# US 11,111,839 B2 · Thermal isolation of cooling circuits with a common degas bottle filling port > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,111,839 B2 - Document ID: US11111839B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/735,898 - Filed: 2020-01-07 - Published: 2021-07-08 - Granted: 2021-09-07 - Earliest claimed: 2020-01-07 - Assignees: Ford Global Technologies, LLC - Applicants: Ford Global Technologies, LLC - Inventors: Mursel Ayva; Robert Alex Mitchell; Eduardo Correia - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11111839B2 ## CPC - F01P 11/029: {Expansion reservoirs} - F01P 7/14: the coolant being liquid - F01P 11/0204: {Filling} - F01P 2007/146: {using valves} - Y02E 60/10: Energy storage using batteries - Y02T 10/70: Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries - F01P: COOLING OF MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL; COOLING OF INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES (arrangements in connection with cooling of propulsion units in vehicles B60K11/00; heat-transfer, heat-exchange or heat-storage materials C09K5/00; {cooling of gas-turbine engines F02C7/12}; heat exchange in general, radiators F28) - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION - Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION ## Abstract A vehicle cooling system includes a first cooling circuit having a first operating temperature range when the vehicle is in an operational state, a second cooling circuit having a second operating temperature range, and a degas bottle. The degas bottle has a first chamber operably coupled to the first cooling circuit and a second chamber operably coupled to the second cooling circuit. The degas bottle includes a fill port operably coupled to the second chamber and a flow restrictor disposed at a divider separating the first and second chambers. The flow restrictor is configured to open to enable cooling fluid provided via the fill port, when the vehicle is in a non-operational state, to flow from the second chamber to the first chamber and be closed when the vehicle is in the operational state to prevent the cooling fluid from flowing between the first and second chambers. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A vehicle cooling system comprising: a first cooling circuit having a first operating temperature range when the vehicle is in an operational state; a second cooling circuit having a second operating temperature range when the vehicle is in the operational state, the first operating temperature range being higher than the second operating temperature range; and a degas bottle having a first chamber operably coupled to the first cooling circuit and a second chamber operably coupled to the second cooling circuit, wherein the degas bottle comprises a fill port operably coupled to the second chamber and a flow restrictor disposed at a divider separating the first chamber and the second chamber, wherein the flow restrictor is configured to open to enable cooling fluid provided via the fill port, when the vehicle is in a non-operational state, to flow from the second chamber to the first chamber and configured to be closed when the vehicle is in the operational state to prevent the cooling fluid from flowing between the first and second chambers. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The vehicle cooling system of claim 1, wherein the flow restrictor comprises a flap hinged from a top edge of the flap to a portion of the divider proximate to a connection passage formed in the divider to connect the first and second chambers. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The vehicle cooling system of claim 2, wherein the flap is connected to the divider via a living hinge. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The vehicle cooling system of claim 2, wherein the flap is connected to the divider via a snap fit hinge comprising a beam and a snap fit socket. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The vehicle cooling system of claim 2, wherein the divider further comprises an air passage formed at a portion of the divider above the connection passage, and above a maximum fill level of the degas bottle. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The vehicle cooling system of claim 2, wherein the degas bottle is formed from a first bottle portion and a second bottle portion, the first and second bottle portions being separately formed and joined together at a seam. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The vehicle cooling system of claim 6, wherein the first and second bottle portions each comprise a thermoplastic material, and wherein the first and second bottle portions are hot plate welded to each other. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The vehicle cooling system of claim 6, wherein the divider comprises a first divider portion formed in the first bottle portion as a first vertical wall extending downward from a top surface of the first bottle portion, and wherein the divider comprises a second divider portion formed in the second bottle portion as a second vertical wall extending upward from a bottom surface of the second bottle portion. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The vehicle cooling system of claim 8, wherein the connection passage is formed from an absence of material at a bottom part of the first divider portion and at a corresponding top part of the second divider portion when the first and second divider portions are proximate to each other, and wherein the air passage is disposed in the first divider portion. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The vehicle cooling system of claim 1, wherein weight of the flow restrictor biases the flow restrictor toward a closed position, and wherein temperature differences between cooling fluid in the first chamber and the second chamber further bias the flow restrictor toward the closed position when the vehicle is in the operational state. ### Claim 11 A multi-circuit degas bottle for a vehicle cooling system comprising a first cooling circuit having a first operating temperature range when the vehicle is in an operational state, and a second cooling circuit having a second operating temperature range when the vehicle is in the operational state, the first operating temperature range being higher than the second operating temperature range, the multi-circuit degas bottle comprising: a first chamber operably coupled to the first cooling circuit; a second chamber operably coupled to the second cooling circuit; a fill port operably coupled to the second chamber; and a flow restrictor disposed at a divider separating the first chamber and the second chamber, wherein the flow restrictor is configured to open to enable cooling fluid provided via the fill port, when the vehicle is in a non-operational state, to flow from the second chamber to the first chamber and configured to be closed when the vehicle is in the operational state to prevent the cooling fluid from flowing between the first and second chambers. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The multi-circuit degas bottle of claim 11, wherein the flow restrictor comprises a flap hinged from a top edge of the flap to a portion of the divider proximate to a connection passage formed in the divider to connect the first and second chambers. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The multi-circuit degas bottle of claim 12, wherein the flap is connected to the divider via a living hinge. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The multi-circuit degas bottle of claim 12, wherein the flap is connected to the divider via a snap fit hinge comprising a beam and a snap fit socket. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The multi-circuit degas bottle of claim 12, wherein the divider further comprises an air passage formed at a portion of the divider above the connection passage, and above a maximum fill level of the degas bottle. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The multi-circuit degas bottle of claim 12, wherein the degas bottle is formed from a first bottle portion and a second bottle portion, the first and second bottle portions being separately formed and joined together at a seam. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The multi-circuit degas bottle of claim 16, wherein the first and second bottle portions each comprise a thermoplastic material, and wherein the first and second bottle portions are hot plate welded to each other. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The multi-circuit degas bottle of claim 16, wherein the divider comprises a first divider portion formed in the first bottle portion as a first vertical wall extending downward from a top surface of the first bottle portion, and wherein the divider comprises a second divider portion formed in the second bottle portion as a second vertical wall extending upward from a bottom surface of the second bottle portion. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The multi-circuit degas bottle of claim 18, wherein the connection passage is formed from an absence of material at a bottom part of the first divider portion and at a corresponding top part of the second divider portion when the first and second divider portions are proximate to each other, and wherein the air passage is disposed in the first divider portion. ### Claim 20 (depends on 11) The multi-circuit degas bottle of claim 11, wherein weight of the flow restrictor biases the flow restrictor toward a closed position, and wherein temperature differences between cooling fluid in the first chamber and the second chamber further bias the flow restrictor toward the closed position when the vehicle is in the operational state due to transient pressure difference between the first and second chambers.