Flush-Mounted Air Inlet Flaps for Aerodynamic Integration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing air intake devices for motor vehicles suffer from significant residual aerodynamic losses and aesthetic irregularities due to the presence of grille bars and shutters, which project from the bodywork, especially when the flaps are in the closed position, affecting both aerodynamics and styling.
Innovation Solution
The air intake device features flaps that can be oriented in rotation with a control mechanism, where the support surface has predefined points of contact to ensure perfect closure, allowing for a slight pre-deformation that aligns with the bodywork's shape, reducing gaps and improving flushness and airtightness, and includes a pressing torque to ensure the point of last contact is in contact with the bearing surface, even under high-speed conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If flaps are positioned behind the grille, then aerodynamic losses are reduced, but the flaps are not visible and styling integration is difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional positioning by placing flaps in front of the grille instead of behind it, making them visible and integrable into the vehicle's exterior styling while maintaining aerodynamic efficiency through proper design of the flap edges and grille configuration
2Shape
If flaps are placed on the front of the vehicle for visibility, then styling integration is improved, but residual aerodynamic losses increase due to protruding bars or grille
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by designing the flap edges with specific characteristics (smooth contours, proper rounding) at the critical locations where they meet the grille, while the rest of the flap structure maintains its functional form for opening and closing operations
3Reliability
If flaps are designed with perfect closure contact, then airtightness is improved, but the flap shape deviates from the desired external profile
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-deforming the flap during manufacturing to account for the deformation that will occur under closing stress, so that when the flap is closed, it achieves the desired external profile while maintaining perfect contact for airtightness
Data Source
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AI summary
Device for admitting cooling air to a motor vehicle interior, formed of one or several mobile flaps (1) each orientable in rotation about an axis (YY') by a control mechanism, each flap comprising on its external periphery a pressing surface (11) intended, when the mobile flap is in the closed position, to come into contact with a bearing surface (31). The pressing surface (11) comprises a point (P1) of first contact and a point (P2) of last contact with the said bearing surface (31), these points being defined in such a way that when the control mechanism actuates closure of the mobile flaps (1) and the point (P1) of first contact comes into contact with the said bearing surface (31), the point (P2) of last contact is distant from the said bearing surface (31) by a predefined and non-zero distance (d).