AIR GUIDING DEVICE FOR A VEHICLE

Abstract

An air guiding device (5) for a vehicle (1) is proposed, comprising at least one air guiding surface (6) which can be adjusted between a retracted rest position and an at least partially extended use position via a positioning mechanism (13) and which is connected to a supporting structure (7). The supporting structure (7) has at least one trough-like formation (9, 10) in which a joint arrangement (14, 15) of the positioning mechanism (13) is at least partially received, at least in the rest position. The trough-like formation (9, 10) has at least one water drainage opening (26) to which a water drainage channel (27) is connected, in which the joint arrangement (14, 15) is partially received, at least in the rest position. A vehicle (1) comprising such an air guiding device (5) is also proposed.

Description

The technology according to the invention relates to an air guiding device for a vehicle according to the type defined in more detail in the preamble of claim 1.DE 103 09 369 A1 discloses a motor vehicle having at least one rear air guiding device which can be extended by means of a drive, wherein the air guiding device is adjustable with an air guiding surface which is adjustable via an adjusting mechanism having two joint arrangements which are mounted in a rotationally fixed manner on the vehicle body and each comprise a plurality of pivot links. The raising mechanism is connected to a supporting structure which has a supporting plate extending in the width of the vehicle. Shell-like bulges extend from the support plate in the vehicle floor direction, wherein a part of the associated joint arrangement of the raising mechanism is accommodated in a respective shell-like or trough-like bulge. Since the supporting structure separates a wet region open to the vehicle environment from a dry region lying in the interior of the vehicle body, a water discharge opening is arranged at the base region of the respective trough-like bulge for the purpose of discharging entering rainwater. A pipe is connected to this water discharge opening, which pipe carries away the water that has penetrated into the area of the air guiding device to the outside on the vehicle body in a targeted manner.It is the object of the technology according to the invention to reduce or eliminate at least one disadvantage of a previously known solution or to propose an alternative solution. It is in particular the object of the technology disclosed here to provide an air guiding device for a vehicle which is improved with regard to at least one of the following factors: production costs, complexity of production, assembly effort, use of installation space, operating reliability, functionality, sustainability, component reliability and visual appearance.The object is achieved with an air guiding device for a vehicle having the features of patent claim 1.A further aspect of the invention relates to a vehicle having an air guiding device of this type.An air guiding device for a vehicle is therefore proposed, having at least one air guiding surface which is adjustable via an installation mechanism between a retracted rest position and an at least partially extended use position and which is connected to a supporting structure. The support structure has at least one trough-like formation in which a joint arrangement of the mounting mechanism is at least partially accommodated at least in the rest position. The trough-like formation has at least one water discharge opening.According to the invention, a water discharge channel is connected to the water discharge opening, in which channel the joint arrangement is partially accommodated, preferably with at least one joint connection, at least in the rest position.In other words, the water discharge channel encompasses a part of the kinematic mechanism, which thus extends as far as below a bottom of the trough-like formation.With the air guiding device according to the invention, the required overall height of the trough-like formation can be significantly reduced. This in turn has advantages in terms of production technology, since a lower height of the trough-like shaping permits, for example, cost-effective deep-drawing methods which meet their limits in the construction depths of the trough-like shapings of known spoilers.In one embodiment of the air guiding device according to the invention, the supporting structure can have a carrier plate which has at least one recess in the region of which the at least one trough-like formation is arranged extending in the vehicle floor direction. In this context, the term "vehicle floor direction" is to be understood in its broader sense such that the trough-like formation can also extend obliquely in the vehicle floor direction, wherein penetrating water collects therein in the direction of the vehicle floor.The term "carrier plate" can be understood to mean a closed plate just as a planar structure with recesses up to a planar grid structure. In any case, the carrier plate is open with respect to the respective trough-like recess, so that the trough-like recess is arranged thereon like an undershell.The carrier plate and the at least one trough-like formation can be formed in one piece. This avoids the arrangement of a connecting device and seal between the carrier plate and the trough-like recess and can facilitate production.In principle, depending on the material chosen, a wide variety of production types are possible. For example, with regard to rigidity and mounting on the surrounding body, metal materials can be used, for which, for example, casting methods and deep-drawing methods are possible.Particularly cost-effective production is possible when the carrier plate and the at least one trough-like formation are formed as a sheet metal component, wherein the small required construction depth of a one-piece assembled component made of carrier plate and at least one trough-like formation allows production as a drawn sheet metal component.The water discharge channel can be formed as a cost-effective plastic component.In an advantageous embodiment, the water discharge channel can comprise a drain funnel which can be fastened to the trough-like formation in a sealed manner and in which the joint arrangement is partially accommodated at least in the rest position by means of at least one joint connection. The typically tapering shape of a discharge funnel offers sufficient space in its region facing the trough-like formation for receiving a part of the kinematics of the raising mechanism and narrows relative to a base region in which the discharge funnel can have at least one line connection for a water discharge line. The water discharge line connected to the vehicle body, for example, can be a flexible hose or a rigid tube, via which water can be discharged to the outside in a targeted manner.With the usual weight of a spoiler and the pressure acting on the air guiding device during operation, it is expedient if two joint arrangements are fastened to the supporting structure, which joint arrangements are preferably arranged symmetrically with respect to the vehicle center plane and are each assigned a trough-like formation with a water discharge channel.Although in principle an arrangement at different locations of a vehicle is conceivable, the proposed air guiding device develops its advantages, in particular in an embodiment as a rear air guiding device for installation at a rear region of the vehicle, in particular below a rear window.The invention is not limited to the indicated combination of the features of the independent claims or of the claims dependent thereon. There are also possibilities for combining individual features, even if they emerge from the claims, the following description of embodiments or directly from the drawing, with one another within the scope of the claims. Reference to the claims in the drawings using reference numerals is not intended to limit the scope of the claims.The technology disclosed here will now be explained in more detail with reference to the figures of the drawing.It shows: FIG. 1 shows a perspective partial view of a vehicle with an air guiding device arranged at the rear of the vehicle in a state with the air guiding surface extended; FIG. 2 shows a simplified three-dimensional illustration only of the air guiding device according to FIG. 1 ; FIG. 3 shows a simplified side illustration of the air guiding device of FIGS. 1 and 2 ; and FIG. 4 shows a three-dimensional detailed illustration of a water outlet of the air guiding device of FIGS. 1 to 3.With reference to FIG. 1, a motor vehicle 1 is shown which has, in its rear region 2 below a rear window 3, an air guiding device 5 which is connected to a vehicle body 4 and which in the present case comprises a single movable air guiding surface 6, also referred to as spoiler or spoiler leaf.The vehicle 1 can be a closed vehicle as well as a targa or convertible vehicle.The air-guiding device 5 is configured as a module overall and comprises a supporting structure 7 which can be fastened into a cutout 4A of the vehicle body 4, for example by means of screws, and which is configured in the present case with a supporting plate 8 which, viewed in planar fashion, has two recesses 8A, 8B, in the region of which trough-like formations 9, 10 extend in the vehicle floor direction. In the present case, all movable parts of the air guiding device 5 are supported on the supporting structure 7.As is symbolically indicated in FIG. 2 by dashed lines, a drive 11, for example a hydraulic or electric drive, is arranged on the supporting structure 7, which drive can act on a rotatable drive shaft 12 which extends transversely to the vehicle 1 and actuates an installation mechanism 13 for the air guide surface 6.Depending on the width of the air guide surface 6 and optionally the number of air guide surfaces, the raising mechanism 13 can contain one or more movable joint arrangements 14, 15 over the width of the vehicle, which support and move the air guide surface 6. In the exemplary embodiment shown, two similar joint arrangements 14, 15 are provided as movement units symmetrically to a vertical longitudinal center plane of the vehicle, for which reason their structurally identical components are designated with the same reference numerals below for the sake of clarity. By means of these hinge arrangements 14, 15, the air guide surface 6 can be displaced between a rest position, in which the air guide surface 6 is located flush in an outer skin of the vehicle body 4, and the raised position shown in FIG. 1, in which the air guide surface or the spoiler blade 6 is displaced here towards the rear and is held rising towards the rear.The actuation of this displacement can be remotely controllable automatically, for example when a limit speed is reached, and additionally or alternatively from the interior of the vehicle. Intermediate positions between a maximally extended and a completely retracted position are possible in principle.The joint arrangements 14, 15 can be pre-assembled themselves and are each supported as a whole in one of the trough-like formations 9, 10 of the supporting structure 7, for example by means of screws and flanges. The drive shaft 12 extends through a wall of the trough-like formations 9, 10 in order to be able to act on the joint arrangements 14, 15.The articulated arrangements 14, 15 of the raising mechanism 13 each comprise a plurality of links 22, 23, 24, 25 which are connected via articulated connections 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21 partially supported with respect to the vehicle body 4 and of which only some are shown by way of example in the figures and of which the links 22, 23 pointing furthest in the vehicle floor direction are shown in more detail with their articulation point 21 in FIGS. 3 and 4.Depending on the application, the joint arrangements 14, 15 can comprise, for example, two-position cams, 4-joint arrangements, 7-joint arrangements or other suitable link arrangements in order to open or close the joint arrangements 14, 15 and thus extend or retract the spoiler blade 6 and optionally adjust it in an extended position.An air guiding device in the rear region 2, for example in the case of a tailgate of the vehicle 1, fundamentally separates an outer region or wet region 32 from a dry region 33 lying below the outer skin of the vehicle body, for which reason a type of water trap shell and a water drain from the vehicle body region are required. The trough-like formations 9, 10 here fulfil the function of a water collecting device.In order to be able to discharge the water that has penetrated and collected into the air guiding device 5 in a targeted manner without the risk of corrosion, the trough-like formation has a water discharge opening 26, to which a water discharge channel 27 is connected. In this case, the water discharge channel 27 in the region of its sealed connection 31 to the trough-like formation 9 or 10 is dimensioned such that it engages around a part of the joint arrangement 14 or 15 at least in the rest position. In the present case, the articulated connection 23 pointing as far as possible in the vehicle floor direction is arranged between the links 22 and 23 in the region of the water discharge channel 27.The carrier plate 8 and the trough-like formations 9, 10 are here formed in one piece as a drawn sheet metal component in a cost-effective manner, since the required usable construction depth D 1 in the trough-like formations 9, 10 is a drawing depth which can be achieved in a technically simple manner.The water discharge channel 27 sealingly connected to the connection 31 via a conventional flange is formed cost-effectively, for example, by injection molding from plastic, in particular from high-temperature resistant plastic.The water discharge channel 27 is embodied in multiple parts in the present case, wherein a discharge funnel 28 is arranged on the connection 31 to the water discharge opening 26, which funnel provides a further usable installation space and a construction depth D 2 for the joint arrangements 14, 15 and in the present case engages around the joint connection 23 between the links 22 and 23. The outlet funnel 28 thus enables a reduction in the overall height of the assembled part comprising the carrier plate 8 and trough-like formations 9, 10.The outlet funnel 28 is formed tapering in the direction of a line connection 29 for a water discharge line 30, wherein the line connection 29 can be a conventional hose connection piece and the water discharge line 30 can be a hose and / or a tube made of plastic.The plastic embodiment shown permits a virtually freely selectable shaping of the outlet funnel 28 and of the water discharge line 30, as a result of which water penetration can be channelled and discharged in a defined manner in an optimum manner to the shape of the vehicle body 4. At the same time, the air guiding device 5 which can be installed as a module has only a low weight overall.LIST OF REFERENCE CHARACTERS1 Vehicle 2 Rear region 3 Rear window 4 Vehicle body 4A Cutout 5 Air guiding device 6 Air guiding surface 7 Supporting structure 8 Supporting plate 8A Recess 8B Recess 9 Trough-like shaping 10 Trough-like shaping 11 Drive 12 Drive shaft 13 Raising mechanism 14 Joint arrangement 15 Joint arrangement 16 Joint connection 17 Joint connection 18 Joint connection 19 Joint connection 20 Joint connection 21 Joint connection 22 Link 23 Link 24 Link 25 Link 26 Water discharge opening 27 Water discharge channel 28 Discharge funnel 29 Line connection 30 Water discharge line 31 Connection 32 Outer region, wet region 33 Dry region D 1 Usable construction depth D 2 Usable construction depthReferences included in the specificationThis list of documents cited by the applicant has been produced in an automated manner and is only included for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent application or utility model application. The DPMA does not take any adhesion for any faults or omissions.Patent Literature citedDE 103 09 369 A1

[0002]

Claims

Air guiding device for a vehicle (1) having at least one air guiding surface (6) which is adjustable via a mounting mechanism (13) between a retracted rest position and an at least partially extended use position and which is connected to a supporting structure (7), wherein the supporting structure (7) has at least one trough-like formation (9, 10) in which a joint arrangement (14, 15) of the mounting mechanism (13) is at least partially accommodated at least in the rest position, and wherein the trough-like formation (9, 10) has at least one water discharge opening (26), characterized in that a water discharge channel (27) is connected to the water discharge opening (26), in which channel the joint arrangement (14, 15) is partially accommodated at least in the rest position.Air guiding device according to claim 1, characterised in that at least one articulated connection (23) of the articulated arrangement (14, 15) is accommodated in the water discharge channel (27).Air guiding device according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the supporting structure (7) has a carrier plate (8) which has at least one recess (8A, 8B), in the region of which the at least one trough-like formation (9, 10) is arranged extending in the vehicle floor direction in the installed position.Air guiding device according to claim 3, characterised in that the carrier plate (8) and the at least one trough-like formation (9, 10) are formed in one piece.Air guiding device according to claim 4, characterised in that the carrier plate (8) and the at least one trough-like formation (9, 10) constitute an, in particular drawn, sheet metal component.Air guiding device according to one of Claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the water discharge duct (27) is formed from plastic.Air-guiding device according to one of Claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the water-discharge duct (27) comprises a discharge funnel (28) which can be fastened to the trough-like formation (9, 10) in a sealed manner and in which the articulated arrangement (14, 15) is partially accommodated, at least in the rest position, by means of at least one articulated connection (23),Air guiding device according to claim 7, characterised in that the outlet funnel (28) has at least one line connection (29) for a water discharge line (30).Air guiding device according to one of Claims 1 to 8, characterized in that two joint arrangements (14, 15) which are arranged symmetrically thereon and to each of which a trough-like formation (9, 10) with a water discharge duct (27) is assigned are fastened to the supporting structure (7).Air guiding device according to one of Claims 1 to 9, characterized in that it is designed as a rear air guiding device for installation on a rear region (2) of the vehicle (1).Vehicle (1) having an air guiding device (5) according to one of Claims 1 to 10 arranged on the rear side.

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