MOUNTING ARRANGEMENT FOR A HEAT EXCHANGER

Abstract

A mounting arrangement for a motor vehicle, at least having at least one heat exchanger and a protective element for the at least one heat exchanger, which with a grid structure through which a fluid may flow at least partially covers a surface, over which the fluid may flow, of the at least one heat exchanger, wherein the protective element is a component that is manufactured by an injection molding process, and has at least one sealing element, integrally formed on the protective element in a multicomponent method, for conducting flow of the fluid.

Claims

1. A mounting arrangement for a motor vehicle, comprising: at least one heat exchanger, and a protective element for the at least one heat exchanger, having a grid structure through which a fluid may flow that at least partially covers a surface, over which the fluid may flow, of the at least one heat exchanger, wherein the protective element is a component that is manufactured by an injection molding process, and has at least one sealing element, integrally formed on the protective element in a multicomponent method, for conducting flow of the fluid.

2. The mounting arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the at least one sealing element of the protective element has at least a lower density, a smaller wall thickness, or greater elastic deformability than at least the grid structure of the protective element.

3. The mounting arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the protective element has a frame part between the at least one sealing element and the grid structure.

4. The mounting arrangement according to claim 3, wherein the protective element and the at least one heat exchanger (are connected to one another at least via at least one first mounting situated on the frame part.

5. The mounting arrangement according to claim 3, wherein the frame part and the grid structure are made of the same material.

6. The mounting arrangement according to claim 3, wherein the frame part forms a frame having a design that is closed all around in a circumferential direction.

7. The mounting arrangement according to claim 6, wherein the at least one sealing element extends at least partially along the frame part, closed all around, along the circumferential direction.

8. The mounting arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the at least one sealing element, starting from the frame part, extends outwardly at least in a radial direction.

9. The mounting arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the mounting arrangement additionally has at least one seal carrier and a fan guard, wherein the seal carrier seals off with respect to the surroundings a flow path for the fluid, extending along an axial direction, between the at least one heat exchanger and the fan guard.

10. The mounting arrangement according to claim 9, wherein the seal carrier is connected to the protective element via at least one second mounting.

11. The mounting arrangement according to one of preceding claims 9 and 10, wherein the seal carrier (12) is connected to the at least one heat exchanger (3) via at least one third mounting (20).

12. The mounting arrangement (1) according to claim 9, wherein the fan guard is connected to the at least one heat exchanger via at least one fourth mounting.

13. A motor vehicle having a drive unit for driving the motor vehicle and a mounting arrangement according to claim 1.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0041] The invention and the technical context are explained in greater detail below with reference to the appended figures. It is pointed out that the invention is not to be construed as being limited by the illustrated exemplary embodiments. In particular, unless explicitly stated otherwise, it is also possible to extract partial aspects of the information shown in the figures and combine them with other components and findings from the present description. In particular, it is noted that the figures and in particular the illustrated proportions are only schematic. In the figures:

[0042] FIG. 1: shows a motor vehicle in a side view;

[0043] FIG. 2: shows a protective element in a perspective view;

[0044] FIG. 3: shows a mounting arrangement in an exploded illustration in a perspective view;

[0045] FIG. 4: shows the mounting arrangement according to FIG. 3 in a first perspective view;

[0046] FIG. 5: shows the mounting arrangement according to FIGS. 3 and 4 in a second perspective view;

[0047] FIG. 6: shows a first detail of the mounting arrangement according to FIGS. 3 through 5 in a perspective view; and

[0048] FIG. 7: shows a second detail of the mounting arrangement according to FIGS. 3 through 5 in a perspective view.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0049] FIG. 1 shows a motor vehicle 2 in a side view. In the front end, the motor vehicle 2 has a mounting arrangement 1 and a drive unit 17 in succession. The motor vehicle 2 has a longitudinal axis 22, a transverse axis 23, and a yaw axis 24.

[0050] A fluid 5 flows through the motor vehicle 2 along the flow path 15 (when the motor vehicle 2 is moving in the travel direction), parallel to the longitudinal axis 14. The fluid 5 acts on and flows across or through the heat exchanger 3 of the mounting arrangement 1. A protective element 4 of the mounting arrangement 1 protects the heat exchanger 3 from damage from stones 25, which may be tossed up when the motor vehicle 2 is traveling along the roadway 26.

[0051] FIG. 2 shows a protective element 4 in a perspective view. The protective element 4 has a grid structure 6 through which a fluid 5 may flow, and which at least partially covers a surface of the heat exchanger 3 across which the fluid 5 may flow. The protective element 4 is a component that is manufactured by an injection molding process, and has a sealing element 8, integrally formed onto the protective element 4 in a multicomponent method, for conducting flow of the fluid 5.

[0052] The grid structure 6 extends over a lower portion of the heat exchanger 3 opposite the force of gravity (extending along the yaw axis 24; see FIG. 1). The grid structure 6 extends over the entire width (transverse to the longitudinal axis 22) of the heat exchanger 3. The protective element 4 has a frame part 9 between the sealing element 8 and the grid structure 6. The grid structure 6 and the sealing element 8 are joined together in one piece via the frame part 9. The frame part 9 forms a frame having a design that is closed all the way around in a circumferential direction 10. The sealing element 8, starting from the frame part 9, extends outwardly at least in a radial direction 11.

[0053] FIG. 3 shows a mounting arrangement 1 in an exploded illustration in a perspective view. FIG. 4 shows the mounting arrangement 1 according to FIG. 3 in a first perspective view. FIG. 5 shows the mounting arrangement 1 according to FIGS. 3 and 4 in a second perspective view. FIG. 6 shows a first detail of the mounting arrangement 1 according to FIGS. 3 through 5 in a perspective view. FIG. 7 shows a second detail of the mounting arrangement 1 according to FIGS. 3 through 5 in a perspective view. FIGS. 3 through 7 are described together in the following discussion, with reference to the statements for FIGS. 1 and 2.

[0054] Along the flow path 15 of a fluid 5, the mounting arrangement 1 has in succession a protective element 4, a heat exchanger 3, a seal carrier 12, and a fan guard 13, which are connected or connectable to one another to form an assembly or mounting unit.

[0055] The protective element 4 and the heat exchanger 3 are (directly) connected to one another via first mountings 18 situated on the frame part 9 (see FIGS. 3, 6, and 7).

[0056] The sealing element 8 extends at least partially along the frame part 9, closed all around, along the circumferential direction 10. The sealing element 8 has slots, so that a desired pattern may be ensured in corner areas of the protective element 4 without undesirable deformation of the sealing element 8 having a circumferentially closed design.

[0057] The seal carrier 12 seals off with respect to the surroundings 16 a flow path 15 for the fluid 5, extending along an axial direction 14, between the heat exchanger 3 and the fan guard 13.

[0058] The fan guard 13 is used here to accommodate a fan wheel, via which a fluid flow may be forced through the heat exchanger 3, in particular when the motor vehicle 3 is at a standstill.

[0059] The seal carrier 12 is connected to the protective element 4 via a plurality of second mountings 19 (see FIGS. 3, 4, and 5).

[0060] The seal carrier 12 is also connected to the heat exchanger 3 via a plurality of third mountings 20 (see FIGS. 3 and 5).

[0061] The fan guard 13 is connected to the heat exchanger 3 via a plurality of fourth mountings 21 (see FIGS. 3, 4, 5, and 7).

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0062] 1 mounting arrangement [0063] 2 motor vehicle [0064] 3 heat exchanger [0065] 4 protective element [0066] 5 fluid [0067] 6 grid structure [0068] 7 surface [0069] 8 sealing element [0070] 9 frame part [0071] 10 circumferential direction [0072] 11 radial direction [0073] 12 seal carrier [0074] 13 fan guard [0075] 14 axial direction [0076] 15 flow path [0077] 16 surroundings [0078] 17 drive unit [0079] 18 first mounting [0080] 19 second mounting [0081] 20 third mounting [0082] 21 fourth mounting [0083] 22 longitudinal axis [0084] 23 transverse axis [0085] 24 yaw axis [0086] 25 stone [0087] 26 roadway