초록 ▼

An existing or new intercooler system is provided with modular fixed and removable mounting and support bracket plates that offers easy adaptability, reparability, serviceability that eliminates the need to replace an entire intercooler because a vehicle or automotive set up has been changed, portio

An existing or new intercooler system is provided with modular fixed and removable mounting and support bracket plates that offers easy adaptability, reparability, serviceability that eliminates the need to replace an entire intercooler because a vehicle or automotive set up has been changed, portions of it has been damaged or because it has become clogged with debris. The modular and removable mounting and support bracket plates can turn existing or new intercoolers from a single automotive part into an automotive system with modular parts of different types and sizes that can be reconfigured, changed or replaced to make intercoolers fit different types of automotive system applications. These modular fixed and removable mounting and support bracket plates eliminates the need for all metal parts and permanent welding. The intercooler system having end tanks made of composite material with carbon fiber to eliminate heat retention and secured by bonding material.

대표청구항 ▼

1. An improved intercooler assembly comprising: an intercooler housing, the intercooler housing having a top open end and a bottom open end that is interconnected by a pair of side walls, a front wall and a back wall and the top open end and the bottom open end extend across an entire area of the in

1. An improved intercooler assembly comprising: an intercooler housing, the intercooler housing having a top open end and a bottom open end that is interconnected by a pair of side walls, a front wall and a back wall and the top open end and the bottom open end extend across an entire area of the intercooler housing;a pair of modular fixed and removable mounting and support bracket plate members secured to and across the entire top open and the bottom open ends along an outer peripheral edge portion thereof, the pair of modular fixed and removable mounting and support bracket support plate members including a first bottom plate member and a second top plate member, each of the first bottom plate member and the second top plate member having a top and bottom flat surface with a flow communication opening extending there through and across the entire area thereof, each bottom flat surface is fixed to the outer peripheral edge portion of each of the top and bottom open ends of the intercooler housing;a pair of identical end tanks, each of the pair of identical end tanks having a lower end that is removably secured to an upstanding annular projecting portion of each of the second top plate members, one of the pair of identical end tanks positioned at the top open end of the intercooler housing has a top end with an interchangeable inlet or outlet opening at a top portion thereof and the other one of the pair of identical end tanks positioned at the bottom open end of the intercooler housing has a top end with an interchangeable outlet or inlet at a top portion thereof and is positioned in a reverse orientation opposite the top end of each of the pair of identical end tanks and these identical end tanks with their attached second top plate members are adapted to be interchanged and secured to a first bottom plate member of intercooler housings of different heights;the first bottom and second top plate members include an intermediate divider extending across and attached to opposite sides of their respective flow communication opening to define a pair of sectional flow communications openings that are aligned directly above and spaced from one another and a sealing member is disposed between the bottom flat surfaces of the first bottom and second top plate members;each of the first bottom second top plate members includes a plurality of fastening holes disposed about and spaced from an outer peripheral edge of each of the first and second plate members and being aligned with one another to receive a plurality of fastening members there through to connect them together to form a unitary plate assembly and simultaneously moving the intermediate partition divider of the second plate member into abutting engagement with the intermediate partition divider of the first plate member to provide an effective seal and prevent over compression of the seal member that is disposed between the first bottom and the second top plate members;a pair of identical modular removable mounting and support bracket ring-like plate members removably secured to and within a portion of the interchangeable inlet or outlet openings of the identical pair of end tanks by an upstanding annular rim portion of a first bottom ring-like plate member, a second top ring-like plate member being removably attached to the first bottom ring-like plate member that includes an upstanding annular rim portion adapted to be removably secured to and within a portion of a desired engine utility and each of the identical first bottom and second top ring-like plate members includes a central flow opening extending there through;each of the identical first bottom and second top ring-like plate members includes a plurality of fastening holes disposed about and spaced from an outer peripheral edge of each of the identical first bottom and second top ring-like plate members and being aligned with one another to receive a plurality of fastening members there through to form a unitary ring-like plate assembly;a flow communication is allowed to flow through the intercooler housing between the sectional flow communication openings of the unitary plate assemblies and the interchangeable inlets or outlets of the unitary ring-like plate assemblies to and from a desired engine utility; andat least one of the pair of identical end tanks and its second top plate member is easily removable from the first bottom plate member at the at least top open end of the intercooler housing upon removal of the plurality of fastening members to allow access to an interior of the intercooler housing so that it may be easily cleaned and flushed of debris therein via the sectional flow communication openings of the first bottom member without any obstruction. 2. The improved intercooler assembly according to claim 1, wherein the top flat surface of the first bottom plate member of the unitary plate assembly includes an annular sealing groove disposed thereon and positioned between the plurality of fastening holes and the outer periphery of the pair of sectional flow communication openings, the seal member is positioned within the annular groove and engaged by the bottom flat surface of the second top plate member of the unitary plate assembly to selectively compress the seal member there between by the plurality of fastening members extending through the plurality of fastening holes that are disposed around the outer periphery of the second top plate member and the plurality of fastening holes disposed around the outer periphery of the first bottom plate member to provide and maintain an effective seal during flow communication through the interior of the intercooler housing and preventing any leakage. 3. The improved intercooler assembly according to claim 1, wherein a bottom flat surface of the first bottom ring-like plate member of the unitary ring-like plate assembly includes a sealing groove disposed thereon and positioned between the plurality of fastening holes that are disposed about and spaced from the outer peripheral edge of the first bottom ring-like plate member and the central flow opening, a seal member is positioned within the sealing groove and is engaged by a bottom flat surface of the second top ring-like plate member of the unitary ring-like plate assembly to compress the seal member there between by the plurality of fastening members inserted through the aligned plurality of fastening holes that are disposed about and spaced from the outer peripheral edges of the identical first bottom and second top ring-like plate members to provide an effective seal during flow communication through the intercooler housing and preventing leakage. 4. The improved intercooler assembly according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of fastening members is selected from the group consisting of different types of screw fastening members. 5. The improved intercooler assembly according to claim 1, wherein each of the upstanding annular projecting portion of the first second top plate member of the unitary plate assemblies forms an upward extending peripheral wall portion positioned inward of the plurality of fastening holes and along an inner peripheral edge thereof, the upward extending peripheral wall portion surrounds the pair of sectional flow communication openings that defines a bonding surface for removably attaching the lower ends of the pair of identical end tanks thereto, each of the intermediate partition divider of the second top plate members is attached to the opposite sides of the pair of sectional flow communication openings at the inside of the upward extending peripheral wall portion, the pair of sectional flow communication openings of each of the second top plate members are aligned above the pair of sectional flow communication openings of the first bottom plate member and is able to provide unimpeded flow communication there through via the interchangeable inlet and outlet openings of the pair of identical end tanks, the central openings of each of the identical ring-like plate assemblies and through the interior of the intercooler housing. 6. The improved intercooler assembly according to claim 1, wherein each of the fixed bottom flat surfaces of the first bottom plate members of the unitary plate assemblies is welded to the top and bottom open ends of the intercooler housing, which is the only plate member of each of the modular fixed and removable mounting and support bracket plate assemblies that is permanently fixed thereto. 7. The improved intercooler assembly according to claim 5, wherein the upward extending peripheral wall portion of each of the second top plate members is secured to the bottom end of the pair of identical end tanks by a bonding material selected from the group consisting of epoxies, glues and adhesives, which allows each of the second top plate members and the pair of identical end tanks to be easily removed as a single unit for changing, modifying, swapping, cleaning and repairing to reduce expensive costs attributed to intercooler system damage and debris clogging. 8. The improved intercooler assembly according to claim 1, wherein the pair of identical end tanks are made from a material selected from the group consisting of a light weight composite carbon fiber material, the light weight composite carbon fiber material has a high heat resistance characteristic, which will allow the improved intercooler assembly to be lighter and work well in high temperature environments for a longer period of time than the existing intercoolers with all metal components, the composite carbon fiber materials may be selected from the group consisting of organic matrix composites, ceramic matrix composites and also glass-ceramic matrix composites that are reinforced with continuous silicon carbide fibers. 9. The improved intercooler assembly according to claim 7, wherein each of the pair of identical end tanks disposed on the top and bottom open ends of the intercooler housing is interchangeable and adapted to be fitted instead with a pair of dual end tanks, each pair of the interchangeable dual end tanks includes an interchangeable inlet and outlet that are disposed on a top end and a lower end thereof and is secured by the bonding material to the upward extending peripheral wall portion of each of the second top plate members of each of the unitary plate assemblies, each of the bottom flat surfaces of the first bottom plate members of the unitary plate assemblies is secured by a weld to the top and bottom open ends of the intercooler housing and the first bottom plate members of the modular fixed and removable mounting and support bracket plate assemblies are the only components that are permanently fixed to the intercooler housing. 10. The improved intercooler assembly according to claim 9, wherein each pair of the interchangeable dual end tanks is adapted to be fitted on the pair of modular fixed and removable mounting and support bracket plate members that are secured to the top open and the bottom open ends of the intercooler housing by the pair of the first bottom plate members with the sectional flow communication openings through the top and bottom flat surfaces to allow flow communication opening extending there through; the plurality of fastening holes for each of the pair of first and second plate members is disposed about and spaced from the outer peripheral edge of each of the pair of first and second plate members and being aligned with one another to receive the plurality of screw fastening members there through to joined together the unitary plate assembly;the pair of modular removable mounting and support bracket ring-like plate members is removably secured to the interchangeable inlet and outlet openings of the dual end tanks by the pair of the first bottom ring-like plate members and the pair of the second top ring-like plate members being are removably attached to the pair of the first ring-like plate members;the plurality of fastening holes for each of the pair of first and second ring-like plate members are disposed about and spaced from the outer peripheral edge of each pair of the first and second ring-like plate members are aligned with one another to receive the plurality of screw fastening members there through to removably assemble together the pair of unitary ring-like plate assemblies to the interchangeable inlets and outlets of the interchangeable dual end tanks; andthe flow communication that is allowed to flow through the intercooler housing between the central flow communication openings of each of the pair of unitary plate assemblies and the interchangeable inlets and outlets of each of the pair of unitary ring-like plate assemblies to and from a desired engine utility. 11. An improved intercooler and mounting bracket assembly comprising: at least one intercooler housing having a top open end, a bottom open end, pair of side walls, a front wall and a back wall, the bottom open end is interconnected by the pair of side walls, the front wall and the back wall and the top open end and the bottom open end extend across an entire area of the at least one intercooler housing;a pair of modular fixed and removable mounting and support bracket plate members is secured to and across the entire top open and the bottom open ends of the at least one intercooler housing and along an outer peripheral edge portion thereof, the pair of modular fixed and removable mounting and support bracket support plate members including a first bottom plate member and a second top plate member, each of the first bottom plate member and the second top plate member having a top and bottom flat surface with a flow communication opening extending there through and across the entire area thereof, each of the bottom flat surfaces is fixed to the outer peripheral edge portion of each of the top and bottom open ends of the at least one intercooler housing;each top flat surface of the first bottom plate members is removably attached to a second top plate member, the bottom flat surface of the second top plate member is removably attached to the top flat surface of the first bottom plate member at the top and bottom open ends of the at least one intercooler housing, each top flat surface of the second top plate members includes an upstanding peripheral wall portion that extends around the flow communication openings thereof;at least one end tank including a top end and a bottom end, the top end having an inlet opening disposed thereon and the bottom end of the at least one end tank is removably attached to the upstanding peripheral wall portion and over the entire area of the flow communication openings of the bottom plate members and the second top plate members of the top and bottom open ends of the at least one intercooler housing, the at least one end tank and the second top plate member is adapted to be removable as a unit and is interchangeable with the at least one intercooler housing of different sizes and secured to the same first bottom plate members that is secured to their top and bottom open ends;the first and second plate members include an intermediate divider extending across and attached to opposite sides of their respective flow communication opening to define a pair of sectional flow communications openings that are aligned directly above and spaced from one another and a sealing member is disposed between the top flat surfaces of the first bottom plate members and the bottom flat surfaces of the second top plate members secured to the top and bottom open ends of the at least one intercooler housing;the first bottom and second top plate members disposed at the top and bottom open ends of the at least one intercooler housing includes a plurality of fastening holes disposed about and spaced from an outer peripheral edge of each of the first bottom and second top plate members and being aligned with one another to receive a plurality of screw fastening members there through to connect them together to form unitary plate assemblies, while simultaneously moving the intermediate partition divider of each of the second top plate members into abutting engagement with the intermediate partition divider of each of the first bottom plate members to eliminate over compression and damage to the seal member disposed between the first bottom and second top plate members;an interchangeable outlet member is removably attached to the upstanding peripheral wall portion that extends at least across the entire area of the top flat surface of the second top plate member at the bottom open end of the at least one intercooler housing; andthe at least one end tank and the second top plate member are easily removable as a single unit from the first bottom plate member at the top open end of the at least one intercooler housing to allow full access to an interior of the at least one intercooler housing to easily clean and flush debris and clogging therein through the sectional flow communication openings of the first bottom plate member without removal of the at least one intercooler housing. 12. The improved intercooler and mounting bracket assembly according to claim 11, wherein the interchangeable outlet member includes a pair of side walls, a front wall and a back wall that are interconnected together to form an outlet housing unit with a top open end, and a bottom open end and an outlet flow opening disposed within one of the pair of side walls. 13. The improved intercooler and mounting bracket assembly according to claim 12, wherein the at least one intercooler housing includes at least another intercooler housing, the at least another intercooler housing having a pair of side walls, a front wall and a back wall that is interconnected together with a top open end and a bottom open end; at least another modular mounting and support bracket plate member attached to the top open and the bottom open ends of the at least another intercooler housing by at least another first bottom plate member having a top and bottom flat surface with a flow communication opening extending there through;the bottom flat surface of the at least another first bottom plate member is fixedly attached to the top open end of the at least another intercooler housing, the top flat surface of the another first bottom plate member is removably attached to at least another second top plate member, the at least another second top plate member having a top and bottom flat surface with a flow communication opening extending there through, the top flat surface includes an upstanding peripheral wall portion that completely surrounds the flow communication opening, and the bottom flat surface of the at least another second top plate member is removably attached to the top flat surface of the at least another first bottom plate member; andthe bottom open end of the interchangeable outlet housing unit is removably attached to the upstanding peripheral wall portion of the top flat surfaces of the second bottom plate member of the at least another intercooler housing and each of the first bottom and second top plate members of the top and bottom open ends of the at least another intercooler housing includes a plurality of fastening holes disposed about and spaced from an outer peripheral edge of each of the first bottom and second top plate members and being aligned with one another to receive a plurality of screw fastening members there through to connect them together to form unitary plate assemblies. 14. The improved intercooler and mounting bracket assembly according to claim 13, wherein each of the top flat surfaces of the first bottom plate members of the at least another intercooler housing includes a sealing groove disposed thereon between the plurality of fastening holes and each flow communication openings, a seal member is positioned within each of the sealing grooves and engaged by each of the bottom flat surfaces of each of the second top plate members of the at least another modular mounting and support bracket plate member and compressing the seal member there between by the plurality of fastening members to define unitary plate assemblies that provide an effective seal during flow communication through the at least another intercooler housing to prevent any fluid leakage. 15. The improved intercooler and mounting bracket assembly according to claim 14, wherein each of the first bottom and second top plate members of each of the unitary plate assemblies have an intermediate partition divider that defines a pair of sectional flow communication openings, each of the second top plate members of each of the unitary plate assemblies have an intermediate partition divider that engages and is supported on each of the intermediate partition dividers of the first bottom plate member of each of the unitary plate assemblies defining a pair of sectional flow communication openings that aligns with each of the pair of sectional flow communication openings of each of the first bottom plate members and each of the second top plate members of each of the unitary plate assemblies are fastened together by the plurality of screw fastening members to provide flow communication through the outlet flow opening of the outlet housing unit; the plurality of fastening holes disposed about and spaced from the outer peripheral edge of each of the first bottom and second top plate members that is aligned with one another to receive the plurality of screw fastening members there through to connect them together to form the unitary plate assemblies and simultaneously adjusting the intermediate partition divider of each of the second top plate members into abutting engagement with the intermediate partition divider of each of the first bottom plate members to eliminate over compression damage to the seal member disposed between the first bottom and second top plate members of the unitary plate assemblies; andthe outlet housing unit is removably attached to the upstanding peripheral wall portion that extends at least across the entire area of the top flat surface of the second top plate member to the bottom open end of the at least another intercooler housing by the plurality of screw fastening members. 16. The improved intercooler assembly according to claim 15, wherein at least another end tank including a top end and a bottom end, the top end having an inlet opening disposed thereon and the bottom end of the at least another end tank is removably attached to an upstanding peripheral wall portion of a first bottom plate member and a second top plate member at the top and bottom open ends of the at least another intercooler housing, each of the first bottom and the second top plate members includes a flow communication opening therein that extends over an entire area thereof, the first bottom and the second top plate members includes a plurality of fastening holes disposed around the outer periphery of the first bottom and the second top plate members and a plurality of screw fastening members for releaseably fastening the first bottom and the second top plate members via the plurality of fastening holes together that define the unitary plate assemblies; and upstanding peripheral wall portion of the second top plate members at the bottom open ends of each of the of the at least one intercooler housing and the at least another intercooler housing is inserted within and secured to the top and bottom open ends of the outlet housing unit by the plurality of screw fastening members for easy removable for service, repair, adaptability of intercoolers by modifying sections by swapping and by changing size and design to fit a variety of applications. 17. The improved intercooler and mounting bracket assembly according to claim 16, wherein each of the inlet openings of the at least one and the at least another end tanks at the top end thereof include a pair of identical modular and removable mounting bracket ring-like plate members having a portion that is removably secured within each of the inlet openings, the bottom ends of the at least one and the at least another end tanks are bonded to the upstanding peripheral extending wall portion of each of the second top plate members of the unitary plate assemblies at the top and bottom open ends of each of the of the at least one intercooler housing and the at least another intercooler housing and each of the inlet openings at the top ends of each of the at least one and the at least another end tanks are in flow communication via the pair of identical modular and removable mounting bracket ring-like plate members; and the at least another end tank and its second top plate member is removable as a single unit and is adapted to be interchanged with the at least another intercooler housing of different sizes and secured to its first bottom plate member to accommodate different application designs. 18. The improved intercooler and mounting bracket assembly according to claim 17, wherein each identical modular removable mounting bracket ring-like plate member includes a pair of identical ring-like plate members, the pair of identical ring-like plate members include a first bottom ring-like plate member having top and bottom flat surfaces, a central flow communication opening disposed there through, an upstanding peripheral wall portion extending around the central flow communication opening and spaced inward of a plurality of screw fastening holes, a second top ring-like plate member having top and bottom flat surfaces, a central flow communication opening disposed there through, and an upstanding peripheral wall portion extending around the central flow communication opening and spaced inward of a plurality of screw fastening holes, the first bottom ring-like plate member central flow communication opening and the second top ring-like plate member central flow communication openings are in alignment with one another and is secured together by a plurality of screw fastening members via the plurality of screw fastening holes of each of the a first bottom ring-like plate member and the second top ring-like plate member to form a unitary modular removable mounting bracket ring-like plate assembly; each of the first bottom and second top ring-like plate members plurality of fastening holes is disposed about and spaced from an outer peripheral edge of each of the first bottom and second top ring-like plate members and being aligned with one another to adjustably receive the plurality of screw fastening members there through;each of the bottom flat surfaces of the first bottom plate members of the modular removable mounting bracket ring-like plate assembly includes a sealing groove disposed thereon between the plurality of fastening holes and its central flow communication opening, a seal member is positioned therein and engaged by each of the bottom flat surfaces of the second top plate members of the unitary modular removable mounting bracket ring-like plate assemblies to compress its seal member there between by its plurality of screw fastening members to maintain an effective seal during flow communication through each of the at least one intercooler housing and the at least another intercooler housing and through the outlet flow opening of the outlet housing unit;a pair of identical modular removable mounting and support bracket ring-like plate members removably secured to and within a portion of the outlet flow opening of the outlet housing unit by an upstanding annular rim portion of a first bottom ring-like plate member, a second top ring-like plate member being removably attached to the first ring-like plate member that includes an upstanding annular rim portion adapted to be removably secured to and within a portion of a desired engine utility and each of the identical first and second ring-like plate members includes a central flow opening extending there through;each of the identical first bottom and second top ring-like plate members includes a plurality of fastening holes disposed about and spaced from an outer peripheral edge of each of the identical first and second ring-like plate members and being aligned with one another to receive a plurality of fastening members there through to form a unitary ring-like plate assembly; andthe first bottom plate member of the unitary ring-like plate assembly includes a sealing groove disposed thereon between the plurality of fastening holes and its central flow communication opening, a seal member is positioned therein and engaged by each of the bottom flat surfaces of the second top plate members of the unitary modular removable mounting bracket ring-like plate assemblies to compress its seal member there between by its plurality of screw fastening members to maintain an effective seal during flow communication through each of the at least one intercooler housing and the at least another intercooler housing and through the outlet flow opening of the outlet housing unit to a utility source. 19. The improved intercooler and mounting bracket assembly according to claim 18, wherein each of the upstanding peripheral wall portion of the first bottom plate members of the modular removable mounting bracket ring-like plate assembly is removably secured within a portion of the outlet flow openings at the upper ends of each of the at least one and the at least another end tanks by the bonding material, each of the upstanding peripheral wall portion of each of the second top plate members of the modular removable mounting bracket ring-like plate assembly is removably secured within a portion of a utility source by the bonding material; the at least one intercooler housing and the at least another intercooler housing form a dual inlet and single outlet intercooler system arrangement; andthe bonding material is selected from the group consisting of epoxies, glues and adhesives, which allows the unitary plate assemblies, unitary ring-like plate assemblies and the end tanks to be easily removed for changing, modifying, swapping, cleaning and repairing of the at least one intercooler housing and the at least another intercooler housing to reduce expensive costs that can be attributed to intercooler system damage, debris clogging and different sizes and designs. 20. The improved intercooler mounting bracket assembly according to claim 19, wherein the end tanks are made from a material of a light weight composite material that has high heat resistant characteristics, which will allow the dual inlet and single outlet intercooler system arrangement to be lighter and work well in high temperature environments for a longer period of time than the existing intercoolers with all metal components, the composite carbon fiber materials can be selected from the group consisting of organic matrix composites, ceramic matrix composites and also glass-ceramic matrix composites that are reinforced with continuous silicon carbide fibers.