Air-guiding device for a motor vehicle
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- EP · EP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- MERCEDES BENZ GROUP AG
- Filing Date
- 2024-07-16
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-03
AI Technical Summary
Existing air guide devices for motor vehicles, such as spoilers, often feature joints that disrupt aerodynamics and aesthetics, particularly when applied to double-curved surfaces, as they create gaps in the vehicle body that alter airflow and appearance.
The integration of a film hinge into the vehicle's outer skin allows the air guide element to seamlessly merge with the body, eliminating visible joints and enabling flexible arrangement on multiple curved surfaces by using convex or concave bean lines that adapt to the body's shape, reducing visibility and enhancing aerodynamics.
This solution improves aerodynamics and aesthetics by creating a continuous surface, reduces the number of components and costs, and allows for easier adaptation to different vehicle body shapes without visible joints, enhancing the vehicle's appearance and performance.
Smart Images
Figure EP2024070141_30012025_PF_FP_ABST
Abstract
Description
[0001] Air guiding device for a motor vehicle
[0002] The invention relates to an air guiding device for a motor vehicle, according to the preamble of claim 1. The invention also relates to a motor vehicle with such an air guiding device.
[0003] To improve the aerodynamics of vehicles, air deflectors or air deflection devices can be used. The goal is to increase downforce or efficiency, depending on the driving situation. For example, active air deflection devices, such as active spoilers, can be used, with actuators enabling the spoiler to be adjusted.
[0004] The air guiding elements or air guiding devices are arranged on the outer body of the motor vehicle, which is also referred to as the outer skin, paneling, or outer paneling, among other things. To enable adjustment of the air guiding element or air guiding device, in particular a spoiler, a gap is disadvantageously required between the air guiding element itself, such as in particular a spoiler blade, and the rest of the vehicle body, such as in particular a trunk lid.
[0005] Such air-guiding devices are known from DE 102015 118 072 A1 and DE 102013 110 363, wherein a gap remains when the air-guiding device is closed and rests against the vehicle body. Such gaps also influence the aerodynamics and appearance. Thus, the air flow is altered by remaining gaps, negatively impacting the appearance. US 1,123,330 B2 describes a possibility for designing a rear spoiler without a gap. Particularly in the area of the rear spoiler, the vehicle body is curved, in particular as a cambered surface. The disadvantage is that the above-mentioned rear spoiler can only be designed for simple cambered surfaces in the vehicle's longitudinal direction.
[0006] If an air guiding device or an air guiding element, in particular a spoiler, is to be designed flexibly on different areas of the vehicle body, an arrangement is required such that the spoiler can also be arranged on surfaces with multiple, in particular double, cambers.
[0007] The object of the present invention is to provide an air guiding device for a motor vehicle that overcomes the aforementioned disadvantages. In particular, an air guiding device is to be provided that is seamlessly mounted on the vehicle body and can be mounted on doubly cambered surfaces.
[0008] According to the invention, this object is achieved by an air guiding device having the features of claim 1. Advantageous embodiments and further developments emerge from the dependent claims. A motor vehicle with such an air guiding device is also described.
[0009] At the core of the air guiding device according to the invention, a film hinge is arranged in the outer body skin, wherein the film hinge enables pivoting of an air guiding element relative to the outer body skin. The film hinge enables a seamless arrangement, which significantly improves the appearance. Thus, a continuous outer body skin can be provided, which transitions smoothly from a body part to the air guiding element, in particular without a joint at a leading edge of the air guiding element, such as in particular a leading edge of a spoiler blade.
[0010] The air guiding device is designed for a motor vehicle, with an air guiding element arranged on the outer body shell of the vehicle. Such an air guiding device can be used for flat surfaces as well as for single- or double-cambered surfaces. Accordingly, the air guiding element can be provided at any position on the outer body shell.
[0011] Preferably, the body outer skin can be convexly curved in the area of the film hinge. In particular, the body outer skin can form a double-cambered surface in the area of the film hinge. This allows, for example, a spoiler to be positioned seamlessly over any cambered surface. In particular, the film hinge is firmly connected to a body part, such as a trunk lid, and the air guide element.
[0012] The air guide element can be designed, in particular, as a spoiler. The air guide element is preferably designed as a rear spoiler. Other embodiments are also conceivable.
[0013] In particular, the film hinge is designed to be convexly curved and have a width that varies along its length. This allows the shape of the film hinge to follow the shape of the body's outer skin. When the element is closed or in place, the air deflection device is virtually invisible, as it blends into the surrounding body's outer skin.
[0014] In particular, it can be provided that the film hinge is wider in the edge areas than in the middle section. Such an embodiment can ensure, in particular, that the air guide element can be smoothly pivoted from a doubly cambered surface.
[0015] In an advantageous embodiment, the film hinge is formed from two bending lines. The film hinge is therefore formed, in particular, from two adjacent bending lines that can be adapted to the shape of the body's outer skin. This allows the air guide element to be formed on differently curved surfaces, since the bending lines can be adapted to the curved surface of the body's outer skin in such a way that the air guide element can be pivoted through any angle relative to the surrounding body parts.
[0016] According to a very advantageous development of the concept, the bending lines can be designed to be concave relative to one another. The bending lines are therefore preferably arranged virtually parallel to one another, with some areas extending at different distances from one another. This is made possible by a concave shape of the bending lines. In particular, the bending lines are arranged such that they are closer together in a central section than in the respective edge areas.
[0017] According to an advantageous embodiment, the bending lines can be formed in the outer body skin. This allows for a seamless transition from a body part to the air guide element.
[0018] A further advantageous embodiment can therefore provide for the outer body skin to be elastically deformable. This allows the bending lines in the outer body skin to be formed particularly advantageously. Furthermore, it is possible to elastically deform the outer body skin between the two bending lines, which allows the film hinge to be further optimized.
[0019] Furthermore, a motor vehicle comprising an air guiding device according to the invention is described. The same features and advantages apply to the motor vehicle as described with respect to the air guiding device.
[0020] The air guiding device according to the invention, or rather the motor vehicle, advantageously allows for the deformation of doubly curved surfaces. A joint on the front side of the air guiding element, in particular on the leading edge of a spoiler blade, is therefore not required. This also improves aerodynamics. The continuous and closed surface created in this way also has a positive effect on the appearance. Another advantage is a reduction in the number of individual components, which can reduce costs.
[0021] Further advantageous embodiments of the air guiding device according to the invention and of the motor vehicle also emerge from the exemplary embodiment, which is described in more detail below with reference to the drawing. In the drawings:
[0022] Fig. 1 shows an embodiment of the air guiding device according to the invention; Fig. 2 shows a sectional view along line AA in Fig. 1;
[0023] Fig. 3 is a sectional view along line BB in Fig. 1;
[0024] Fig. 4 is a sectional view along line AA in Fig. 1;
[0025] Fig. 5 is a sectional view along line BB in Fig. 1;
[0026] Fig. 6 an air guide element on a motor vehicle; and
[0027] Fig. 7 shows an air guiding element on a motor vehicle in a further view.
[0028] The illustration in Fig. 1 shows a possible embodiment of the air guiding device on a motor vehicle 2. The air guiding device comprises an air guiding element 1, which in this embodiment is designed as a rear spoiler. A film hinge 4 connects the air guiding element 1 to a surrounding body part, in particular a trunk lid. The air guiding element 1 is therefore advantageously formed as a single piece with an outer body skin 3, so that the air guiding element 1 merges seamlessly into the adjacent body part in the hinge area.
[0029] In this embodiment, the film hinge 4 is formed by two bending lines 7 that extend concavely relative to one another. As a result, the bending lines 7 are arranged closer together in a central section 6 than in edge regions 5. In other words, the film hinge 4 preferably has a width that increases from the center of the vehicle outward. This allows the film hinge 4 to be adapted to a curvature of the outer body shell 3, thereby preventing damage to the outer body shell 3 when the air guide element 1 moves.
[0030] A sectional view of the air guiding device is shown in Fig. 2. The same components are provided with the same reference numerals, so they need not be discussed in detail. The air guiding element 1 is formed in a body part 9 below a rear window 8. In the illustrated embodiment, the air guiding element 3 is shown retracted, so that it lies in the same plane as the body part 9.
[0031] The sectional view in Figure 2 shows a section along plane AA of Figure 1. Compared with the sectional view in Figure 3, it is evident that the film hinge 4 has a different width. The sectional view in Figure 3 shows a section along plane BB of Figure 1. It can be seen that in this edge region 5, the bending lines 7 are further apart than in the central section 6, as shown in Figure 2.
[0032] Figures 4 and 5 show an air guide element 1 in an extended and pivoted state, respectively. The air guide element 1 is shown pivoted relative to the body part 9. The film hinge 4 is shown in a deformed state. Due to the differently extending bending lines 7, the film hinge 4 can be adapted as desired to the curved surface of the body outer skin 3.
[0033] In particular, the film hinge 4 can be formed on a convexly curved body outer skin 3, so that a first surface section, which is designed in particular as an air guide element 1, can be adjusted upwards relative to a second surface section which forms a body part, as shown in Figure 6.
[0034] Figure 7 shows a further view of a motor vehicle 2, wherein a rear spoiler is formed on the motor vehicle 2. This view also shows the two curved bending lines 7, which are closer together in a central section 6 than in the two edge regions 5.
[0035] Overall, the proposed air guiding device can therefore improve the aerodynamics of the motor vehicle 2. Furthermore, the air guiding element 1 blends visually into the outer body shell 3 of the motor vehicle 2.
Claims
Patent claims 1. Air guiding device for a motor vehicle (2), wherein an air guiding element (1) is arranged on an outer body skin (3) of the vehicle (2), characterized in that a film hinge (4) enabling pivoting of the air guiding element (1) relative to the outer body skin (3) is arranged in the outer body skin (3), that the outer body skin (3) is convexly curved in the region of the film hinge (4), that the film hinge (4) has a width that is variable over its length and that the film hinge (4) is wider in edge regions (5) than in a central section (6).
2. Air guiding device according to claim 1, characterized in that the film hinge (4) is formed from two bending lines (7).
3. Air guiding device according to claim 2, characterized in that the bending lines (7) are concave to one another.
4. Air guiding device according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the bending lines (7) are formed in the outer body skin (3).
5. Air guiding device according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the body outer skin (3) is elastically deformable.
6. Motor vehicle (2) comprising an air guiding device according to one of claims 1 to 5.