US 12,330,494 B1Granted

Cooling system assembly for bidirectional vehicle

AssigneeZoox, Inc.

InventorsRahul Dhananjay Sawant, Sharosin Sean Daniels, Paul Raymond Mueller, Fnu Sanjay Kumar, Samay Shah, Srinivasa Rao Vaddiraju, Qinling Zheng

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Abstract

Systems and techniques for operating cooling system assemblies in a vehicle are discussed herein. The vehicle may receive a direction of travel and a speed. The vehicle may determine based on the direction of travel a leading cooling system assembly at a first end of the vehicle and a trailing cooling system assembly at a second end of the vehicle. The vehicle may determine, based on the direction of travel of the vehicle and/or whether the speed meets or exceeds a threshold speed, an action associated with the leading cooling system assembly and/or the trailing cooling system assembly and may perform the action.

Claims17

Dependent claims

A vehicle comprising:

a vehicle body;
a first radiator disposed proximate a first end of the vehicle body;
a first opening formed in the vehicle body at the first end of the vehicle proximate the first radiator and configured to allow air to pass between an environment outside of the vehicle body and the first radiator;
a first channel configured to direct air from under the vehicle body to a position at a proximal side of the first radiator of the vehicle;
a second radiator disposed proximate a second end of the vehicle body, the second end opposite the first end;
a second opening formed in the vehicle body at the second end of the vehicle proximate the second radiator and configured to allow air to pass between the environment and the second radiator;
a second channel configured to direct air from under the vehicle body to a position at a proximal side of the second radiator of the vehicle;
a cover coupled to the first channel and configured to move between a first position restricting air from passing through the first channel and a second position permitting passage of the air through the first channel;
and
an actuator coupled to the cover and configured to:
position the cover in the first position to restrict air from entering the first channel when the vehicle travels in a first direction in which the first end of the vehicle is a leading end, and
position the cover in the second position permitting passage of air through the first channel when the vehicle travels in a second direction in which the first end of the vehicle is a trailing end of the vehicle.

9 more elements

A cooling system comprising:

a first channel configured to direct air from an environment under a vehicle outside the cooling system to a position proximate a first heat exchanger component of the cooling system, wherein the first heat exchanger component is disposed proximate a first end of a vehicle;
a second channel configured to direct air from the environment under the vehicle outside the cooling system to a position proximate a second heat exchanger component of the cooling system, wherein the second heat exchanger component is disposed proximate a second end of the vehicle opposite the first end;
a first opening at the first end of the vehicle proximate the first heat exchanger component and configured to allow air to pass between the environment and the first heat exchanger component;
a second opening at the second end of the vehicle proximate the second heat exchanger component and configured to allow air to pass between the environment and the second heat exchanger component;
a cover coupled to the first channel and configured to move between a first position restricting air from passing through the first channel and a second position permitting passage of the air through the first channel;
and
an actuator coupled to the cover and configured to:
position the cover in the first position to restrict air from entering the first channel when the first end of the vehicle is a leading end of the vehicle, and position the cover in the second position permitting passage of air through the first channel when the first end of the vehicle is a trailing end of the vehicle.

5 more elements

A method comprising:

positioning, by an actuator at a first time, a cover in a first position to restrict air from entering a first channel of a first cooling system disposed proximate a first end of a vehicle when the first end is a leading end of the vehicle at the first time, wherein:
a first radiator is disposed proximate the first end of the vehicle;
a second radiator is disposed proximate a second end of the vehicle opposite the first end;
a first opening at the first end of the vehicle proximate the first radiator and configured to allow air to pass between an environment and the first radiator;
a second opening at the second end of the vehicle proximate the second radiator and configured to allow air to pass between the environment and the second radiator;
the first channel is configured to direct air from the environment under the vehicle outside the first cooling system assembly to a position proximate the first radiator of the first cooling system assembly;
a second channel is configured to direct air from the environment under the vehicle outside a second cooling system assembly disposed proximate the second end of the vehicle to a position proximate the second radiator of the second cooling system assembly;
and
the cover is coupled to the first channel and configured to move between a first position restricting air from passing through the first channel and a second position permitting passage of the air through the first channel;
and
positioning, by the actuator at a second time, the cover in the second position permitting passage of air through the first channel when the first end of the vehicle is a trailing end of the vehicle at the second time.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.