Motor Vehicle Air Intake Sealing Device with Damping Guide
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing air intake blocking devices for motor vehicles are prone to damage during low-intensity impacts, such as a Danner impact, which can be costly to repair and require full replacement.
Innovation Solution
An air intake blocking device with a support system featuring damping guide means that allows the blocking means to move from an initial holding position to a withdrawn position upon impact, absorbing energy and preventing damage, while enabling reversible movement and potential return to the initial position without external stress.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the blocking device is made rigid to maintain structural integrity, then it can effectively block air flow, but it becomes vulnerable to damage during impact
Solution Approach 1:
The support structure incorporates movable elements that can dynamically adjust their position during impact events. The support arms are designed to pivot and absorb impact energy through controlled movement, transforming the rigid blocking device into a dynamic system that adapts to impact conditions while maintaining its air flow blocking function.
Solution Approach 2:
The support structure includes cushioning elements positioned in advance to absorb impact energy before it reaches the blocking device. These cushioning components are pre-installed in the support arms or connection points, providing protective action before impact occurs and preventing damage to the blocking device during accidental collisions.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the blocking device is designed to absorb impact energy through deformation, then it reduces damage to heat exchangers, but the blocking device itself requires replacement
Solution Approach 1:
The blocking device is divided into separable components: the blocking panel and the support structure. The support arms are designed as independent, replaceable elements that can absorb impact damage without affecting the blocking panel. This segmentation allows the blocking device to protect heat exchangers through support deformation while the blocking panel itself remains intact and reusable.
Solution Approach 2:
The support arms serve as intermediary elements between the blocking device and the vehicle structure. These intermediaries are designed to absorb and dissipate impact energy through their own deformation or movement, protecting both the blocking device and the heat exchangers from direct impact forces while maintaining the blocking function.
3Weight of moving object
If the blocking device is made lightweight to reduce vehicle weight, then fuel consumption decreases, but impact resistance is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The support structure utilizes materials or designs that change their mechanical parameters under different loading conditions. The support arms may use materials with nonlinear stress-strain characteristics or geometric designs that provide high strength during normal operation but allow controlled deformation during impact, achieving both weight reduction and impact resistance.
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
The solution effectively absorbs impact energy, reducing damage to the blocking device and heat exchangers, and allows for partial or no replacement of the blocking device, thereby minimizing repair costs and maintaining functionality.
Implementation Method 1
the support has at least one damping guide means for the blocking means in order to allow, in the event of impact on the blocking means, the blocking means to move from an initial holding position to a withdrawn position behind the initial position
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a device (1) for sealing an air intake of a motor vehicle, comprising: —at least one sealing means (3) intended to be arranged in an air intake of the motor vehicle, and —a support (5) for the sealing means (3) in order to retain the sealing means (3) and intended to be attached on a load-bearing structure of the motor vehicle. According to the invention, the support (5) comprises damping guidance means (15) for the sealing means (3) in order to allow, in the event of an impact on the sealing means (3), the movement of the sealing means (3) from an initial retaining position to a position retracted with respect to the initial position. The invention also relates to a front-end module for a motor vehicle comprising such a sealing device.