OBD-CAPABLE AIR FLAP SYSTEM WITH SPRING-LOADED AIR FLAPS

Abstract

An air flap system with an air flap frame, with at least two air flaps and with an air flap actuator, wherein the at least two air flaps are mounted in succession on the air flap frame so as to be movable between an open position and a closed position and span an air passage opening, the air flap actuator being connected to the at least two air flaps such as to transmit an adjustment force, the air flaps each having a bearing formation, each of which is mounted on a different bearing counter formation on the air flap frame, wherein the bearing counter formation of an air flap is arranged on a biasing device and is biased by the latter into a rest position from which it is displaced by an air flap arranged ready for operation in the bearing counter formation, wherein the bearing counter formation is connected to a locking device for joint movement, wherein, when the bearing counter formation is in its rest position, the locking device, protrudes into the movement space of another air flap and thus obstructs its movement between the open position and the closed position, wherein the air flap system includes at least one sensor detecting the operation of the air flap actuator.

Claims

1-15. (canceled)

16. An air flap system with an air flap frame, with at least two air flaps, which each extend along an air flap longitudinal axis, and with an air flap actuator, wherein the air flap frame has an air passage opening passing through the air flap frame, wherein the at least two air flaps are supported on the air flap frame such as to be movable adjacent one another, in succession, along a sequence path running transversely to the air flap longitudinal axes, relative to the air flap frame, and span the air passage opening, wherein the at least two air flaps are movable between an open position and a closed position, wherein the at least two air flaps cover a part of a cross-sectional area of the air passage opening in the closed position which is larger than in the open position, wherein the air flap actuator is connected to the at least two air flaps for transmitting an adjustment force in at least one direction between the open position and the closed position, wherein the at least two air flaps each comprise a bearing formation, each of which is movably mounted between the open position and the dosed position on a different bearing counter formation on the air flap frame, wherein the bearing counter formation of at least one air flap is arranged on a biasing device, wherein the biasing device biases along its biasing path the bearing counter formation arranged thereon into a rest position, from which it is displaced into a bearing position by an air flap arranged ready for operation in the bearing counter formation against the biasing force of the biasing device, wherein the bearing counter formation is connected to a locking device for joint movement, wherein, when the bearing counter formation is in its rest position, the locking device projects into the movement space of another air flap of the at least two air flaps and thus obstructs the movement thereof between the open position and the dosed position in at least one direction of movement, and wherein the locking device does not impede movement of the other air flap when the bearing counter formation is in its bearing position, wherein the air flap system includes at least one sensor that detects operation of the air flap actuator or a component coupled to the air flap actuator for joint movement.

17. The air flap system according to claim 16, wherein the locking device of the bearing counter formation of an air flap engages in the movement space of an air flap directly adjacent along the sequence path in the rest position of the bearing counter formation of the air flap.

18. The air flap system according to claim 16, wherein the bearing counter formation is formed integrally with the biasing device.

19. The air flap system according to claim 16, wherein the bearing counter formation or/and the biasing device has/have a control projection which is part of the locking device.

20. The air flap system according to claim 19, wherein the control projection projects toward the air flap supported by the bearing counter formation, the air flap abutting against the control projection in its operational ready state.

21. The air flap system according to claim 20, wherein the bearing counter formation is a pin or a bushing pivotally mounting the air flap about a pivot axis, the control projection extending radially outwardly around the bearing counter formation.

22. The air flap system according to claim 19, wherein the bearing counter formation is a pin or a bushing pivotally mounting the air flap about a pivot axis, the control projection extending radially outwardly around the bearing counter formation.

23. The air flap system according to claim 16, wherein the locking device has a locking projection or/and a portion of the other air flap cooperating with the locking projection, into the movement space of which air flap the locking device projects in the rest position of the bearing counter formation, has an inclined surface in such a way that, when the locking projection projects into the movement space of the other air flap, the other air flap can execute a movement between the closed position and the open position into one of the positions, while a movement into the respective other position is blocked.

24. The air flap system according to claim 23, wherein the control projection and the locking projection are formed by a joint projection.

25. The air flap system according to claim 21, wherein the control projection and the locking projection are formed by a joint projection.

26. The air flap system according to claim 16, wherein the air flap system comprises an integer number k of air flaps, wherein (k−1) air flaps are lockable by the locking means of their respective neighboring air flap with regard to their movement between the open position and the closed position towards at least one of the positions.

27. The air flap system according to claim 26, wherein the air flap which cannot be locked by an adjacent air flap has an abutment formation which, in a predetermined operating position of an open position and a closed position, is in abutting engagement with an abutment counter formation on the air flap frame or on a coupling component connecting the plurality of air flaps for joint movement between the open position and the closed position, or on an air flap adjacent thereto.

28. The air flap system according to claim 16, wherein the biasing device is a leaf spring arranged on the air flap frame.

29. The air flap system according to claim 16, wherein the biasing device is a leaf spring arranged on the air flap frame, which cantilevers on one side from its mounting location on the air flap frame.

30. The air flap system according to claim 28, wherein the biasing device is formed integrally with the air flap frame.

31. The air flap system according to claim 27, incorporating claim, wherein the at least (k−1) air flaps are movably mounted on the air flap frame with a respective bearing counter formation, each bearing counter formation being formed on a different biasing device, each of said biasing devices being deflectable along its respective biasing path regardless of an operating position of the adjacent biasing device along the sequence path.

32. The air flap system according to claim 31, wherein the bearing counter formations arranged on a biasing device are arranged at the same longitudinal end of the air flaps respectively supported by them.

33. A motor vehicle comprising an air flap system according to claim 16.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0043] The invention may take physical form in certain parts and arrangement of parts, a preferred embodiment of which will be described in detail and illustrated in the accompanying drawings which forms a part hereof and wherein:

[0044] FIG. 1 is a rear view of an exemplary embodiment of the air flap system according to the invention with all air flaps present in the closed position,

[0045] FIG. 2 is the rear view of FIG. 1, but with the air flaps in the open position,

[0046] FIG. 3 is the rear view of FIG. 1, but with an air flap removed due to damage,

[0047] FIG. 4 is a detailed perspective view of the resilient bearing region of the failed air flap and its neighboring air flaps, wherein the movement of the neighboring air flap of the failed air flap from the open position to the closed position is not blocked,

[0048] FIG. 5 is a detailed perspective view of the bearing region of FIG. 4, wherein the movement of the neighboring air flap of the dropped air flap from the dosed position to the open position is blocked,

[0049] FIG. 6 is a detailed perspective view of a resilient bearing region of the dropped air flap and its neighboring air flaps with an alternative locking device that allows the movement of the neighboring air flap of the dropped air flap from the open position to the closed position and blocks its movement from the closed position to the open position, and

[0050] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the air flap system of the preceding figures from below to show the physical abutment engagement between the left end air flap in the figures and a coupling component for motion coupling of all air flaps in the open position.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0051] Referring now to the drawings wherein the showings are for the purpose of illustrating preferred and alternative embodiments of the invention only and not for the purpose of limiting the same, in FIGS. 1 to 5, a first embodiment of an air flap system according to the invention is designated as 10. The air flap system 10 has a two-part injection molded air flap frame 12, comprising an upper frame component 12a and a lower frame component 12b. The frame components 12a and 12b are latched together by a latching mechanism 14, comprising a latching recess 14a in the upper frame component 12a and a latching tab 14b engaging the latching recess 14a, when fully assembled. The air flap frame 12 surrounds an air passage opening 16 which is spanned by a plurality of air flaps 18, seven air flaps 18 in the example shown.

[0052] The air flaps 18 are mounted on the air flap frame 12 so as to be exclusively pivotable about a respective pivot axis S18. An air flaps 18 are of identical design and are mounted on the air flap frame 12, which is why only for the two left outermost air flaps 18 the respective pivot axis S18 is provided with reference numeral. Because of the identical design of all air flaps 18 shown in the figures, it is sufficient to describe one air flap 18, which description also applies to all other air flaps 18. The pivot axes S18 coincide with the respective longitudinal axis L of an air flap 18. The air flaps 18 are arranged with substantially parallel longitudinal axes L, and thus with substantially parallel pivot axes S18, side by side, following one another along the sequence path S, which in the present exemplary embodiment is rectilinear and orthogonal to the air flap longitudinal axes L.

[0053] In the rear view of FIGS. 1 and 2, for example with an arrangement at a front end of an engine compartment of a vehicle V, as viewed from the engine compartment, ribs can be seen which stiffen the respective flap blades 18a arranged in the air passage opening 16. It is essentially the flap blades 18a which, in the event of adjustment of the air flaps 18 between the closed position shown in FIG. 1 and the open position shown in FIG. 2, cause a change in the cross-sectional area of the air passage opening 16 through which air can flow.

[0054] A bearing pin projects from each flap blade 18a at each longitudinal end, as a bearing formation for pivotably supporting the air flap 18. The lower bearing pin in the figures, which is pivotably mounted in the lower frame component 12b, is provided with the reference sign 18b. The upper bearing pin, which is collinear with respect to the pivot axis S18, is designated 18c. An upper bearing pin 18c is only visible in FIGS. 1 and 3 on the leftmost air flap 18 in the gap between the flap blade 18a and the upper frame component 12a.

[0055] For joint adjustment of the air flaps 18 between their closed position shown in FIG. 1 and their open position shown in FIG. 2, the air flap system 10 comprises an air flap actuator 20, which in the example shown is designed as an electric actuator with a gear 22 indicated by dashed lines and arranged on the upper frame component 12a.

[0056] Although it is of little relevance to the present invention, it should be pointed out for the sake of completeness that the middle air flap 18, i.e. the fourth air flap 18 counted both from the left edge and from the right edge, is directly coupled to the air flap actuator 20 as a driven air flap 18*. For this purpose, a drive component 24 of the air flap actuator 20, for example a drive shaft, which can also be designed as a hollow shaft, can be directly coupled to the upper bearing pin of the driven air flap 18* for joint movement.

[0057] Integrated in the air flap actuator 20 is a sensor 26, indicated by dashed lines, which detects the movement path of the drive component 24 or/and of an actuator rotor or/and of a gear component of the air flap actuator 20 and outputs a corresponding detection signal via a connection socket 28 to a control device 29 of the vehicle V, via which the air flap actuator 20 is also supplied with electrical power.

[0058] The air flaps 18 are coupled for joint pivoting movement by a coupling rod 30, from which coupling pins 32 project which engage in openings of movement arms 34 in a relatively rotatable manner. In the illustrated embodiment, the movement arms 34 project from the upper longitudinal end of each flap blade 18a orthogonally to the pivot axis S18 (see also FIG. 7).

[0059] In the example shown, the lower bearing pin 18b of each air flap 18 is mounted on a spring tongue 36 on the lower frame component 12b, which is formed as a leaf spring projecting on one side and is integral with the lower frame component 12b. This will be discussed in more detail below in connection with FIGS. 4 through 6.

[0060] As can be seen in FIG. 2, the respective lower bearing pin 18b is received in a bushing-like recess 38 as a bearing counter formation, which is formed integrally with the spring tongue 36 carrying it. The recess 38 forms a bearing counter formation 38 referred to in the introduction to the description. To reduce the friction between the spring tongue 36 and the bearing counter formation 38, a control projection 40 is formed on the spring tongue 36, projecting towards the respective flap blade 18a, against the end face 40a of which a connection portion 18d, which connects the flap blade 18a to the lower bearing pin 18b, rests with an end face 18d1 extending orthogonally to the pivot axis S18 or to the longitudinal axis L in the exemplary embodiment.

[0061] The control projection 40 is not necessarily required. Instead, the end surface 18d1 could also abut against an end surface of the bearing counter formation 38 or a smooth surface of the spring tongue 36.

[0062] The spring tongue 36, as the biasing device referred to in the introduction to the description, is deflectable and movable along a biasing path indicated directionally by a double arrow F, which extends mainly along the longitudinal axis L of the air flap or the pivot axis S18. Each spring tongue 36 is deflected downwardly by the air flap 18 associated therewith for support, against its bias, along its biasing path F in FIGS. 1 and 2, so that the end face 40a of the control projection 40 bears against the end face 18d1 loaded by the bias force of the spring tongue 36. The double arrow F indicating the biasing path is to be understood only qualitatively, not quantitatively. Again, the description of an air flap 18 as well as of a spring tongue 36 applies to all air flaps 18 and to all spring tongues 36, respectively.

[0063] In FIG. 2, the movement space B of the second air flap 18 from the right is shown with a dotted line. The movement space B of the air flap 18 is the sum of all points swept by the air flap 18 during its movement between the open position and the closed position.

[0064] Each spring tongue 36 has a locking device 42, which has a locking projection 44 formed integrally with the spring tongue 36 and thus integrally with the bearing counter formation 38. The locking projection 44 projects from the spring tongue 36 parallel to the longitudinal axis L of the air flap 18, and thus also parallel to the pivot axis S18 of the air flap 18 in the direction towards the flap blade 18a.

[0065] If an air flap 18, referred to below as a reference air flap, is mounted ready for operation on the air flap frame 12, the reference air flap 18 holds the spring tongue 36 and thus the locking projection 44 of the locking device 42 outside the movement space B of the neighboring air flap 18 arranged to the left of the reference air flap, due to the abovementioned abutment engagement of the end face 18d1 with the end face 40a of the control projection 40. In the present exemplary embodiment, the locking device 42 with the locking projection 44 is located axially, with respect to the longitudinal axis L or the pivot axis S18 of an air flap 18, outside the movement space Ba of the flap blade 18a of the neighboring air flap.

[0066] More specifically, in FIGS. 1 and 2, all of the spring tongues 36 and the components connected to them for joint movement: bearing counter formation 38 and locking device 42, and in FIG. 3, the spring tongues 36 of all remaining air flaps 18 and the components connected to the spring tongues for joint movement are located the bearing position.

[0067] In a departure from the representation of this embodiment, the control projection 40 and the locking projection 44 may be formed as a single joint control and locking projection. Functionally, such a joint control and locking projection will have a course around the bearing counter formation 38, which allows, when the bearing counter formation 38 is in the rest position due to a failure of the air flap mounted therein, to engage into the movement space of the neighboring air flap, thus blocking the neighboring air flap.

[0068] In FIG. 3, the air flap system 10 of FIGS. 1 and 2 is shown in a damaged state. Due to an unforeseen event, such as an impact of a stone while the vehicle V was moving, the second air flap from the left was knocked out of the air flap system 10 and is now missing.

[0069] The removal of the air flap at the designated location has also removed the force displacing the spring tongue 36 downward against its biasing force in FIG. 2. Therefore, the spring tongue 36, driven by its spring force, has moved upward along the biasing path F into its rest position, into which it is biased, so that the distance between the cross strut of the upper bearing component 12a supporting the upper pins 18c and the spring tongue 36 freed from the air flap is smaller than the distance between the same cross strut and the spring tongues 36 still supporting an air flap 18 ready for operation.

[0070] Due to this displacement of the second spring tongue 36 from the left into the rest position in FIG. 3, the locking device 42 with its locking projection 44 is displaced into the movement space of the left end air flap 18. Consequently, when the left end air flap 18 is moved between its open position and its closed position, the left end air flap 18 collides with the locking projection 44 of the locking device 42.

[0071] In the first embodiment of the exemplary embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 5, the locking projection 44 is formed with an inclined surface 44a (see in particular FIGS. 4 and 5), which is inclined in such a way that the flap blade 18a of the left end air flap 18 can displace the locking projection 44 from its movement space against the biasing force of the spring tongue 36 during an adjustment from the open position to the closed position. The air flap 18 can therefore be adjusted from the open position to the closed position. In the opposite direction of movement, on the other hand, the locking projection 44 has an abutment surface 44b which inhibits a displacement of the air flap 18 into the open position by contact engagement of the flap blade 18a with the abutment surface 44b.

[0072] This inhibition of the adjustment movement can be detected by the sensor 26 in the air flap actuator, because the movement path of the component of the air flap actuator 20 monitored by the sensor 26 from the start of the movement to the end of the movement is shorter than expected during proper operation. A corresponding comparison of the detected movement path with a nominal comparison path stored in a memory device of a higher-level controller 29 thus leads to the detection of a damaging event and causes, for example, an error message to be sent to the vehicle driver.

[0073] The measures proposed by the present invention can thus reliably detect damage to the air flap device 10, which would otherwise have remained undetected due to the continued operability of all air flaps 18 remaining on the air flap frame 12, possibly resulting in worsened pollutant emission performance of the vehicle V.

[0074] FIG. 6 shows the same air flap system 10 as in FIGS. 1 to 5, with the only difference being that the projection 144 of the alternative locking device 142 is effective in the opposite direction of movement of the air flaps 18 compared to the locking projection 44 of the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 5. This is achieved by the abutment surface 144b, which inhibits the movement of the air flap 18, being arranged where the inclined surface 44a is arranged on the locking projection 44 and consequently facing in the opposite direction relative to the abutment surface 44b. Similarly, the inclined surface 144a is disposed where the abutment surface 44b is disposed on the locking projection 44. Thus, the locking projection 144 can be overcome by a movement of the air flap 18, in the movement space of which the locking projection 144 projects, from the closed position to the open position, but prevents a movement from the open position to the closed position.

[0075] Damage to this air flap system can also be detected by the sensor 26 in the same manner as for the previously described embodiment of the locking device 142.

[0076] The advantage of this second embodiment is that, in the event of damage, the air flaps 18 are inhibited in a position in which the air passage opening 16 is not closed and cannot be closed, so that a flow of convective cooling air through the air passage opening 16 is ensured until the air flap system is repaired. In this way, overheating of devices located downstream of the air flap system in the direction of flow through the air passage opening 16 can be avoided.

[0077] FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 also show the bending axis A common to all spring tongues 36, about which each spring tongue 36 can be deflected individually along its biasing path F. Due to its design, the bending axis A runs parallel to the cross strut of the lower frame component 12b.

[0078] To facilitate assembly, all air flaps 18 are uniformly and identically mounted on the air flap frame 12 and can be pivotally arranged on the air flap frame 12 by a uniform assembly process.

[0079] However, the left end air flap 18 does not have a neighboring left air flap, so that a failure of the left end air flap 18 cannot be detected by the sensor 26 in the manner described above without further measures.

[0080] In order to nevertheless also be able to detect the removal of the left end-hand air flap 18, an abutment formation 46 is formed on the end air flap 18, which comes into abutting engagement with an abutment counter formation 48 on the air flap frame 12 or, as shown in the present embodiment, against the coupling rod 30 coupling the air flaps 18 for joint movement in one of their operating positions, in this case in the open position. See FIG. 7.

[0081] In the exemplary embodiment, the abutment formation 46 is formed as a flank of the movement arm 34 of the left end air flap 18. The abutment counter formation 48 is a pin projecting from the coupling rod 30 toward the flap blade 18a of the left end air flap 18, which projects into the movement space of the movement arm 34 of the left end air flap 18 and thus directly physically limits the pivoting movement of the left end air flap 18 in the opening direction towards the open position. Indirectly, the pivoting movement of each individual air flap 18 is limited by the abutment engagement, so that the sensor 26, for example by detecting the movement path of a component in the drive chain of the air flaps 18, can detect and output a movement path covered during the adjustment to the open position, so that the control 29 can compare the detected movement path with a nominal adjustment path stored in a data memory. In the absence of the left end air flap 18, the abutment engagement limiting the pivoting movement in the opening direction is absent and the remaining air flaps 18 can then pivot beyond their open position, which is detected by the sensor 26. More precisely, the sensor 26 will then detect a greater adjustment travel than in case of proper adjustment movement. Based on the result of the comparison of the detected adjustment travel with the stored nominal adjustment travel, the sensor 26, provided it has corresponding evaluation electronics, or the control 29 connected to the sensor 26 by signal transmission, can output a corresponding error signal.

[0082] Preferably, the control unit 29 or the air flap actuator 20 is designed to move the air flaps 18 to both operating positions: open position and closed position, at each vehicle start-up, in order to perform a correct on-board diagnosis of the air flap system 10 immediately upon start-up of the vehicle.

[0083] While considerable emphasis has been placed on the preferred embodiments of the invention illustrated and described herein, it will be appreciated that other embodiments, and equivalences thereof, can be made and that many changes can be made in the preferred embodiments without departing from the principles of the invention. Furthermore, the embodiments described above can be combined to form yet other embodiments of the invention of this application. Accordingly, it is to be distinctly understood that the foregoing descriptive matter is to be interpreted merely as illustrative of the invention and not as a limitation.