Stone guard

Inventors: Youssef Beddadi (San Luis Potosi, MX); Roy Riski (Auburn Hills, MI); Jesus Leyja (San Luis Potosi, MX); Catalino Loredo (San Luis Potosi, MX); Pedro Francisco Valero (San Luis Potosi, MX); Ricardo Sanchez (San Luis Potosi, MX); Bruno Demory (La Verriere, FR); Mohamed Alaoui (La Verriere, FR); Dominik Sporna (San Mateo, CA)

Assignee: Valeo Electrification

F28F27/00 B60K11/04 B60K11/08 F28F2265/02

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Quick Facts

Patent No.: US 12687352
App. No.: 18/449,929
Granted: Jul 21, 2026
Kind: B2

External Links

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Abstract

A stone guard including: a guard member configured to allow a flow of air to pass through the guard member and block stones from passing through the guard member; and a first guide member extending from the guard member, configured to divide the flow of air passing through the guard member into a first stream of air and a second stream of air.

Claims (37)

1 . A stone guard comprising:

a guard member configured to allow airflow through the guard member and block stones from passing through the guard member; and

a first guide member extending from the guard member, configured to divide the airflow through the guard member into a first stream of air and a second stream of air;

the first guide member supported by at least one support member connected to the guard member and the first guide member;

wherein the guard member includes a plurality of first members and second members, the plurality of second members connected to the plurality of first members at an oblique angle to form a plurality of openings to allow airflow through the guard member.

2 . The stone guard as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the guard member is of a flat quadrilateral shape with an upper end, a lower end, a first lateral end and a second lateral end.

3 . The stone guard as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the first guide member extends from the guard member at a right angle with the flat quadrilateral shape of the guard member.

4 . The stone guard as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the first guide member extends from the first lateral end to the second lateral end of the guard member.

5 . An inclined heat exchanger module comprising:

a first heat exchanger configured to exchange heat with an airflow;

a second heat exchanger configured to exchange heat with the airflow, arranged downstream of the first heat exchanger;

a stone guard including:

a guard member configured to allow the airflow to pass through the guard member and block stones from passing through the guard member; and

a first guide member extending from the guard member, configured to divide the airflow passing through the guard member into a first stream of air and a second stream of air;

wherein the stone guard is arranged upstream of the first heat exchanger,

wherein the first heat exchanger, the second heat exchanger and the stone guard are stacked together and extend along a height axis so that the first heat exchanger, second heat exchanger and the stone guard are each defined by a respective height dimension, and along a depth axis so that the first heat exchanger, second heat exchanger and the stone guard are each defined by a respective depth dimension,

wherein a portion of the second heat exchanger extends beyond the first heat exchanger so that the airflow is enabled to reach the second heat exchanger without flowing through the first heat exchanger,

wherein the guard member at least partially covers the first heat exchanger and partially covers the second heat exchanger, with the first guide member extending along the depth axis adjacent to the first heat exchanger so that the first stream is directed through the first heat exchanger and the second stream is directed through the second heat exchanger.

6 . The inclined heat exchanger module according to claim 5 , wherein the first stream is enabled to flow through a portion of the second heat exchanger covered by the first heat exchanger, while the second stream is enabled to flow through a portion of the second heat exchanger not covered by the first heat exchanger.

7 . The inclined heat exchanger module according to claim 5 , wherein the height dimension of the second heat exchanger is greater than the height dimension of the first heat exchanger.

8 . The inclined heat exchanger module according to claim 5 , wherein the first guide member extends adjacent to a portion of the first heat exchanger, extending along the depth axis.

9 . The inclined heat exchanger module according to claim 5 , wherein the stone guard includes at least one support member configured to support the first guide member with respect to the guard member, with the at least one support member being arranged on a side of the first guide member dedicated to the first stream.

10 . The inclined heat exchanger module as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the first heat exchanger is a radiator and the second heat exchanger is a condenser.

11 . The inclined heat exchanger module as claimed in claim 5 , further comprising an air duct with an air inlet and an air outlet for the flow of the air, with the first heat exchanger, the second heat exchanger and the stone guard being arranged within the air duct so the airflow is enabled to enter the air duct through the air inlet, flow through the stone guard, the first heat exchanger, the second heat exchanger, and exit through the air outlet.

12 . A stone guard comprising:

a guard member configured to allow airflow through the guard member and block stones from passing through the guard member;

a first guide member extending obliquely and transversely from the guard member, configured to divide airflow through the guard member into a first stream of air and a second stream of air;

the first guide member supported by at least one support member connected to the guard member and the first guide member;

13 . The stone guard as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the plurality of first members are vanes.

14 . The stone guard as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the guard member is of a flat quadrilateral shape with an upper end, a lower end, a first lateral end and a second lateral end.

15 . The stone guard as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the stone guard includes a second guide member extending from the guard member, the second guide member configured to divide the second stream of air into a third stream of air and a fourth stream of air.

16 . The stone guard as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the plurality of first members includes a first plurality of first members arranged on one side of the first guide member and a second plurality of first members arranged on another side of the first guide member, wherein the first plurality of first members are arranged at a different angle to the plurality of second members than the second plurality of first members.

17 . The stone guard as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the stone guard includes a second guide member extending from the guard member, wherein the first guide member and the second guide member are located at a first distance and a second distance from an end of the guard member, respectively, and wherein the first distance is greater than the second distance.

18 . The stone guard as claimed in claim 14 , wherein the first guide member extends from the first lateral end to the second lateral end of the guard member.

19 . The stone guard as claimed in claim 17 , wherein the first guide member and the second guide member have a first height and a second height, respectively, the first height and the second height measured from respective base ends that are connected with the guard member, and wherein the second height is greater than the first height.

20 . The stone guard as claimed in claim 18 , wherein the plurality of first members and the plurality of second members are arranged parallel to each other.