Flexible Actuator Air Flow Control Device for Engine Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing air flow control devices in motor vehicles face challenges in efficiently cooling engines due to complex kinematics and sensitivity issues, particularly with actuator components that are difficult to manufacture and maintain, and do not allow complete closure of the air passage.
Innovation Solution
A device with slats that rotate around a respective actuation axis, using a flexible actuator with curved actuation axes and sections of different lengths to facilitate efficient air diffusion over the radiator's effective surface, eliminating the need for complex articulations and oblong holes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If slats are arranged in a fan shape with complex kinematics to optimize air diffusion, then air distribution over the radiator is improved, but the actuator becomes complex to manufacture and sensitive to failure
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of articulating the attachments to the actuator in complex oblong holes to achieve fan-shaped blade arrangement, the invention inverts the approach by articulating the attachments to the slats in fixed pivot holes and allowing the actuator itself to deform into a curved configuration. This reverses which component bears the kinematic complexity, simplifying the attachment design while achieving the same fan-shaped air diffusion effect.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention applies dynamics by making the actuator a flexible component that can change its shape from straight to curved during operation. The actuator includes flexible sections that allow it to deform and adapt its configuration dynamically, enabling the slats to arrange in a fan shape without requiring complex rigid articulations. This dynamic flexibility resolves the contradiction between achieving complex kinematics and maintaining manufacturing simplicity.
2Ease of operation
If oblong holes are used in the actuator to allow intermediate configurations, then control precision is improved, but the actuator becomes sensitive to breaking and clogging
Solution Approach 1:
The invention inverts the location of the articulation points from the actuator to the slats. Instead of having the actuator contain oblong holes that are prone to clogging and breaking, the attachments are pivoted to the slats in fixed pivot holes. The actuator itself becomes a simple flexible bar without holes, eliminating the reliability issues while preserving the ability to achieve intermediate configurations through its flexible deformation.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces the mechanical system of rigid articulations with oblong holes with a flexible mechanical system where the actuator itself deforms. This substitution eliminates the need for precision-machined holes and complex pin joints, replacing them with a simpler flexible bar structure that achieves the same control precision through elastic deformation rather than rigid geometric constraints.
3Ease of manufacture
If fins extend parallel to each other in the duct, then manufacturing is simplified, but only a small part of the radiator is cooled effectively
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses dynamic flexibility of the actuator to transform the simple parallel arrangement into a fan-shaped configuration during operation. The actuator deforms into a curved shape that naturally positions the slats in a fan pattern, optimizing air diffusion across the radiator surface. This dynamic transformation allows the system to maintain manufacturing simplicity while achieving superior cooling coverage, resolving the contradiction between ease of manufacture and cooling effectiveness.
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
The invention relates to a device (22) comprising: - a frame (30) defining an opening (36); - a plurality of slats (32) extending across the frame (30), arranged one above the other; and - an actuator (34) connected to each of the slats (32) by a respective fastener (41). Each slat (32) extends in a respective air deflection plane (38) and is movable by means of the actuator (34) between: - a closed position, in which the slats (32) cooperate to block the passage of air through the opening (36), and - an open position, in which the slats (32) allow air to flow through the opening (36), the deflection planes (38) of the slats (32) intersecting upstream of the frame (30). Each attachment (41) is mounted in a movably rotational manner only on the actuator (34), around a respective actuation axis (42).