Cooling-air circuits for the engines of automobile vehicles

Claim 1

A COOLING AIR CIRCUIT FOR A VEHICLE HAVING AN ENGINE HEAT EXCHANGER DISPOSED IN SAID CIRCUIT, SAID VEHICLE HAVING A LONGITUDINAL AXIS, SAID CIRCUIT COMPRISING A PERIPHERALLY ENCLOSED SMOOTH WALL CONDUIT PROVIDE WITH A PASSAGEWAY HAVING AT ONE END THEREOF AN AIR-INTAKE OFFICE SAID PASSAGEWAY LEADING TO SAID HEAT EXCHANGER WHICH IS LOCATED THEREIN AT AN END REMOTE FROM SAID ORIFICE, SAID HEAT EXCHANGER BEING PERMEABLE AND HAVING A TOTAL SURFACE FOR THE PASSAGE OF AIR WHICH IS SUBSTANTALLY EQUAL TO THE MAGNITUDE OF THE PASSAGE AT THE AIR-INTAKE ORIFICE, MEANS DEFINING AN EVACUATION PASSAGWAY BEYOND SAID HEAT EXCHANGER FOR THE OUTFLOW OF AIR FROM THE HEAT EXCHANGER AND OFFERING FOR THE OUTFLOW OF AIR FROM THE HEAT EXCHANGER OF AIR, A FAN IN SAID CIRCUIT ADJACENT THE HEAT EXCHANGER FOR DRIVING AIR INTO SAID INTAKE ORIFICE SUBSTANTIALY PERPENDICULAR THERETO, SAID INTAKE ORIFICE LYING IN A PLANE INCLINED WITH RESPECT TO THE AXIS OF THE VEHICLE AT AN ANGLE OF LES THAN 45 DEGREES TO PRESENT A REDUCED AREA TO THE DIRECT INFLOW OF AIR WHEN THE VEHICLE IS MOVING FORWARDLY ALONG SAID AXIS, SAID VEHICLE INCLUDING A BODY CASING HAVING A LOWER CONTOUR, SAID AIR-INTAKE ORIFICE BEING LOCATED ON SAID CONTOUR, SAID EVACUATION PASSAGEWAY HAVING AN OUTLET LYING ALONG SAID CONTOUR REARWARDLY OF THE AIR-INTAKE ORIFICE, SAID BODY CASING BEING EFFECTIVE TO SMOOTHLY DIVERT AIR FLOW WHICH PASSES THE AIR-INTAKE ORIFICE ALONG SAID LOWER CONTOUR TO DEVELOP SUCTION PRESSURE AT SAID OUTLET OF THE EVACUATION PASSAGEWAY AND THEREBY INDUCE THE FLOW OF AIR PASSING THROUGH SAID HEAT EXCHANGER INTO THE EVACUATION PASSAGEWAY, THE FIRST SAID PASSAGEWAY HAVING SECTION OF INCREASING AREAS IN A DIRECTION TOWARDS SAID HEAT EXCHANGER FOR COOPERATING WITH SAID INCLINED INTAKE ORIFICE TO ENABLE TURBULENT-FREE FLOW OF AIR THROUGH SAID PASSAGEWAY FOR SUBSTANTIALLY ALL SPEEDS OF THE VEHICLE.