AIR GUIDE FOR A VEHICLE FRONT STRUCTURE

Abstract

An air guide for a vehicle front structure, the air guide is mountable on the vehicle front structure and is configured to redirect an incoming air flow towards a cooling device of the vehicle, the air guide including: a frame portion including a fixation portion having mounting elements for mechanical fixation to a vehicle structure when mounted for use, the frame portion is adapted to reinforce the air guide and define the general shape of the air guide, an air guide material, wherein the frame portion is over-molded with the air-guide material, wherein the stiffness of the frame portion is higher than the stiffness of the air guide material.

Claims

1. An air guide for a vehicle front structure, the air guide is mountable on the vehicle front structure and is configured to redirect an incoming air flow towards a cooling device of the vehicle, the air guide comprising: a frame portion comprising a fixation portion having mounting elements for mechanical fixation to a vehicle structure when mounted for use, the frame portion is adapted to reinforce the air guide and define the general shape of the air guide, and an air guide material, wherein the frame portion is over-molded with the air-guide material, wherein the stiffness of the frame portion is higher than the stiffness of the air guide material.

2. The air guide according to claim 1, wherein the frame portion comprises a plastic material and the air guide material comprises thermoplastic elastomer and/or a rubber material.

3. The air guide according to claim 1, wherein the frame portion comprises a plurality of interconnected elongated ribs separated by gaps larger than the width (w, w) of the elongated ribs.

4. The air guide according to claim 1, wherein the frame portion comprises a pattern of reinforcing structures.

5. The air guide according to claim 1, wherein the fixation portion is adapted to be arranged down stream of the incoming air flow compared to the location of an opposite air flow receiving portion, wherein the average stiffness of the air guide is higher on the frame portion side of the air guide compared to the stiffness of the air flow receiving portion.

6. The air guide according to claim 1, wherein the fixation portion is adapted to be mountable facing towards the cooling device of the vehicle such that the less stiff side faces in a forward direction of the vehicle, when in use.

7. A vehicle comprising a cooling device and an air guide according to claim 1.

8. A method for manufacturing an air guide configured to redirect an incoming air flow towards a cooling device of the vehicle, the method comprising: providing a frame portion comprising a fixation portion having mounting elements for mechanical fixation to a vehicle part when mounted for use, the frame portion is adapted to reinforce the air guide and define the general shape of the air guide, and over-molding the frame portion with an air guide material, wherein the stiffness of the frame portion is higher than the stiffness of the air guide material.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the frame portion is manufactured by injection molding.

10. The method according to claim 8, comprising: providing a machine configured to produce injection molding articles, manufacturing the frame portion in the machine, and over-molding the frame portion with the air guide material using the machine.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the over-molding the frame portion with the air guide material using the machine is performed without removing the frame portion from the machine before the over-molding step is performed.

12. The method according to claim 8, wherein the frame portion comprises a plurality of interconnected elongated ribs separated by gaps larger than the width of the elongated ribs.

13. The method according to claim 8, wherein the frame portion comprises a pattern of reinforcing structures.

14. The method according to claim 8, wherein the frame portion comprises a plastic material and the air guide material comprises thermoplastic elastomer and/or a rubber material.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] These and other aspects of the present invention will now be described in more detail, with reference to the appended drawings showing example embodiments of the invention, wherein:

[0032] FIG. 1 conceptually illustrates a vehicle including an air guide and a cooling device;

[0033] FIG. 2 is a close up view of the vehicle front structure included in FIG. 1;

[0034] FIG. 3A conceptually illustrates an example air guide according to embodiments of the invention;

[0035] FIG. 3B is a cross-section of the example air guide illustrated in FIG. 3A;

[0036] FIG. 4A conceptually illustrates an example pattern of reinforcement structures for an air guide according to embodiments of the invention;

[0037] FIG. 4B conceptually illustrates an example pattern of reinforcement structures for an air guide according to embodiments of the invention;

[0038] FIG. 4c conceptually illustrates an example pattern of reinforcement structures for an air guide according to embodiments of the invention;

[0039] FIG. 4D conceptually illustrates an example pattern of reinforcement structures for an air guide according to embodiments of the invention;

[0040] FIG. 5 conceptually illustrate a manufacturing flow for manufacturing an air guide; and

[0041] FIG. 6 is a flow chart of method steps according to embodiments of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0042] In the present detailed description, various embodiments of the system according to the present invention are mainly described with reference to a vehicle in the form of a car. However, the present invention may equally be used with other vehicles such as trucks, buses, etc., having need of an air guide. Thus, this invention may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided for thoroughness and completeness, and to fully convey the scope of the invention to the skilled person. Like reference characters refer to like elements throughout.

[0043] FIG. 1 shows a vehicle 100 including a vehicle front structure 101. FIG. 2 illustrates a close-up view of the vehicle front structure in FIG. 1. The vehicle 100 includes a cooling device 110 arranged in the front structure 101. The cooling device 110 (e.g. a radiator) is generally used for cooling an engine or other areas such as the air conditioning functionality of the vehicle 100 by providing cooled fluid to the vehicle engine (or other areas). In one possible implementation, the engine exchanges heat with a cooling fluid, which thereby transports the heated cooling fluid back to the cooling device 110. In the cooling device 110, the cooling fluid is again cooled, and the cooling is at least partly accomplished by airflow from the forward direction of the vehicle. The airflow is generated when the vehicle 100 is travelling.

[0044] In this example vehicle 100 is a shutter unit 108 arranged in front of the cooling device 110, with regards to the forward travelling direction of the vehicle 100, to control the air flow to the cooling device 110. The shutter unit 108, may for example prevent the air flow from reaching the cooling device 110, or allow the air flow to flow through the shutter unit 108 and towards the cooling device 110. The shutter unit 108 may include flaps 109 (see FIG. 2) having a generally rectangular cross-section that are arranged to redirect the air flow (e.g. prevent or allow the air flow to pass to the cooling unit 110). The flaps are rotatable about an axis for preventing or allowing air to pass through the shutter unit 108. In this particular example is the shutter unit 108 and the air guide 102 arranged below a crash beam 112 of the vehicle front structure 101. The shutter unit 108 may also gradually control the amount of air flow that reaches the cooling device 110.

[0045] An air guide 102 in accordance with the inventive concept is arranged to redirect the air flow (indicated by arrows 114) coming from the forward traveling direction towards the shutter unit 108. The air guide 102 includes a frame portion 105 and an air guide material 103 and will be described in more detail with reference to subsequent drawings.

[0046] The air guide 102 may have a funnel shape (i.e. tapered shape) with the narrower side arranged towards the shutter unit 108. The air guide 102 may further be arranged with an air tight seal between the shutter unit 108 and the air guide such that air flow does not leak passed the shutter unit 108 when the shutter unit 108 is closed.

[0047] In front of the shutter unit 108 and the air guide 104 there may be a grill (not shown) which is air permeable to allow the air flow to flow through the grille towards the air guide 102.

[0048] FIG. 3A conceptually illustrates an example air guide 300 according to embodiments of the invention and a cross-section of the air guide 300 is shown in FIG. 3B. The air guide 300 includes a frame portion 301 having a fixation portion 302. The fixation portion includes mounting elements 304 for allowing the air guide 300 to be mechanically fixated to a vehicle structure. The mounting elements may be provided in various forms.

[0049] Attachment means for attaching an air guide to a vehicle is known per se to the skilled person. The mounting elements are in this example embodiment illustrated as a plurality of flanges 304 configured as catches to be connected to a vehicle structure. The air guide 300 may further be attached using bolts or screws, or clips, tightened/attached to a vehicle structure. The vehicle structure may for example be the vehicle chassis, the shutter, or a beam. In some possible implementations is the shutter 108 and the air guide 300 integrated as a single unit.

[0050] The frame portion 301 is over-molded with an air guide material 303. The stiffness of the frame portion 301 is higher than the stiffness of the air guide material 303. Thus, the frame portion 301 defines the general shape of the air guide 300 and additionally reinforces the air guide 300 by its higher stiffness than the air guide material 303.

[0051] In the example embodiment shown in FIG. 3A-B, the frame portion 301 includes a plurality of interconnected elongated ribs 305 (not all are numbered) separated by gaps 307. A transverse rib 309 is connected to the ribs 305 for interconnecting them. The gaps 307 (only one is numbered) between the ribs 305 are larger than the width (w, w) of the ribs 305, 309, on at least a portion of the air guide (i.e. not necessarily across the entire air guide 300). Thus, the ribs 305 separated by the gaps 307 provides for a larger amount of air guide material 303 compared to the amount of frame portion 301 material, thereby providing an air guide 300 with relatively low stiffness but still with maintained shape for normal operation for redirecting air.

[0052] The fixation portion 302 is adapted to be arranged down stream of the incoming air flow (114, se FIG. 2) compared to the location of an opposite air flow receiving portion 322. Thereby, the average stiffness of the air guide 300 is higher on the frame portion side 320 of the air guide compared to the stiffness of the air flow receiving portion 322.

[0053] The example air guide 300 illustrated in FIG. 3A-B includes elongated ribs 305 and 309 which form a generally rectangular pattern, i.e. the gaps 307 are generally rectangular. For instance, at least some of the ribs 305 may be parallel. However, many other configurations of the elongated ribs are possible.

[0054] For example, the frame portion may include reinforcement structures such as ribs in a pattern as is illustrated in FIGS. 4A-D, over molded with the air guide material 303. The pattern of ribs may be designed to provide desirable physical properties such that a desirable behavior is obtained in the event of a crash collapsing the air guide 400.

[0055] FIG. 4a illustrates a frame portion 401a including a pattern of reinforcement structures 306 in the form of ribs 306. The pattern of the ribs 306 is a rectangular pattern which is rotated by an angle with respect to the ribs 305 of the air guide 300 in FIG. 3. Thus, the frame portion pattern may be rotated but still provide the desired function.

[0056] FIG. 4B illustrates a further possible pattern for a frame portion 401b including a rectangular pattern in which some of the rectangles of the pattern have been displaced with respect to others. For example, a first row 406 of rectangles is displaced with respect to the adjacent row 407, thereby causing rectangles to partly overlap.

[0057] FIG. 4C illustrates a further possible pattern for a frame portion 401c including pattern of reinforcement structures 306a with circular or oval shape which are interconnected by straight segments of reinforcement structures 306b.

[0058] FIG. 4d illustrates a further possible pattern for a frame portion 401d including polygonal portions of reinforcement structures 306c interconnected by straight segments of reinforcement structures 306b.

[0059] Accordingly, the frame portion in accordance with the inventive concept may be provided in various shapes and forms.

[0060] It is further noted that the frame portions illustrated herein are illustrated to be visible through or on the air guide material. However, the frame portion may equally well be fully embedded in the air guide material.

[0061] The frame portion in the above embodiments may include a plastic material and the air guide material may include a thermoplastic elastomer and/or a rubber material.

[0062] FIG. 5 schematically illustrates a manufacturing flow for manufacturing an air guide according to the inventive concept. Firstly (S202) is a machine 500 provided configured to produce injection molding articles. Next, in step S204 is the frame portion (e.g. frame portion 301) manufactured using the machine. Subsequently, in step S206 is the frame portion over-molded in the same injection molding machine with an air guide material 303. The frame portion 301 may advantageously be manufactured and over-molded with the air guide material in a single manufacturing flow without the need for removing the frame portion from the injection molding machine 500. The molding machine 500 may be a so-called two component injection molding machine.

[0063] For instance, first is a frame portion produced from a plastic material, and subsequently is the frame portion over-molded with the air guide material which may be a thermoplastic elastomer or a rubber material, advantageously but not necessarily without removing the frame portion from the injection molding machine.

[0064] FIG. 6 is a flow-chart of method steps according to embodiments of the invention. In step S102 is a frame portion is provided including a fixation portion having mounting elements for mechanical fixation to a vehicle part when mounted for use, the frame portion is adapted to reinforce the air guide and define the general shape of the air guide. Subsequently is the frame portion over-molded S104 with an air guide material, wherein the stiffness of the frame portion is higher than the stiffness of the air guide material.

[0065] The person skilled in the art realizes that the present invention by no means is limited to the preferred embodiments described above. On the contrary, many modifications and variations are possible within the scope of the appended claims.

[0066] In the claims, the word comprising does not exclude other elements or steps, and the indefinite article a or an does not exclude a plurality. A single processor or other unit may fulfill the functions of several items recited in the claims. The mere fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measured cannot be used to advantage. Any reference signs in the claims should not be construed as limiting the scope.