Air induction system
AssigneeMTD Products Inc
InventorStefan Hornung
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An upper hood and a blower housing form an air induction cavity in the side of the mower hood, which draws the ambient air into the air intake and from there into the engine. Two shield members on the blower housing prevent the ambient air from mixing with the hot air of the engine. Forming an air induction cavity by connecting the upper hood to the housing, having the lower lip of the air induction cavity lower than the air intake of the blower housing, channeling the air into the air intake via channels on the blower housing, and preventing the hot air of the engine from mixing with the ambient air drawn through the air induction cavity.
Claims10
A hood assembly for a lawn tractor, comprising:
- an upper hood member having a generally concave inner surface and an outer surface;
- a blower housing operatively connected with respect to at least a first portion of the inner surface of the upper hood member, the blower housing having an aperture formed in the blower housing;
- an air connecting means having first and second ends, the first end of the air connecting means being operatively sealingly connected with respect to the aperture, wherein the second end of the air connecting means is operatively sealingly connected with respect to an associated engine air intake;
- and,
- wherein the contour of the inner surface of the upper hood member and the contour of the blower housing and the air connecting means form an air intake pathway from the outer surface of the upper hood member to the second end of the air connecting means;
- and,
- wherein air contained within the generally concave inner surface is separated from air flowing through the air intake pathway.
A hood assembly for a lawn tractor, comprising:
- an upper hood section having a first inner surface;
- a lower hood section extended from the upper hood section, the lower hood section having a second inner surface, wherein the first and second inner surfaces of the upper and lower hood sections respectively form an engine cavity region having a first air volume V1;
- a blower housing assembly operatively sealingly connected with respect to at least a first portion of the first inner surface of the upper hood assembly;
- the blower housing assembly being operatively sealingly connected with respect to an associated air intake of an associated engine, wherein the at least a first portion of the inner surface of the upper hood section and the blower housing assembly form an air pathway having an air volume V2 connecting associated air from outside the engine cavity to the associated air intake of the associated engine;
- and,
- wherein the air volume V1 is separated from the air volume V2 in the engine cavity region.
A lawn tractor, comprising:
- a frame;
- an engine operatively connected to the frame;
- at least a first ground engaging wheel rotatably connected with respect to the frame;
- a mower deck operatively connected to the frame;
- an upper hood member having a generally concave inner surface and an outer surface, the upper hood member being operatively attached to the frame;
- a blower housing operatively connected with respect to at least a first portion of the inner surface of the upper hood member, the blower housing having an aperture formed in the blower housing;
- air connecting means having first and second ends, the first end of the air connecting means being operatively sealingly connected with respect to the aperture, wherein the second end of the air connecting means is operatively sealingly connected with respect to an engine air intake;
- and,
- wherein the contour of the inner surface of the upper hood member and the contour of the blower housing and the air connecting means form an air intake pathway from the outer surface of the upper hood member to the second end of the air connecting means;
- and,
- wherein air contained within the generally concave inner surface is separated from air flowing through the air intake pathway.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.