Air Inlet Assembly

Abstract

The invention relates to an air intake assembly of a front trim (11) of a vehicle (10), comprising: an air intake element (2) having at least one air intake opening (3), and at least one adjustable damper (4), the damper being movable into an open position and a closed position, the damper (4) releasing the air intake opening (3) in the open position and closing the air intake opening (3) in the closed position, and the damper (4) being constructed in two parts and having two flip elements (41, 42) that can be adjusted in opposite directions.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an air intake assembly and a vehicle comprising the same. In particular, the present invention relates to an air intake assembly having a damper for improved air supply and aerodynamics. Background Art

[0002] Air inlet assemblies for vehicles, such as radiator grilles, are known from the prior art. Such air inlet assemblies partially have flaps in order to reduce the flow through the air inlet. This is intended to improve the aerodynamics and air supply of the vehicle. However, in such known air inlet assemblies, the maximum reduction potential of the air resistance coefficient cannot be fully utilized and the air supply is often limited by small flaps. Summary of the invention

[0003] It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an air inlet assembly which allows improved air supply and aerodynamics while taking up a small installation space.

[0004] The object is therefore achieved by an air intake assembly for a front panel of a vehicle, comprising an air intake element and at least one adjustable damper. The air intake element has at least one air intake opening for allowing air to pass through the front panel. The air intake element can be, for example, a frame-shaped element of the front panel, such as a radiator grille. Thus, preferably, the air intake opening allows cooling air to be supplied to the radiator and / or fresh air to be supplied to the internal combustion engine or the fuel cell.

[0005] Here, the damper can be moved into an open position and a closed position. In the open position, the damper releases the air inlet opening so that air can flow through the air inlet opening. Here, the following arrangement of the damper is regarded as the open position, in which both a complete opening and a partial opening of the air inlet opening are possible. Preferably, when the damper is in the open position, the angle of attack of the damper is adjustable. That is to say, the air inlet opening can be partially opened. As a result, the volume flow and / or the flow direction of the air flow can be adjusted in order to obtain a flexibly adaptable air supply, for example, depending on the cooling air demand of the vehicle. In the closed position, the damper closes the air inlet opening so that no air can flow in through the air inlet opening. As a result, in the closed state, the air inlet component is circumvented, so that particularly good aerodynamics are achieved.

[0006] Furthermore, the air flap is designed in two parts. Here, the air flap has exactly two adjustable, in particular plate-shaped, flipping elements. The two flipping elements together close the air inlet opening. The two flipping elements can be adjusted in opposite directions. That is, preferably one of the flipping elements can be flipped upwards away from the air inlet opening and the other flipping element can be flipped downwards away from the air inlet opening. In particular, the depth of the air inlet assembly, i.e. the extension in the direction of travel, can thereby be kept particularly small, since the air flap in the open position requires less free installation space than, for example, a one-piece air flap.

[0007] Advantageously, the air inlet arrangement comprises an adjusting device designed for adjusting the air flap and a control device designed for controlling the adjusting device. It is particularly advantageous here that the control device is designed for controlling the adjusting device as a function of the driving state of the vehicle, wherein the air flap is moved into an open position, in particular in the case of a high cooling air demand, while the air flap remains in a closed position in the case of a low or no cooling air demand. This allows a particularly efficient driving operation of the vehicle.

[0008] Preferably, the air inlet assembly also includes an environmental sensor, which is arranged on the vehicle side of the air inlet element, that is, on the side of the air inlet element opposite to the direction of travel. For example, the environmental sensor is a radar sensor or a lidar sensor. When the damper is in the closed position, the damper is arranged in the field of view of the environmental sensor. By moving the damper into the open position, in particular when fully opened, the field of view of the environmental sensor is released, which advantageously points forward in the direction of travel. The damper can thus not only regulate the air supply, but also release and block the field of view of the environmental sensor. As a result, the damper provides protection for the environmental sensor in particular, for example when the vehicle is stationary. In addition, the two-piece design of the damper with the flip element that can be adjusted in opposite directions has the advantage that a particularly large field of view of the environmental sensor can be released by opening the damper. For example, since the two flip elements can be pivoted in opposite directions away from the field of view of the environmental sensor, there is no obstacle in this field of view when the damper is in the open position.

[0009] In the closed position, the damper is preferably arranged flush with the frontmost face of the air inlet element with respect to the direction of travel of the vehicle. That is, in the closed state, the damper is located in the frontmost possible face of the air inlet element. Particularly preferably, when the damper is in the closed position, the frontmost face of the air inlet element forms a uniform face. A face without a significantly protruding element, such as a rib, is preferably considered to be a uniform face here. In particular, if the face does not have a protruding element that protrudes more than 10 mm, especially more than 3 mm, from the frontmost face, the face is considered to be a uniform face. That is to say, for example, a geometric structure, such as a design element, that protrudes slightly, i.e., protrudes at most 10 mm, preferably at most 3 mm, can also be arranged on such a uniform frontmost face. The frontmost face can preferably be a plane or can also be convexly curved. By arranging the damper flush with the frontmost face of the air inlet element, the air inlet assembly produces particularly good aerodynamics in the closed state, because such an optimized frontal face of the front fascia can achieve a particularly low air resistance coefficient.

[0010] Preferably, the air flap is arranged completely on the side of the frontmost surface opposite to the direction of travel in the open position. This is achieved, for example, by the two tilting elements of the air flap tilting inwards on the vehicle side when moving from the closed position to the open position. That is, when the air flap is in the open position, the air flap does not protrude beyond the frontmost surface in the direction of travel, but is arranged completely on the vehicle side of the front trim. This allows advantageous aerodynamics of the air intake assembly to be achieved even in the open position.

[0011] The air inlet element preferably has at least two air inlet openings arranged side by side, which are separated from each other by at least one tab located between the two air inlet openings. Advantageously, a damper is provided for each air inlet opening. In this case, the damper preferably ends flush with the tab in the closed position, and the tab is also preferably arranged flush with the frontmost face of the air inlet element. Advantageously, the air inlet assembly can include a second damper of one-piece construction in addition to the two-piece damper. The one-piece second damper is preferably constructed here for releasing and closing the second air inlet opening. The adjustment of multiple dampers is carried out independently of each other or coupled to each other. The coupled adjustment of all dampers provides a particularly simple and cost-effective structure of the air inlet assembly. On the contrary, by adjusting the dampers independently of each other, a particularly flexible and demand-compliant adaptation of the air flow through the air inlet assembly can be achieved.

[0012] Preferably, the two flip elements of the air door can be respectively arranged to flip around a flip axis. The flip axis is particularly arranged horizontally. Particularly preferably, the two flip axes of the corresponding flip elements are parallel to each other. It is particularly advantageous here that the air inlet opening extends elongatedly and also extends in the horizontal direction. The flip axis can be respectively arranged on an edge of a flip element, especially a plate-shaped flip element. Therefore, a door-like structure of an adjustable flip element can be achieved, which is particularly simple and reliable due to the small number of components. Particularly preferably, the flip axis is arranged outside the air inlet opening. For example, the flip axis can be arranged in a tab for this purpose. Since the flip axis is arranged outside the air inlet opening, that is, it is arranged next to the air inlet opening, not only a simple structure of the air inlet assembly is achieved, but also the air door can be completely pivoted away from the area of ​​the air inlet opening in the open position, so that air can flow through the air inlet opening unhindered.

[0013] Furthermore, it is advantageous if the flip axis is offset backwards from the closing face of the flip element by a predefined distance. Here, the flip axis is preferably arranged in alignment with the inlet opening in the horizontal direction, i.e., arranged within a projection of the air inlet opening parallel to the direction of travel. In this case, the flip element of the damper can be pivoted about the corresponding flip axis, wherein preferably the closing face of the flip element, which in the closed position particularly preferably ends flush with the frontmost face, is respectively arranged at a predefined distance from the flip axis. It is advantageous if the flip elements each have a holding arm for pivotably holding the flip element, which holding arm extends from the flip axis to the ends of the closing face of the flip element, which are arranged respectively with respect to the horizontal line and transversely to the direction of travel. This design enables a very space-saving air inlet assembly, wherein the maximum opening of the air inlet opening can still be achieved.

[0014] It is particularly advantageous if the predefined distance of the flip axis from the respective closing face is at least 40% and at most 70% of the vertical height of the air inlet opening. Thus, a particularly space-saving arrangement can be provided, in which the closing face of the flip element can be completely pivoted away from the region aligned with the air inlet opening, so that air can flow through the air inlet opening unhindered. If the flip element of the damper is pivoted, for example, by 90° about the flip axis from the closed position into the open position, the closing face of the flip element is located outside the region aligned with the air inlet opening due to the special distance situation in the closed position.

[0015] In addition, it is advantageous that the air inlet assembly also includes at least one second damper, which is configured to release and close the second air inlet opening. The second damper has a plurality of sliding elements that can slide into each other telescopically. These sliding elements are embedded in each other, for example, so that they slide into the area beside the air inlet opening substantially parallel to the frontmost surface in the open position. As an alternative, the second damper has a plurality of sheets that can be rolled up like a roller blind. These rollable sheets can be rolled up around a winding shaft similar to a roller blind, and the winding shaft is arranged outside the area aligned with the air inlet opening. Other advantageous design possibilities of the second damper are thus generated, wherein all types of dampers and all types of opening and closing mechanisms can also be arbitrarily combined with each other according to the purpose of use and the available installation space. In particular, instead of a damper with a reversible flip element, a damper with a plurality of sliding elements that can slide into each other telescopically or a damper with a plurality of sheets that can be rolled up like a roller blind can also be used as described herein.

[0016] Advantageously, the air inlet assembly further comprises a pendulous stopper element. The pendulous stopper element closes at least one of the plurality of air inlet openings. Preferably, the pendulous stopper element is arranged in the frontmost plane of the air inlet assembly perpendicular to the direction of travel (the point of the air inlet assembly which is in the frontmost direction of travel is located in the plane) and thus forms the boundary of the air inlet assembly which is in the front with respect to the direction of travel. Thus, for example, in the case of a parking collision accident or other so-called low-speed collision, the impact of an object on the air inlet assembly at a low speed can be absorbed by the pendulous stopper element. Thus, these objects are prevented from contacting the damper, so that damage to the damper is prevented by the pendulous stopper element when an object hits at a low speed. Such a pendulous stopper element is particularly advantageous if the frontmost face of the air inlet assembly is convexly curved in the direction of travel. The pendulous stopper element is located at the vertex of the curved face as viewed in the direction of travel.

[0017] It is particularly advantageous if the air intake component is a radiator grille. Since the radiator grille is located in the center of the front fascia of the vehicle and is directly exposed to the incoming air flow, the air drag coefficient can be particularly well reduced and thus the aerodynamics can be optimized by a special design of the air intake component.

[0018] The invention also relates to a vehicle comprising an air intake assembly according to the invention. It is also advantageous if the vehicle comprises a plurality of such air intake assemblies, each of which is part of the front fascia of the vehicle. Due to the improved air supply and aerodynamics of the air intake assembly according to the invention, a particularly efficient driving operation of the vehicle can be achieved. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] Further details, features and advantages of the present invention are apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings. In the accompanying drawings:

[0020] Figure 1 A perspective view showing a vehicle having an air intake assembly according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 2 Show Figure 1 a detailed partial cross-sectional view of the air inlet assembly; and

[0022] Figure 3 A detailed partial cross-sectional view of an air inlet assembly according to a second embodiment of the present invention is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] Figure 1 A vehicle 10 is shown with an air intake assembly 1 according to a first embodiment of the invention. The vehicle 10 is a passenger car. The air intake assembly 1 is part of a front fascia 11 which is arranged on a front region of the vehicle 10 in a driving direction X.

[0024] The air inlet arrangement 1 has two air inlet elements 2, each of which is designed as a radiator grille. Figure 2 The air intake assembly 1 is shown in detail in FIG. 1 , which shows a partial cross-sectional view of the air intake assembly 1 .

[0025] As in Figure 2 As can be seen in the figure, the air inlet assembly 1 has a frame 12 in which two air inlet elements 2 are arranged side by side. Each air inlet element 2 has three air inlet openings 3, through which the air can be respectively guided through the front panel 11 to the radiator (not shown) in the open state. A horizontal web 6 is arranged between each air inlet opening 3. The air inlet openings 3 are thus arranged one above the other in the vertical direction.

[0026] For each air inlet opening 3, the air inlet assembly 1 has an adjustable damper 4. The dampers 4 are each designed in the form of a plate and can be moved into an open position and a closed position. In the open position, each damper 4 releases the corresponding air inlet opening 3, such as in Figure 2 2 , at all air inlet openings 3 of the left air inlet element 2 and at the uppermost air inlet opening 3 of the right air inlet element 2. In the open position, the air flap 4 is pivoted inwards on the vehicle side so that it does not extend forward. In the closed position ( Figure 2 The two lower dampers 4 of the right-hand air inlet element 2 are arranged in the closed position, the dampers 4 respectively closing the corresponding air inlet openings 3 .

[0027] When the flap 4 is in the closed position, it is arranged flush with the frontmost surface 5 of the air inlet element 2 in the driving direction X of the vehicle 10. The frontmost surface 5 is defined by the frontmost boundaries of the frame 12 and the web 6 in the driving direction X. Figure 2 It can be seen from the two lower flaps 4 of the right air inlet element 2 arranged in the closed position that in this flush arrangement of the flaps 4 in the frontmost surface 5, a flush and closed boundary of the air inlet assembly 1 is formed. Therefore, when the vehicle 10 is in motion, particularly favorable aerodynamics of the vehicle 10 can be achieved in this closed state of the air inlet openings 3. This special arrangement of the flaps 4 flush with the frontmost surface 5 in the closed position enables a particularly low-loss, especially close air flow on the front fascia 11 when the vehicle 10 is in motion, which leads to a particularly low air resistance coefficient of the vehicle 10.

[0028] The detailed design of the damper 4 and the adjusting mechanism by means of which the damper 4 can be moved into a closed position and an open position are described below.

[0029] Figure 1 and 2 The first embodiment in the figure shows two different types of dampers 4 and two different types of damper 4 adjustment mechanisms. The two lower dampers 4 of the two air inlet elements 2 are each designed as a one-piece plate-shaped damper 4. These one-piece dampers 4 can each be tilted around a horizontal tilt axis 7. The tilt axis 7 is located in the web 6 directly adjacent to the frontmost surface 5. Therefore, the one-piece damper 4 can be adjusted particularly easily by moving the damper either into a closed position or into an open position, which is deflected by 90° from the closed position.

[0030] Furthermore, the upper damper 4 of the two air inlet elements 2 is designed in two parts and has two flip elements 41, 42 that can be adjusted in opposite directions. Each of the two flip elements 41, 42 can be flipped individually about a flip axis 7. The two flip axes 7 are parallel to each other. In this case, however, the flip axes 7 are each arranged at a distance A from the closing surface 47 of the flip elements 41, 42 on the vehicle side, which ends flush with the frontmost surface 5 in the closed position. In order to connect the respective flip axis 7 with the closing surface 47, a retaining arm 43 is provided at each horizontal end of the flip elements 41, 42. The distance A here corresponds to 50% of the vertical height H of the upper air inlet opening 3. This special arrangement of the flip axis 7 of the upper two-part damper 4 makes it possible to achieve a particularly space-saving arrangement of the flip elements 41, 42 in the open position, wherein a particularly large air inlet opening 3 can be released by the reverse movement of the flip elements 41, 42. This is particularly advantageous for releasing the maximum field of view of the ambient sensor 9, such as Figure 2 The illustrated embodiment is arranged on the vehicle side as part of the air inlet arrangement 1 adjacent to each air inlet element 2. The environmental sensors 9 are here a lidar sensor 9b and a radar sensor 9a.

[0031] Furthermore, the air inlet assembly 1 comprises a pendulum stop element 8 for each air inlet element 2. The pendulum stop element 8 is arranged between two lower tabs 6 of the air inlet element 2 and closes an air inlet opening 3 which is otherwise present there. The pendulum stop element 8 is also located in the frontmost face 5 of the air inlet element 2 and is not movable, but forms a fixed cover. Thus, the pendulum stop element 8 can absorb forces acting on the air inlet assembly 1, for example in the event of a parking collision, and thus prevent damage to the air flap 4. In addition, a cross member (not shown) for fixing the air inlet assembly 1 to the vehicle 10 or for reinforcing the air inlet assembly 1 can also be provided on the vehicle side of the pendulum stop element 8.

[0032] Figure 3 A detailed partial cross-sectional view of an air inlet assembly 1 according to a second embodiment of the invention is shown. The second embodiment corresponds substantially to Figure 1 and 2 The first embodiment of the present invention is a first embodiment of the present invention, wherein the second embodiment has an alternative design of two dampers 4 and their adjustment mechanisms. This produces other advantageous design possibilities that can move the damper 4 between the open position and the closed position.

[0033] Specifically, in Figure 3In the second embodiment, the two upper dampers 4 of the left air inlet element 2 are designed as an alternative. The uppermost damper 4 is designed like a roller blind and has a plurality of rollable leaves 44. These leaves 44 can be rolled up around a horizontal winding shaft 45 arranged above the corresponding air inlet opening 3 to release the air inlet opening 3. In addition, the leaves 44 can be unrolled from the winding shaft 45 again to close the air inlet opening 3. Figure 3 The air inlet opening 3 is shown here in a partially open state.

[0034] Furthermore, in the second exemplary embodiment, the central air flap 4 of the left air inlet element 2 can be adjusted by means of a sliding mechanism. Here, the central air flap 4 has two sliding elements 46 that can be telescopically slid into one another and can be moved essentially parallel to the front surface 5 into the swing-type stop element 8.

[0035] It should be noted that the positions of the dampers 4 shown in the figures are only shown by way of example. On the contrary, each damper 4 can occupy any position between the open position and the closed position, respectively, and can also occupy any position between the open position and the closed position in any combination with other dampers 4. In addition, any combination of the illustrated and described structural variations of the dampers 4 can be implemented in the air intake assembly 1.

[0036] Reference numerals list

[0037] 1 Air inlet assembly

[0038] 2 Air inlet element

[0039] 3 Air inlet opening

[0040] 4 Damper

[0041] 5 The front face

[0042] 6. Splice

[0043] 7 Flip axis

[0044] 8 Swing stop element

[0045] 9 Environmental Sensors

[0046] 9a Radar sensor

[0047] 9b LiDAR sensor

[0048] 10 Vehicles

[0049] 11 Front fascia

[0050] 12 Framework

[0051] 41, 42 Flip Components

[0052] 43 Holding Arm

[0053] 44 pages

[0054] 45 Winding shaft

[0055] 46 Sliding element

[0056] A Distance

[0057] H Height

[0058] X Direction of travel

Claims

1. An air intake assembly for a front fascia (11) of a vehicle (10), the air intake assembly comprising: - an air inlet element (2) having at least one air inlet opening (3), and - at least one adjustable damper (4), which can be moved into an open position and a closed position, The damper (4) releases the air inlet opening (3) in an open position and closes the air inlet opening (3) in a closed position, wherein the angle of attack of the damper is adjustable when the damper is in the open position, thereby adjusting the volume flow and / or the flow direction of the air flow, and The damper (4) is constructed in two parts and has two tilting elements (41, 42) that can be adjusted in opposite directions. The damper (4) is arranged in the closed position flush with the frontmost surface (5) of the air inlet element (2) with respect to the driving direction (X) of the vehicle (10), so that the frontmost boundary of the air inlet opening (3) is closed. The tilting elements (41, 42) are configured to be tiltable around a tilting axis (7), respectively. The flap axis (7) is offset rearwardly by a distance (A) from the closing surface (47) of the flap elements (41, 42), respectively, and the distance (A) is at least 40% and at most 70% of the vertical height (H) of the air inlet opening (3).

2. The air intake assembly according to claim 1, wherein: The air intake assembly further comprises an environmental sensor (9), which is arranged on the vehicle side of the air intake element (2), and the field of view of the environmental sensor (9) can be released by opening the damper (4).

3. The air inlet assembly according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: In the open position, the air flap (4) is arranged completely on the side of the frontmost surface (5) opposite to the direction of travel (X).

4. The air inlet assembly according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The air inlet element (2) comprises at least two air inlet openings (3) and at least one web (6) which is arranged between the two air inlet openings (3).

5. The air inlet assembly according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The air inlet assembly further comprises at least one second damper, which is configured to release and close the second air inlet opening, the second damper having a plurality of sliding elements (46) that can slide telescopically into each other, or the second damper having a plurality of leaf plates (44) that can be rolled up like a roller blind.

6. The air inlet assembly according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The air inlet assembly further comprises a pendulum-type stopper element (8) which closes at least one air inlet opening (3).

7. The air inlet assembly according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The air inlet element (2) is a radiator grille.

8. The air inlet assembly according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The tilting elements (41, 42) are arranged to be tiltable about a horizontal tilting axis (7) respectively.

9. Vehicle comprising an air inlet assembly (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

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