Coolant routing system with coupling device

Abstract

A coolant routing system for a vehicle having a plurality of coolant circuits, for instance an electric drive vehicle. A coolant tank stores a coolant, and a coolant manifold assembly has a plurality of coolant tubes that are each configured to form a part of one of the coolant circuits. At least one coolant pump is configured to pump the coolant into at least one coolant circuit. A coupling device is configured to introduce the coolant from the coolant tank into the coolant circuits. The coupling device is formed at least in part by a wall of the coolant tank and is coupled to both the at least one coolant pump and the coolant manifold assembly so that coolant can be exchanged between an interior of the coupling device and the at least one coolant pump and between the interior of the coupling device and the coolant manifold assembly.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A coolant routing system for a vehicle, the coolant routing system comprising:
 at least two coolant circuits;   a coolant tank configured to store a coolant;   a coolant manifold assembly having at least two coolant tubes, which are each configured to form a part of one of the coolant circuits;   at least one coolant pump configured to pump the coolant into at least one coolant circuit;   a coupler configured to introduce the coolant from the coolant tank into the coolant circuits, the coupler at least partially formed by a wall of the coolant tank and is coupled to both the at least one coolant pump and the coolant manifold assembly so that coolant is adapted to be exchanged between an interior of the coupler and the at least one coolant pump and between the interior of the coupler and the coolant manifold assembly.   
     
     
         2 . The coolant routing system according to  claim 1 , wherein the coupler is at least partially formed by a planar wall of the coolant tank. 
     
     
         3 . The coolant routing system according to  claim 1 , wherein the coolant tank is formed by at least two tank components, which are coupled to each other. 
     
     
         4 . The coolant routing system according to  claim 3 , wherein a tank component of the coolant tank and the coupler are formed integrally with each other. 
     
     
         5 . The coolant routing system according to  claim 1 , wherein the coolant routing system comprises a plurality of coolant channels, wherein each of the plurality of coolant channels is formed at least partially by the wall of the coolant tank and/or wherein each of the plurality of coolant channels is formed at least partially by structures integrally formed with the coupler. 
     
     
         6 . The coolant routing system according to  claim 1 , wherein an interior of the coolant tank and an interior of the coupler are free of valves, pumps and control devices. 
     
     
         7 . The coolant routing system according to  claim 1 , further comprising a first control valve configured to control the introduction of coolant into a first coolant circuit. 
     
     
         8 . The coolant routing system according to  claim 6 , wherein the control valve comprises a rotary actuator. 
     
     
         9 . The coolant routing system according to  claim 6 , wherein the control valve is configured to control the introduction of coolant into at least two coolant circuits. 
     
     
         10 . The coolant routing system according to  claim 9 , wherein the control valve comprises at least two valve sections each configured to control the introduction of coolant into a respective one of the coolant circuits and each configured to be moved or rotated together. 
     
     
         11 . The coolant routing system of  claim 1 , further comprising a second control valve configured to control the introduction of coolant into a second coolant circuit. 
     
     
         12 . The coolant routing system according to  claim 11 , wherein the second control valve comprises a rotary actuator. 
     
     
         13 . The coolant routing system according to  claim 1 , wherein the coolant manifold assembly is releasably coupled to the coupler. 
     
     
         14 . The coolant routing system according to  claim 1 , wherein the coolant manifold assembly comprises a hose connection for a coolant hose. 
     
     
         15 . The coolant routing system of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature of a coolant in at least one of the coolant tubes.