Air-governing device for governing an air flow into a vehicle

Abstract

An air-governing device (10) for governing an air flow into a vehicle (100) has a main body (20) with an installation section (22) for fastening to a body of the vehicle (100) and an air opening (24). At least one slat (30) is mounted on the main body (20) for movement between a closed position (SP) closing the air opening (24) and an open position (OP) opening the air opening (24). A drive device (40) is fastened to the main body (20) and generates a moving force for the slat (30). A lever mechanism (50) forms an operative connection between the drive device (40) and the at least one slat (30). The lever mechanism (50) has at least one drive lever (52) operatively connected to the drive device (40) in a torque-transmitting manner and fastened in an end position (EP) of a keyhole opening (26) in the main body (20).

Claims

1. An air-governing device for governing an air flow into a vehicle, comprising: a main body with at least one installation section for fastening the main body to a body of the vehicle; an air opening formed through the main body, at least one slat mounted on the main body and being movable between a closed position where the at least one slat closes the air opening and an open position where the at least one slat opens the air opening; a drive device fastened to the main body for generating a moving force for the at least one slat; and a lever mechanism forming an operative connection between the drive device and the at least one slat, the lever mechanism having at least one drive lever that is operatively connected in a torque-transmitting manner to the drive device and is fastened in an end position of a keyhole opening in the main body.

2. The air-governing device of claim 1, wherein the lever mechanism has a connecting lever between the drive lever and the at least one slat, the connecting lever being mounted rotatably on the main body with an axis of rotation parallel to an axis of rotation of the drive lever.

3. The air-governing device of claim 1, wherein the main body has at least one fastening rib at an edge region of the keyhole opening for fastening the drive lever.

4. The air-governing device of claim 1, wherein the drive lever has a radial extent that extends at least in sections beyond an edge of the keyhole opening on two opposed sides of the keyhole opening.

5. The air-governing device of claim 1, wherein the drive lever has a bearing component fastened to the main body and a lever component mounted on the bearing component for rotation about a rotation axis.

6. The air-governing device of claim 1, wherein the main body has at least one reinforcing section for increasing torsional rigidity of the main body in proximity to the keyhole opening.

7. The air-governing device of claim 1, wherein the main body has at least one sliding section downstream of the at least one slat in an air flow direction, the at least one sliding section having a sharp-cornered and/or rounded design with respect to body components of the vehicle that are downstream in the air flow direction.

8. The air-governing device of claim 1, wherein the at least one slat has at least one supporting tab for supporting a rotatable fastening to the main body and to a central web for stabilizing the at least one slat.

9. The air-governing device of claim 1, wherein the at least one slat is constructed from a carrier and a cover, the cover covering a surface of the carrier that is directed outward with respect to the vehicle when the at least one slat is in the closed position.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a front view of an air-governing device in an open position.

(2) FIG. 2 shows the embodiment of FIG. 1 with the slats in a closed position.

(3) FIG. 3 is a rear view of the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2.

(4) FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the air-governing device and the lever mechanism thereof.

(5) FIG. 5 shows the air-governing device of FIGS. 1 to 4 without the connecting lever.

(6) FIG. 6 is a rear view of the air-governing device of FIG. 5.

(7) FIG. 7 illustrates the keyhole opening without the drive lever.

(8) FIG. 8 is a lateral section through the drive lever in the end position.

(9) FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view of a sliding section of the air-governing device.

(10) FIG. 10 is a lateral section through a two-part slat.

(11) FIG. 11 is a cross section through of a supporting tab.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(12) An air-governing device 10 in accordance with the invention is arranged on a vehicle 100, as shown in FIGS. 1-3. The air-governing device 10 has a main body 20 with an air opening 24, as shown in FIG. 3. The main body 20 functions to fasten the entire module of the air-guiding device 10 to the body of the vehicle 100. For this purpose, installation sections 22 permit a defined positioning and/or fastening of the air-guiding device 10 to the vehicle 100. FIG. 1 shows three slats 30 of the air-guiding device 10 in an open position OP for the admission of air LR, while FIG. 2 shows the slats 30 in the closed position SP. The air-governing device 10 can function, for example, to supply cooling air LR to a cooling device.

(13) The air-governing device 10 has a central web 34 that is fastened to the main body 20, as shown in FIG. 3. The central web 34 provides bearing positions in the center for the slats 30 to permit greater stability for positioning of the slats 30. An electromotive drive device 40 is fastened at the right end to the main body 20. A lever mechanism 50 is provided on the rear of the main body 20 and is assigned to the slats 30. The lever mechanism 50 includes a drive lever 52 and a connecting lever 54, which are explained in more detail below with reference to FIG. 4.

(14) The main body 20 has a keyhole opening 26, as shown in FIG. 4. A drive lever 52 initially is inserted into the wide lower section of the keyhole opening 26 shown in FIG. 7, and then is displaced up to an end position EP, as shown in FIG. 6, to complete the two main installation steps during assembly of the air-governing device 10. During this upward displacement, a fastening rib 27 of the main body 20 is displaced in an elastically deforming manner and latches as the drive lever 52 reaches the end position EP.

(15) As can be gathered from FIG. 4, the connecting lever 54 has an intersection for receiving the drive force from the drive lever 52. The drive force subsequently is divided between the three slats 30 on corresponding parallel axes of rotation of the slats 30.

(16) The drive lever 52 has a bearing component 52a and a lever component 52b that is located in the end position EP of the keyhole opening 26, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. The drive lever 52 protrudes radially laterally over the edge of the keyhole opening 26 on both sides of the keyhole opening 26, as shown in FIG. 8, to define the end position EP both axially and radially.

(17) The air-governing device 10 can move with respect to the body of the vehicle 100 in the event of a crash from the front or rear, as illustrated in FIG. 9. The relative movement is illustrated with the large arrow and leads to the sliding section 28 striking against the body of the vehicle 100. The sliding section 28 has a sharp-cornered or rounded shape that will slide on the component of the body of the vehicle 100 thereby reducing damage to a minimum.

(18) FIG. 10 is a lateral cross section that illustrates how a slat 30 can be constructed from a carrier component 36 and a covering component 38. The carrier component 36 is produced from a mechanically stable plastic and functions as a mechanical reinforcing structure. The covering component 38 is thin and is applied to the carrier component 36. Hence, the covering component 38 has little inherent mechanical stability and serves for creating a visually attractive surface.

(19) FIG. 11 shows a possibility of positioning of the slats 30 with the aid of a supporting tab 32 that is elastic or flexible. Thus, the supporting tab 32 can deform elastically when the corresponding rotation mounting is fit and can subsequently latch in. In the latched-in position according to FIG. 11, the supporting tab 32 prevents sliding out of the corresponding rotation mounting on the central web 34 in FIG. 11.

(20) The above explanation of the embodiments describes the present invention exclusively within the scope of examples. Of course, individual features of the embodiments can be freely combined with one another, if technically expedient, without departing from the scope of the present invention.