Active grille shutter

Abstract

The present disclosure provides an active grille shutter. The active grille shutter comprises: a frame; a driving shaft, pivotably connected to the frame; blades, directly or indirectly fixed to the driving shaft to be driven by the driving shaft to move between open positions and closed positions; and at least one self-locking mechanism disposed on the frame and having a locked position and an unlocked position, wherein the self-locking mechanism is capable of locking the positions of the blades when the self-locking mechanism is in the locked position, and the blades are capable of being driven to open when the self-locking mechanism is in the unlocked position. In the present disclosure, by means of the above design, when the blades are in the closed positions, power transmission between a driving device and the blades can be effectively blocked, and the load on the closed blades is borne only by the structure of the self-locking mechanism, thereby transferring external force applied to the blades by air, water pressure and / or gravel in uncontrollable external environments to a non-driving component, and thus effectively protecting the driving device and avoiding problems such as stress concentration and fatigue damage.

Description

Active grille Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to an active grille shutter for vehicles, and more particularly to an active grille shutter with a delayed self-locking function. Background Technology

[0002] An active grille, such as an external one, has blades with opening and closing functions placed at the very front of the vehicle body (also known as front-mounted blades). In this way, the blades of the active grille not only have the function of adjusting the airflow in front of the vehicle (to change the flow of outside air into the motor / engine compartment), but can also adjust the shape of the front of the vehicle body by changing the blade angle, making the appearance more aesthetically pleasing.

[0003] Active grille shutters can help reduce drag coefficient and engine cold starts, and also help speed up windshield defrosting. To keep the blades closed, two methods can be used:

[0004] (1) The drive unit continuously provides power to the transmission unit to keep the blade under force and in the closed position, but this will consume additional energy of the drive unit.

[0005] (2) The drive unit can also limit the opening of the blades by its own mechanical torque, but this will accelerate the fatigue damage of the internal structure of the drive unit.

[0006] Furthermore, regardless of which method is used to keep the blades in the closed position, the holding force that keeps the blades closed will act in the opposite direction on the drive unit, especially on the gears inside the drive unit, leading to excessive internal stress at the root of the gears and fatigue damage.

[0007] Furthermore, when a vehicle is traveling at high speed (e.g., 90km / h to 100km / h), wading through water, or driving on gravel roads, the large aerodynamic load, water pressure, or gravel will impact / act on the closed blades. The impact / acting force can be transmitted to the drive unit through the blades, which may cause damage such as breakage at the root of the gears in the drive unit.

[0008] Therefore, those skilled in the art are dedicated to developing a new active air intake grille to address the aforementioned deficiencies of the prior art. Summary of the Invention

[0009] The present disclosure aims to provide an active grille shutter, by setting a self-locking mechanism on the frame, the power transmission between the driving device and the blade can be effectively blocked when the blade is in the closed position, and the load of the closed blade is borne only by the structure of the self-locking mechanism itself, so as to transfer the external force such as air, water pressure and / or gravel acting on the blade to the non-driving component (such as the frame), thereby effectively protecting the driving device. Moreover, by setting a circumferential gap between the driving shaft and the connecting rod, the present disclosure can realize the delayed self-locking function of the active grille shutter, so as to enable the blade to be smoothly opened when the blade is in the closed position and the self-locking mechanism is in the locked position. In addition, when the locking block is in the first position and the blade is in the closed position, by setting a second gap between the locking block and the blade, the present disclosure can realize the failure protection mode of the active grille shutter, at this time, even if the actuator fails, the external force can still open the blade to a certain angle, until the leeward surface of the blade abuts against the locking block, so that the air outside the vehicle can enter the motor compartment / engine compartment and cool it, avoiding the problem of damage to valuable components caused by high temperature in the motor compartment / engine compartment.

[0010] The present disclosure provides an active grille shutter, which comprises a frame, a driving shaft pivotally connected to the frame, and a blade directly or indirectly fixed to the driving shaft to move between an open position and a closed position under the driving of the driving shaft. The active grille shutter further comprises at least one self-locking mechanism arranged on the frame, the self-locking mechanism comprising a locked position and an unlocked position, when the self-locking mechanism is in the locked position, the self-locking mechanism can lock the position of the blade, and when the self-locking mechanism is in the unlocked position, the blade can be driven to open.

[0011] The active grille shutter according to the present disclosure can also have one or more of the following features, alone or in combination.

[0012] In one or more embodiments, the self-locking mechanism comprises a locking block capable of sliding relative to the frame between a first position and a second position, wherein when the self-locking mechanism is in the locked position, the locking block is in the first position and can abut against the blade and the frame, and when the self-locking mechanism is in the unlocked position, the locking block is in the second position and away from the blade.

[0013] In one or more embodiments, the self-locking mechanism further comprises a resilient element, the first end of which is connected to the frame and the second end of which is connected to the locking block.

[0014] In one or more embodiments, the self-locking mechanism further comprises a follower fixed on the driving shaft, wherein the follower is capable of abutting against a top surface of the locking block to place the self-locking mechanism in the locked position, and is capable of disengaging from the top surface of the locking block to unlock the self-locking mechanism.

[0015] In one or more embodiments, the locking block further comprises a side surface, and the follower is capable of pressing the side surface when the blade rotates from the open position to the closed position to move the locking block from the second position to the first position.

[0016] In one or more embodiments, the frame comprises a guide rail that guides the locking block to slide between the first position and the second position.

[0017] In one or more embodiments, a stopper is arranged on the guide rail to stop the locking block at the second position.

[0018] In one or more embodiments, the locking block has a protruding rib extending along the sliding direction thereof, and the guide rail has a rib groove for accommodating the protruding rib.

[0019] In one or more embodiments, the outer side of the guide rail has a reinforcing rib.

[0020] In one or more embodiments, the frame comprises a frame body having an opening and a cover plate covering the opening, wherein the guide rail is arranged on the frame body, and the first end of the elastic element is connected to the cover plate.

[0021] In one or more embodiments, the follower comprises a cam.

[0022] In one or more embodiments, the cam is left-right symmetrical or steeper on the side closer to the locking block than on the side farther away from the locking block.

[0023] In one or more embodiments, the blade is fixedly connected to the driving shaft via a connecting rod.

[0024] In one or more embodiments, the driving shaft has a first rotary driving portion, and the connecting rod has a second rotary driving portion that cooperates with the first rotary driving portion, and the first rotary driving portion and the second rotary driving portion have a circumferential gap therebetween.

[0025] In one or more embodiments, the first rotary driving portion and the second rotary driving portion are mutually cooperating splines.

[0026] In one or more embodiments, when the locking block is in the first position and the blade is in the closed position, the locking block and the blade have a second gap therebetween. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0027] Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an active air intake grille according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0028] Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the active air intake grille of Fig. 1 from another perspective according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0029] Fig. 3 is a first cross-sectional view of the active air intake grille of Fig. 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, wherein the first cross-sectional view shows a gear kinematic pair;

[0030] Fig. 4 is a second cross-sectional view of the active air intake grille of Fig. 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, wherein the second cross-sectional view shows a self-locking mechanism;

[0031] Fig. 5A is a partial enlarged view of the self-locking mechanism of Fig. 4, wherein a locking block is in a first position;

[0032] Fig. 5B is a partial enlarged view of the self-locking mechanism of Fig. 4, wherein the locking block is in a second position according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0033] Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the active air intake grille of Fig. 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, wherein a second cover plate and vanes are omitted;

[0034] Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the active air intake grille of Fig. 6 from another perspective;

[0035] Fig. 8 is a partial enlarged view of the self-locking mechanism of Fig. 7;

[0036] Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a frame body according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0037] Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the frame body of Fig. 9 from another perspective according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0038] Fig. 11 is a partial enlarged view of Fig. 10 at A;

[0039] Fig. 12 is a perspective view of a kinematic mechanism in the active air intake grille of Fig. 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, wherein the kinematic mechanism comprises an execution mechanism, a gear kinematic pair, a drive shaft, a connecting rod, a locking mechanism, and vanes;

[0040] Fig. 13 is a partial enlarged view of Fig. 12 at B;

[0041] Fig. 14 is a perspective view of a first drive shaft according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0042] Fig. 15 is a perspective view of a first connecting rod according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0043] Fig. 16 is a cross-sectional view of the kinematic mechanism of Fig. 12 along a cross-sectional line C-C at a connection between the drive shaft and the connecting rod;

[0044] Fig. 17 is a partial enlarged view of the connection between the drive shaft and the connecting rod in Fig. 16;

[0045] Fig. 18 is a perspective view of a first cover plate in a cover plate according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0046] Fig. 19 is a perspective view of a second cover plate in a cover plate according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0047] Fig. 20 is a partial enlarged view of the self-locking mechanism of the active grille shutter according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0048] The advantages and effects of the present disclosure can be easily understood by those skilled in the art from the content disclosed in the present specification.

[0049] It should be noted that the structures, proportions, sizes, etc. shown in the accompanying drawings of the present specification are only used to facilitate the understanding and reading of the content disclosed in the present specification by those skilled in the art, and do not define the limiting conditions for the implementation of the present disclosure, and therefore do not have technical significance. Any modification of the structure, change of the proportional relationship, or adjustment of the size, without affecting the effects and purposes that can be achieved by the present disclosure, should still fall within the scope of the technical content disclosed by the present disclosure. At the same time, the terms such as "upper" and "one" used in the present specification are only for the convenience of clear description, and do not define the scope of the implementation of the present disclosure, and the change or adjustment of the relative relationship, without substantially changing the technical content, is also considered as the scope of the implementation of the present disclosure.

[0050] In order to more clearly understand the present disclosure, the embodiments of the present disclosure are specifically described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0051] The present disclosure provides an active grille shutter 1, as shown in FIGS. 1-6, which comprises a frame 10, an actuator 90, a gear pair 80, a drive shaft 20, a single blade 30, and a self-locking mechanism 40. The actuator 90 (e.g. an electric motor) is fixed to the frame 10 and can output power / torque. The gear pair 80 receives the torque output by the actuator 90 and transmits it to the drive shaft 20. The drive shaft 20 is pivotably connected to the frame 10 and is directly or indirectly fixed to the blade 30, so that the blade 30 can be moved / rotated between an open position (i.e. a fully open position of the blade 30, which is not shown) and a closed position (as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4) under the drive of the drive shaft 20. The self-locking mechanism 40 comprises a locked position (as shown in FIG. 5A) and an unlocked position (as shown in FIG. 5B, in which the blade 30 is only opened by a small angle), wherein the self-locking mechanism 40 can lock the position of the blade 30 when it is in the locked position, and the blade 30 can be driven to open when the self-locking mechanism 40 is in the unlocked position. In this way, the power transmission between the drive device (e.g. the drive shaft 20, the actuator 90 and / or the gear pair 80, etc.) and the blade 30 can be effectively blocked by the self-locking mechanism 40 when the blade 30 is closed, and the load of the closed blade 30 is only borne by the structure of the self-locking mechanism 40 itself, so as to transfer the external force acting on the blade 30, such as air, water pressure and / or gravel, etc., to the non-driven components (e.g. the frame 10), thereby effectively protecting the drive device and avoiding problems such as stress concentration and fatigue failure.

[0052] Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 9, the frame 10 can be generally in the shape of a convex cover. The frame 10 comprises a frame body 11 and a cover plate 12, wherein the frame body 11 comprises a front wall F and a top wall T, a bottom wall L and two side walls S connected to the periphery of the front wall F. The front wall F is provided with an air inlet 110 at a lower portion close to the bottom wall L, which can be opened or closed by the blade 30 to adjust the air flow into the motor compartment or the engine compartment. The frame body 11 is further provided with a generally inverted T-shaped accommodating cavity 111 for accommodating the drive components such as the actuator 90, the gear pair 80 and the drive shaft 20, as shown in FIG. 6. The accommodating cavity 111 is located above the air inlet 110, so that the components such as the actuator 90, the gear pair 80 and the drive shaft 20 are not exposed to the visible area of the air inlet 110 when the blade 30 is in the open position, which is more visually appealing.

[0053] Please continue to refer to FIG. 1 and FIG. 9, the accommodating cavity 111 has an opening 13, and the cover plate 12 can cover / close the opening 13. Specifically, the opening 13 includes a first opening 131 open on the top wall T of the frame body 11 and a second opening 132 open on the front wall F, so as to facilitate the installation of the actuator 90, the gear motion pair 80, the driving shaft 20 and the like. The cover plate 12 includes a first cover plate 121 (as shown in FIG. 18) and a second cover plate 122 (as shown in FIG. 19), wherein the first cover plate 121 can cover / close the first opening 131 of the accommodating cavity 111, and the second cover plate 122 can cover / close the second opening 132 of the accommodating cavity 111, so as to avoid the impurities such as dust and particles from entering the accommodating cavity 111, thereby affecting the movement accuracy of the gear motion pair 80 and the like and causing the problem of the blade 30 not closing tightly.

[0054] Please refer to FIG. 3, FIG. 6 and FIG. 9, the actuator 90 (such as a motor), the gear motion pair 80 and the driving shaft 20 are located in the accommodating cavity 111. The actuator 90 is fixed to the frame 10, and the gear motion pair 80 is connected between the actuator 90 and the driving shaft 20, so as to transmit the torque output by the actuator 90 to the driving shaft 20 through the gear motion pair 80. In an embodiment, the gear motion pair 80 includes a driving gear 81 and a driven gear 82. The driving gear 81 is connected (such as spline connection) to the output end of the actuator 120, so that the driving gear 81 and the output end of the actuator 120 can rotate synchronously. The driven gear 82 is connected (such as spline connection) to the driving shaft 20, so that the driven gear 82 and the driving shaft 20 can rotate synchronously. The driven gear 82 is engaged with the driving gear 81, so as to transmit the power output by the driving gear 81 to the driving shaft 20. Preferably, the number of teeth of the driving gear 81 of the present disclosure is less than the number of teeth of the driven gear 82, that is, the driving gear 81 is a pinion gear, and the driven gear 82 is a spur gear. In this way, the gear motion pair 80 has the effect of speed reduction and torque increase, thereby improving the torque transmitted to the driving shaft 20.

[0055] Please refer to FIG. 6, FIG. 9 and FIG. 12, since the driving shaft 20 is located in the accommodating cavity 111 above the air inlet 110, and the blade 30 is located below the accommodating cavity 111 and can block the air inlet 110, in order to facilitate the transmission of power of the driving shaft 20 to the blade 30, the driving gear 81 can further include a connecting rod 50, and the connecting rod 50 is fixedly connected between the driving shaft 20 and the blade 30. Specifically, the connecting rod 50 can be connected to the driving shaft 20 and the blade 30 by spline connection, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. In this way, the torque output by the actuator 90 can be transmitted to the blade 30 through the gear motion pair 80, the driving shaft 20 and the connecting rod 50, and drive the blade 30 to move between the closed position and the open position.

[0056] The self-locking mechanism 40 will be mainly introduced below for blocking the power transmission between the driving device (e.g. the driving shaft 20, the execution structure 90 and / or the gear pair 80, etc.) and the blade 30.

[0057] Referring to Figs. 4-13, in an embodiment, the self-locking mechanism 40 can include a locking block 41, an elastic element 42 and a follower 43. The locking block 41 is capable of sliding relative to the frame 10 between a first position (as shown in Figs. 4 and 5A) and a second position (as shown in Fig. 5B). When the self-locking mechanism 40 is in the locking position, the locking block 41 is located at the first position and abuts against the leeward surface of the blade 30, more specifically, between the leeward surface of the blade 30 and the frame 10, thereby resisting the rotation of the blade 30 into the cabin, so that the external force acting on the blade 30 from the outside environment can be transmitted to the frame 10 via the locking block 41, but not to the driving shaft 20, so as to protect the driving device (e.g. the driving shaft 20, the execution structure 90 and / or the gear pair 80, etc.) from stress concentration and fatigue failure, etc.; and when the self-locking mechanism 40 is in the unlocking position, the locking block 41 is located at the second position and away from (e.g. higher than) the blade 30, so that the blade 30 can be driven to open.

[0058] Specifically, referring to Figs. 5A, 8, 11 and 13, the locking block 41 can be substantially block-shaped. The locking block 41 has a top surface and side surfaces connected to the periphery of the top surface, wherein the side surface for abutting against the blade 30 can be referred to as the front side surface, the side surface opposite thereto can be referred to as the rear side surface, and the side surfaces between the front side surface and the rear side surface can be referred to as the left and right side surfaces. The top surface of the locking block 41 can be pressed by the follower 43, so as to keep the locking block 41 at the first position; and the side surfaces of the locking block 41, especially the front side surface and the rear side surface of the locking block 41, can abut against the blade 30 and the frame body 11 respectively, so as to transmit the external force acting on the blade 30 to the frame 10. In order to make the locking block 41 move / slide smoothly between the first position and the second position, the frame 10, especially the frame body 11, can be provided with guide rails 100 for guiding the movement of the locking block 41. Preferably, the guide rails 100 can further be provided with a stopper 101 for stopping the locking block 41 at the second position, as shown in Fig. 5B.

[0059] In an embodiment, the locking block 41 can be provided with a protruding rib 410 extending along the sliding direction thereof on the left and right sides between the front side and the rear side (as shown in FIG. 13), and the guide rail 100 can be provided with a rib groove 102 accommodating the protruding rib 410 (as shown in FIGS. 11 and 8) correspondingly. The protruding rib 410 is located in the rib groove 102. In this way, when the blade 30 is closed and subjected to an external force, the external force can be transmitted to multiple positions of the locking block 41, such as the rear side and the protruding rib 410, so as to be transmitted to multiple positions of the frame body 11 more effectively, in a larger area and more uniformly. Of course, the present disclosure is not limited to the above structure. For example, the locking block 41 can also not have the protruding rib 410, or can have more protruding ribs 410, as long as the locking block 41 can block the power transmission between the blade 30 and the driving device (such as the driving shaft 20, the execution structure 90, and / or the gear pair 80, etc.). In addition, the direction of the protruding rib 410 and the rib groove 102 can be designed according to the path of the upward movement of the locking block 41. When the direction is consistent with the path, the efficiency of the movement of the locking block 41 from the first position to the second position reaches the maximum.

[0060] Preferably, in order to avoid the problem of damage at the rib groove 102 caused by the transmission of the external force to the guide rail 100 of the frame body 11, a plurality of reinforcing ribs 103 can be arranged on the outer side of the guide rail 100, especially on the outer side of the rib groove 102 close to the rear side of the locking block 41, so as to improve the structural strength of the guide rail 100.

[0061] Please continue to refer to FIGS. 5A and 13. The elastic element 42 included in the self-locking mechanism 40 can have a first end and a second end. The first end of the elastic element 42 is connected to the frame 10, and the second end is connected to the locking block 41. The elastic element 42 has a pre-tightening force, so that the locking block 41 moves toward the second position under the action of the elastic element 42. In an embodiment, the elastic element 42 can be a coil spring. The first end of the coil spring can be connected to the second cover plate 122 of the frame 10, and the second end can be connected to the top surface of the locking block 41. Under the tension of the coil spring, the locking block 41 moves toward the second position. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the above structure. For example, the elastic element 42 can also be in other forms and / or connected at other positions, as long as it can move the locking block 41 toward the second position under the action of the elastic element 42.

[0062] Please continue to refer to FIGS. 5A, 13 and 14. The follower 43 included in the self-locking mechanism 40 can be fixed on the driving shaft 20 and rotate together with the driving shaft 20. The follower 43 can abut against the top surface of the locking block 41, so that the locking block 41 is kept in the first position, and at this time, the self-locking mechanism 40 is in the locked position. In addition, the follower 43 can also be separated from the top surface of the locking block 41, so that the locking block 41 moves toward the second position, and at this time, the self-locking mechanism 40 is unlocked.

[0063] Specifically, in one embodiment, the follower 43 can be a cam fixed on the driving shaft 20, as shown in Fig. 5A. When the blade 30 is in the closed position, the cam abuts against the top surface of the locking block 41, so that the locking block 41 is kept in the first position, in which the front side of the locking block 41 abuts against the leeward surface of the blade 30, and the rear side and the protruding rib 410 abut against the frame body 11 (or the track 100 of the frame body 11), so that the locking mechanism 41 is in the self-locking position. In this case, if the blade 30 is subjected to an external force, the external force will be transmitted to the frame 10 via the locking block 41, that is, the locking block 41 can block the power transmission between the blade 30 and the driving device (for example, the driving shaft 20, the execution structure 90 and / or the gear pair 80, etc.), thereby effectively protecting the driving device, avoiding problems such as stress concentration and fatigue failure, etc.

[0064] When the blade 30 is to be rotated from the closed position to the open position, the cam needs to move away from the top surface of the locking block 41, so that the self-locking mechanism 41 is unlocked, and under the cooperation of the cam and the elastic element 42, the locking block 41 will move towards the second position and be stopped by the stopper 101 at the second position. At this time, under the pulling force of the elastic element 42, the locking block 41 keeps a relatively stable state at the second position. In one embodiment, the convex profile of the cam is left-right symmetrical, or, as shown in Fig. 20, the side of the cam close to the locking block 41 is steeper than the side away from the locking block 41, so as to accelerate the movement of the locking block 41 from the first position to the second position.

[0065] When the blade 30 is to be rotated from the open position to the closed position, the cam needs to first press the side surface of the locking block 41 to move the locking block 41 from the second position to the first position, until the locking block 41 abuts against the leeward surface of the blade 30, so as to realize the self-locking of the self-locking mechanism 40 again. It should be noted that the side surface pressed by the cam can include not only the rear surface of the locking block 41, but also the chamfered portion between the rear surface and the top surface. In the embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5A, the rear surface of the locking block 41 is substantially a vertical surface (i.e., a vertical surface substantially perpendicular to the horizontal surface), which causes the cam to not press / contact the rear surface of the locking block 41 during the rotation, and the cam can only move the locking block 41 by pressing the chamfered portion between the rear surface and the top surface, that is, in the embodiment, the locking block 41 is mainly moved to the first position by the cam pressing the chamfered portion between the rear surface and the top surface. Of course, the present disclosure is not limited to the above structure, for example, in another embodiment, the rear surface of the locking block 41 can be designed to be inclined toward the direction away from the front surface, so that the cam can press / contact the rear surface and / or the chamfered portion of the locking block 41 to move the locking block 41 during the rotation, and for another example, when the inclined rear surface and the chamfered portion are both provided, the locking block 41 first presses the inclined rear surface and then presses the chamfered portion, that is, in another embodiment, the locking block 41 can be moved to the first position by the cam pressing the rear surface and / or the chamfered portion.

[0066] Referring back to FIG. 5A, as described above, when the locking block 41 is located at the first position, the top surface of the locking block 41 is abutted against the follower 43, the front surface of the locking block 41 is abutted against the leeward surface of the blade 30, and the rear surface and the protruding rib 410 are abutted against the frame body 11, at this time, even if the actuator 90 outputs a torque to rotate the drive shaft 20 in the clockwise direction as shown in FIG. 5A, since the drive shaft 20 is fixedly connected to the blade 30 (i.e., the two are synchronous), and the blade 30 is abutted against the locking block 41, the blade 30 cannot be opened, and at the same time, the follower 43 cannot be rotated and separated from the top surface of the locking block 41. That is, at this time, even if the actuator 90 outputs a torque, the blade 30 cannot be opened or is difficult to be opened.

[0067] In order to make the blade 30 be able to be smoothly opened when the locking block 41 is at the first position, referring to FIG. 17, the present disclosure provides an active grille shutter 1 with a delayed self-locking function. The delayed self-locking function of the active grille shutter 1 is mainly realized by the connection between the drive shaft 20 and the connecting rod 50.

[0068] In detail, please refer to FIG. 12, the drive shaft 20 is connected to the blade 30 via the connecting rod 50. In an embodiment, the drive shaft 20 can include a first drive shaft 21 and a second drive shaft 22 connected on both sides of the driven gear 82 respectively. The self-locking mechanism 40 can be two, and arranged on the first drive shaft 21 side and the second drive shaft 22 side respectively. The connecting rod 50 can include a first connecting rod 51 and a second connecting rod 52, wherein the first connecting rod 51 is connected between the first drive shaft 21 and the blade 30, and the second connecting rod 52 is connected between the second drive shaft 42 and the blade 30. Such arrangement can transmit the power output by the actuator 90 to both ends of the blade 30 via the gear pair 80, the drive shaft 20 and the connecting rod 50, and the self-locking mechanism 40 also acts on both ends of the blade 30, so that the blade 30 is uniformly stressed, avoiding the problem that the elongated blade 30 is easily deformed due to unilateral stress.

[0069] The structure and connection relationship of the first drive shaft 21 and the first connecting rod 51 are the same as those of the second drive shaft 22 and the second connecting rod 52 respectively. Therefore, for the sake of brevity, the structure and connection relationship of the first drive shaft 21 and the first connecting rod 51 will be described below. Based on this, those skilled in the art should clearly understand the structure and connection relationship of the second drive shaft 22 and the second connecting rod 52.

[0070] Please refer to FIGS. 12, 14 and 15, the first drive shaft 21 / drive shaft 20 has a first rotary driving part 201, and the first connecting rod 51 / connecting rod 50 has a second rotary driving part 501, wherein the first rotary driving part 201 cooperates with the second rotary driving part 501 and has a circumferential gap G1 (also referred to as the first gap G1) therebetween, so as to realize the delayed self-locking function of the active air intake grille 1, i.e. the first drive shaft 21 / drive shaft 20 can rotate alone by a certain angle under the drive of the actuator 90 before driving the first connecting rod 51 / connecting rod 50 to move together.

[0071] Specifically, the first rotary driving part 201 and the second rotary driving part 501 can be mutually cooperating splines. In an embodiment, the first rotary driving part 201 can be an internal spline, as shown in FIG. 14. Correspondingly, the second rotary driving part 501 can be an external spline, as shown in FIG. 15. The second rotary driving part 501 is inserted into the first rotary driving part 201, and the circumferential gap G1 is formed therebetween, as shown in FIG. 17. In addition, the first connecting rod 51 / connecting rod 50 and the blade 30 can be fixedly connected by splines, so as to move synchronously.

[0072] Figures 16 and 17 mainly show the cooperation between the first driving shaft 21 and the first connecting rod 51 when the blade 30 is in the closed position. As shown, there is a circumferential gap G1 between the first rotating driving part 201 of the first driving shaft 21 and the second rotating driving part 501 of the first connecting rod 51. In particular, when the blade 30 is in the closed position, the circumferential gap G1 is located at the counterclockwise side of the second rotating driving part 501, as shown in Figure 17. If the blade 30 is subjected to an external force at this time, since the locking block 41 abuts against the blade 30 and the frame body 11, and the clockwise side of the second rotating driving part 501 of the first connecting rod 51 fixedly connected with the blade 30 is abutted by the first driving shaft 21 (as shown in Figure 17), the blade 30 cannot be opened, thereby realizing the self-locking function of the active air intake grille 1.

[0073] When the blade 30 needs to be opened, the actuator 90 outputs a torque. Since the circumferential gap G1 is located at the counterclockwise side of the second rotating driving part 501 (as shown in Figure 17), the actuator 90 can only drive the first driving shaft 21 to rotate clockwise as shown in Figure 17, but cannot drive the first connecting rod 51 and the blade 30. Until the first driving shaft 21 rotates through the central angle corresponding to the circumferential gap G1, the first driving shaft 21 can drive the first connecting rod 51 and the blade 30 to rotate through the abutment of the first rotating driving part 201 against the counterclockwise side of the second rotating driving part 501 at this time, and the circumferential gap G1 is changed to be located at the clockwise side of the second rotating driving part 501. It should be noted that when the angle of rotation of the first driving shaft 21 is less than the central angle corresponding to the circumferential gap G1, that is, before the first driving shaft 21 drives the first connecting rod 51 to move, the follower part 43 on the first driving shaft 21 moves away from the top surface of the locking block 41. With the continuous rotation of the first driving shaft 21, when the angle is equal to or greater than the central angle corresponding to the circumferential gap G1, the follower part 32 completely moves away from the top surface of the locking block 41, so that the locking block 41 moves to the second position under the action of the elastic element 42, that is, the locking block 41 is away from (for example, higher than) the blade 30, the self-locking mechanism 40 is unlocked, and therefore the blade 30 can be smoothly opened.

[0074] When the blade 30 needs to be closed, the actuator 90 outputs a torque. Since the circumferential gap G1 is already located at the clockwise side of the second rotating driving part 501, the actuator 90 can only drive the first driving shaft 21 to rotate counterclockwise, but cannot drive the first connecting rod 51 and the blade 30. Until the first driving shaft 21 rotates through the central angle corresponding to the circumferential gap G1, the first driving shaft 21 can drive the first connecting rod 51 and the blade 30 to rotate through the abutment of the first rotating driving part 201 against the clockwise side of the second rotating driving part 501 at this time, and the circumferential gap G1 is again returned to the counterclockwise side of the second rotating driving part 501.

[0075] Therefore, the existence of the circumferential gap G1 can make the first drive shaft 21 move alone for a certain angle before driving the first connecting rod 51 and the blade 30 to move together, so as to realize the delayed self-locking function of the active air intake grille 1.

[0076] The active air intake grille 1 of the foregoing embodiment will cause the blade 30 to be unable to be opened if the actuator 90 fails to work (i.e., fails) when the blade 30 is in the closed position, and the continuous work of the motor / engine will cause the air temperature in the motor / engine compartment to rise rapidly, and the high temperature will damage valuable components such as the motor / engine. In order to solve this problem, the present disclosure provides another embodiment of the active air intake grille 1, which has a failure protection mode.

[0077] Hereinafter, the active air intake grille 1 of another embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. For the sake of simplifying the description, the following mainly describes the differences from the foregoing embodiment, and the same parts are not repeated. In addition, the same elements in the embodiments of the present disclosure are marked with the same reference numerals, so as to facilitate mutual comparison between the embodiments.

[0078] Please refer to FIG. 20, the difference between this embodiment and the foregoing embodiment is only that when the locking block 41 is in the first position and the blade 30 is in the closed position, there is a second gap G2 between the locking block 41 and the leeward surface of the blade 30, i.e., the two are no longer in abutting relationship. At this time, even if the actuator 90 fails, the blade 30 can still be opened by an external force for a certain angle until the leeward surface of the blade 30 abuts against the locking block 41, so that the air outside the vehicle can enter the motor / engine compartment and cool it, thereby avoiding the problem of damage to valuable components caused by the high temperature in the motor / engine compartment, and realizing the failure protection mode of the active air intake grille 1.

[0079] It should be noted that in this embodiment, when the blade 30 is opened for a certain angle (e.g., a small angle) and abuts against the locking block 41, the self-locking function and the delayed self-locking function of the active air intake grille 1 can also be realized, which is mainly because during the process of opening the blade 30 for a certain angle, although the blade 30 will drive the connecting rod 50 and the drive shaft 20 to rotate together, the drive shaft 20 after rotating for a certain angle, especially the follow-up component 43 thereon, will still abut against the top surface of the locking block 41, and in combination with other structures of the active air intake grille 1, the self-locking function and the delayed self-locking function of the active air intake grille 1 can be realized. The specific principles of realizing the self-locking function and the delayed self-locking function are the same as those of the foregoing embodiment, and thus are not repeated here.

[0080] Although the disclosure is described with the driving shaft 20 being rotated by the driving of the gear pair 80 and the actuator 90, the disclosure is not limited thereto, for example, the driving shaft 20 can also be directly driven to rotate by the actuator 90, or the driving shaft 20 can be driven by the actuator 90 through other components such as a connecting rod mechanism, as long as the driving shaft 20 can be driven.

[0081] The follower 43 described in the disclosure is described by taking a cam as an example, however, the disclosure is not limited thereto, for example, the follower 43 can also be a connecting rod mechanism or other components, as long as it can drive the locking block 41 in cooperation with the elastic element 42.

[0082] The active grille shutter 1 described in the disclosure is mainly described by taking two locking mechanisms 40, which are respectively located on both sides of the gear pair 80, however, the disclosure is not limited thereto, for example, the locking mechanism 40 can also be one, three or other number, and the locking mechanism 40 can be located on the same side of the gear pair 80, as long as the locking mechanism 40 can realize the self-locking function of the active grille shutter 1.

[0083] In addition, the first rotary driving part 201 and the second rotary driving part 501 described in the disclosure are described by taking a matching spline as an example, however, the disclosure is not limited thereto, as long as there is a circumferential gap G1 between the two.

[0084] In addition, the clockwise and counterclockwise described in the disclosure are for the convenience of understanding and are described for the position and perspective shown in the drawings, however, the disclosure is not limited thereto, and those skilled in the art should clearly understand that when the perspective changes, the above description should be changed accordingly.

[0085] The active air intake grille provided by the present disclosure can effectively block the power transmission between the driving device and the blades when the blades are in the closed position by setting a self-locking mechanism, and only the self-locking mechanism itself can bear the load of the closed blades to transfer the external force such as air, water pressure and / or gravel, which is applied on the blades by uncontrollable external environment, to the non-driving components (such as the frame), thereby effectively protecting the driving device and avoiding problems such as stress concentration and fatigue failure. Moreover, the active air intake grille provided by the present disclosure can realize the delayed self-locking function of the active air intake grille by setting a circumferential gap between the driving shaft and the connecting rod, so that the blades can be smoothly opened when the blades are in the closed position and the self-locking mechanism is in the locked position. In addition, the active air intake grille provided by the present disclosure can realize the failure protection mode of the active air intake grille by setting a second gap between the locking block and the blades when the locking block is in the first position and the blades are in the closed position. At this time, even if the actuator fails, the external force can still open the blades to a certain angle until the leeward surface of the blades abuts against the locking block, so that the air outside the vehicle can enter the motor compartment / engine compartment and cool it, thereby avoiding the problem that the high temperature in the motor compartment / engine compartment damages the valuable components.

[0086] The exemplary embodiments of the active air intake grille provided by the present disclosure are described above with reference to the preferred embodiments, however, those skilled in the art can understand that various modifications and changes can be made to the above specific embodiments without departing from the concept of the present disclosure, and various technical features and structures proposed by the present disclosure can be combined without exceeding the protection scope of the present disclosure, and the protection scope of the present disclosure is determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. An active grille shutter (1), characterized in that, The active air intake grille (1) comprises: a frame (10); a drive shaft (20) pivotally connected to the frame (10); a vane (30) directly or indirectly fixed to the drive shaft (20) to move between an open position and a closed position under the drive of the drive shaft (20); wherein the active air intake grille (1) further comprises at least one self-locking mechanism (40) provided on the frame, the self-locking mechanism (40) comprising a locked position and an unlocked position, when the self-locking mechanism (40) is in the locked position, the self-locking mechanism (40) can lock the position of the vane (30); when the self-locking mechanism (40) is in the unlocked position, the vane (30) can be driven to open.

2. Active grille shutter (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that The self-locking mechanism (40) comprises a locking block (41) capable of sliding between a first position and a second position relative to the frame (10), wherein when the self-locking mechanism (40) is in the locked position, the locking block (41) is located in the first position and can abut against the vane (30) and the frame (10); when the self-locking mechanism (40) is in the unlocked position, the locking block (41) is located in the second position and away from the vane (30).

3. Active grille shutter (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that The self-locking mechanism (40) further comprises a resilient element (42), the first end of which is connected to the frame (10), and the second end of which is connected to the locking block (41).

4. Active air intake grille (1) according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that The self-locking mechanism (40) further comprises a follower (43) fixed on the drive shaft (20), wherein the follower (43) can abut against the top surface of the locking block (41) to make the self-locking mechanism (40) in the locked position, and can be separated from the top surface of the locking block (41) to make the self-locking mechanism (40) unlocked.

5. Active air intake grille (1) according to claim 4, characterized in that The locking block (41) further comprises a side surface, when the vane (30) rotates from the open position to the closed position, the follower (43) extrudes the side surface, so that the locking block moves from the second position to the first position.

6. Active grille shutter (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that The frame (10) comprises a guide rail (100) guiding the locking block (41) to slide between the first position and the second position.

7. Active grille shutter (1) according to claim 6, characterized in that A stopper (101) is provided on the guide rail (100) to stop the locking block (41) in the second position.

8. Active air intake grille (1) according to claim 6, characterized in that The locking block (41) has a protruding rib (410) extending in the sliding direction thereof, and the guide rail (100) has a rib groove (102) for accommodating the protruding rib (410).

9. Active grille shutter (1) according to claim 6, characterized in that The outer side of the guide rail (100) has a reinforcing rib (103).

10. Active grille shutter (1) according to claim 6, characterized in that The frame (10) comprises a frame body (11) having an opening and a cover plate (12) covering the opening, wherein the guide rail (100) is provided on the frame body (11), and the first end of the resilient element (42) is connected to the cover plate (12).

11. Active grille shutter (1) according to claim 4, characterized in that The follower (43) comprises a cam.

12. Active air intake grille (1) according to claim 11, characterized in that The cam is steeper on the side close to the locking block (41) than on the side away from the locking block (41).

13. Active air intake grille (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that The vane (30) is fixedly connected to the drive shaft (20) via a connecting rod (50); The driving shaft (20) has a first rotary driving part (201), and the connecting rod (50) has a second rotary driving part (501) matched with the first rotary driving part (201), and the first rotary driving part (201) and the second rotary driving part (501) have a circumferential gap (G1) therebetween.

14. Active air intake grille (1) according to claim 13, characterized in that The first rotary driving part (201) and the second rotary driving part (501) are mutually matched splines.

15. Active air intake grille (1) according to claim 13 or 14, characterized in that When the locking block (41) is located at the first position and the blade (30) is located at the closed position, the locking block (41) and the blade (30) have a second gap (G2) therebetween.

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