Active Grille Flap Cam Mechanism for Sequential Airflow Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing active grid devices for motor vehicles lack a simple and efficient mechanism to modulate air flow for cooling needs, as they often require complex flap control systems to manage airflow effectively.
Innovation Solution
The active grid device incorporates fixed cam tracks and an actuating lever with shoes that slide within these tracks, allowing for sequential opening of flaps based on cooling requirements, using a cam track configuration with active and inactive portions to pivot flaps between closed and open positions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If multiple flaps are equipped with independent control mechanisms to precisely modulate air flow, then air flow modulation precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple flap control functions into a single actuating lever that sequentially actuates first and second mobile assemblies through cam tracks. Instead of independent control mechanisms for each flap, one actuating lever controls both flaps through the cam mechanism, reducing the number of control elements while maintaining precise modulation capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The cam tracks are designed with active and inactive portions that dynamically control the transmission of motion from the actuating lever to the mobile assemblies. The cam mechanism allows selective engagement and disengagement of control paths, enabling precise timing and sequencing of flap movements without requiring complex independent control systems.
2Ease of manufacture
If a simple actuating mechanism is used to reduce device complexity, then ease of manufacture is improved, but air flow modulation efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The cam tracks are segmented into active and inactive portions, allowing the simple actuating lever to selectively control different mobile assemblies at different times. This segmentation enables the simple mechanism to achieve efficient sequential control of multiple flaps, maintaining modulation efficiency while keeping the actuating mechanism simple and easy to manufacture.
Solution Approach 2:
The cam tracks act as intermediary elements between the simple actuating lever and the mobile assemblies. The cam mechanism translates the simple rotational motion of the actuating lever into complex sequential movements of multiple flaps, allowing a simple actuator to achieve efficient multi-flap control without direct complex linkages.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration enables efficient modulation of air flow by allowing sequential opening of flaps, optimizing airflow for different cooling needs, reducing CO2 emissions, and enhancing engine compartment cooling while maintaining aerodynamic efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
a first and a second cam track; and a first and a second connecting mechanisms connecting the first and second mobile assemblies to the first and second cam tracks, respectively
Data Source
AI summary
An active gate device, comprising first and second flaps, capable of pivoting between a closed position and an open position; first and second cam tracks; and first and second mechanisms connecting the flaps to the cam tracks. The device further comprises: a rotary actuating lever; and first and second shoes slidable in the first and second cam tracks, respectively. The actuating lever is pivotable between three configurations, such that: in the first configuration, each flap is in the closed position; in the second configuration, the first flap is in the open position and the second flap is in the closed position; and in the third configuration, each flap is in the open position.