REAR SPOILER DEVICE FOR A VEHICLE

Abstract

A rear spoiler device (8) for a vehicle comprises an air-guiding element (9, 19), which can be moved between a retracted base position and a driving position and has a guiding surface (9d) for aerodynamically extending the contour of an exterior surface (4, 3) of the vehicle in the driving position. The air-guiding element (9) has a contact edge (9c) extending in a lateral direction (y) for contacting the exterior surface (4) of the vehicle (1) in the driving position, wherein the rear spoiler device (8) can be mounted completely on a rear door of the vehicle, the air-guiding element (9, 19) being designed in a multi-layer manner.

Claims

1. A rear spoiler device for a vehicle which has at least one rear door and, as external surfaces, side walls and a roof surface, wherein the rear spoiler device comprises: an air-guiding element which is adjustable between a retracted basic position and a travel position and a guiding surface to extend an external surface aerodynamically in the travel position, wherein the air-guiding element has a front abutment edge extending in a lateral direction for attachment or abutment to the external surface of the vehicle in the travel position, wherein the rear spoiler device can be completely fitted to the rear door, the air-guiding element is configured with a multi-layer design with at least one upper layer exhibiting the guiding surface and a lower layer, the air-guiding element is elastically reversibly deformable in a region which is external in the lateral direction for positioning between the rear door pivoted forward and a side wall of the vehicle, and the lower layer has a curved or arcuate profile in the laterally external region.

2. The rear spoiler device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the lower layer in a laterally internal region runs substantially parallel to the upper layer.

3. The rear spoiler device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the lower layer in the laterally external region has a curved or arcuate profile in the longitudinal direction.

4. The rear spoiler device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the upper layer and the lower layer are each configured as a planar, continuous material in the lateral direction and the longitudinal direction running from the front abutment edge to the rear edge of the air-guiding element.

5. The rear spoiler device as claimed in claim 1, wherein a gap is formed in the laterally external region between the lower layer and the upper layer, the width whereof varies in the lateral direction.

6. The rear spoiler device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the gap tapers in the outward lateral direction and/or a thickness of the air-guiding element as the distance between the lower layer and the upper layer decreases in the outward lateral direction.

7. The rear spoiler device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the gap is not sealed and is filled with air.

8. The rear spoiler device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the lower layer and the upper layer are connected to one another directly or indirectly in the laterally internal region in their front and rear end in the longitudinal direction in connecting mechanisms.

9. The rear spoiler device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the connecting mechanisms only extend in the laterally internal region.

10. The rear spoiler device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the lower layer is of arcuate or concave design and in precisely one curvature bulges away from the upper layer.

11. The rear spoiler device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the lower layer has a wavelike configuration and bulges away from the upper layer in a plurality of curvatures.

12. The rear spoiler device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the lower layer is configured as a spring device for the elastic resetting of the upper layer.

13. The rear spoiler device as claimed in claim 1, wherein during the deformation of the external region, the upper layer bends down in a planar manner and the lower layer bends down, thereby altering its curvature and producing a spring resetting force.

14. The rear spoiler device as claimed in claim 1, wherein it can be received between the rear door and the side wall in its basic position with the rear door pivoted forward, lockable to a side wall of the vehicle, with deformation of the external region of the air-guiding element.

15. The rear spoiler device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the air-guiding element is a roof air-guiding element which is adjustable from its upper travel position down into its basic position for abutment against or on the rear door, wherein the lateral direction is the vehicle transverse direction and the external region in the transverse direction is elastically reversibly deformable in a forward direction in the basic position when the rear door is folded forward.

16. The rear spoiler device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the air-guiding element can be bent in the external region relative to the internal region to an underside opposite the guiding surface, for abutment against a side wall of the vehicle when the rear door is pivoted forward.

17. The rear spoiler device as claimed in claim 1, wherein it has an adjustment device for adjusting the air-guiding element between the basic position and the travel position.

18. The rear spoiler device as claimed in claim 17, wherein the adjustment device is configured as a forced guide with only one degree of freedom for the adjustment of the roof air-guiding element between the basic position and the travel position.

19. The rear spoiler device as claimed in claim 17, wherein the adjustment device is configured as a four-link coupling with four links or joint axes, at least one large swing arm with a longer length and at least one smaller swing arm with a shorter length, wherein the large swing arm and the small swing arm each have a front link for attaching to a rear door of the vehicle and a rear link for attaching to the air-guiding element.

20. The rear spoiler device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the air-guiding element lies flat on the rear door in the basic position and/or on the adjustment device lying flat on the rear door.

21. A vehicle having two side walls, a roof surface and two rear doors which open backwards and can be pivoted forwards after opening for abutment and/or locking to the side walls, wherein a rear spoiler device as claimed in claim 1 is fastened to each rear door.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

[0035] The invention is described in greater detail below with reference to the accompanying figures, in which:

[0036] FIG. 1 shows a truck with a rear spoiler device according to an embodiment in the travel position, as a rear view;

[0037] FIG. 2 shows the detail A from FIG. 1;

[0038] FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of the right part of the rear spoiler device;

[0039] FIG. 4 shows a schematic side view depicting the backflow during travel;

[0040] FIG. 5 shows a plan view of the truck with the right rear door folded forwards;

[0041] FIG. 6 shows an enlargement of the detail B from FIG. 5;

[0042] FIG. 7 shows an embodiment of an adjustment device with a four-link coupling in a plurality of positions;

[0043] FIG. 8 depicts the laminar structure of the air-guiding element in schematized form;

[0044] FIG. 9 shows a perspective view of the rear spoiler device in a cross-sectional plane;

[0045] FIG. 10 shows the detail D from FIG. 9 with a plurality of alternative profile configurations;

[0046] FIG. 11 shows the roof air-guiding element from FIG. 9 with three sections and the profile representations in the sections; and

[0047] FIG. 12 shows a schematic representation of the vertical profile reduction in FIG. 11.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0048] Referring to the Figures, wherein like numerals indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views, a vehicle is generally shown at 1. The vehicle 1, in particular a truck 1, in accordance with FIG. 1 has a vehicle structure 2, two side walls 3, a roof surface 4 and two rear doors 5 which pivot open from the inside outwards. The two rear doors 5 are hinged to the vehicle structure 2 in their laterally external regions or regions external in the transverse direction y (laterally external) via hinges 6, for example, that can be seen from FIG. 6 and they can be pivoted open from the closed position (travel position) that can be seen in FIG. 1 through approximately 250° towards the rear and front, in order to be positioned against the side walls 3 and secured or locked.

[0049] A rear spoiler device 8 is fitted to each rear door 5, the spoiler device having a roof air-guiding element 9 for extending the contour of the roof surface 4 towards the rear, i.e. in the x direction, and an adjustment device 10 for adjusting the roof air-guiding element 9 between the travel position shown in FIG. 1 and a basic position folded down. Furthermore, each rear spoiler device 8 typically has a side air-guiding element 19.

[0050] The roof air-guiding element 9 is therefore used for the aerodynamic contour extension of the roof surface 4, in particular with a configuration falling away backwardly and downwardly; in this case, the upper side or else the air-guiding surface 9d of the roof air-guiding element 9 in the X direction or longitudinal direction may, in particular, be planar, but it may also have a curved profile, for example.

[0051] The roof air-guiding element 9 has an internal region 9a—in respect of the transverse direction y—to which an external region 9b in each case is attached laterally outwards, i.e. towards the side wall 3. The two internal regions 9a of the two roof air-guiding elements 9 therefore bear against one another towards the center of the vehicle; the external regions 9b point towards the side wall 3 in each case.

[0052] In the travel position that can be seen in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the roof air-guiding element 9 is of planar design having a profile falling away in a straight line towards the rear; its straight front abutment edge 9c therefore directly adjoins a rear roof edge 4a which may be formed by the roof surface 4 or also by the vehicle structure 2. Consequently, the kind of hole or gap 50 between the roof air-guiding element 9 and the vehicle 1 which is depicted in FIG. 4 and is generally disadvantageous in traditional systems is not created, or else a hole of this kind is avoided by a seal, so that there can be no backflow.

[0053] In the basic position, the roof air-guiding element 9 lies flat against the rear door 5; adjustment takes place via the adjustment device 10 and may be configured in a variety of ways. On the one hand, the adjustment device 10 may be configured by a pivot axis on the upper end region of the rear door 5, so that the roof air-guiding element 9 is fold-folded up or down for adjustment purposes. Alternatively to this, a four-link coupling may also be provided as the adjustment device 10, for example, which coupling, according to the schematic representation in FIG. 7, pivots the roof air-guiding element between the upper basic position positioned on the rear door 5 and the lower, extended travel position in an arcuate profile, wherein according to the embodiment in FIG. 7, the adjustment device 10 therefore has a long coupler 12 and a short coupler 14 (upper coupler), the distance and length whereof determine the pivot path and also the angle position in the travel position in respect of the roof surface 4.

[0054] The roof air-guiding element 9 is locked in its travel position by a first locking device 20 which, for example, may also be a tension/pressure rod 20 used for operation and adjustment, which is coupled to the adjustment device 10, for example, and is secured to the rear door 5 by a securing device 22, e.g. by a tiltable lever.

[0055] The first locking device 20 in the embodiment in FIG. 7 may be arranged with the four-link coupling directly on the long coupler/linkage 12 or also on the short coupler 14 and may adjust the roof air-guiding element 9 through adjustment of the long lower coupler 12, for example. In the configuration with the pivot axis, the locking device 20 may be directly in contact with the underside of the roof air-guiding element 9 or with an additional lever of a linkage.

[0056] The side air-guiding element 19 in turn adjoins with its front edge 19c a rear end of the side wall 3 or of the vehicle structure 2 without a gap, i.e. in a flush-fitting manner. The side air-guiding element 19 can be adjusted via a side adjustment device 29 between the extended travel position shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 and a folded-in basic position, wherein the side adjustment mechanism 29 may be configured in accordance with the adjustment device 10, i.e. either as a single pivot axis or as a four-link coupling. The configuration as a pivot axis is less material-intensive and therefore more cost-effective in principle; in the embodiment with a four-link coupling in accordance with FIG. 7, the side air-guiding element 19 pivots away further from the outer edge and the hinge-hinges 6 of the rear door 5.

[0057] Once the side air-guiding element 19 has been unlocked, it can be adjusted by hand, as it is easy to grip in its lower region and, furthermore, no adjustment takes place against gravity.

[0058] The hinge 6 of the rear door 5 may be moved slightly forwards in respect of the rear door 5, i.e. positioned in the region of the vehicle structure 2 in the longitudinal direction x in front of the rear door 5; with this kind of design of the rear region of the truck 1, the pivoting action during the opening of the rear door 5 can be improved.

[0059] The roof air-guiding element 9 is flexible or elastic in its external region 9b, so that in the basic position it does not prevent a subsequent pivoting out of the rear door 5 in accordance with FIGS. 5 and 6 in a forward direction for improved access to a loading space in front of the rear doors 5 and for the fixing of the rear door 5 to the side wall 3. The roof air-guiding element 9 is deformed during this forward-pivoting action of the rear door 5 and received between the rear door 5 and the side wall 3. In this case, the external region 9b which comes into abutment with the side wall, in particular, deforms, wherein the external region 9b is pressed towards the rear door 5. The internal region 9a in this case typically furthermore runs parallel to the rear door 5.

[0060] According to FIG. 8, the roof air-guiding element 9 is of multi-layer design, having an upper layer 39 which therefore forms the guiding surface 9d and at least one lower layer 40; the lower layer 40 may, for example, be formed as a multi-layer configuration or multi-strata configuration. The upper layer 39 is configured in the y extension or transverse extension in respect of the truck 1 in a straight manner and in the x extension, i.e. in the longitudinal direction of the truck 1, in accordance with the desired formation of the roof air-guiding element, i.e. in accordance with the embodiment shown in a straight line in the x direction too, so that the upper layer 39 in this case has a planar or flat configuration. The lower layer 40 is non-planar, i.e. curved, in the x direction or the longitudinal direction; it may be configured in a concave manner, for ex-example, or with a curvature 52 or also in a wavelike manner with a plurality of curvatures 52.

[0061] A gap 41 between the layers 39, 40 is not generally sealed; its gap thickness s varies in the longitudinal direction x.

[0062] Consequently, a design may in particular be chosen in which the lower layer 40 and the upper layer 39 run in parallel when the rear door 5 is in the folded-down state, i.e. when the roof air-guiding element 9 is reversibly deformed; the formation of the lower layer 40 may therefore be advantageously adapted to the deformation in the folded-down position.

[0063] The lower layer 40 therefore has a stiffening effect and acts as a spring or serves to pretension the upper layer 39. Consequently, it stiffens the upper layer 39 on account of the two-layer or multi-layer structure and acts as a resetting spring during deformation. The multi-layer construction with the gap 42 between the lower layer 39 and the upper layer 40 also allows greater deformability or else greater deformation distances; in particular, good deformability can be provided in the external region 9b.

[0064] The side air-guiding element 19 may have a correspondingly multi-layered design.

[0065] FIG. 9 shows a vertical sectional plane 60, i.e. xz plane, which, as the bending plane, is relevant to the bending behavior of the roof air-guiding element 9, wherein the circular detail D in FIG. 10 is shown in greater detail. This sectional plane corresponds to the section B-B in FIG. 11, wherein FIG. 11 shows three sections A-A, B-B and C-C. In FIG. 9 a seal 61 is attached on the right which, in particular, is also used for abutment to the side air-guiding element 19 and has no further relevance here in terms of functionality; the seal 61 in this case is advantageously fastened to the outer lateral edge of the upper layer 39 and is not further shown in FIG. 11.

[0066] The upper layer 39 runs according to FIGS. 9 to 12 over its entire lateral y extension and also in the x direction in a planar manner. In the laterally internal region 9a, the upper layer 39 and the lower layer 40 are connected to one another by, for example, a front strip 64 and a rear strip 63, e.g. bonded and/or framed or else received in a form-fitting manner. Conversely, in the laterally external region 9b, the layers 39, 49 are not connected to one another. The lower layer 40 runs in the internal region 9a parallel to the upper layer 39; in the laterally external region 9b the lower layer 40 is curved in the longitudinal direction x, for example with a curvature 52 according to the profile P1 in FIG. 10, i.e. concavely, or also in a wavelike manner according to profile P2 with two curvatures 52 or according to the profile P3 with four curvatures 52, wherein the curvatures each extend in the direction of the thickness, i.e. in the travel position in the vertical direction z and therefore in the lowered basic position in the longitudinal direction x.

[0067] In the sectional plane B-B, this curved form is therefore easy to identify; laterally, i.e. outwards in the y direction, the thickness d diminishes, i.e. the roof air-guiding element 9 tapers in an outward direction, in that the lower layer 40 runs up to the upper layer 39 according to the schematic representation in FIG. 12.

[0068] Consequently, when the rear door 5 is folded forward with the roof air-guiding element 9 positioned in the basic position, the lower layer 40 in the folding plane 60, i.e. in the hinge region, may perform a deformation, in particular fold down, wherein it changes its direction of curvature; changes of this kind are known from bent metal strips, for example, such as tape measures, for example, which possess a stiffness on account of their curvature and can be folded down reversibly against this stiffness in a bending line or bending plane. Because the lower layer 40 in the folding plane 60 is no longer framed at the front and rear, it can expand during bending or folding-down in its longitudinal extension, i.e. balance the dimensional change due to the folding-down from the curved form.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

[0069] 1 Vehicle, truck [0070] 2 Vehicle structure [0071] 3 Side wall [0072] 4 Roof surface [0073] 4a Rear roof edge [0074] 5 Rear door [0075] 6 Hinge [0076] 8 Rear spoiler device [0077] 9 Roof air-guiding element [0078] 10 Adjustment device for adjusting the roof air-guiding element 9 [0079] 19 Side air-guiding element [0080] 9a Internal region [0081] 9b External region [0082] 9c Front abutment edge [0083] 9d Guiding surface [0084] 12 Long coupler [0085] 14 Short coupler [0086] 20 First locking device, compression-tension rod [0087] 22 Securing device [0088] 29 Side adjustment device for side air-guiding element 19 [0089] 39 Upper layer [0090] 40 Lower layer [0091] 41 Gap [0092] 50 Gap or space [0093] 52 Curvature [0094] 60 Folding plane [0095] 64 Front strip [0096] 63 Rear strip [0097] d Thickness [0098] s Gap thickness [0099] X Longitudinal direction [0100] Y Lateral direction, transverse direction [0101] Z Vertical direction