Radiator, charge air cooler and condenser mounting method

Abstract

A method for mounting a cooling assembly for use in a motor vehicle, with the cooling system including a radiator assembly, a charge air cooler, and a condenser. The radiator assembly is mounted to a chassis of the motor vehicle, the charge air cooler is mounted to the radiator assembly, and the condenser is mounted to the charge air cooler so as to dispose the radiator assembly, charge air cooler and condenser in series flow relationship with one another. The radiator assembly includes a frame having two generally U-shaped portions, and a radiator, or heat exchanger, disposed within and mounted to the frame. A first lateral end portion of the radiator is rigidly attached to one of the U-shaped portions of the frame. The opposite lateral end portion of the radiator is resiliently mounted to the other U-shaped portion of the frame, which is accomplished by coupling a pair of leaf springs to the radiator and the frame. The charge air cooler includes a pair of laterally spaced and downwardly extending pins which engage compressible grommet assemblies disposed in the holes of mount brackets attached to the radiator assembly. Compressible grommet assemblies are also disposed between a pair of laterally spaced upper mount flanges attached to the charge air cooler and the mating mount brackets attached to the radiator. One end of the condenser is laterally fixed relative to the charge air cooler, while the opposite end of the condenser includes a pair of vertically spaced pins which engage compressible grommet assemblies disposed within the holes of mount brackets attached to the charge air cooler, so as to accommodate differential lateral thermal growth between the condenser and the charge air cooler.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.