Air duct system

Abstract

The air duct system for a motor vehicle front end comprises at least one air duct with an air inlet and an air regulating device. The air regulating device comprises at least one, in particular louver-shaped, air regulating flap mounted in pivot bearings, which can be pivoted via a drive, in particular an actuator, to regulate the air flow through the air inlet. The air duct comprises a foamed or injection-molded material, at least in the area of ​​the air regulating device, in particular in the area of ​​the air inlet. At least one or a plurality of the pivot bearings is / are accommodated or formed in the foamed material.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to an air guidance system which is used in particular for motor vehicle front ends.

[0002] Corresponding air duct systems, such as those known from DE 10 2019 109 798 A1, have at least one air duct through which air drawn in from outside a vehicle can enter the vehicle's interior. This air must be regulated under certain circumstances, which is why an air regulating device is generally used for this purpose, which in particular has louvre-shaped air regulating flaps mounted in pivot bearings. By changing the pivot position of the air regulating flaps, more or less air can be drawn in at the air inlet. Such air regulating flaps are usually coupled to a controllable actuator so that the vehicle control system can address this actuator and thus change the pivot position of the air regulating flaps.

[0003] In the known design, these air control flaps 4, as shown in Fig. 2, is mounted in a frame 3 of the air regulating device 2. This frame 3 contains corresponding pivot bearings into which corresponding pivot pins of the air regulating flaps 4 can engage. This frame is then inserted into the air duct, particularly in the area of ​​the air inlet. However, such a frame construction requires the provision of a corresponding frame in which the air regulating flaps are to be mounted. The frame, in turn, is then inserted into the air duct with the mounted air regulating flaps and fixed there.

[0004] These frames must have a certain degree of stability to ensure that the air regulation system functions properly even under high external pressure. In the context of electromobility, which is leading to vehicles becoming heavier on average due to the required batteries, it is important to compensate for this weight increase on the one hand with weight savings on the other. This requires, in particular, new solutions in the design of vehicle front ends.

[0005] KR 10 2013 0 007 831 A describes an air damper device in which pivot bearings for the air control dampers are implemented as recesses in a foamed material. The pins of the air control dampers then engage in these recesses. However, this arrangement is not durable, as the foamed material is naturally subject to increased wear with frequent opening and closing of the air control dampers. This has a lasting impact on the durability of such a system.

[0006] The object of the present invention is therefore to provide an air guidance system and a motor vehicle front end comprising the same, which meet the current requirements for weight reduction without having to accept compromises with regard to the durability of the system.

[0007] This object is achieved by an air guidance system having the features of claim 1 and a motor vehicle front end having the features of claim 5. Advantageous embodiments can be found in the subclaims.

[0008] The air duct system according to the invention for a motor vehicle front end comprises at least one air duct with an air inlet and an air regulating device. The latter comprises at least one, in particular louver-shaped, air regulating flap mounted in pivot bearings. This flap can be pivoted via a drive, in particular an actuator, to regulate the air flow through the air inlet. The air duct comprises a foamed or injected material, at least in the area of ​​the air regulating device, in particular in the area of ​​the air inlet. According to the invention, at least one or a plurality of the pivot bearings is / are accommodated or formed in the foamed or injected material.

[0009] The invention is based on the idea of ​​using a lightweight material for the air duct, such as an injection-molded or foamed material, such as polypropylene foam (EPP), while eliminating the frame previously used to support the air control flaps and connecting the pivot bearings for the air control flaps directly to the material of the air duct. This allows for weight savings compared to conventional solutions with frames.

[0010] According to the invention, one or a plurality of the pivot bearings is / are foamed into the foamed material or injected into the injected material. Thus, corresponding pivot bearings can be inserted into a corresponding mold during the manufacture of the air duct and are then already assembled, so that only an actuator or the air control flaps need to be attached. This significantly reduces assembly effort, and the injection-molded or foam-molded process allows for secure attachment of the pivot bearings to the air duct without the need for any additional fastening elements. It is provided that a plurality of the pivot bearings are designed as sleeves or bushings that are not interconnected to one another, in which the pivot bearing pins of the air control flap(s) are pivotably received.

[0011] Alternatively or additionally, it can also be provided that one or a plurality of the pivot bearings are fastened in or on the foamed or injected material, in particular in recesses formed in the foamed or injected material, with a force fit, a form fit, and / or a material fit. In this case, it is therefore possible for individual fastening steps to be carried out only after the air duct has been created.

[0012] The type of such connections is at the discretion of the specialist and must be adapted to the local conditions or the specific installation situation. For example, one or more of the pivot bearings can be connected to the foamed or injected material via a screw connection. This is particularly advantageous if, for example, the air regulation device needs to be removed for maintenance or repair purposes.

[0013] The pivot bearing(s) and / or the air regulating flap(s) is / are preferably made of a plastic material, in particular PP. Other materials are, of course, also conceivable. The air duct system described above is preferably part of a motor vehicle front end. It is, of course, also conceivable to install a corresponding air duct system on other components, in particular components of a vehicle.

[0014] The invention is described below with reference to Fig. 1 to 15 are explained in more detail. Fig. 1 shows an air guidance system according to a first embodiment of the invention in a perspective view. Fig. Figure 2 shows a perspective view of a prior art air regulating device. Fig. 3 shows an air duct system not belonging to the invention in an exploded view. Fig. 4 shows a second embodiment of the air guidance system according to the invention in perspective view. Fig. 5 shows an air regulating device not belonging to the invention in perspective view. Fig. 6 and Fig. 7 show parts of the Fig. 5 shown air regulation device in perspective view. Fig. 8 shows a sectional view in a central region of the air guidance system according to the invention. Fig. 9 and Fig. 10 show further parts of the Fig. 5 shown air regulation device in perspective view. Fig. 11 shows a sectional view of a section of the Fig. 5 shown air regulation device. Fig. 12 shows a perspective partial view of an embodiment of the air guidance system according to the invention with a sleeve-shaped pivot bearing. Fig. 13 shows a sectional view through the embodiment of the air guide system with sleeve-shaped pivot bearing. Fig. 14 shows a sectional view through another embodiment of the air guidance system in another fastening variant of the pivot bearing. Fig. 15 shows a further sectional view through another embodiment of the air guidance system with a screw fastening of the pivot bearing.

[0015] The Fig. 1 and Fig. The air duct system 1 shown in Figure 3 is generally a component having an air duct through which the air entering the air duct from the outside is transported through an air inlet 8, or several air inlets, into the interior of a vehicle. To regulate the air flow entering through the air inlet 8, an air regulating device 2 is arranged in the area of ​​the air inlet 8, which has one or more air regulating flap(s) 4. This air regulating device 2 can regulate the air flow by pivoting the air regulating flap 4. A drive 6 is used to pivot the air regulating flap 4, which is preferably designed as an actuator as in the example shown. In the example shown, the Fig. 1 and Fig. 3, two sets of air regulating flaps 4 are preferably arranged on either side of the actuator 6. The actuation of the drive 6 ensures the pivoting of the air regulating flaps. The actuator 6 is protected from the outside by a central web 11 on the air duct system 1. The air regulating flaps 4 are pivotably mounted in pivot bearings 5, 7, which are attached to the air duct of the air duct system 1, particularly in the area of ​​the air inlet 8. Fig. 4 shows an alternative embodiment in which the air duct system has two air regulating devices 2, 9, one of which regulates the air flowing into the air inlets below a flexible beam 10, and another of which regulates the air flowing into further air inlets above the flexible beam 10. However, the number of air regulating devices 2, 9 is not important for the functioning of the air duct system 1 according to the invention.

[0016] An embodiment of the air regulating device 2 not belonging to the invention will now be described with reference to the Fig. 5 to 11 are explained.

[0017] In the figures mentioned, air regulating devices 2 are shown only as examples, which have a plurality of slat-shaped air regulating flaps 4. The invention functions just as well with only one such air regulating flap 4. The air regulating flaps 4 have bearing pins or bearing sections 42 (cf. Fig. 9 and Fig. 10) with which they are mounted in or on pivot bearings 5, 7. The pivot bearings 5, 7 preferably have bearing bushes or bearing sleeves 50, 73 on which or in which the bearing journals or bearing sections 42 are received. Preferably, a plurality of such bearing sleeves or bearing bushes 50, 73 are arranged on web-shaped or strip-shaped pivot bearing devices 5, 7, so that the number of required components can be reduced. These components 5, 7 and 50, 73 are preferably made of a plastic, preferably PP. Several options are available for connecting them to the air duct system 1 or the air duct. The pivot bearing devices 5, 7 shown can, on the one hand, be injected or foamed into the material of the air duct or air duct system 1 during its manufacture, depending on whether the corresponding material is produced by an injection molding process or a foaming process.It is equally possible to simply provide recesses in this process, into which corresponding sections of the pivot bearing devices 5, 7 can then be accommodated. Thus, it is possible for the pivot bearing devices 5, 7 to have, in addition to the aforementioned bearing bushes or bearing sleeves 50, 73, further fastening sections 51, 53 or 71, 74. The fastening sections 51, 71 can be pressed into a corresponding recess in the air duct or in the air duct system 1 and fixed therein by force or, with the aid of an adhesive, by material bonding. This is illustrated, for example, in . Fig. 8 for the fastening sections 71, which are mounted in the air duct system 1 in the area of ​​the central web 11. Alternatively or additionally, it is of course possible to form fastening sections 53 or 74 with holes through which corresponding fastening elements 52, 72 such as screws or the like are passed and fixed in the foamed or injected material of the air duct system 1 or the air duct. Fig. 5 to 11, it is preferred that the drive 6 is accommodated between two pivot bearing devices 7 in the area of ​​the web 11. In Fig. In Figure 7, the space between these two pivot bearing devices 7 is shown without a drive; only a coupling axis 61 indicates that at this point, one of the air control flaps 4 can be connected to the drive 6 via the coupling axis. The remaining air control flaps 4 can be connected to this driven air control flap 4 via a coupling. Other coupling options are, of course, also conceivable.

[0018] The Fig. The sectional view shown in Figure 11 once again illustrates how the outer pivot bearing device 5 can be connected, for example, to the relevant section of the air duct system 1. Figure 1a indicates that it can be a foamed material. Here, it is clearly evident that the pivot bearing device 5 is positively connected to the material of the air duct system 1. Also visible are the pivot bearing pins 42 of the air regulating flaps 4, which are received in corresponding bearing bushes 50 on the pivot bearing device 5. The two optional fastening options via a force-fitting and / or material-fitting connection (above the bearing bushes 50) or a screw connection (below the bearing bushes 51) are also indicated.

[0019] Preferably, the pivot bearing devices 5, 7 are injected or foamed into the material of the air duct system 1.

[0020] According to the invention, corresponding bearing sleeves or bearing bushes are to be connected individually to the material of the air duct system 1 or air duct, without corresponding bearing sleeves or bearing bushes 50, 73 being connected to each other, as is the case with the pivot bearing devices 5 or 7 in the embodiment of the Fig. 5 to 11.

[0021] The Fig. 12 to 15 contain some further examples in this regard.

[0022] An embodiment of a separately mounted bearing sleeve 50' is shown in the Fig. 12 and Fig. 13. In this example, the bearing sleeve 50' is injected or foamed into the material of the air duct system 1. For each individual air regulating flap 4, at least two bearing sleeves 50' are injected or foamed into the material, into which the corresponding bearing pins 42 of the air regulating flap 4 can then be received. To produce such an arrangement, the bearing sleeves 50' can be inserted into a mold as a simple insert before the injection molding or foaming process begins.

[0023] It is also possible to provide a pivot bearing device 5, 7 with corresponding recesses and a fastening element 52'' ( Fig. 14) or 52''' ( Fig.15, not according to the invention) through such a recess 53" or 53''' and to anchor it in the injected or foamed material of the air duct system 1 or the air duct. Such a pivot bearing device 5, 7 can have only one bearing sleeve 50''' or also a plurality of such bearing sleeves.

[0024] The type of anchoring in the foamed or injected material can be created in different ways. For example, the corresponding fastening element 52" can be a rivet, a self-tapping screw 52''' with a correspondingly extensive spiral 52a that bites into the foamed or injected material of the air duct system 1 or the air duct, or a simple bolt that is fastened by gluing in a recess provided in the material of the air duct system 1 or the air duct. Finally, it is also possible to design such a fastening element 52" with dowel-like or rib-like projections with or without undercuts, which are pressed into a recess provided in the material of the air duct system 1 or the air duct. The ribs, undercuts, or the like hold the corresponding fastening element 52" in the corresponding recess.This can also be supported with adhesive.

Claims

[1] Air guidance system (1) for a motor vehicle front end, comprising at least one air guidance duct with an air inlet (8) and an air regulating device (2) which comprises at least one, in particular lamellar, air regulating flap (4) mounted in pivot bearings (5; 50; 50'; 50'''; 7; 73) which can be pivoted via a drive (6), in particular an actuator, to regulate the air passage through the air inlet (8), wherein a foamed or injected material is used for the air guidance duct at least in the region of the air regulating device (2), in particular in the region of the air inlet (8), characterized bythat at least a majority of the pivot bearings (5; 50; 50'; 50'''; 7; 73) are designed as sleeves or bushings (50') which are not connected to one another and in which pivot bearing pins (42) of the air regulating flap(s) are pivotably received, and are foamed into the foamed material or injected into the injected material, and thus the pivot bearings for the air regulating flap are directly connected to the material of the air duct. [2] Air guidance system (1) according to claim 1, characterized by that the foamed material is EPP. [3] Air guidance system (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that one or a plurality of the pivot bearings (5; 50; 50'; 50'''; 7; 73) is / are fastened in or on the foamed or injected material, in particular in recesses formed in the foamed or injected material, in a force-fitting, form-fitting and / or material-fitting manner. [4] Air guidance system (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the pivot bearing(s) (5; 50; 50'; 50'''; 7; 73) and / or the air regulating flap(s) is / are made of a plastic material, in particular PP. [5] Motor vehicle front end, comprising an air guidance system according to one of the preceding claims.

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