Patent Application
20230391184
This application claims priority to German Patent Application No. 10 2022 114 062.8, filed Jun. 3, 2022, the content of such application being incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
The invention relates to an air guiding device of a motor vehicle body of a motor vehicle.
Air guiding devices used to influence an air flow around and/or through the motor vehicle body are known. Air guiding devices are thus used in the front region of the motor vehicle body, wherein they allow a defined air flow to be achieved in the front region of the motor vehicle body, e.g., for a flow of air into a cooling unit of the motor vehicle, or for cooling the brakes of the motor vehicle.
Flow channels of the air guiding devices in the front region equipped with a slat assembly are known, the slat assembly preferably being movable, so that the inlet opening formed in the front region of the motor vehicle body is variable and therefore controllable with the aid of the air guiding device. A flow cross-section of the flow channel can thus be changed with the aid of the slat assembly, for example, so that an air resistance coefficient and an energy demand of the motor vehicle depending on the air resistance coefficient can be reduced, which, for example, increases the range of the motor vehicle. Individual slats of the slat assembly are connected with the aid of a common push rod, which is typically moved in the axial direction to initiate a common rotational movement of the slats. The slats are held in a frame of the slat assembly in such a manner that they can rotate. A deformation of the frame occurring along a rotational axis of the slats is possible, for example during assembly or during operation, which must be stabilized.
From the patent EP 2 335 963 B1, which is incorporated by reference herein, an air guiding device of a motor vehicle body of a motor vehicle in whose slat assembly adjustable horizontally aligned slats are movable in a frame is known. The frame has several crosspieces extending along a vertical body axis of the motor vehicle body, which serve to support the slats in such a manner that they can rotate.
A motor vehicle body of a motor vehicle is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 10,144,378 B2, which is incorporated by reference herein, possessing a front part with a central air inlet opening, wherein several support struts extending along a vertical body axis of the motor vehicle body are arranged in the air inlet opening.
An air guiding device of a motor vehicle body of a motor vehicle according to aspects of the invention comprises a slat assembly having at least two slats, which are arranged in a frame of the air guiding device in a manner which permits them to rotate around their rotational axis. According to the present invention, to avoid deformation of the slat assembly, the latter includes at least one support element which is configured to extend along the rotational axis. Deformation of the slat assembly by, for example, compression or collapse of the frame realized by forces acting on the frame can occur both during the assembly of the slat assembly into the motor vehicle body and as a result of flow forces during the operation of the motor vehicle. One advantage is that the frame becomes dimensionally stable with the aid of the support element so that deformation is avoided. Dimensional stability against disintegration of the slat assembly prior to its installation in the body is a further advantage. Overall, the air guiding device is thus secured and stable.
In a preferred configuration, the slats are vertically arranged, wherein their rotational axis extends along a vertical body axis.
A simple rotatable positioning of the slat is achieved, provided that the support element is arranged to receive the rotational axis and/or the slat is configured to brace itself against the support element.
Insofar as a connection between the slat and the support element and/or the connection of the support element to the frame involves the use of snap-fit connections, cost-effective manufacture of the air guiding device can be achieved, since snap-fit connections can generally be assembled in a cost-effective manner.
Further advantages, features, and details of the invention are shown in the following description of preferred embodiment examples as well as the drawings. The features and feature combinations specified in the foregoing description, as well as the features and feature combinations specified hereinafter in the description of the drawings and/or shown alone in the drawings, are able to be used not only in the respectively indicated combination, but also in other combinations, or on their own, without departing from the scope of the invention. Shown are:
An air guiding device 1 according to aspects of the invention of a motor vehicle body 2 of a motor vehicle 3 in a first embodiment example is embodied as shown in a front view in
In
A movement of the slats 6 consists, in principle, of a rotational movement or a pivoting movement around their rotational axis 9, which lies along their axle 8. The slats 6, which are commonly and in the present embodiment example constructed predominantly in a plate-like design, are rotatably mounted in a frame 12 of the slat assembly 5 at their first end 10 and at their second end 11, which faces away from the first end 10. In this frame 12, the slats 6 are held in a manner that allows them to rotate.
The rotational movement, for which the slats 6 are structured so that they can be synchronously activated, is initiated by an actuator 13 of the air guiding device 1, as illustrated in
To avoid deformation of the slat assembly 5 due to forces F acting on the slat assembly 5, in particular along the rotational axis 9, the slat assembly 5 is associated with at least one support element 14; in the present embodiment examples, two support elements 14 are provided, which extend along the rotational axis 9. In other words, the support element 14 is arranged so as to extend between an upper frame element 15 of the frame 12 and a lower frame element 16 of the frame 12 that is opposite to the upper frame element 15, wherein the two frame elements 15, 16 are configured with the aid of two lateral elements 31 to form a frame 12 that is closed along its perimeter.
To provide a clearer explanation, a Cartesian coordinate system is introduced, which identifies a longitudinal body axis X, a transverse body axis Y, and a vertical body axis Z. It is thereby evident that in the present embodiment examples, the slats 6 are oriented extending along the vertical body axis Z. Furthermore, the upper frame element 15 is arranged along the vertical body axis Z when viewed lying above the lower frame element 16. In other words, the slats 6 are vertically arranged, wherein their rotational axis 9 extends along the vertical body axis Z.
In
The upper bearing point 18 further serves to establish a connection between the support element 14 and the upper frame element 15, and the lower bearing point 19 further serves to establish a connection between the support element 14 and the lower frame element 16.
At this point, it should be mentioned that in the present embodiment examples, the axle 8 of the slat 6 is divided into a first axle element 20, which is associated with the upper bearing point 18, and a second axle element 21, which is associated with the lower bearing point 19. Likewise, the axle 8 could also be formed as a single piece, and could extend from the first bearing point 18 to the second bearing point 19.
The support element 14 is preferably arranged along an extension of the frame 12 configured along the transverse body axis Y in such a manner that force is evenly absorbed in the case of occurring forces F. Furthermore, the support element 14 is designed to support the slat 6, wherein the rotational axis 9 of the slat 6 is received by the support element 14.
The support element 14, which is in the form of a rod and preferably has an aerodynamically shaped cross-section, can be inserted directly into the frame 12, but may also be mounted onto the frame 12 in a clamp-like manner. That is, the support element 14 is structured independently of frame 12 and in such a manner that it can be connected to frame 12. Both options are shown in
To assemble the slat assembly 5, the upper frame element 15 and the lower frame element 16 possess receiving openings 22, which serve to receive the axle 8 and also to receive the support element 14.
When mounting the slat assembly 5, the slats 6 which are not associated with a support element 14 are first inserted into the frame 12, which is still flexible in this state. Subsequently, the support element 14, which is configured to stabilize the form of frame 12, is mounted. Furthermore, the support element 14 serves to support the fully-assembled slat assembly 5 before it is joined into the entry opening 4. After the support element 14 is mounted, the slats 6 associated with the support elements 14 are connected to the support element 6.
Between the support element 14 and the slat 6, the bearing point 18; 19 is formed, wherein the bearing point 18; 19 comprises a first bearing element 23 and a second bearing element 24, wherein the first bearing element 23 is associated with the support element 14 and the second bearing element 24 is associated with slat 6, wherein the bearing point 18; 19 is configured to receive the second bearing element 24 in a rotationally secure and loss-proof manner by the first bearing element 23.
To connect the slat 6 to the support element 14, the slat 6 comprises the second bearing element 24 in the form of a ring element that is open on one side and, when assembled, the first bearing element 23 in the form of a shoulder that reaches around the support element 14 is slid onto this shoulder 23. The shoulder 23 comprises a bottom element 25, which is arranged opposite to the frame element 15; 16 and is arranged between a receiving element 26 of the shoulder 23 and the frame element 15; 16. In other words, the support element 14 is designed with steps in the area of the bearing point 18; 19. The receiving element 26 comprises two opposite parallel element surfaces 27, which are connected at their ends by means of arc-shaped further element surfaces 28, to bring about a secured connection.
The slat 6 is thus securely received by the support element 14, wherein the described connection can also be referred to as a snap connection, provided that the ring element 24 is at least partially elastic, and can stretch when pushed onto the shoulder 23.
It should be noted that the connection described at this point may be formed at both the upper bearing point 18 and the lower bearing point 19.
In the two
In other words, the support element 14, which can be configured to slide on, possesses a clamping element 30 on its ends which is configured to receive the frame element 15; 16, since it is preferably configured to slide onto the upper frame element 15 and on the lower frame element 16. This clamping element 30 can be configured in the form of a snap connection and can also be configured to be securely held in the receiving opening 22, wherein, for example, a pin—which is not shown in further detail—is configured on the clamping element 30, opposite the frame element 18; 19, and engages in the receiving opening 22.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 2022 114 062.8 | Jun 2022 | DE | national |
