# US 9,038,607 B2 · Air cooler and method for operation of an air cooler > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,038,607 B2 - Document ID: US9038607B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/761,070 - Filed: 2013-02-06 - Published: 2014-08-07 - Granted: 2015-05-26 - Earliest claimed: 2013-02-06 - Assignees: Ford Global Technologies, LLC - Applicants: Ford Global Technologies, LLC - Inventors: Kristofor Robert Norman; Shuya Shark Yamada; Jim Raymond Palm; John R. Ladd; Michael Thomas Kramer; Jim Tyler - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9038607B2 ## CPC - F01P 1/00: Air cooling - F02B 29/0406: {Layout of the intake air cooling or coolant circuit} - F02B 29/0412: {Multiple heat exchangers arranged in parallel or in series} - F02B 29/0418: {the intake air cooler having a bypass or multiple flow paths within the heat exchanger to vary the effective heat transfer surface} - F02B 29/0431: {Details or means to guide the ambient air to the heat exchanger, e.g. having a fan, flaps, a bypass or a special location in the engine compartment} - F02B 29/0456: {Air cooled heat exchangers} - F02B 37/007: with exhaust-driven pumps arranged in parallel {, e.g. at least one pump supplying alternatively} - Y02T 10/12: Improving ICE efficiencies - 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) - F02B: INTERNAL-COMBUSTION PISTON ENGINES; COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL (gas-turbine plants F02C; hot-gas or combustion-product positive-displacement engine plants F02G) - Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION ## Abstract An air cooler line is provided. The air cooler lines includes a first air cooler having a plurality of air flow conduits, each of the air flow conduits including an inlet, and a first air flow deflector extending across peripheral portions of the inlets and fixedly coupled to the air flow conduits and a second air cooler having a plurality of air flow conduits, each of the air flow conduits including an inlet, and a second air flow deflector extending across peripheral portions of the inlets and fixedly coupled to the air flow conduits, the second air flow deflector differing in at least one of size and geometry than the first air flow deflector. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An air cooler line comprising: a first air cooler having a plurality of air flow conduits, each of the air flow conduits including an inlet, and a first air flow deflector extending across peripheral portions of each of the inlets and fixedly coupled to the air flow conduits and partially obstructing the inlets; and a second air cooler having a plurality of air flow conduits, each of the air flow conduits including an inlet, and a second air flow deflector extending across peripheral portions of each of the inlets and fixedly coupled to the air flow conduits and partially obstructing the inlets, the second air flow deflector differing in at least one of size and geometry than the first air flow deflector, wherein a longitudinal length of extension across the peripheral portions in the second air cooler is larger than a longitudinal length of extension across the peripheral portions in the first air cooler. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The air cooler line of claim 1, where the second air flow deflector has a larger surface area extending across the air flow conduits in the second air cooler than a surface area of the first air flow deflector extending across the air flow conduits in the first air cooler, the first air cooler positioned in a first vehicle with a larger engine displacement, and the second air cooler positioned in a second vehicle with a smaller engine displacement. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The air cooler line of claim 1, where a number, size, and geometry of the plurality of air flow conduits in the first air cooler is equivalent to a number, size, and the plurality of air flow conduits in the second air cooler. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The air cooler line of claim 1, where the first and second air flow deflectors comprise a polymeric material. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The air cooler line of claim 1, where the first air flow deflector comprises a different material than the second air flow deflector. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The air cooler line of claim 1, where the first air cooler has the same number of air flow conduits as the second air cooler. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The air cooler line of claim 1, where the first and second air flow deflectors comprise a metal. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The air cooler line of claim 1, where the first air flow deflector is adhesively coupled to the plurality of air flow conduits in the first air cooler via a vulcanization sealant and the second air flow deflector is fixedly coupled to the plurality of air flow conduits in the second air cooler via the vulcanization sealant. ### Claim 9 An air cooler line comprising: a first air cooler having a plurality of air flow conduits, each of the air flow conduits including an inlet, and a first air flow deflector extending across peripheral portions of the inlets and fixedly coupled to the air flow conduits and partially obstructing the inlets; and a second air cooler having a plurality of air flow conduits, each of the air flow conduits including an inlet, and a second air flow deflector extending across peripheral portions of the inlets and fixedly coupled to the air flow conduits and partially obstructing the inlets, the second air flow deflector differing in at least one of size and geometry than the first air flow deflector where each of the first and second air flow deflectors forms a single continuous piece of material. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The air cooler line of claim 9, where unobstructed portions of inlets of the air flow conduits in the first air cooler differ in at least one of size and geometry than unobstructed portions of inlets of the air flow conduits in the second air cooler. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The air cooler line of claim 9, where the first and second air coolers each include an inlet port in fluidic communication with a compressor. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The air cooler line of claim 9, where the first air cooler includes a plurality of turbulators positioned in the air flow conduits and the second air cooler does not include turbulators positioned in the air flow conduits. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The air cooler line of claim 9, where the first air cooler includes a first number of turbulators and the second air cooler includes a second number of turbulators differing from the first number of turbulators, each of the turbulators includes a continuous piece of material extending across an air flow conduit two or more times. ### Claim 14 (depends on 9) The air cooler line of claim 9, where the first air cooler includes a housing identical in shape and size to a housing of the second air cooler. ### Claim 15 (depends on 9) The air cooler line of claim 9, where the first air cooler includes cooling fins positioned between the air flow conduits, the cooling fins are identical in size and shape to cooling fins positioned between the air flow conduits in the second air cooler.