Compact cooling system for automotive vehicles

A system for cooling lubricants and refrigerants, which comprises:

• a housing for coolants in fluid communication with conduits carrying said lubricants;
• unitary heat exchange means mounted forward but spaced apart from said housing, and receiving said lubricants from said housing for cooling said lubricants and said refrigerants;
• an electrically activated fan mounted on the forward face of said heat exchange means for air cooling said heat exchange means and said housing;
• switch means in electrical communication with said fan and in fluid communication with said heat exchange means for activating said fan when the pressure of said refrigerants in said heat exchange means exceed a threshold value;
• condensate receiver means in fluid communication with said switch means for collecting condensates;
• valve means in fluid communication with said receiver means for controlling the flow of said condensates;
• evaporator means in fluid communication with said valve means for transferring heat from an area to be cooled to said condensates;
• and
• compressor means receiving a refrigerant vapor from said evaporator means for providing a pressurized refrigerant vapor to said heat exchange means.

A compact cooling system for an automotive vehicle having an engine using a liquid lubricant and a liquid coolant for lubricating and cooling the engine, a fan for forcing air along an air path, an air conditioning system using a refrigerant for cooling the vehicle compartments, comprising:

• a first heat exchanger mounted said vehicle in the air path;
• means for circulating the liquid coolant between the engine and said first heat exchanger;
• means for directing the liquid lubricant from the engine to said first heat exchanger;
• a second heat exchanger mounted forward and spaced apart from said first heat exchanger and in the air path, said second heat exchanger including an upper section in fluid communication with the refrigerant and a lower section disposed vertically below the upper section and separated from the upper section by an air gap and in fluid communication with lubricant from said first heat exchanger;
• circulation means for circulating refrigerant between the air conditioning system and the upper section of said second heat exchanger;
• and
• means for directing the lubricant from said first heat exchanger to the lower section of said second heat exchanger.

A compact cooling system for an automotive vehicle having an engine using a liquid lubricant and a liquid coolant in fluid communication between the engine and a radiator for cooling the lubricant and coolant, an air conditioning system using a refrigerant for cooling vehicle compartments, comprising:

• a frame;
• a plurality of parallel, vertically disposed metallic fins horizontally spaced one from the other and supported by said frame;
• a conduit extending horizontally across said metallic fins for receiving refrigerant from said air conditioning system for cooling said refrigerant,
• a plurality of parallel, vertically disposed metallic fins horizontally spaced one from the other and supported in said frame, vertically below said first set of metallic fins and separated therefrom by an air gap;
• a second conduit extending horizontally across said second metallic fins for receiving liquid lubricant from said radiator to further cool said lubricant.