Active air flap

Abstract

The present invention relates to an active air flap for controlling the flow rate or inflow of cooling air introduced into a vehicle heat exchanger. More specifically, the present invention relates to an active air flap which has a door and an actuator connected to each other via a link structure to secure operational stability during high-speed driving while the door of the AAF is closed and prevents foreign substances from being introduced into the link structure by sealing the link structure from an airflow space.

Description

Active air flaps

[0001] The present invention relates to an active air flap that controls the flow rate or whether cooling air is introduced into a vehicle heat exchanger, and more specifically, to an active air flap that applies a link connection structure to a door and an actuator to secure operational stability during high-speed driving with the AAF door closed, and seals the link connection structure from the air flow space to prevent foreign substances from entering the link connection structure.

[0002]

[0003] Recently, automobile development has been showing a strong tendency to reduce the number of parts and processes in order to improve productivity. As a means of improving productivity, a technology called modularization has been proposed, in which multiple parts are individually assembled to form a complex and then assembled on an assembly line. A representative example of this is the front-end module, which is a modularized assembly of a bumper including a heat exchanger, headlamp, and bumper beam stay.

[0004] Fig. 1 shows an exploded perspective view of a typical vehicle front-end module, and Fig. 2 shows an exploded perspective view of a conventional active air flap.

[0005] FIG. 1 is a drawing showing a front end module, and the front end module is modularized by centering a carrier (10) including a front panel (11) and support panels (12) extending at a predetermined angle from both ends of the front panel (11), a heat exchanger (30) is mounted on the rear of the front panel (11) of the carrier (10), a headlamp (not shown) is mounted on a headlamp mounting portion (12a) formed on the support panel (12) of the carrier (10), and a bumper (20) is mounted on the front of the carrier (10).

[0006] The heat exchanger (30) is modularized into a cooling module and placed at the rear of the front panel (11). It can be formed in various ways depending on the design, but is briefly illustrated in the drawing.

[0007] The front-end module for a vehicle having the above configuration has an opening (21) formed on the bumper (20) side for air intake to smoothly introduce outside air into the heat exchanger (30) provided on the inside of the carrier (10). The opening (21) may be formed in a form in which a simple hole is formed as shown, or may be formed in a form in which a net or grill-shaped structure is additionally provided on the opening (21) to prevent foreign substances from entering the opening (21).

[0008] When the vehicle is driven, outside air is quickly drawn in through the opening (21), and thus, smooth heat exchange can be achieved in the heat exchanger (30) provided inside the carrier (10).

[0009] Meanwhile, when the vehicle is initially started, it is advantageous for the vehicle's aerodynamics and fuel efficiency to be improved by quickly heating the driving means, such as the engine, motor, or battery, to an appropriate temperature for smooth operation. However, if outside air is introduced through the opening (21) during the above process, it does not help improve the vehicle's aerodynamics and fuel efficiency because it prevents the driving means from being heated to the appropriate temperature.

[0010] In addition, when the vehicle is driven at high speed, the air flow flowing into the opening (21) also becomes very fast, and accordingly, air resistance becomes very large. As the vehicle driving speed increases, air resistance increases, so the vehicle engine or motor must generate more energy, which has the problem of deteriorating fuel efficiency.

[0011] The conventional opening (21) was a fixed structure in the form of a mere hole, so it was fundamentally impossible to control, such as by adjusting the flow rate of air flowing in while the vehicle is driving. Therefore, as described above, there was a problem in that it was impossible to solve the problem of reduced fuel efficiency due to increased resistance of air flowing into the engine room during initial starting and high-speed driving.

[0012] In order to solve the above problem, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, an active air flap (40) is applied between the opening (21) and the heat exchanger (30) to control or block the amount of air flowing in from the opening (21).

[0013] AAF (40) closes the opening (21) during initial startup and until the temperature of the driving means rises within a certain range to help improve aerodynamics and fuel efficiency, and opens the opening (21) when the temperature of the driving means rises above a certain temperature to help cool the driving means, and plays a role in reducing air resistance by appropriately controlling the air flow rate when the vehicle is driving at high speeds.

[0014] The AAF (40) that performs the above role is composed of an air guide (41) located at the rear end of the opening (21) and guiding air flowing in through the opening (21), a body (43) provided with a door (42) located at the rear end of the air guide (41) and opening or closing the air guide (41), and an actuator (44) provided in the body (43) and driving the door (42).

[0015]

[0016] The conventional AAF (40) as described above has a problem in that when driving at high speed with the body (43) closed, the door may be forced open due to the wind pressure of the driving wind, and noise may be generated due to the door shaking. Additionally, since the connection between the door (42) and the actuator (44) is exposed to the airflow space, the door may malfunction due to the inflow of foreign substances into the connection.

[0017]

[0018] The present invention has been devised to solve the above-mentioned problems, and the purpose of the present invention is to provide an active air flap in which the drive lever of the flap is placed in a separate space on the AAF isolated from the air flow space, so that the drive lever and the link portion connected to the drive lever are not exposed to the outside and the air flow space.

[0019] To this end, the drive lever of the flap is connected to the rotation axis of the flap, but is provided in a link installation space that is partitioned from the air flow space by a bulkhead, and an active air flap is provided in which only the rotation axis connection of the drive lever is configured to penetrate the bulkhead.

[0020] In particular, the drive lever provides an active air flap that improves the door's support and driving force by arranging the link portion connection side radially apart from the rotation axis.

[0021]

[0022] According to one embodiment of the present invention, an active air flap is provided between an opening of a bumper and a heat exchanger to control the flow rate of air flowing into the heat exchanger or whether air is flowing in, wherein the active air flap comprises: a body forming an air flow space between the opening and the heat exchanger; a door flap having a rotational shaft provided on each of both sides in the width direction and coupled to the body so as to be rotatable in the axial direction, and opening or closing the air flow space by rotation; an actuator provided on the body to drive the door flap; a link part connecting the actuator and the door flap so as to transmit the driving force of the actuator to the door flap; And it includes a driving lever that is connected to one of the above rotational axes and transmits the driving force of the link part to the rotational axle, and the body is partitioned from the air flow space by a partition wall, and a link part installation space in which the link part is installed is formed, and the driving lever is provided in the link part installation space, one side in the width direction is coupled to the link part, and the other side is coupled to the rotational axle with the partition wall therebetween.

[0023] In addition, the bulkhead is formed integrally with the body or is joined to the body as a separate part.

[0024] In addition, the active air flap includes a first rotation groove formed forwardly at the rear end of the bulkhead so that a first connecting portion coupled with the rotation shaft and the driving lever is seated therein; and a cover coupled to the bulkhead and the body so as to seal a rear opening of the first rotation groove in which the first connecting portion is seated so that the first connecting portion is rotatably supported and to seal an opening of the link portion installation space.

[0025] In addition, the active air flap includes a first driving lever connected to a first rotation axis formed on one width direction side of the door flap; a second driving lever connected to a second rotation axis formed on the other width direction side of the door flap; a first link portion connecting the actuator and the first driving lever; a second link portion connected to the second driving lever; and a shaft transmitting the driving force of the first link portion to the second link portion, wherein the link portion installation space is defined by a first partition wall provided on one width direction side of the door flap among the partition walls, and includes a first link portion installation space in which the first driving lever and the first link portion are accommodated; and a second link portion installation space in which the second driving lever and the second link portion are accommodated, and is defined by a second partition wall provided on the other width direction side of the door flap among the partition walls.

[0026] In addition, the cover includes a first cover having a first rotation groove formed on the rear side to seal a rear opening of a first rotation groove in which the first connecting portion is seated by coupling with the first bulkhead so that the first connecting portion is rotatably supported, and a second rotation groove formed on the rear side to seat a second connecting portion in which the first link portion and the shaft are coupled; and a second cover coupled to the first cover and the body so as to seal a rear opening of a second rotation groove in which the second connecting portion is seated by coupling with the first cover so that the second connecting portion is rotatably supported, and to seal a rear side of the first link portion installation space.

[0027] In addition, the drive lever includes a lever rotation shaft coupled with the rotation shaft; a lever drive shaft spaced a certain distance from the lever rotation shaft and connected to the link portion; and a drive rod connecting the lever rotation shaft and the lever drive shaft.

[0028] In addition, the actuator is coupled to the outer side of the body forming one side of the link installation space, and the power shaft penetrates the side of the body so that an end is exposed to the inside of the link installation space, and the link portion is formed as a link structure connecting the lever drive shaft and the power shaft.

[0029] In addition, the link part includes a first link having one side connected to the driving lever, and a second link having the other side connected to the power shaft of the actuator, wherein the other side of the first link and one side of the second link are hinge-joined, the first link has one side connected to the lever driving shaft of the driving lever, and the other side connected to one side of the second link, and the second link includes a link rotation shaft having one side in the width direction connected to the power shaft, a link driving shaft spaced apart from the link rotation shaft and connected to the other side of the first link, and a link rod connecting the link rotation shaft and the link driving shaft.

[0030] In addition, the body includes a first side body formed on one side in the width direction, a second side body formed on the other side in the width direction, a lower body formed on the lower side, and an upper body formed on the upper side, and the partition wall is formed on the other side of the first side body or one side of the second side body, and is formed close to the first side body or the second side body on which the actuator is installed, and the body is characterized in that the front side between the partition wall and the first side body or between the partition wall and the second side body is sealed.

[0031] In addition, the above link installation space is sealed through the body on the upper side, lower side, front side, and one side in the width direction, while the rear side and the other side in the width direction are sealed through the cover.

[0032] In addition, the lever rotation shaft of the drive lever has a rotation shaft coupling groove formed on the other end in the width direction so that the rotation shaft is fitted therein, one end is coupled to the other end in the width direction of the drive rod, and the lever drive shaft is formed to protrude to one side from one side in the width direction of the drive rod.

[0033] In addition, the first link includes a first hinge rotation hole formed along the vertical length direction, into which the lever drive shaft is fitted so as to be rotatable on one side, and a second hinge rotation hole into which the link rotation shaft of the second link is fitted so as to be rotatable on the other side, and the link rotation shaft of the second link is fitted so as to be rotatable on one side in the width direction, and the link rod is fixed to the outer surface, and the link drive shaft of the second link is formed to protrude to one side from one side in the width direction of the link rod.

[0034]

[0035] The active air flap of the present invention having the above configuration has the effect of improving the durability of the link part by preventing the link part from being exposed to the outside or foreign substances from entering the link part installation space by eliminating an opening area (foreign substance inflow area) on the bulkhead that divides the airflow space and the link part installation space.

[0036] In addition, when constructing a drive shaft extended from the rotation axis of the flap, the link connection is configured to be spaced apart from the rotation axis, thereby securing additional support for the flap, thereby securing operational stability during high-speed driving of the vehicle, preventing forced opening of the door, and reducing noise caused by vibration.

[0037] In addition, the link connection position of the drive lever of the present invention can be designed to be the same as that of a conventional active air flap, so that the present invention can be implemented with only a simple design change from a conventional active air flap.

[0038]

[0039] Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of the FEM.

[0040] Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of a conventional AAF.

[0041] Figure 3 is a rear-side perspective view of an AAF according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0042] FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged perspective view of the rear side of the AAF showing the first link portion according to one embodiment of the present invention (second cover removed).

[0043] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of the rear side of an AAF (1000) showing the first assembly step during the assembly process of an AAF according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0044] Figure 6 is a partially enlarged perspective view of the rear side of the AAF showing the second assembly step during the assembly process of the AAF according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0045] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the rear side of Figure 6.

[0046] Figure 8 is a partially enlarged perspective view of the rear side of the AAF showing the third assembly step during the assembly process of the AAF according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0047] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of the rear side of Figure 8.

[0048] Figure 10 is a rear side schematic diagram of an AAF showing the four assembly steps during the assembly process of an AAF according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0049] Figure 11 is a partially enlarged perspective view of the rear side of the AAF showing the assembly step 5 during the assembly process of the AAF according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0050] Figure 12 is a rear side schematic diagram of Figure 11.

[0051] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram of the rear widthwise other side of the AAF showing the coupling relationship between the second link part, the door flap, and the shaft provided on the widthwise other side of the AAF according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0052] FIG. 14 is a rear width-wise schematic diagram showing a third cover provided on the width-wise other side of the AAF according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0053] Figures 15 to 17 are side views showing the operating state of the door flap according to the driving lever and link unit driving.

[0054] <Explanation of symbols>

[0055] 1000: Active air flaps

[0056] 100: Body

[0057] 101: Mounting

[0058] 110: First side body

[0059] 111: Power shaft hole

[0060] 120: Second side body

[0061] 121: 5th rotation home

[0062] 130: Lower body

[0063] 140: Upper body

[0064] 150: First bulkhead

[0065] 150-1: Second bulkhead

[0066] 151: First rotation home

[0067] 151-1: Third rotation home

[0068] 152-1: 4th rotation home

[0069] 200: Door flap

[0070] 201: First rotation axis

[0071] 210: First drive lever

[0072] 211: First lever rotation axis

[0073] 212: First lever drive shaft

[0074] 215: Drive rod

[0075] 210-1: Second drive lever

[0076] 250: Shaft

[0077] 300: First link section

[0078] 300-1: Second link section

[0079] 310, 310-1: First link

[0080] 311: First hinge rotation hole

[0081] 312: Second hinge rotation hole

[0082] 320, 320-1: Second Link

[0083] 321: Link rotation axis

[0084] 322: Link drive shaft

[0085] 325: Link Road

[0086] 400: First Cover

[0087] 410: Second rotation home

[0088] 420: First joint flange

[0089] 430: Second joint flange

[0090] 500: Second Cover

[0091] 510: Back cover

[0092] 520: Side cover

[0093] 600: Third Cover

[0094] 900: Actuator

[0095] 910: Power shaft

[0096] A1: Airflow space

[0097] A2: Installation space for the first link section

[0098] A3: Second link installation space

[0099]

[0100] The present invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the drawings. The embodiments presented below are provided as examples to ensure that those skilled in the art can fully grasp the spirit of the present invention. The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below and may be embodied in other forms.

[0101]

[0102] FIG. 3 shows a rear-side full perspective view of an AAF (1000) according to one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4 shows a rear-side partial enlarged perspective view of an AAF (1000) in the width direction with the second cover (500) removed to show the first link portion (300) according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0103] As illustrated, the present invention relates to an AAF (1000) installed in a front-end module to open or close an opening in a bumper, and is installed on the front side of a vehicle of a heat exchanger to control the flow rate of air flowing in through the opening or block the air flowing in when necessary. In particular, the AAF (1000) of the present invention may be an external AAF (1000) installed in the opening of a bumper so that a door flap (200) is exposed to the front of the vehicle. Hereinafter, the AAF (1000) of the present invention having the above-described features will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0104] As illustrated, the AAF (1000) of the present invention includes a body (100) in which an air flow space (A1, see FIG. 5) through which air flows is formed, a door flap (200) installed in the body (100) and rotating to open or close the air flow space (A1) on the body (100), a first link part (300) provided on one side of the door flap (200) in the width direction to drive the door flap (200), a second link part (300-1, see FIG. 13) provided on the other side in the width direction, an actuator (900) provided on one side of the body (100) in the width direction to drive the first link part (300) to open or close the door flap (200), and a shaft (250) that transmits the rotational force of the actuator (900) to the second link part (300-1). In another embodiment, the actuator (900) may be provided on the other side of the body (100) in the width direction, and in another embodiment, the actuator (900) may be provided on each of the two sides of the body (100) in the width direction. In addition, in an embodiment where the second link portion (300-1) is deleted and the door flap (200) is driven only through the first link portion (300), the shaft (250) may be deleted.

[0105] The body (100) is formed in the form of a square frame with a hollow portion formed inside along the front-rear direction of the vehicle, and the body (100) is configured to include a first side body (110) formed on one side in the width direction (right side in the drawing), a second side body (120) formed on the other side in the width direction (left side in the drawing), a lower body (130) formed on the lower side, and an upper body (140) formed on the upper side. An actuator (900) is installed on one side in the width direction of the first side body (110), and a door flap (200) is installed on the air flow space (A1) of the body (100). A plurality of mountings (101) may be formed spaced apart from each other around the front side of the vehicle to be coupled to the rear of the bumper.

[0106] The door flap (200) is positioned on the body (100) to open or close the air flowing in through the opening, and is connected to the power shaft (910, see FIG. 5) of the actuator (900) to receive the rotational force of the power shaft (910) through the first link part (300) and the second link part (300-1, see FIG. 13) to open or close the air flow space (A1). When the door flap (200) rotates parallel to the air flow direction, the air flow space (A1) is opened, and when it is vertical, the air flow space (A1) is closed.

[0107] The actuator (900) may be provided on one side of the first side body (110) in the width direction. The actuator (900) is connected to the first link unit (300) and functions to rotate the door flap (200) by the rotation of the power shaft (910) according to the instructions of the control unit. That is, the door flap (200) is rotated by the rotation of the actuator (900) in one direction to open the air flow space (A1) of the body (100), and the door flap (200) is rotated by the rotation of the other direction to close the air flow space (A1) of the body (100). The actuator (900) may have a configuration of a commonly used motor.

[0108] The shaft (250) may be configured such that one side is connected to a first link portion (300) provided on one side in the width direction of the door flap (200), and the other side is connected to a second link portion (300-1) provided on the other side in the width direction of the door flap (200), so as to transmit the driving force of the first link portion (300) to the second link portion (300-1) to drive the other side of the door flap (200).

[0109] At this time, the AAF (1000) of the present invention can be partitioned such that the air flow space (A1) of the body (100) and the first link unit installation space (A2, see FIG. 5) in which the first link unit (300) is installed are isolated from each other through the first bulkhead (150), the first cover (400), and the second cover (500). Accordingly, the first link unit (300) can be prevented from being exposed to the outside through the air flow space (A1), and foreign substances in the air flow space (A1) can be prevented from flowing into the first link unit installation space (A2). The first bulkhead (150) may be formed on the body (100) at a predetermined distance from the other side of the first side body (110) so as to divide the first link unit installation space (A2) in which the first link unit (300) is installed and the air flow space (A1) on the other side in the width direction of the first side body (110) of the body (100). The lower side of the first bulkhead (150) is connected to the lower body (130), the upper side is connected to the upper body (140), the front side is formed to have the same length as the first side body (110) based on the width direction, and the rear side may be formed to be shorter than the first side body (110). In addition, the front side between the first bulkhead (150) and the first side body (110) is sealed, and the space between the rear side and the rear end of the body (100) on the rear side of the first bulkhead (150) can be sealed through the first cover (400) and the second cover (500) to form a first link installation space (A2).

[0110] In addition to their role of forming the first link installation space (A2) described above, the first cover (400) and the second cover (500) are configured to improve the convenience of assembly of the AAF (1000). The first cover (400) is coupled to the rear side of the first bulkhead (150) and is configured such that the front side supports the first rotation axis (201, see FIG. 5) of the door flap (200) and the first drive lever (210) connected to the first rotation axis (201), and the rear side supports the other side of the second link (320) of the first link (300). The second cover (500) can be configured to support the other side of the second link (320) through coupling with the first cover (400) and the body (100) and to seal the rear side opening of the first link installation space (A2).

[0111] Meanwhile, the third cover (600) is coupled to the rear side of the second bulkhead (150-1) and is configured to support one side of the second drive lever (310-1, see FIG. 13) and the second link (320-1, see FIG. 13) on the other side in the width direction of the door flap (200) on the front side, and may be configured to seal the rear side opening of the second link installation space (A3, see FIG. 13).

[0112] Hereinafter, the assembly process of AAF (1000) having the above-described configuration will be described in detail through drawings, and the detailed configuration and joint structure of each component of AAF (1000) described above will be described in detail through each drawing showing the assembly process.

[0113]

[0114] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of the rear side of the AAF (1000) showing the first assembly step in which a door flap (200) and an actuator (900) are coupled to a body (100) during the assembly process of the AAF (1000) according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0115] AAF (1000) can be formed symmetrically on one side and the other side in the width direction, excluding the actuator (900), and the configuration on one side in the width direction will be described below.

[0116] As shown, the body (100) may be spaced apart from the other side in the width direction of the first side body (110) to form a first link installation space (A2) on one side in the width direction of the air flow space (A1) so that a first bulkhead (150) may be formed.

[0117] The door flap (200) is installed in the air flow space (A1), and includes a first rotation axis (201) protruding from the lower side in one direction in the width direction, and a second rotation axis (not shown) protruding from the other direction in the width direction.

[0118] The first bulkhead (150) may be formed with a first rotation groove (151) that is sunken from the rear end toward the front so that the first rotation shaft (201) is secured therein, and the door flap (200) may be coupled so as to be rotatable on the body (100) through the combination of the first drive lever (210) and the first cover (400) described later, with the first rotation shaft (201) positioned in the first rotation groove (151).

[0119] The actuator (900) is coupled to one side of the first side (110), and the power shaft (910) protruding from the other side is configured to penetrate the power shaft hole (111) formed through the first side (110) and be exposed to the link installation space (A2).

[0120]

[0121] FIG. 6 is a partially enlarged perspective view of the rear side of the AAF (1000) showing the second assembly step in which the first drive lever (210) is coupled to the door flap (200) during the assembly process of the AAF (1000) according to one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of the rear side of FIG. 6.

[0122] As illustrated, a first drive lever (210) is installed on the first link installation space (A2) to transmit the rotational force of the power shaft (910) to the first rotation shaft (201) of the door flap (200) to rotate the door flap (200). The first drive lever (210) includes a lever rotation shaft (211) that is seated in the first rotation groove (151) of the first bulkhead (150) and fitted into the first rotation shaft (201), a lever drive shaft (212) that is spaced upward from the lever rotation shaft (211) and connected to the power shaft (910) through the first link (300), and a drive rod (215) that connects the lever rotation shaft (211) and the lever drive shaft (212). The lever rotation shaft (211) may have a rotation shaft coupling groove formed on the other end in the width direction so that the first rotation shaft (201) can be fitted therein, and one end in the width direction may be coupled to the other end in the width direction of the drive rod (215). The lever drive shaft (212) may be formed to protrude to one side from one surface in the width direction of the drive rod (215).

[0123] Meanwhile, on the inner surface of the front side of the first link installation space (A2), first and second bolting joints (161, 162) for bolting connection of the first cover (400) may be formed on the upper and lower sides, respectively.

[0124]

[0125] FIG. 8 is a partially enlarged perspective view of the rear side of the AAF (1000) showing the third assembly step in which the first cover (400) is coupled to the first bulkhead (150) on which the lever rotation shaft (211) is seated while the first drive lever (210) is coupled to the first rotation shaft (201) of the door flap (200) during the assembly process of the AAF (1000) according to one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 9 shows a schematic diagram of the rear side of FIG. 8.

[0126] As illustrated, a first cover (400) can be coupled to the rear end of the first bulkhead (150). The first cover (400) is formed along the vertical longitudinal direction and has a predetermined width along the front-back direction, and supports the lever rotation shaft (211) of the first driving lever (210) so that the door flap (200) can rotate on the body (100) by sealing the rear opening surface of the first rotation groove (151) through coupling with the first bulkhead (150). In addition, the first cover (400) is configured so that a second rotation groove (410) that is recessed from the rear end toward the front side is formed so that the other end in the width direction of the second link (320) described later is seated thereon. In addition, a first coupling flange (420) extending from the lower side in one direction in the width direction and a second coupling flange (430) extending from the upper side in one direction in the width direction may be formed on the first cover (400) to be coupled to the first and second bolting joints (161, 162). Accordingly, the first cover (400) may be fixed on the body (100) through bolting.

[0127] Meanwhile, third and fourth bolting joints (131, 141) for bolting connection of the second cover (500) may be formed on the lower body (130) and upper body (140) on the first link installation space (A2), respectively.

[0128]

[0129] In Fig. 10, a rear side schematic diagram (rear side schematic diagram of Fig. 4) of an AAF (1000) is shown, showing the fourth assembly step in which a first link part (300) connected to a first drive lever (210) and a shaft (250) connected to the first link part (300) are connected while a first cover (400) is connected to a first bulkhead (150) during the assembly process of an AAF according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0130] Referring to FIG. 4 and FIG. 10, a first link portion (300) for connecting a first drive lever (210) and a power shaft (910) of an actuator (900) can be installed in a first link portion installation space (A2), and a shaft (250) can be connected to the other side in the width direction of the first link portion (300) to transmit the rotational force of the power shaft (910) to a second link portion (300-1) provided on the other side in the width direction of the door flap (200).

[0131] The first link portion (300) may be configured to include a first link (310) having one longitudinal side connected to the first drive lever (210), and a second link (320) having one side connected to the other side of the first link (310) and the other side connected to the power shaft (910). Specifically, the first link (320) may be formed along the vertical longitudinal direction, and may have a first hinge rotation hole (311) formed on one side into which a lever drive shaft (212) of the first drive lever (210) is rotatably inserted, and a second hinge rotation hole (312) formed on the other side into which a link drive shaft (322) of the second link (320) is inserted.

[0132] The second link (320) is configured to include a link rotation shaft (321) having one widthwise side fitted into the power shaft (910) and rotating in conjunction with the power shaft (910) and the other side seated in the second rotation groove (410), a link driving shaft (322) fitted into the second hinge rotation hole (312) of the first link (310), and a link rod (325) connecting the link rotation shaft (321) and the link driving shaft (322). The link rotation shaft (321) may have a power shaft coupling groove formed at one widthwise end to fit the power shaft (910) into it, and an end of the link rod (325) may be coupled around the circumference. The link driving shaft (322) may be formed to protrude to one side from one widthwise surface of the link rod (325).

[0133] The shaft (250) has a first coupling portion (251) formed at one longitudinal end and can be fitted with a second coupling portion (323) formed at the other end of the link rotation shaft (321). Therefore, the shaft (250) is configured to be rotatable in conjunction with the rotation of the link rotation shaft (321).

[0134]

[0135] FIG. 11 is a partially enlarged perspective view of the rear side of an AAF (1000) showing the fifth assembly step in which the second cover (500) is coupled to the body (100) while the first link part (300) is coupled to the first link part installation space (A2) during the assembly process of the AAF according to one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 12 shows a schematic diagram of the rear side of FIG. 11.

[0136] As illustrated, the second cover (500) can be coupled to the body (100) to seal the opening of the first link installation space (A2) when the first drive lever (210) and the first link portion (300) are installed in the first link installation space (A2). To this end, the second cover (500) includes a rear cover (510) that seals the rear side of the first link installation space (A2), and a side cover (520) that extends from the other side in the width direction of the rear cover (510) to the front side, and has a front end coupled to the rear end of the first cover (400).

[0137] The side cover (520) seals the rear open surface of the second rotation groove (410) through combination with the first cover (400) and supports the link rotation shaft (321) so that the second link (320) can rotate on the first cover (400). In addition, a third coupling flange (511) protruding downward from the lower side and a fourth coupling flange (512) formed on the upper side can be formed on the second cover (500) so as to be combined with the third and fourth bolting joints (131, 141).

[0138] In addition, a cover protrusion (530) may be formed on the rear cover (510) so that interference does not occur when the link driving shaft (322) moves rearward due to the rotation of the second link (320). That is, the cover protrusion (530) may be configured to reduce the rearward protrusion length of the upper side of the second cover (500) while preventing interference when the first link (300) is driven. In addition, an interference prevention hole (535) may be formed through the lower side of the cover protrusion (530). The lower side of the cover protrusion (530) is a point where the protrusion length of the link driving shaft (322) is maximum, and by forming the interference prevention hole (535) at this point, interference in the assembly space due to the cover protrusion (530) can be prevented, and water can also be drained when it flows into the first link installation space (A2).

[0139]

[0140] In Fig. 13, a schematic diagram of the rear width direction side of the AAF (1000) is shown, showing the coupling relationship of the second link part (300-1), the door flap (200), and the shaft (250) provided on the width direction side of the AAF (1000) according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0141] As shown, the body (100) may be spaced apart from one side in the width direction of the second side body (120) to form a second link installation space (A3) on the other side in the width direction of the air flow space (A1) so that a second bulkhead (150-1) may be formed.

[0142] The door flap (200) includes a second rotation axis (not shown) protruding from the lower side in the width direction. A lever rotation axis (211-1) of a second drive lever (210) can be fitted to the second rotation axis.

[0143] The second bulkhead (150-1) may be formed with a third rotation groove (151-1) that is recessed from the rear end toward the front so that the lever rotation shaft (211-1) is secured, and the door flap (200) may be coupled so as to be rotatable on the body (100) through the coupling of the second drive lever (210-1) and the third cover (600) described later, with the lever rotation shaft (211-1) positioned in the third rotation groove (151-1).

[0144] In addition, a second drive lever (210-1) and a second link portion (300-1) are installed on the second link portion installation space (A3), and the second link portion (300-1) includes a first link (310-1) and a second link (320-1). The second drive lever (210-1) and the second link portion (300-1) can be formed and combined in the same manner as the first drive lever (210) and the first link portion (300) described above, but are arranged symmetrically in the width direction, so a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0145] However, the other longitudinal side of the shaft (250) is seated in the fourth rotation groove (152-1) that is sunken in the front side from the rear end of the second bulkhead (150-1), and the shaft rotation axis (255) that is formed protruding from the other longitudinal side end to the other side is seated in the fifth rotation groove (121) that is sunken in the front side from the rear end of the second side body (120) and is supported to be rotatable by the engagement of the third cover (600). A flange portion (252) that protrudes radially outward is formed on one side of the second bulkhead (150-1) on the shaft (250) to prevent air leaks and axial movement of the shaft (250).

[0146] In addition, the second link (320-1) has a cylindrical link rotation axis (321-1) with an opening formed at the bottom so that it can be fitted and connected to the outer surface of the other end of the shaft (250). (See FIGS. 15 to 17) The link rotation axis (321-1) can be connected to the shaft (250) in a non-rotatable manner so that it rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the shaft (250).

[0147] Accordingly, the link rotation axis (321-1) is configured to drive the second drive lever (210-1) by rotating in conjunction with the rotation of the shaft (250) to drive the other side in the width direction of the door flap (200).

[0148]

[0149] FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram of the rear side of an AAF (1000) showing a third cover (600) provided on the other side in the width direction of the AAF according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0150] As illustrated, the third cover (600) can be coupled to the body (100) to seal the opening of the second link installation space (A3) while the second drive lever (210-1) and the second link portion (300-1) are installed in the second link installation space (A3). The third cover (600) has a similar configuration to the second cover (500) described above, but the front end of the side cover formed on one side in the width direction of the third cover (600) can be coupled to the rear side of the second bulkhead (150-1), and by the coupling of the third cover (600) and the second bulkhead (150-1), one side of the second drive lever (210-1) and the second link (320-1) mounted on the second bulkhead (150-1) and the other side of the second link (320-1) mounted on the second side cover (120) can be rotatably fixed. In addition, a fifth coupling flange (611) protruding downward from the lower side and a sixth coupling flange (612) protruding upward from the upper side can be formed on the third cover (600) for bolting connection with the body (100). Although not shown in the drawing, it is obvious that the cover protrusion (530) and interference prevention hole (535) provided in the second cover (500) can also be formed on the third cover (600).

[0151]

[0152] Through the above configuration, the present invention is configured to maintain a sealed state by only allowing the rotation holes for the axial rotation of the first and second drive levers (210) (210-1) and the second link (320) (320-1) to penetrate the first and second link installation spaces (A2) (A3) formed in the body (100), thereby improving the durability of the first and second drive levers (210) (210-1) and the first and second link parts (300) (300-1).

[0153] In addition, since the lever rotation shaft (251) and the lever drive shaft (252) of the first drive lever (210) are spaced apart from each other by a certain distance and rotate through a link structure, the supporting force (torque) for supporting the first and second rotation shafts (201) of the door flap (200) and the driving force (torque) for rotating them are improved, thereby preventing forced opening or shaking of the door flap (200) and enabling accurate driving.

[0154]

[0155] Figures 15 to 17 show side views showing the operating state of the door flap (200) according to the driving of the driving lever (210-1) and the link portion (300-1).

[0156] As illustrated in Fig. 15, the rotation axis (201) of the door flap (200) is located below the door flap (200), and the door flap (200) rotates clockwise about the rotation axis (201) to open the AAF (1000). At this time, the lever drive shaft (212) of the drive lever (210) connected to the rotation axis (201) is located above the rotation axis (201). In addition, the drive lever (210) is connected to the first link (310), the second link (320), and the shaft (250). The opposite side may be connected to the power shaft (910) of the actuator (900).

[0157] Referring to Fig. 16, the lever drive shaft (212) of the drive lever (210) is pulled toward the rear by the clockwise rotation of the shaft (250) and the driving of the link portion (300), thereby rotating the door flap (200).

[0158] Referring to Fig. 17, the dope flap (200) is rotated 90 degrees clockwise by the link portion (300) and the drive lever (210) to completely open the AAF (1000).

[0159]

[0160] The technical concept of the present invention should not be construed solely based on the aforementioned embodiments. The scope of application is diverse, and various modifications can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed in the claims. Therefore, such improvements and modifications, as long as they are obvious to those skilled in the art, fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. In order to control the flow rate of air flowing into the heat exchanger through the opening of the bumper or whether air is flowing in, an active air flap provided between the opening and the heat exchanger, The above active air flaps, A body forming an airflow space between the above opening and the heat exchanger; A door flap having a rotation axis on each side in the width direction and coupled to the body so as to be rotatable in the axial direction, and opening or closing the airflow space by rotation; An actuator provided on the above body to drive the door flap; A link portion connecting the actuator and the door flap to transmit the driving force of the actuator to the door flap; and It includes a driving lever that is connected to one of the above rotational axes and transmits the driving force of the link part to the rotational axle, The above body is partitioned from the airflow space through a bulkhead, and a link installation space in which the link is installed is formed. The above driving lever is an active air flap provided in the installation space of the link portion, with one side in the width direction coupled to the link portion and the other side coupled to the rotation shaft with the bulkhead in between.

2. In paragraph 1, The above bulkhead, An active air flap formed integrally with the body or joined to the body as a separate part.

3. In paragraph 1, The above active air flaps, A first rotation groove formed in the rear end of the bulkhead toward the front so that the first connecting portion, to which the rotation shaft and the driving lever are combined, are secured; and A cover coupled to the bulkhead and the body to seal the rear opening of the first rotary groove in which the first connecting portion is installed, so that the first connecting portion is rotatably supported, and to seal the opening of the link portion installation space; Active air flaps, including:

4. In paragraph 3, The above active air flaps, A first driving lever connected to a first rotation axis formed on one side in the width direction of the door flap; A second driving lever connected to a second rotational axis formed on the other side in the width direction of the door flap; A first link portion connecting the above actuator and the first driving lever; a second link portion connected to the second driving lever; and Including a shaft that transmits the driving force of the first link part to the second link part, The above link installation space is, A first link installation space, which is partitioned through a first bulkhead provided on one side of the width direction of the door flap among the above bulkheads and in which the first driving lever and the first link portion are accommodated; and An active air flap, which is partitioned through a second bulkhead provided on the other side of the width direction of the door flap among the above bulkheads and includes a second link unit installation space in which the second driving lever and the second link unit are accommodated; 5. In paragraph 4, The above cover, A first cover having a first rotation groove formed on the rear side, in which the first connecting portion is secured by sealing the rear opening of the first rotation groove in which the first connecting portion is secured by joining with the first bulkhead, and in which the second connecting portion, in which the first link portion and the shaft are coupled, are secured; and A second cover coupled to the first cover and the body so as to seal the rear opening of the second rotary groove in which the second connecting portion is secured by combination with the first cover, thereby allowing the second connecting portion to be rotatably supported, and seal the rear side of the first link portion installation space; Active air flaps, including:

6. In paragraph 1, The above driving lever, A lever rotation shaft coupled with the above rotation shaft; A lever drive shaft connected to the link portion and spaced apart from the lever rotation shaft at a certain distance; and A driving rod connecting the above lever rotation shaft and the lever driving shaft; Active air flaps, including:

7. In paragraph 6, The above actuator, It is connected to the outer side of the side of the body forming one side of the above link installation space, and the power shaft penetrates the side of the body so that the end is exposed to the inside of the above link installation space. The above link portion is an active air flap formed by a link structure connecting the lever drive shaft and the power shaft.

8. In paragraph 7, The above link section, A first link having one end connected to the drive lever and a second link having the other end connected to the power shaft of the actuator, wherein the other end of the first link and one end of the second link are hinge-connected, The first link above is, One side is connected to the lever drive shaft of the above-mentioned driving lever, and the other side is connected to one side of the above-mentioned second link, The second link above is, An active air flap comprising a link rotation shaft having one side in the width direction coupled to the power shaft, a link drive shaft spaced from the link rotation shaft and connected to the other side of the first link, and a link rod connecting the link rotation shaft and the link drive shaft.

9. In paragraph 1, The above body, It includes a first side body formed on one side in the width direction, a second side body formed on the other side in the width direction, a lower body formed on the lower side, and an upper body formed on the upper side. The above bulkhead is formed on the other side of the first side body or one side of the second side body, and is formed close to the first side body or the second side body where the actuator is installed. An active air flap, characterized in that the front side of the body between the bulkhead and the first side body or between the bulkhead and the second side body is sealed.

10. In paragraph 9, The above link installation space is, The upper and lower sides, the front side and the width side are sealed through the body, Active air flaps, the rear side and the width direction other side being sealed through the above cover.

11. In paragraph 6, The lever rotation axis of the above driving lever is A rotary shaft coupling groove is formed so that a rotary shaft is inserted into the other end in the width direction, and one end is coupled to the other end in the width direction of the driving rod. The above lever drive shaft is an active air flap that protrudes to one side from one side of the width direction of the drive rod.

12. In paragraph 11, The first link above is, It includes a first hinge rotation hole formed along the vertical length direction, into which the lever drive shaft is rotatably inserted on one side, and a second hinge rotation hole into which the link rotation shaft of the second link is rotatably inserted on the other side. The link rotation axis of the above second link is, One side in the width direction is fitted to the power shaft, and the link rod is fixed to the outer surface. The link drive shaft of the above second link is An active air flap formed by protruding to one side on one side of the width direction of the above link rod.

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