Active Air Flap Guide Structure for Low-Torque Sequential Opening
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional active air flaps for vehicles face challenges in efficiently controlling air resistance and fuel efficiency due to increased torque requirements for actuating multiple flap members, which can lead to flap members being pushed or twisted by aerodynamics, affecting their operation and aerodynamic performance.
Innovation Solution
The active air flap system incorporates a multi-path operation mechanism with a frame unit, flap unit, drive unit, and link unit, featuring guide grooves and protrusions to guide the flap members' movement, and a fixing unit with elastic material to prevent pushing and twisting, allowing sequential opening and closing of the air inlet while reducing actuator torque.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If multiple flap members are actuated simultaneously to open/close the outside air inlet, then the air inlet can be fully opened/closed, but the driving pressure and torque of the actuator increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the simultaneous movement of multiple flap members into sequential movements along different paths. Each flap member moves independently through guide grooves (first guide groove for linear movement, second guide groove for rotational movement) in a staged sequence, reducing the peak torque requirement while achieving complete opening/closing of the air inlet
2Speed
If flap members are operated at high speed, then aerodynamic performance can be optimized, but flap members may be pushed or twisted by aerodynamic forces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates a fixing unit with elastic material that preemptively counteracts aerodynamic forces before they can push or twist the flap members. The elastic material absorbs and neutralizes the aerodynamic pressure, maintaining flap member stability during high-speed operation
3Device complexity
If a simple guide structure is used for flap member movement, then device complexity is reduced, but flap members cannot be guided along precise multi-path trajectories
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple guide grooves (first guide groove for linear trajectory, second guide groove for rotational trajectory) into a single integrated guide structure on the frame unit. This merging approach enables precise multi-path movement control while avoiding the complexity of separate guide mechanisms
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein is an active air flap for vehicles, which includes a frame unit having a hollow structure in which horizontal and vertical frames thereof are connected to each other, and configured to fluidly communicate with an outside air inlet of a grill, a flap unit having a plurality of flap members rotatably connected to the frame unit and configured to open and close the outside air inlet, a drive unit configured to provide a driving force to the flap unit, and a link unit connected between the flap unit and the drive unit to transmit the driving force from the drive unit to the flap unit.