DESC:CLIP FOR FAN MOTOR SHROUD ASSEMBLY

Field of the invention

The present invention generally relates to automotive radiator fan shroud assembly and, more particularly, to a clip used in the radiator fan motor shroud assembly for reduction of vibrations and associated noise (NVH) created therein.

Background of the invention

In a cross flow radiator, conventionally, a fan-motor shroud assembly is fixed horizontally on radiator tanks. A central/middle portion of the fan-motor shroud assembly remains unfixed / unsupported due to the complexity in design with higher core height of the radiator. Due to large unsupported portions, a natural frequency of a shroud remains in an operating range of the frequencies of a motor and a vehicle. This results in a resonance and hence leads to increased vibrations and structure borne noise, particularly in the middle portion.

Drawbacks in the prior art:

1. In a passenger car, the passenger’s comfort is on topmost priority. Noise and vibrations are the major contributing factors that cause the discomfort to the passenger. The fan-motor shroud assembly without use of the brackets enhances the progression of vibration and increases the structure borne noise. This can lead to discomfort of the passenger.

2. Also, in case of the radiator with more height, the pressure exerted by the air may cause more deflection at central part resulting in clearance issues between the fan blade and the shroud. This may affect the life of the radiator fan motor shroud assembly.

3. Metallic brackets were used in some applications to hold the shroud at middle of radiator core. Conventional fasteners were needed to assemble the metallic brackets that would result in damage to core.

The conventional bracket had the drawback that it had to customize toe specific application and was cumbersome to assemble and dismantle during service. Moreover, the conventional fastener based bracket was to be fixed at a particular location wherein special provision of holes was required on the core.

Hence, there is a need to develop a clip that is easy to install and is universally applied across various designs of fan-motor shroud assembly to fix the shroud against the radiator in center to overcome above mentioned drawbacks in the prior art.

Objects of the invention

An object of the present invention is to provide a clip for fixing a shroud against a radiator in a center to increase natural frequency of the shroud, beyond working range and avoid resonance.

Another object of the present invention is to reduce vibrations and noise produced in a fan shroud assembly thereby increasing passenger’s comfort.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a clip that ensures good attachment and allows less deflection of the fan shroud assembly.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide the clip that is easy to manufacture, easy to use and easy to install / assemble.

Summary of the invention

Accordingly, the present invention provides a clip for a fan motor shroud assembly. The clip is a bracket made up of a plastic material and comprises a clip body, a pivot pin, a lock, a jaw and a plurality of ribs.

The clip body is configured on top and bottom middle portions of a shroud of the fan motor shroud assembly. The clip body is capable of being rotated for fixing the fan motor shroud assembly centrally against a radiator. The pivot pin is configured on the clip body for inserting within a hole configured on the shroud by a snap fitting mechanism. The lock is configured on the clip body. The lock is adapted to slide in through a bridge on the shroud upon rotation of the clip body. The clip body is rotated around an axis of the pivot pin till the lock sits in the bridge on the shroud to fix the shroud centrally against the radiator. The jaw is configured on the clip body to grip the shroud against a radiator core support flange by holding the shroud in the middle portions in response to the rotation of the clip body to avoid the generation of vibration therein. The plurality of ribs is configured on the clip body to avoid deflection thereof after assembly of the fan motor shroud assembly with the radiator.

Brief description of the drawings

The objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent when the disclosure is read in conjunction with the following figures, wherein

Figure 1 shows a front view of a clip for a fan shroud assembly, in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 shows a back view of the clip of figure 1;

Figure 3a shows a left side view of the clip of figure 1;

Figure 3b shows a right side view of the clip of figure 1;

Figure 4a shows a top side view of the clip of figure 1;

Figure 4b shows a bottom side view of the clip of figure 1;

Figure 5a shows a pivot pin of the clip, in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 5b shows an insertion of the pivot pin in the fan shroud assembly, in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 6 shows a locking of the clip, in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 7 shows a jaw of the clip, in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 8 shows ribs structure of the clip, in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 9 shows a schematic representation of assembled view of the clip in the fan shroud assembly, in accordance with the present invention; and

Figure 10 shows a modal analysis data before and after addition of the clip in the fan shroud assembly, in accordance with the present invention.

Detailed description of the invention

The foregoing objects of the present invention are accomplished and the problems and shortcomings associated with the prior art, techniques and approaches are overcome by the present invention as described below in the preferred embodiments.

The present invention provides a clip for a fan shroud assembly. The clip is used for fixing the fan shroud assembly at middle with a core. The clip ensures good attachment and allows less deflection of the fan shroud assembly. The clip also consents to reduce vibrations and noise produced in the radiator fan motor shroud assembly.

The present invention is illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings, throughout which reference numbers indicate corresponding parts in the various figures. These reference numbers are shown in brackets in the following description.

Referring to figures 1 to 10, a clip (100) for a fan motor shroud assembly (not numbered) in accordance with the present invention is shown. The clip (100) is a bracket made up of a plastic material, preferably a single piece of molded plastic. The clip (100) comprises a clip body (5), a pivot pin (10), a lock (20), a jaw (30) and a plurality of ribs (40) configured thereon. The fan motor shroud assembly comprises a hole (110) and a bridge (120) configured on a shroud (150).

The clip body (5) is configured on top and bottom middle portions (not numbered) of a shroud (150) of the fan motor shroud assembly. The clip body (5) is capable of being rotated for fixing the fan motor shroud assembly against a radiator (not shown) to form a radiator fan motor shroud assembly (not numbered). Specifically, the clip body (5) is rotated around an axis (not numbered) of the pivot pin (10) (refer figure 5b).

The pivot pin (10) is configured on the clip body (5). The pivot pin (10) is adapted for inserting within a hole (110) configured on a shroud (150). Specifically, a cross section of the pivot pin (10) is deliberately made weak for collapsing and easy insertion in the hole (110) on the shroud (150). In an embodiment, the pivot pin (10) inserts within the shroud hole (110) by a snap fitting mechanism by manually pressing and then inserting lugs of the pivot pin (10) into the hole (110) on the shroud (150). As shown in figures 5a and 5b, the pivot pin (10) goes inside the hole (110) on the shroud (150) causing the clip body (5) to rotate against the axis of the pivot pin (10) which acts as a hinge.

The lock (20) is configured on the clip body (5). The lock (20) is adapted to slide in through a bridge (120) configured on the shroud (150) upon rotation of the clip body (5). Specifically, the clip body (5) is rotated around the axis of the pivot pin (10) till the lock (20) sits in the bridge (120) on the shroud (150) (refer figure 6) to fix the shroud (150) centrally against the radiator.

The jaw (30) (refer figure 7) is configured on the clip body (5) such that when the clip body (5) rotates, the jaw (30) grips the shroud (150) against a radiator core support flange (130) by holding the shroud (150) in an unsupported middle portion to avoid generation of vibration therein. In this way, the clip (100) is used in the snap type bracket to fix the shroud (150) against the radiator core support flange (130) while restricting the vibrations of the shroud (150).

The plurality of ribs (40) (refer figure 8) is configured on the clip body (5) to avoid deflection thereof after assembly of the fan motor shroud assembly with the radiator. The plurality of ribs (40) provides strength/rigidity to the clip (100). Specifically, the plurality of ribs (40) provides strength in a way that the clip (100) should not deflect after assembling in the radiator fan motor shroud assembly.

Advantages of the invention

1. The clip (100) with two attachments such as the pivot pin (10) and the lock (20) on the shroud (150) is designed and implemented on the shroud (150) to avoid potential rejections due to vibrations that are transferred to a steering wheel. In similar earlier programs, line rejections were up to 7% and this is brought down to zero.
2. The clip (100) is designed in a snap type bracket that is easy to manufacture and easy to assemble without requiring any special type of assembly device as the assembly can be done manually. The assembly process of the clip (100) is easy and even the removal is easy.
3. The clip (100) is capable of being universally and horizontally applied in all kind of designs of the radiator fan motor shroud assembly.
4. The clip (100) is better in strength as compared to the conventional metallic brackets.
5. The clip (100) is designed in such a way that the shroud (150) does not deflect much and restricts the vibrations.
6. The clip (100) controls the yield stress value of the shroud (150) and saves the shroud (150) from breaking.

The foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments of the present invention have been presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the present invention to the precise forms disclosed, and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the present invention and its practical application, and to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the present invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is understood that various omissions and substitutions of equivalents are contemplated as circumstances may suggest or render expedient, but such omissions and substitutions are intended to cover the application or implementation without departing from the spirit or scope of the claims of the present invention. ,CLAIMS:We claim:

1. A clip (100) for a fan motor shroud assembly, the clip (100) comprising:
• a clip body (5) configured on top and bottom middle portions of a shroud (150) of the fan motor shroud assembly, the clip body (5) capable of being rotated for fixing the fan motor shroud assembly against a radiator;
• a pivot pin (10) configured on the clip body (5), the pivot pin (10) adapted to insert within a hole (110) configured on the shroud (150);
• a lock (20) configured on the clip body (5), the lock (20) adapted to slide in through a bridge (120) on the shroud (150) upon rotation of the clip body (5);
• a jaw (30) configured on the clip body (5), the jaw (30) adapted to grip the shroud (150) against a radiator core support flange (130) by holding the shroud (150) in the middle portions in response to the rotation of the clip body (5) to avoid the generation of vibration therein; and
• a plurality of ribs (40) configured on the clip body (5) to avoid deflection thereof after assembly of the fan motor shroud assembly with the radiator.

2. The clip (100) as claimed in claim 1 is a bracket made up of a plastic material.

3. The clip (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the clip body (5) is rotated around an axis of the pivot pin (10) till the lock (20) sits in the bridge (120) on the shroud (150) to fix the shroud (150) centrally against the radiator.

4. The clip (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pivot pin (10) inserts within the hole (110) on the shroud (150) by a snap fitting mechanism.