MOTOR VEHICLE WITH A REAR SPOILER

Abstract

A motor vehicle having a rear spoiler that is rigidly attached to a bearing structure of the motor vehicle in a normal position. In order to functionally improve the motor vehicle, the rear spoiler rigidly attached to the bearing structure in its normal position is displaceably attached to the support structure such that the rear spoiler is displaced to a safety position by a translation device in the event of an imminent collision detected by a sensor.

Claims

1. A motor vehicle comprising: a rear spoiler which is displaceably attached to a bearing structure of the motor vehicle, a sensor device for detecting an imminent collision involving the motor vehicle, and a translation device that is configured to displace the rear spoiler from a normal operation position to a safety position in an event that the sensor device detects the imminent collision.

2. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the translation device is combined with a locking device by which the rear spoiler is rigidly held in the normal operating position.

3. The motor vehicle of claim 2, wherein the translation device comprises a translation slide that is blocked with the locking device to rigidly maintain the rear spoiler in the normal operation position and that is translationally movable to allow the rear spoiler to be moved to the safety position in the event of the imminent collision detected by the sensor device.

4. The motor vehicle according to claim 3, wherein the translation device comprises an expansion drive charge that is configured to shift the rear spoiler from the normal operation position to the safety position in the event of the imminent collision detected by the sensor device.

5. The motor vehicle of claim 3, wherein the translation device comprises a coupling element coupled to the rear spoiler, which is translationally movable relative to the translation slide when the translation slide pretensioned by a translation spring is released by the locking device.

6. The motor vehicle of claim 5, wherein the translation slide has a locking recess, in which a locking element with a pretensioned locking spring which is configured to be magnetically activatable engages, which is moveable in the blocking body fixedly connected to the bearing structure against the pretension force of the locking spring, wherein the blocking body has a blocking surface against which the coupling element rests with an end surface, as long as the translation slide is not released by the locking device.

7. The motor vehicle of claim 6, wherein the translation slide comprises a first sliding surface which interacts with a second sliding surface disposed on the coupling element, wherein the coupling element has a third sliding surface which interacts with a fourth sliding surface disposed on the blocking body.

8. The motor vehicle of claim 3, wherein the locking device comprises a toggle lever kinematics mechanism associated with the translation slide with two toggle levers by which the rear spoiler is rigidly held in the normal operation position.

9. The motor vehicle of claim 8, wherein the toggle lever kinematics mechanism is configured to be activated via an electromotively driven lifting spindle shaft in order to shift the rear spoiler from the normal operation position to the safety position in the event of the imminent collision detected by the sensor device.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] Further advantages, features, and details of the invention arise from the following description, in which various exemplary embodiments of the invention are described in detail with reference to the drawing. The FIGs. show:

[0017] FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a first exemplary embodiment of a translation device having a translation slide, a coupling element and a locking device that is locked to rigidly hold a rear spoiler of a motor vehicle in a normal position;

[0018] FIG. 2 is the same sectional view as in FIG. 1 with the locking device open to allow the rear spoiler to retract into a safety position;

[0019] FIG. 3 is as a sectional view of a second exemplary embodiment of a translation device having a toggle lever kinematics mechanism in a locked position;

[0020] FIG. 4 shows the translation device of FIG. 3 when retracting the translation slide via the toggle lever kinematics mechanism;

[0021] FIG. 5 is a highly simplified illustration of a motor vehicle with a rigid rear spoiler and a two-wheeled rider approaching the motor vehicle from the rear; and

[0022] FIG. 6 shows the motor vehicle of FIG. 5, wherein the rear spoiler is fully retracted into the rear.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0023] In FIGS. 5 and 6, a motor vehicle 1 with a rear spoiler 2 is shown schematically. As can be seen in FIG. 5, the rear spoiler 2 is rigidly attached to the rear 5 of the motor vehicle 1. Behind the motor vehicle 1, a two-wheeled rider 3 approaches the rear 5 of the motor vehicle 1.

[0024] A sensor device 4 detects the two-wheeled rider 3 approaching the motor vehicle 1 from the rear. If the sensor device 4 detects an imminent collision, then the rear spoiler 2 is automatically shifted from its normal position shown in FIG. 5 to its safety position illustrated in FIG. 6. A computer having a controller, processor, software etc. may communicate with both sensor device 4 and a translation device for controlling movement of spoiler 2 based on the readings of sensor device 4.

[0025] In FIG. 6, the rear spoiler is fully retracted into the rear 5 of the motor vehicle 1. This ensures a simple way to prevent injuries to the two-wheeled rider 3 caused by the rear spoiler in the event of a collision.

[0026] In FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, 4, two exemplary embodiments of a translation device 10; 30, respectively, are shown in section. The translation device 10; 30 is combined with a locking device 20; 40 by which the rear spoiler is kept in its normal position during normal operation of the motor vehicle.

[0027] The translation device 10; 30 comprises a translation slide 15; 35, which is translationally movable preferably in a vehicle height direction, also referred to as the z-direction, in order to enable the rear spoiler to be moved to its safety position in the event of an imminent collision detected by the sensor device.

[0028] The translation device 10 shown in section in FIGS. 1 and 2 comprises a coupling element 12 in addition to the translation slide 15. As can be seen in FIG. 1, the coupling element 12 rests with end surface 13 on a blocking surface 19 of a blocking body 18. The blocking body 18 is fixedly connected to a bearing structure 17 of the motor vehicle. The translation slide 15 pretensioned downwards by a translation spring 16 in FIG. 1 is blocked by the locking device 20.

[0029] The locking device 20 comprises a locking element 21 designed as a ball, which in FIG. 1 is pretensioned from right to left by a locking spring 22. The locking element 21 can be shifted in a horizontal direction in a ring body 23 in FIG. 1.

[0030] The ring body 23 is integrated into the blocking body 18. The pretension force of the locking spring 22 holds the locking element 21 in a locking recess 14 provided in the translation slide 15. This prevents movement of the translation slide 15.

[0031] In the rest state shown in FIG. 1, the translation slide 15 is locked by the locking element 21 in its illustrated position. By activating a magnetic field, the locking element 21 in FIG. 1 is translationally retracted to the right, thereby releasing the translation slide 15, as can be seen in FIG. 2. In FIG. 2, the lock is released to allow for a downward travel of the rear spoiler as indicated in FIG. 2 by arrows 28 and 29.

[0032] The translation slide 15 has a first sliding surface 24 on which a second sliding surface 25 rests in FIG. 1, which is formed on the coupling element 12. A third sliding surface 26 is also formed on the coupling element 12, with which a free end of the coupling element 12 slides off on the barrier body 18, as seen in FIG. 2, which has a fourth sliding surface 27.

[0033] When the translation slide 15 is released by the locking element 21, the translation slide 15 moves downwards due to the pretension force of the relatively strong translation spring 16. The downward translational movement of the translation slide 15 in FIGS. 1 and 2 ensures that the free end of the coupling element 12 protrudes laterally as can be seen in FIG. 2 by the interaction of the sliding surfaces 24 to 27. Thus, the coupling element 12 may move downwards with the rear spoiler as indicated by arrows 28 and 29 in FIG. 2. Retracting the spoiler reduces the risk of injury. Element 12 may be directly connected or form part of the rear spoiler.

[0034] For example, the rear spoiler is driven by an expansion drive charge, which is not shown. The expansion drive charge provides the downward movement of the coupling member 12 with the rear spoiler.

[0035] It is also conceivable to realize a rotational movement of the spoiler during the retraction by a kinematics mechanism. By rotating the spoiler in this way, a hard impact of another vehicle involved in the accident may be converted into a sliding movement, thereby advantageously reducing the energy input into the other vehicle involved in the accident.

[0036] In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the locking device 40 for the translation slide 35 of the translation device 30 is configured with a toggle lever kinematics mechanism 44. The toggle lever kinematics mechanism 44 comprises a toggle lever 41, one end of which is hinged to the translation slide 35. A second end of the toggle lever 41 is hinged to a first end of a toggle lever 42 in a joint 43. A second end of the toggle lever 42 is hinged to a bearing structure 37 of the motor vehicle.

[0037] As indicated in FIG. 3 by an arrow 39, the translation slide is guided translationally downwards in the bearing structure 37. In FIG. 3, movement of the translation slide 35 in the direction of the arrow 39 is prevented by the toggle lever kinematics mechanism 44.

[0038] At the joint 43 connecting the two toggle levers 41 and 42 together, a horizontally arranged lifting spindle shaft 46 engages. The lifting spindle shaft 46 can be displaced to the right by an electric motor drive 45 via interlocking threads not shown in greater detail in FIG. 3, as indicated in FIG. 3 by an arrow 48. The movement of the lifting spindle shaft 46 is initiated by a twist of the lifting spindle shaft 46 indicated in FIG. 3 by an arrow 47. Rotation 47, in turn, is initiated by the electromotive drive 45.

[0039] In FIG. 4, an arrow 49 indicates that the translation slide 35 is displaced downwards using the toggle lever kinematics mechanism 44 when the lifting spindle shaft 46 is displaced to the right by the electromotive drive 45 in FIG. 4.

[0040] The retraction of the rear spoiler can also be effected here, for example by expansion drive charge.

REFERENCE NUMBERS

[0041] 1 Motor vehicle [0042] 2 Rear spoiler [0043] 3 Two-wheeled rider [0044] 4 Sensor device [0045] 5 Rear [0046] 10 Translation device [0047] 12 Coupling element [0048] 13 End surface [0049] 14 Locking recess [0050] 15 Translation slide [0051] 16 Translation spring [0052] 17 Bearing structure [0053] 18 Blocking body [0054] 19 Blocking surface [0055] 20 Locking device [0056] 21 Locking element [0057] 22 Locking spring [0058] 23 Ring body [0059] 24 First sliding surface [0060] 25 Second sliding surface [0061] 26 Third sliding surface [0062] 27 Fourth sliding surface [0063] 28 Arrow [0064] 29 Arrow [0065] 30 Translation device [0066] 35 Translation slide [0067] 37 Bearing structure [0068] 39 Arrow [0069] 40 Locking device [0070] 41 Toggle lever [0071] 42 Toggle lever [0072] 43 Joint [0073] 44 Toggle lever kinematics mechanism [0074] 45 Drive [0075] 46 Lifting spindle shaft [0076] 47 Arrow [0077] 48 Arrow [0078] 49 Arrow