims and their equivalents.

Advantages of the present disclosure:
The present disclosure provides an exhaust cooling fan assembly which eliminates clogging or tangling or jamming the motor due to entry of foreign particles.
The present disclosure provides an exhaust cooling fan assembly which improves operational reliability, and easy to manufacture as it has minimum number of parts. Thecooling fan assembly of the present disclosure reduces packing size.
Equivalents:

With respect to the use of substantially any plural and/or singular terms herein, those having skill in the art can translate from the plural to the singular and/or from the singular to the plural as is appropriate to the context and/or application. The various singular/plural permutations may be expressly set forth herein for sake of clarity.
It will be understood by those within the art that, in general, terms used herein, and especially in the appended claims (e.g., bodies of the appended claims) are generally intended as “open” terms (e.g., the term “including” should be interpreted as “including but not limited to,” the term “having” should be interpreted as “having at least,” the term “includes” should be interpreted as “includes but is not limited to,” etc.). It will be further understood by those within the art that if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is intended, such an intent will be explicitly recited in the claim, and in the absence of such recitation no such intent is present. For example, as an aid to understanding, the following appended claims may contain usage of the introductory phrases “at least one” and “one or more” to introduce claim recitations. However, the use of such phrases should not be construed to imply that the introduction of a claim recitation by the indefinite articles “a” or “an” limits any particular claim containing such introduced claim recitation to inventions containing only one such recitation, even when the same claim includes the introductory phrases “one or more” or “at least one” and indefinite articles such as “a” or “an” (e.g., “a” and/or “an” should typically be interpreted to mean “at least one” or “one or more”); the same holds true for the use of definite articles used to introduce claim recitations.
In addition, even if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is explicitly recited, those skilled in the art will recognize that such recitation should typically be interpreted to mean at least the recited number (e.g., the bare recitation of “two recitations,” without other modifiers, typically means at least two recitations, or two or more recitations). Furthermore, in those instances where a convention analogous to “at least one of A, B, and C, etc.” is used, in general such a construction is intended in the sense one having skill in the art would understand the convention (e.g., “a system having at least one of A, B, and C” would include but not be limited to systems that have A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and/or A, B, and C together, etc.). In those instances where a convention analogous to “at least one of A, B, or C, etc.” is used, in general such a construction is intended in the sense one having skill in the art would understand the convention (e.g., “a system having at least one of A, B, or C” would include but not be limited to systems that have A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and/or A, B, and C together, etc.). It will be further understood by those within the art that virtually any disjunctive word and/or phrase presenting two or more alternative terms, whether in the description, claims, or drawings, should be understood to contemplate the possibilities of including one of the terms, either of the terms, or both terms. For example, the phrase “A or B” will be understood to include the possibilities of “A” or “B” or “A and B.”
While various aspects and embodiments have been disclosed herein, other aspects and embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The various aspects and embodiments disclosed herein are for purposes of illustration and are not intended to be limiting, with the true scope and spirit being indicated by the following claims.
Referral Numerals:
Reference Number Description
100 Exhaust cooling fan assembly
10 Shroud
20 Motor
30 Fan
40 Protection cover
50 Sensor
11 Rectangular frame
12 Shroud hub
13 Support members
21 Drive shaft
22 Motor housing
31 Fan hub
32 Plurality of blades
33 Wall
34 Aperture
35 Clip
41 Base portion
42 Casing portion
43 Plurality of projections
44 Plurality of ribs
45 Inner surface