DESC:TECHNICAL FIELD
[001] The embodiments herein generally relates to a guard for heat exchanger, and more particularly, but not exclusively to a guard having an optimized design for minimizing clogging of a heat exchanger guard due to dust, chaff and other foreign elements.
BACKGROUND
[002] Generally, heat exchangers in tractors are provided with mesh structures referred to as trash guard or chaff guard or simply as guard or cover, for filtering air required for cooling the heat exchanger. The mesh structure protects the heat exchangers from dusts, chaff and other foreign elements/pollutants. When tractors are used for operations such as haying, grass cutting or similar applications, the chaff or the grass particles gets accumulated on these guards and leads to choking of the heat exchangers. The clogged guard reduces the air flow to the heat exchanger, resulting in engine overheating.
[003] Conventionally guard is a plain structure having a protective mesh on a rectangular frame. The guard is fastened to the heat exchanger using a plurality of screws and bolts. The operator of the vehicle needs to clean the guard frequently for avoiding clogs and subsequent engine overheating. This results in loss of time and leads to lower production efficiency.
[004] Therefore, there exists a need for a guard having an optimized design for minimizing clogging of a heat exchanger guard due to dust, chaff and other foreign elements. Further, there exists a need for a guard that eliminates the aforementioned drawbacks.

OBJECTS
[005] The principle object of an embodiment herein is to provide a guard having an optimized design for minimizing clogging of a heat exchanger guard due to dust, chaff and other foreign elements.
[006] Another object of an embodiment herein is to provide a guard capable of filtering and ensuring optimal air availability for heat exchanger.
[007] The objects of the embodiments herein will be better appreciated and understood when considered in conjunction with the following description and the accompanying drawings. It should be understood, however, that the following descriptions, while indicating preferred embodiments are given by way of illustration and not of limitation. Many changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the embodiments herein without departing from the spirit thereof, and the embodiments herein include all such modifications.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[008] This invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, throughout which like reference letters indicate corresponding parts in the various figures. The embodiments herein will be better understood from the following description with reference to the drawings, in which
[009] FIG. 1 depicts a conventional guard for a heat exchanger being used in tractor or similar work vehicles, according to an embodiment of the invention as disclosed herein;
[0010] FIG. 2a depicts perspective view of the guard, according to an embodiment of the invention as disclosed herein;
[0011] FIG. 2b depicts a perspective view of the assembly of the guard with the heat exchanger, according to an embodiment of the invention as disclosed herein;
[0012] FIG. 3a and 3b depicts a bottom view and a side view of the guard, according to an embodiment of the invention as disclosed herein;
[0013] FIG. 4a to 4e depicts corrugation having different geometrical profile for the guard, according to an embodiment of the invention as disclosed herein;
[0014] FIG. 5 depicts a method for protecting heat exchanger 106 in automotive vehicles using guard 100, according to an embodiment of the invention as disclosed herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0015] The embodiments herein and the various features and advantageous details thereof are explained more fully with reference to the non-limiting embodiments that are illustrated in the accompanying drawings and detailed in the following description. Descriptions of known components 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.
[0016] The embodiments herein achieve a protective guard 100 for protecting the heat exchanger 106 in vehicles. Further, the embodiments herein achieve a guard 100 having an optimized design for minimizing clogging of a heat exchanger guard due to dust, chaff and other foreign elements. Referring now to the drawings and more particularly to FIGS. 1 through FIGS. 5 where similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the figures, there are shown preferred embodiments.
[0017] FIG. 1 depicts a conventional guard for a heat exchanger being used in tractor or similar work vehicles, according to an embodiment of the invention as disclosed herein. The conventional guard is a plain structure having a protective mesh on a rectangular frame. The guard is fastened to the heat exchanger using a plurality of screws, bolts. The operator of the vehicle needs to clean the guard frequently for avoiding clogs and subsequent overheating of the engine.
[0018] FIG. 2a depicts a perspective view of the guard 100 used for protecting the heat exchanger 106 according to an embodiment of the invention as disclosed herein. The guard 100 includes an air permeable screen 102, a first edge 108 and a second edge 110 defined on the screen 102, a plurality of corrugations 112 defined on the screen 102, and a plurality of fasteners to locate guard 100 on the heat exchanger 106.
[0019] FIG. 2b depicts a perspective view of the assembly of the guard with the heat exchanger 106 according to an embodiment as disclosed herein. In an embodiment, the guard 100 includes the air permeable screen 102 which is attached to heat exchanger 106 in a path of air flow to the heat exchanger 106. The screen 102 is attached to the heat exchanger 106 using plurality of fasteners 104. The air permeable screen 102 is a mesh made up of corrosive resistant material. However, it is also within the scope of the invention that the guard 100 may be made from any type of metals or materials without otherwise deviating from the intended function of the screen 102.
[0020] In an embodiment, the fasteners 104 is selected from a group consisting of screws, bolts, fasteners with knobs, threaded fastener and a combination of thereof without otherwise deterring the intended function of the mounting.
[0021] In an embodiment, a plurality of openings 114 is provided on the guard 100 for fastening the guard 100 on to the heat exchanger 106 using fasteners 104. Further, the heat exchanger 106 is provided with corresponding openings (not shown) for receiving the fasteners 104.
[0022] In an embodiment, the screen 102 includes a plurality of the uniform corrugated profile 112 to achieve the scope of embodiments disclosed. The plurality of corrugated profile 112 minimizes chaff and other contaminants reaching the heat exchanger 106.
[0023] FIG. 3a and 3b depicts a bottom view and a side view of the guard 100 according to an embodiment disclosed herein. The screen 102 includes a plurality of corrugated profile 112 to minimize chaff and other contaminants reaching the heat exchanger 106. The corrugated profile 112 of the guard 100 creates a side wall 116 which is not directly exposed to dust accumulation. The side wall 116 as shown in FIG 3a creates more surface area for air to flow to the heat exchanger 106 as compared to conventional guard.
[0024] In an embodiment, the screen 102 includes the first edge 108 and the second edge 110 which is opposite to the first edge 108 as shown in FIG. 3b. The thickness of the screen 102 decreases from the first edge 108 to the second edge 110 defining a tapered body. The tapered geometry (also referred as sloping profile) of the screen reduces dust and chaff accumulation on to the guard 100. Due to the sloping profile of the guard 100, chaff accumulation is greatly reduced as the chaff pollutants accumulated over a period of time falls of under self weight due to gravity.
[0025] FIG. 4a and 4e depicts various geometrical profile of the corrugated profile 112 of the guard 100. The examples should not be construed as limiting the scope of the embodiments and it is possible to use any other possible design.
[0026] In an embodiment, the corrugated profile 112 and the slopping profile of the screen 102 provided on the guard 100 greatly enhances the capacity of the air flow to the heat exchanger 106. The maintenance and cleaning duration of the guard 100 is increased up to the tune of twice that of the conventional guard design.
[0027] FIG. 5 depicts a method for protecting heat exchanger 106 in automotive vehicles using guard 100. The method 200 includes step of attaching an air permeable screen 102 to the heat exchanger 106 (step 201) and providing a plurality of detachable fasteners 104 to removably attach the screen 102 to the heat exchanger 106 (step 202).
[0028] In one embodiment, according to method 200 the screen 102 includes the first edge 108 and the second edge 110 which is opposite to the first edge 108 as shown in FIG. 3b. The thickness of the screen 102 decreases from the first edge 108 to the second edge 110 defining a tapered body. The tapered body or tapered profile (also referred as sloping profile) of the screen reduces dust and chaff accumulation on to the guard 100. Further, the screen 102 includes a plurality of corrugated profile 112 to minimize chaff and other contaminants reaching the heat exchanger 106. The corrugated profile 112 of the guard 100 creates a side wall 116 which is not directly exposed to dust accumulation. The side wall 116 as shown in FIG 3a creates more surface area for air to flow to the heat exchanger 106 as compared to conventional guard.
[0029] The foregoing description of the specific embodiments will 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.
,CLAIMS:CLAIMS
We claim
1. A guard 100 for protecting heat exchanger 106 in automotive vehicles, said guard 100 comprising:
an air permeable screen 102 attached to the heat exchanger 106; and
a plurality of detachable fasteners 104 to removably attach the screen 102 to the heat exchanger 106;
wherein
the screen 102 includes a first edge 108 and a second edge 110 opposite to the first side edge 108;
the screen 102 defines a tapered profile from the first edge 108 to the second edge 110;
the screen 102 includes a plurality of corrugations 112 of pre-defined geometrical profile.

2. The guard 100 as claimed in claim 1, wherein the screen 102 includes a mesh of predetermined configuration.

3. The guard as claimed in claim 1, wherein the screen 102 is made up of corrosion resistant material.
4. The guard as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of corrugations 112 is uniformly distributed along the length of the screen 102.

5. The guard as claimed in claim 1, wherein each corrugation 112 includes at least one surface 116 for air flow.

6. The guard as claimed in claim 1, wherein the screen 102 is removably attached to the heat exchanger 106 by the fasteners 104 selected from a group consisting of screws, bolts, fasteners with knobs, threaded fastener and a combination of thereof.

7. The guard as claimed in claim 1, wherein the screen 102 includes plurality of predetermined openings 114 to insert detachable fasteners 104.

8. A method 200 for protecting heat exchanger 106 in automotive vehicles, said method comprising steps of:
attaching an air permeable screen 102 to the heat exchanger 106; and
providing a plurality of detachable fasteners 104 to removably attach the screen 102 to the heat exchanger 106;
wherein
the screen 102 includes a first edge 108 and a second edge 110 opposite to the first side edge 108;
the screen 102 defines a tapered profile from the first edge 108 to the second edge 110;
the screen 102 includes a plurality of corrugations 112 of pre-defined geometrical profile.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the plurality of corrugations 112 is uniformly distributed along the length of the screen 102.

10. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein each corrugation 112 includes at least one surface 116 for air flow.