Carrier device for an air guidance system of a vehicle

Abstract

Carrier device (10) for an air guidance device (100) of a vehicle, comprising a base body (20) and at least one adjusting device (30) attached to the base body (20) for adjusting and setting a relative position of the air guidance device (100) in a Z direction (Z), in particular during assembly, wherein the at least one adjusting device (30) has at least one adjusting element (32) which is slidably mounted in a guide device (34) of the adjusting device (30), and the at least one adjusting element (32) has an adjusting means (36) for moving the adjusting element (32) from a first Z position to a second Z position, wherein the at least one adjusting element (32) has a fastening interface (38) for fastening to a drive unit (200) for moving the air guidance device (100).

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a carrier device for an air guidance system of a vehicle and an adjustment device for such a carrier device.

[0002] It is known that vehicles are to be equipped with air deflectors, particularly spoilers. Such air deflectors are often designed to be movable between different positions. For example, a vehicle's rear spoiler is adjustable between a retracted, passive position and an extended, active position. To enable movement between these two positions, drive units, such as electric motors, are typically used. In the retracted, passive state, it is desirable for the air deflector to be flush with the surrounding sheet metal of the vehicle. At the same time, it is advantageous for the gaps to the surrounding sheet metal parts to be uniform.Particularly with regard to achieving a flush transition to adjacent sheet metal parts of the vehicle, adjusting the relative position of the air guide in the so-called Z-direction is necessary. The air guide is typically a largely planar body whose surface defines a plane extending in an X-direction and a Y-direction. A Z-direction is arranged perpendicular to this plane, and this is relevant for adjusting the flushness with the adjacent sheet metal parts.

[0003] A disadvantage of the known solutions is that they typically require mounting brackets on which the air guide is attached. These brackets allow for adjustment in the Z-direction of the air guide using elongated holes and screws. However, this approach has drawbacks, as the adjustment can usually only be made when the air guide is extended. Checking whether flushness has been achieved, however, can only be done when the air guide is retracted and inactive. Therefore, flushness in the Z-direction must be achieved iteratively by repeatedly extending and retracting the air guide. Another disadvantage is that the regular extension and retraction of the air guide during assembly, when adjusting the Z-direction, can also lead to a loss of flushness in other orientations.This leads to increased assembly effort and a longer assembly time.

[0004] The object of the present invention is to at least partially overcome the disadvantages described above. In particular, it is an object of the present invention to facilitate the installation of an air guide device on a vehicle in a cost-effective and simple manner.

[0005] The foregoing problem is solved by a carrier device having the features of claim 1. Further features and details of the invention will become apparent from the dependent claims, the description, and the drawings. Features and details described in connection with the carrier device according to the invention naturally also apply in connection with the adjusting device according to the invention, and vice versa, so that the disclosure regarding the individual aspects of the invention always refers, or can refer, to each other.

[0006] According to the invention, a carrier device for an air guidance system of a vehicle is proposed. Such a carrier device comprises a base body and at least one adjusting device attached to the base body for adjusting the air guidance system in the Z-direction. The at least one adjusting device has at least one adjusting element which is slidably mounted in a guide device of the adjusting device. The at least one adjusting element is equipped with an adjusting means for moving the adjusting element from a first Z-position to a second Z-position. Furthermore, the at least one adjusting element has a mounting interface for attachment to a drive unit for moving the air guidance system.

[0007] According to the invention, the possibility of adjustment within the support structure is thus provided by the adjustment device. The support structure can either remain passively within the vehicle or, preferably, be moved together with the air guide. The air guide is therefore supported by the support structure, so that, with the aid of a drive unit, the air guide together with the support structure can be moved between the active and passive positions. Because the relative position of individual components of the adjustment device can now be varied, the relative position of the support structure, and thus of the air guide, to the surrounding sheet metal parts can also be varied in the Z-direction. This variation, which can also be referred to as calibration, is, in the sense of the present invention, adjustment or setting in the Z-direction.The individual Z-positions of the adjusting element are relative to the Z-direction as explained in the introductory part of this application. To provide a better overview of the advantages of the present invention, the process of adjusting the support device is explained in more detail below.

[0008] When a vehicle is assembled, the individual sheet metal parts are usually already mounted or fastened when the support structure and the air guide need to be adjusted. The air guide may already be attached to the support structure. If the support structure, and thus also the air guide, is in the passive position, the remaining offset from flush alignment between the adjacent sheet metal parts and the air guide can be determined. This can involve not only a qualitative check but also a quantitative determination of the difference in length units that still prevents flush alignment. Subsequently, in the active state, i.e., with the air guide at least partially extended, this Z-position can be adjusted. This is achieved by moving the adjustment mechanism.Using the adjusting mechanism, for example by sliding, but especially by rotating, a relative movement of the adjusting element to a corresponding base body of the adjusting device can be carried out. This sliding movement is guided by a guide device, for example in the form of an interlocking rail. In other words, the adjusting element, when activated by the adjusting mechanism, now moves in a sliding manner, for example in the form of a slide, between different Z-positions. The different Z-positions are distinguished accordingly by different orientations of the adjusting element relative to the adjusting device with respect to the Z-axis or the Z-direction.

[0009] Because the adjusting element provides a mounting point on the drive unit via a fastening interface, any adjustment using the adjusting device, and thus a change in the relative position between the adjusting element and the adjusting device, also leads to a change in the relative position of the entire support structure to the drive unit. This, in turn, causes the air guide to assume a different Z-position relative to the drive unit due to its connection to the support structure. In other words, the air guide can now be raised or lowered in the Z-direction, allowing for flush alignment with adjacent sheet metal parts, particularly in the passive state.

[0010] Compared to existing solutions, this adjustment can now be performed in a defined and, above all, guided manner. This guidance applies specifically to the Z-direction, so that an unwanted adjustment in other directions no longer affects the flushness in those other directions, and the already set flushness at other gap positions can remain unchanged. In other words, the adjustment device enables isolated adjustment exclusively for the Z-direction.

[0011] A further advantage is that the carrier device according to the invention enables reproducibility of the Z-positions. Thus, depending on the choice of adjustment means, a corresponding adjustment movement can correlate with a corresponding Z-movement of the entire air guide system. If, for example, the adjusting screw described later is used, a 360° turn of this screw, depending on its thread pitch, can predict the result in the Z-direction with regard to flushness to the adjacent sheet metal parts.If, with the air guide unit in its retracted state, the distance that prevents it from being flush with the adjacent sheet metal parts is quantitatively determined, then, based on this distance, the difference that must be overcome by a corresponding number of turns and a certain thread pitch of the adjusting screw to achieve flushness can be quantitatively calculated. This means that, in a single step after the quantitative determination, the adjustment can be carried out, and the flushness of the air guide unit with the adjacent sheet metal parts can be achieved simply, cost-effectively, and quickly in a reproducible manner.

[0012] It can be advantageous if, in a carrier device according to the invention, the guide device has at least one guide slot in which a guide projection of the adjusting element engages in a guiding manner. Preferably, two lateral guide slots are provided for each adjusting element, so that the adjusting element is arranged essentially in a slide-like manner between these adjustment slots and is slidably mounted. In other words, the guide slot, which is preferably formed along a straight line, serves to provide the guiding functionality. A sliding bearing is preferably installed between the guide slot and the guide projection, so that corresponding sliding surfaces can be arranged to slide against each other. This is a particularly simple, cost-effective, and above all lightweight embodiment for providing a guiding function in a carrier device according to the invention.

[0013] It can be further advantageous if, in a support device according to the invention, the adjusting means has an adjusting thread which engages in a mating thread of the adjusting element. Various thread forms can be provided under an adjusting thread; however, it is particularly often a metric thread. An adjusting thread is, in particular, the external thread of an adjusting screw as the adjusting means, which engages in a corresponding internal thread within the adjusting element. This results in a rotational movement of the adjusting means as the adjusting movement, so that a change in the relative position is provided by a translationally induced movement depending on this rotational movement.In particular, with regard to the general advantage of the present invention of providing reproducibility of a change in the relative position in the Z-position, a metric adjustment thread offers significant advantages.

[0014] It is further advantageous if the mounting interface of a support device according to the invention includes a fastening element, particularly in the form of a fastening screw, for attachment to the drive unit. Such a fastening element, especially in the form of a fastening screw, allows for particularly simple, cost-effective, and quick connection to the drive unit. Drive units are usually already equipped with corresponding mating mounting interfaces, so that a support device according to the invention can now be retrofitted to existing designs for these drive units. It is clearly evident here that even with existing designs for the air guide system, the support device, and the connected components in the form of the drive unit, a retrofit option for a support device according to the invention exists.

[0015] Furthermore, it is advantageous if, in a carrier device according to the invention, the mounting axis of the fastening element is aligned transversely, in particular vertically or substantially perpendicularly, to the adjustment axis of the adjusting element. Accordingly, the fastening movement and the adjustment movement can also be carried out in different orientations using a suitable fastening tool. Access to the adjustment axis with an adjusting tool is therefore particularly facilitated, since a non-parallel design to the mounting axis of the fastening element, which is usually oriented transversely to the vehicle direction, now allows easier access to the adjusting elements and a corresponding adjustment interface.

[0016] Furthermore, it is advantageous if, in a carrier device according to the invention, the at least one adjustment device has at least two, in particular identical or substantially identical, adjustment elements. This allows for a particularly symmetrical design of the adjustment device. Thus, symmetrical adjustment can be carried out on the respective adjustment device. The two adjustment elements can be adjustable either dependently or independently of each other. It is preferred if each adjustment element has its own adjustment means, so that each adjustment element can independently provide its own setting of a specific Z-position.This allows for the desired flushness with adjacent sheet metal parts of the vehicle, even in complex geometric bodywork situations, thanks to the multiple adjustment options on a single adjustment device. At the same time, this increased flexibility in adjustment options is achieved with reduced complexity of the overall system.

[0017] It is further advantageous if, in a support device according to the invention, at least two, in particular identical or substantially identical, adjusting devices are attached to the base body. The adjusting devices are preferably spaced apart from one another, particularly at the two end sections of the air guide device or the support device. This makes it possible to adjust the Z-positions on the two side sections of the air guide device, i.e., on the left end section and the right end section, independently or substantially independently of one another. This allows for larger tolerance ranges, particularly with regard to the necessary manufacturing tolerances in the production of the air guide device and / or the support device. This, in turn, allows for more cost-effective manufacturing with lower precision.Accordingly, flushness with the adjacent sheet metal parts is no longer achieved through increased manufacturing accuracy, but rather through simplified adjustment with a support device according to the invention.

[0018] A further advantage is that, in a support device according to the invention, at least one adjusting element is subjected to a spring force against the adjusting device by means of a spring device. This can, for example, be a spring washer on the opposite side of the fastening element. The application of a spring force leads to a preload of the adjusting element, in particular against the adjusting device and / or the base body. This preload prevents or substantially prevents relative movement in a vibrating or rattling manner. Thus, although these are parts that can move relative to each other, the preload can reduce or even completely prevent vibration stress on the components or acoustic stress caused by such vibration in a cost-effective and simple manner.

[0019] It is also advantageous if, in a carrier device according to the invention, the adjusting means of the at least one adjusting element is secured to the adjusting device by a locking means, in particular by a locking washer. Such a locking means serves to define the relative position in which the adjusting means is arranged relative to the adjusting device. This makes it possible, particularly when the adjusting means is designed in the form of an adjusting screw, to actually use the rotational movement to change the relative position of the adjusting element relative to the adjusting device.

[0020] Also part of the present invention is an adjusting device for attachment to a base body of a support device according to the present invention. For this purpose, the adjusting device has at least one adjusting element which is slidably mounted in a guide device of the adjusting device. The at least one adjusting element is equipped with an adjusting means for moving the adjusting element from a first Z-position to a second Z-position. The at least one adjusting element further has a mounting interface for attachment to a drive unit for moving the air guide device. By using an adjusting device according to the invention, the same advantages can be achieved as those described with reference to the support device according to the invention.

[0021] Further advantages, features, and details of the invention will become apparent from the following description, in which exemplary embodiments of the invention are described in detail with reference to the drawings. The features mentioned in the claims and in the description can be essential to the invention individually or in any combination. The drawings schematically show: Fig. 1. A top view of the flushness situation of an air guide device, Fig. 2 an isolated representation of the air guidance system according to Fig. 1, Fig. 3 an embodiment of a carrier device, Fig. 4 the embodiment of the Fig. 3 in a detailed view, Fig. 5 the embodiment of the Fig. 3 and Fig. 4 in a detailed presentation and Fig. 6 the embodiment of the Fig. 3, Fig. 4 to Fig. 5 in a further detailed illustration.

[0022] Fig. Figure 1 schematically shows what the situation might look like on the sheet metal body of a vehicle. Here, an air guide device 100 is depicted, which is in Fig. Figure 1 shows the air guide 100 in its passive position. In this passive or retracted position, the air guide 100 should be flush or substantially flush with the adjacent sheet metal parts, in this case, the side sheet metal cladding. To ensure this, the air guide 100 must be adjustable in the Z-direction shown here. This adjustability must also be guaranteed when the air guide 100 itself can be extended and retracted between different positions.

[0023] Fig. Figure 2 shows how such an active air guide device 100 can be equipped with a drive unit 200. The drive unit 200 serves to move the air guide device 100 between the retracted and extended positions. The air guide device 100 is further connected to a support device 10, which provides a corresponding base body 20 on the underside of the air guide device 100. In this embodiment, the support device 10 is extended and retracted together with the air guide device 100.

[0024] For adjustment in the Z-direction, a support device 10 is shown or provided here for the air guide device 100, as shown in the Fig. 3, Fig. 4, Fig. 5 to Fig. 6 is explained in more detail. The base body 20 of the carrier device 10 is equipped here with two adjustment devices 30, which are arranged at the left and right end sections of the base body 20. Furthermore, in particular in Fig. As can be clearly seen, each of these adjusting devices 30 is equipped with two adjusting elements 32. These two adjusting elements 32 are designed in a slide-like shape and engage in lateral slots as guide devices 34 with corresponding guide projections. If an adjustment in the Z-direction is desired, an adjustment movement can be carried out by means of a rotational movement about the adjustment axis VA with the adjusting means 36, here the two adjusting screws. Because the relative position of the adjusting means 36 is uniquely defined by means of the locking means 37, the rotation of the adjusting means 36 becomes a movement in the Z-direction Z, i.e. up or down. Fig. 4. The two adjusting elements 32 therefore move upwards or downwards depending on the direction of rotation, as shown in the illustration. Fig. 4.

[0025] To perform this adjustment, access from below is provided by the fact that the two adjustment axes VA are aligned transversely, and in particular perpendicularly, to the two fastening axes BA of the fastening elements 39. Because the individual adjustment elements 32 not only contain the adjustment means 36, but also fastening means 39 for forming the fastening interfaces 38, the relative position to the drive unit 200 can be changed. Fig. Figure 5 shows how the two fastening means 39 on the back of the adjusting device 30 provide the respective fastening interfaces 38. If the drive unit 20 is in the connected position, the air guide device 100 can now be raised or lowered in the Z-direction by adjusting and rotating the adjusting means 36 accordingly. In the retracted position according to Fig. 1. This allows the desired flushness in the Z-direction to be achieved easily, cost-effectively, and quickly. In the Fig. Figure 6 shows again the top view, which in particular allows a view of the two locking devices 37 designed as locking discs.

[0026] The preceding explanation of the embodiments describes the present invention solely by way of examples. Individual features of the embodiments can be freely combined with one another, provided this is technically feasible, without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Claims

[1] Carrier device (10) for an air guidance device (100) of a vehicle, comprising a base body (20) and at least one adjusting device (30) attached to the base body (20) for adjusting and setting a relative position of the air guidance device (100) in a Z direction (Z), in particular during assembly, wherein the at least one adjusting device (30) has at least one adjusting element (32) which is slidably mounted in a guide device (34) of the adjusting device (30), and the at least one adjusting element (32) has an adjusting means (36) for moving the adjusting element (32) from a first Z position to a second Z position, wherein the at least one adjusting element (32) has a fastening interface (38) for fastening to a drive unit (200) for moving the air guidance device (100). [2] Carrier device (10) according to claim 1, characterized by, that the guide device (34) has at least one guide slot in which a guide projection of the adjusting element (32) engages in a leading manner. [3] Carrier device (10) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the adjusting means (36) has an adjusting thread which engages in a counter thread of the adjusting element (32). [4] Carrier device (10) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the fastening interface (38) has a fastening means (39), in particular in the form of a fastening screw for fastening to the drive unit (200). [5] Carrier device (10) according to claim 4, characterized by , that the fastening axis (BA) of the fastening means (39) is aligned transversely, in particular vertically or substantially perpendicularly, to the adjustment axis (VA) of the adjustment means (36). [6] Carrier device (10) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized bythat the at least one adjusting device (30) has at least two, in particular identical or substantially identical, adjusting elements (32). [7] Carrier device (10) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by that at least two, in particular identical or substantially identical, adjusting devices (30) are attached to the base body (20). [8] Carrier device (10) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by , that at least one adjusting element (32) is subjected to a spring force against the adjusting device (30) by means of a spring device. [9] Carrier device (10) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the adjusting means (36) of the at least one adjusting element (32) is secured by a securing means (37), in particular by a locking washer on the adjusting device (30).

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