Grille Shutter Fins With Collision Drop-Off for Cooling Airflow
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing grille shutter devices fail to maintain cooling function and opening area during vehicle collisions, particularly when fully closed, due to the presence of a pillar at the center of the opening portion, which reduces the opening area and leads to cooling function loss.
Innovation Solution
A grille shutter device with a frame and rotatable fin portions that include a dropping mechanism, such as a notch, allowing the fin portions to drop during a collision, thereby maintaining the opening area and preventing cooling function loss.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the opening portion is split into left and right parts to maintain cooling function during collision, then cooling function is preserved, but opening area decreases due to pillar presence
Solution Approach 1:
The fin portions are divided into multiple segments that can independently rotate and drop. Each fin portion is supported by a separate rotation shaft, allowing them to be segmented for independent control during collision events while maintaining the overall opening structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The fin portions are designed to be dynamically controllable through rotation about horizontal axes. During normal operation, they maintain a fixed position to preserve opening area, while during collision, they can rotate and drop to create airflow paths, transitioning from static to dynamic state as needed.
2Reliability
If the fin portions are designed to drop during collision to maintain cooling function, then cooling function is preserved, but the structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The fin portions utilize their own weight and the collision force itself to trigger the dropping action. The rotation shafts are supported at positions that allow gravity and collision forces to naturally cause the fins to drop and create airflow paths, eliminating the need for external actuators or complex control systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The complex active control system is extracted and replaced with passive gravitational and inertial mechanisms. The dropping mechanism relies on the natural physics of the situation (collision force and gravity) rather than active mechanical or electronic control systems.
3Device complexity
If the fin portions are kept fixed during collision, then structural simplicity is maintained, but cooling function is lost when fully closed
Solution Approach 1:
The fin portions transition from a static fixed state during normal operation to a dynamic dropped state during collision. This dynamic capability allows the system to adapt its configuration based on operational conditions, maintaining structural simplicity while enabling cooling function when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The rotation shafts are pre-positioned and pre-supported to enable the dropping action before collision occurs. The structural arrangement is prepared in advance so that when collision happens, the fins can immediately drop to create airflow paths without requiring additional active control during the collision event.
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 device ensures air intake through the opening area is maintained during collisions by dropping the fin portions, thus preventing cooling function loss without splitting the opening portion.
Implementation Method 1
a plurality of fin portions that are supported by the frame such that the fin portions are rotatable about an axis in a vehicle width direction or a vehicle up-down direction and open and close the opening portion
Implementation Method 2
a dropping mechanism that is provided on at least one side of both end portions of the frame in a direction of the axis inside the vehicle and causes the fin portions to drop at time of collision
Data Source
AI summary
The grille shutter device includes a frame provided at a vehicle front portion and forming an opening portion for introducing air into the vehicle front portion, a plurality of fin portions supported by the frame so as to be rotatable about the vehicle width direction or the vehicle vertical direction as an axis, and opening and closing the opening portion, and a dropping mechanism provided at at least one of both end portions in the axial direction on the vehicle inner side of the frame and causing the fin portion to fall off at the time of collision.