motor vehicle bug

Abstract

Motor vehicle front end (10) with a heat exchanger (20) and a cooling air mechanism for controlling the air supply to the heat exchanger (20), wherein the cooling air mechanism comprises: a downward-opening air inlet opening (42), an air flap (40) associated with the air inlet opening (42), which is pivotally connected at its upper edge to a body part (12) via a pivot joint (46), and the air flap (40) is designed such that in its closed position it completely closes the air inlet opening (42) and in its operating position it opens the air inlet opening (42) and is located in front of the air inlet opening (42) when viewed in the direction of travel, characterized by the fact that The air flap (44) in its effective position forms a bow spoiler which turbulently swirls the laminarly flowing air.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a motor vehicle front end, preferably for a motor vehicle with a front slope angle of more than 15°, with a heat exchanger and a cooling air mimic for controlling the air supply to the heat exchanger.

[0002] The cooling air intake system of a motor vehicle's front end can have a downward-opening air intake as the sole or additional air intake, which is usually located below a front bumper. In this context, a downward-opening air intake is defined as an air intake that opens significantly downward and not exclusively forward, i.e., whose opening plane is inclined forward at less than 60° to the horizontal.

[0003] From DE 10 2016 202 974 A1 a motor vehicle nose with a fold-out spoiler is known, which can be folded into a vertical operating position.

[0004] DE 10 2015 105 567 A1 discloses a cooling air mimic system with a lower, downward-opening air inlet. It is associated with a spoiler flap that, in its rest position, is folded inward and aerodynamically ineffective, and in its active position forms a small spoiler lip in the air inlet. A disadvantage of this cooling air mimic system is, among other things, that the air inlet is always open and, depending on the driving conditions or the airflow velocity, causes undesirably high propulsive resistance and / or front axle lift.

[0005] DE 100 19 419 A1, which represents the closest prior art, discloses a motor vehicle front end with a downward-opening air intake opening that can be opened and closed as needed by an internal air flap that folds upwards and forwards. A similar motor vehicle front end is known from DE 36 00 190 A1 and DE 10 2010 046 147 A1.

[0006] The object of the invention is to create a vehicle front end with a cooling air mimic with a downward-opening air inlet opening with improved aerodynamic properties.

[0007] This object is achieved according to the invention with a vehicle front end having the features of claim 1.

[0008] The vehicle front end according to the invention has a heat exchanger and a cooling air vent for controlling the air supply to the heat exchanger. The cooling air vent is formed by a downward-opening air inlet and an air flap associated with this air inlet, which is pivotally connected to a body part at its upper edge by a pivot joint. In this context, a downward-opening air inlet is understood to mean an air inlet whose opening plane is significantly inclined downward, i.e., whose opening plane is inclined forward at a maximum of 60° to the horizontal. The air flap is pivotally and suspended from a fixed body part.

[0009] The air flap is designed with such a large surface area that, in its closed position, it completely closes the air intake opening. In its open, active position, the air flap exposes the air intake opening and, viewed in the direction of travel, is positioned completely in front of the air intake opening. When in its active position, the air flap visually conceals at least most of the air intake opening when viewed from the front, although the open air intake opening is approached and flowed through from below or from the front-bottom.

[0010] In its closed position, the air intake opening is completely closed, minimizing air resistance at the front of the vehicle. This position is therefore suitable for all vehicle speeds with low cooling requirements.

[0011] In the open position of the air flap, the air intake opening is exposed, allowing a flow of cooling air to the heat exchanger. At sufficiently high vehicle speeds, the cooling air flow can be passively supported or additionally actively supported by a fan fluidically connected to the heat exchanger. In the open position of the air flap, it also acts as a spoiler, keeping air resistance relatively low and reducing front-axle lift.

[0012] In its active position, the air flap is inclined in such a way that it forms a front spoiler, which turbulently swirls the laminar incoming air, so that the air resistance and the front axle lift are kept relatively low.

[0013] Preferably, the lower edge of the air flap is positioned lower than the lower edge of the corresponding air inlet opening in the open operating position. This ensures that the air inlet opening is not directly exposed to fluid flow, but rather that the air flow coming from the front is significantly deflected downward and swirled before reaching and passing through the air inlet opening.

[0014] According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the length of the air flap between its pivot joint and the lower edge of the air flap is at least as long as the length of the air inlet opening between its lower edge and its upper edge. In this context, the length refers to the length of the air flap in a longitudinal plane. The air flap is therefore long enough to completely cover and close the air inlet opening in the closed position.

[0015] Preferably, the cooling air mimic system has a separate second, substantially forward-opening air inlet opening, which is arranged above the downward-opening air inlet opening. The cooling air mimic system thus has two separate air inlet openings, which are preferably, but not necessarily, fluidically associated with the same heat exchanger.

[0016] The forward-opening air inlet opening can particularly preferably be designed with a considerably larger opening area than the downward-opening air inlet opening. The downward-opening air inlet opening can be designed as a secondary air inlet opening, which is only opened when a high cooling capacity is required.

[0017] According to a preferred embodiment, the air flap and the corresponding flap seat on the body part are configured such that, in its closed position, the air flap closes the air intake opening flush with the body. This ensures low air resistance in the closed position of the air flap.

[0018] Particularly preferably, the angle of inclination of the air flap relative to the horizontal in the closed position is at least 15°. Particularly in vehicles with a relatively large front slope angle of more than 15°, the cooling air mimicry according to the invention exhibits the described aerodynamic advantages. This is particularly due to the fact that a direct or laminar flow to the correspondingly inclined air intake opening is prevented by the air flap, both in the closed and active positions.

[0019] Preferably, the angle of inclination of the air flap relative to the horizontal in the open air flap operating position is at least 80°. Thus, in its open operating position, the air flap is oriented almost vertically downwards or, as seen from its linkage, tilted forwards. This achieves a strong spoiler effect, so that the laminar incoming air is subjected to highly turbulent swirling.

[0020] According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the swivel joint is designed as a simple rotary joint.

[0021] An embodiment of the invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the drawings. They show: Fig. 1 a schematic longitudinal section of a motor vehicle front end according to the invention with a heat exchanger and a cooling air mimic with an air flap in the closed position, and Fig. 2 the motor vehicle bow of the Fig. 1 with the air damper in the open operating position.

[0022] In the Fig. 1 and Fig. Figure 2 shows a front end 10 of a motor vehicle with a front approach angle of more than 15°. Arranged in the front end 10 of the motor vehicle are a heat exchanger 20, an electric fan 22 arranged downstream of the heat exchanger 20, and a cooling air control system for controlling the air supply to the heat exchanger 20. The cooling air control system directs and controls an upper air path 32 and a lower air path 50, both of which may optionally flow into the heat exchanger 20.

[0023] The upper air path 32 essentially consists of an upper and forward-opening air inlet opening 30 with a controllable flap arrangement 34 for fluidically opening or closing the air inlet opening 30. The upper air path 32 is arranged above a horizontal body part 12, which is designed as a bumper, and approximately at the level of the heat exchanger 20.

[0024] Below the horizontal body part 12, there is an air inlet opening 42 that opens essentially downwards and is associated with an air flap 40, which is pivotally connected to the horizontal body part 12 by its upper edge via a pivot joint 46 designed as a rotary joint. The length of the air flap 44, in a vehicle longitudinal plane, between the pivot joint 46 and the lower edge 44' of the air flap is greater than the length of the air inlet opening 42, in a vehicle longitudinal plane, between its lower edge 42' and its upper edge 42".

[0025] The front angle of inclination A of the closed air flap 40 to the horizontal is approximately 30°. Fig. In the closed position shown in Figure 1, the air flap 44 closes the air inlet opening 42 completely and flush with the body, so that the lower air path 50 is guided completely and with little resistance past the downwardly opening air inlet opening 42.

[0026] In the Fig. 2, the air flap 40 is shown in its open operating position, in which the air flap 40 assumes a front inclination angle A' of approximately 90° with its base plane to the horizontal. The lower edge 44' of the air flap 44 has a lower height HK relative to the vehicle's ground plane 11 than the height HO of the lower edge 42' of the air inlet opening 42. In its open operating position, the air flap 40 thus forms a front spoiler, through which the laminar air flowing in from the front is subjected to highly turbulent swirling.

[0027] The lower air path 50 is divided into an underfloor partial air path 52 and a cooling partial air path 51, which leads through the open air inlet opening 42 to the heat exchanger 20.

Claims

[1] Motor vehicle front end (10) with a heat exchanger (20) and a cooling air mimic for controlling the air supply to the heat exchanger (20), wherein the cooling air mimic comprises: a downward-opening air inlet opening (42), an air flap (40) associated with the air inlet opening (42), which is pivotally connected at its upper edge to a body part (12) via a pivot joint (46), and the air flap (40) is designed such that in its closed position it completely closes the air inlet opening (42) and in its active position it releases the air inlet opening (42) and is located in front of the air inlet opening (42) when viewed in the direction of travel, characterized by , that the air flap (44) in its active position forms a front spoiler which turbulently swirls the laminar incoming air. [2] Motor vehicle front end (10) according to claim 1, wherein in the open operative position the lower edge (44') of the air flap (44) is arranged lower than the lower edge (42') of the air inlet opening (42). [3] Motor vehicle front end (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the length of the air flap (44) between the pivot joint (46) and the air flap lower edge (44') is at least as great as the length of the air inlet opening (42) between its lower edge (42') and its upper edge (42"). [4] Motor vehicle front end (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the cooling air mimic has a separate second and forwardly opening air inlet opening (30) above the downwardly opening air inlet opening (42). [5] Motor vehicle front end (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the air flap (44) in its closed position closes the air inlet opening (42) flush with the body. [6] Motor vehicle front end (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the angle of inclination (A) of the air flap (40) to the horizontal in the air flap closed position is at least 15°. [7] Motor vehicle front end (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the angle of inclination (A') of the air flap (40) to the horizontal in the air flap active position is at least 80°. [8] Motor vehicle front end (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the pivot joint (46) is designed as a rotary joint.

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