Transmission element for a motor vehicle

Abstract

A transmission element for a controllable air inlet of a motor vehicle and configured to produce a pivoting movement to pivotably mounted closing elements. Each closing element is connected by a link part which is arranged outside the pivot axis, to a corresponding link element of the transmission element (Ü).

Claims

1. A transmission arrangement for a radiator grille of a motor vehicle, the radiator grille including a frame, a strut which separates air passage openings of the radiator grill from each other, and a controllable air inlet having at least one closing element mounted for pivoting movement about a pivot axis, the transmission arrangement comprising: a transmission element mounted to the strut for displaceable movement relative thereto in both a rectilinear and a curved direction which controls the pivoting movement of the at least one closing element, the transmission element comprising a single plastic component having at least one elongate transmission element body with a tapering web and a link member arranged at a connection region of the tapering web in a flexible elastic manner, the link member being connected to the at least one closing element via a pin member arranged outside the pivot axis of the at least one closing element in a manner permitting the pivoting movement of the at least one closing element during the displacement movement of the transmission element.

2. The transmission arrangement of claim 1, wherein the transmission element is mounted displaceably for movement in a direction of extension of the strut.

3. The transmission arrangement of claim 1, wherein the at least one elongate transmission element body is configured to transmit tensile forces and shearing forces.

4. The transmission arrangement of claim 1, wherein the link member comprises a receptacle configured to receive the pin member of the closing element.

5. A transmission element for controlling movement of an air inlet of a motor vehicle, the air inlet including at least one closing element mounted for pivoting movement about a pivot axis, the transmission element comprising: a transmission element body comprising a single plastic component having at least one elongate transmission element body with a tapering web and a link member arranged at a connection region of the tapering web in a flexible elastic manner, the link member being connected to the at least one closing element via a pin member arranged outside the pivot axis of the at least one closing element in a manner permitting the pivoting movement of the at least one closing element during the displacement movement of the transmission element.

6. A transmission element for controlling movement of an air inlet of a motor vehicle, the air inlet including at least one closing element mounted for pivoting movement about a pivot axis, the transmission element comprising: a transmission element body comprising a single plastic component having at least one elongate transmission element body with a web member and a link member arranged at a connection region of the web member in a flexible elastic manner, the link member comprising a pin receptacle to receive a pin member arranged outside the pivot axis of the at least one closing element in a manner permitting the pivoting movement of the at least one closing element during the displacement movement of the transmission element, wherein the web member is tapered in a direction of the pin receptacle.

Description

DRAWINGS

(1) Embodiments are described by way of example below with reference to the drawings.

(2) FIG. 1 illustrates a frame of a radiator grille with air passage openings, an in accordance with embodiments.

(3) FIG. 2 illustrates a transmission element, in accordance with embodiments.

(4) FIG. 3 illustrates a transmission and a slat of a radiator grill, in accordance with embodiments.

DESCRIPTION

(5) FIG. 1 illustrates a frame of a radiator grille KG having air passage openings LF. The air passage openings LF are assigned a plurality of closing elements in the form of slats SL each mounted about a pivot axis SA.

(6) Each pivot axis SA in the air passage openings LF extends at an angle relative to other pivot axes. In particular, the pivot axes SA in the air passage openings LF do not lie in a common spatial plane. The air passage openings LF, the associated planes, may intersect at an angle in a direction of travel of the motor vehicle. In this case, the frame KG supporting the closing slats SL in a pivotably mounted manner is either arranged directly in the radiator grille of the vehicle on a side facing away from the design region of the radiator grille, or is arranged downstream in the bodywork itself.

(7) The centre of the frame of the radiator grille KG has a strut S which separates the air passage openings LF from each other. The corresponding ends of the slat SL are mounted pivotably in the strut S. A transmission element Ü is mounted displaceably in a direction of the extension of the strut S. As illustrated in FIG. 3, the transmission element Ü is connected to each of the closing slats SL via one pin Z in each case which is arranged outside the pivot axis SA and points in the direction of the transmission element.

(8) The transmission element U may be manufactured as a single-piece plastic/polymer part and is structurally composed of individual bodies K of semi-monocoque shape or U-shape. The individual bodies K are operatively connected to one another by one pair of connecting webs ST in each case, in which the centre of each connecting web ST has a pin receptacle ZA as the link element. The webs ST of the associated body K are designed to taper in the direction of the pin receptacle ZA, and therefore, each pin receptacle ZA is mounted in a flexurally elastic manner in relation to the transmission element formed by the bodies K.

(9) The transmission element Ü is adequately stiff in terms of compression and tension by way of the design thereof, but at the same time is also flexible in terms of torsion and bending. Therefore, the transmission element Ü can act in a displacing manner both in a rectilinear and in a curved direction, i.e. in particular on a strut S which, as illustrated in FIG. 1, extends in a curved manner in relation to the plane of the drawing. The individual pin receptacles ZA as link elements arranged between the bodies K enable adaptation corresponding to the flexural elasticity to closing slats SL (the pins Z thereof) which are also not mounted perpendicularly to the direction of extension of the transmission element Ü.

(10) Although embodiments have been described herein, it should be understood that numerous other modifications and embodiments can be devised by those skilled in the art that will fall within the spirit and scope of the principles of this disclosure. More particularly, various variations and modifications are possible in the component parts and/or arrangements of the subject combination arrangement within the scope of the disclosure, the drawings and the appended claims. In addition to variations and modifications in the component parts and/or arrangements, alternative uses will also be apparent to those skilled in the art.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

(11) KG Radiator grille, frame

(12) LF Air passage opening

(13) SA Pivot axis (closing element, closing slat, slat)

(14) S Strut

(15) Ü Transmission element

(16) K Body (transmission element)

(17) ST Web

(18) ZA Pin receptacle

(19) Z Pin (closing element, closing slat, slat)

(20) SL Closing element, closing slat, slat