Split shutter control system

Claim 2

An air flow control assembly for a vehicle having a radiator for cooling the engine of the vehicle and an air conditioning system including a compressor and a condenser, said air flow control assembly including: first and second shutter means, each said shutter means being normally biased toward an open position; first and second actuator means for said first and said second shutter means for shifting said shutter means to a closed position; first control means connected to said first and said second actuator means for closing said first and said second shutter means until the vehicle engine has reached a predetermined temperature; and second control means for said second actuator, said second control means disabling said first control means with respect to said second actuator to thereby allow said second shutter means to return to open position.

Claim 3

The assembly in claim 1 including limit means adapted to limit the opening of said second shutter means a controlled amount when said first shutter means is closed.

Claim 4

The assembly in claim 2 wherein said limit means has cooperative components between said first and second shutter means.

Claim 5

The assembly in claim 3 wherein said components include stop means on said first shutter means operative only when said first shutter means is closed, and stop abutment means on said second shutter means engageable with said stop means when the latter is operative.

Claim 6

The assembly of claim 3 wherein said components include a lost motion linking means on one of said first and said second shutter means and stop means on the other of said first and said second shutter means, said stop means and said lost motion linking means being operative to limit the opening of said second shutter means when said first shutter means is closed.

Claim 7

The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said lost motion linking means is connected to said second shutter means and said stop abutment is on said first shutter means.

Claim 8

The air flow control assembly of claim 1 wherein said radiator is positioned in the flow path of air passing through said first and said second shutters and said condenser is positioned in the flow path of air passing through said second shutter.

Claim 9

The air flow control system of claim 7 wherein said first and said second actuators are operated by fluid pressure and further including means for connecting said actuators to a source of pressure, and wherein said first control means includes a valve means in said connecting means for controlling the flow of fluid pressure to said first and said second actuators, said valve means being normally open allowing pressurized fluid flow therethrough to said first and said second actuators to close same, said first control means shiftable to a closed position to block the flow of pressurized fluid to said first and said second actuators when the engine reaches a predetermined temperature to thereby allow said first and said second shutters to return to said normally open position.

Claim 10

The air flow control apparatus as defined in claim 8 wherein said second control means comprises a normally open valve operatively connected to said compressor, said normally open valve being shiftable to a closed position in response to operation of said compressor to block the flow of fluid pressure to said second actuator thereby allowing said second shutter to return to open position and allow the flow of air through the condenser.

Claim 11

The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said first control means is a thermally responsive valve and said second valve means is a normally opened electrically operated solenoid valve; and further including electrically operated clutch means on said compressor; and means electrically connecting said second valve means to said compressor for simultaneous operation with said clutcH means.

Claim 12

The air flow control system as defined in claim 10 wherein said first and said second shutter means each include a plurality of louvers, said louvers of each said shutter means including a control bar operatively connecting said louvers for conjoint movement; said first actuator operatively connected to a first control bar for shifting the louvers associated with said first shutter means and said second actuator operatively connected to a second control bar for shifting the louvers associated with said second shutter means, said first and said second control bars being normally spaced apart, closing of said second control means in response to operation of said compressor allowing said second control bar to move into abutting relationship with said first control bar to thereby allow said louvers on said second shutter means to open a limited amount determined by the spacing between said first and said second control bars.

Claim 13

The air flow control system as defined in claim 1 wherein said first and said second shutter means each include a plurality of louvers, said louvers of each said shutter means including a control bar operatively connecting said louvers for conjoint movement; said first actuator operatively connected to a first control bar for shifting the louvers associated with said first shutter means and said second actuator operatively connected to a second control bar for shifting the louvers associated with said second shutter means, said first and said second control bars being normally spaced apart, closing of said second control means in response to operation of said compressor allowing said second control bar to move into abutting relationship with said first control bar to thereby allow said louvers on said second shutter means to open a limited amount determined by the spacing between said first and said second control bars.

Claim 14

The air flow control system as defined in claim 1 wherein said first and said second shutter means each include a plurality of louvers, said louvers of each said shutter means including a control bar operatively connecting said louvers for conjoint movement; said first actuator operatively connected to a first control bar for shifting the louvers associated with said first shutter means and said second actuator operatively connected to a second control bar for shifting the louvers associated with said second shutter means; lost motion linking means connecting said first and said second control bars; and stop means on one of said first and said second control bars engageable with said linking means, closing of said second control means in response to operation of said compressor allowing said linking means to move into abutting relationship with said stop means to thereby allow said louvers on said second shutter means to open a limited amount determined by said lost motion linking means.

Claim 15

In a vehicle having a radiator for cooling the engine, and an air conditioning system including a compressor, a condenser, and control means for the compressor, and a shutter assembly having a plurality of louvers shiftable between open and closed positions for controlling the flow of cooling air over the radiator and condenser, the improvement comprising: said plurality of louvers being divided into two independent operable sections, each said section being biased into a normally open position; operating means for said louvers, said operating means including a first control bar connecting a first independent section of said louvers for conjoint movement and a second control bar connecting a second independent section of said louvers for conjoint movement; first and second fluid pressure actuator means operatively connected to said first and said second control bars respectively for shifting said bars and the louvers associated therewith toward a closed position; means for connecting said first and said second actuator means to a common source of fluid pressure; first normally opened control valve means iN said connecting means for controlling the fluid pressure to said first and said second actuator means, the application of fluid pressure to said actuator means shifting said louvers to closed positions; said first control valve means being responsive to predetermined engine temperatures to shift to closed position, blocking the flow of fluid pressure to said first and said second actuators thereby allowing said louvers to shift to said normally opened position; second normally open control valve means in said connecting means for controlling the fluid pressure to said second actuator means, said second valve means including electrically operated means for shifting said valve into a closed position; means connecting said electrically operated valve means to said control means for said compressor, operation of said compressor operating said electrically operated means in said second control valve means, to shift same to closed position thereby blocking flow of fluid pressure to said second actuator; and said first and said second control bars being normally spaced apart when said louvers are shifted between said positions; said second control bar being shiftable into abutment with said first control bar when said second control means is closed thereby opening said second independent section of said louvers a controlled limited amount.

Claim 16

In a vehicle having a radiator for cooling the engine, and an air conditioning system including a compressor, a condenser, and control means for the compressor, and a shutter assembly having a plurality of louvers shiftable between open and closed positions for controlling the flow of cooling air over the radiator and condenser, the improvement comprising: said plurality of louvers being divided into two independent operable sections, each said section being biased into a normally open position; operating means for said louvers, said operating means including a first control bar connecting a first independent section of said louvers for conjoint movement and a second control bar connecting a second independent section of said louvers for conjoint movement; first and second fluid pressure actuator means operatively connected to said first and said second control bars respectively for shifting said bars and the louvers associated therewith toward a closed position; means for connecting said first and said second actuator means to a common source of fluid pressure; first normally opened control valve means iN said connecting means for controlling the fluid pressure to said first and said second actuator means, the application of fluid pressure to said actuator means shifting said louvers to closed positions; said first control valve means being responsive to predetermined engine temperatures to shift to closed position, blocking the flow of fluid pressure to said first and said second actuators thereby allowing said louvers to shift to said normally opened position; second normally open control valve means in said connecting means for controlling the fluid pressure to said second actuator means, said second valve means including electrically operated means for shifting said valve into a closed position; means connecting said electrically operated valve means to said control means for said compressor, operation of said compressor operating said electrically operated means in said second control valve means, to shift same to closed position thereby blocking flow of fluid pressure to said second actuator; and said first and said second control bars being normally spaced apart when said louvers are shifted between said positions; said second control bar being shiftable into abutment with said first control bar when said second control means is closed thereby opening said second independent section of said louvers a controlled limited amount.