Vehicle Grille Apparatus with Nested Sliding Covers

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing grille apparatuses for vehicles face challenges in efficiently changing the opening amount of the front grille due to three-dimensional curved cover members, which can limit aerodynamic performance and increase warm-up times, and require significant space and time for opening and closing operations.

Innovation Solution

A grille apparatus with a drive mechanism that moves second covers to the rear of first covers within the grille opening portion, allowing for adjustable opening amounts while maintaining all covers within the grille, using a motor-driven system with supporting members and guide protrusions to facilitate sliding movements for opening and closing.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the stroke of the second cover member is increased to reliably change the opening amount of the front grille, then the opening and closing operation becomes more reliable, but the space required for arranging the housing portion and movement mechanism increases, decreasing mountability

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveopening and closing operation reliabilityVSAvoidspace for housing portion and movement mechanism

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSVolume of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The second cover member is nested within the grille opening portion, utilizing the space between the first cover members and the grille frame. This allows the second cover to move sufficiently to change the opening amount without requiring additional external space for its movement mechanism.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Solution Approach 2:

The second cover member moves in the vehicle width direction (lateral dimension) rather than only in the front-rear direction. This dimensional change allows the cover to effectively control the opening amount while maintaining a compact arrangement within the grille structure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Reliability

If the stroke of the second cover member is increased to reliably change the opening amount, then the opening and closing operation becomes more reliable, but the time required for opening and closing operations increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveopening and closing operation reliabilityVSAvoidopening and closing operation time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The second cover member operates within the confined space of the grille opening portion, allowing for a compact movement mechanism that can achieve reliable opening and closing operations with reduced stroke distance and shorter operation time.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Solution Approach 2:

By moving the second cover member laterally in the vehicle width direction, the system achieves reliable opening amount control through a shorter movement path compared to traditional front-rear movement, thereby reducing operation time.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

3Shape

If three-dimensional curved cover members are used to enhance designability, then aesthetic appearance is improved, but the ability to change the opening amount of the front grille sufficiently is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedesignability and aesthetic appearanceVSAvoidopening amount adjustment capability

Core Design Contradiction:

ShapeVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The grille cover is divided into multiple independent cover members (first cover members and second cover member) that can move relative to each other. This segmentation allows each cover to maintain its three-dimensional curved shape for aesthetics while the collective movement of multiple covers achieves sufficient opening amount change.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The cover members are designed with dynamic movement capability, allowing them to transition between different positions. The second cover member can move laterally to expose or cover the opening portion, enabling the three-dimensional covers to dynamically adjust the opening amount while maintaining their aesthetic shapes.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentUS9533564B2Grille apparatus for vehicle

Publication Date: 2017.01.03 AISIN SEIKI KK

AI summary

A grille apparatus for a vehicle includes a first cover arranged at an opening portion of a front grille, a second cover arranged at the opening portion of the front grille, and a drive mechanism changing a relative position of the first cover and the second cover in response to a driving force of a drive source, in which the drive mechanism changes an opening amount of the front grille by performing an opening operation moving the second cover to a rear of the first cover, and by performing a closing operation returning the second cover to a fully-closed position, the fully-closed position before moving the second cover to the rear of the first cover while maintaining the first cover and the second cover within the opening portion of the front grille.