Hinged Lip Air Guide for Radiator Sealing and Impact Absorption
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing air guiding devices for motor vehicle radiators are difficult to assemble, do not allow for accurate positioning, and can damage the radiator during pedestrian impacts due to added resistance and accessibility issues.
Innovation Solution
An air guiding device with a hinged lip that extends from the front surface of the vehicle to the radiator, featuring an elastic connection zone and a monolithic plastic construction, allowing for easy assembly and ensuring tight air sealing while accommodating positional dispersions and impact forces without damaging the radiator.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the air guide device is fixed rigidly to the radiator, then air guidance efficiency is improved, but the radiator risks being damaged during pedestrian impacts
Solution Approach 1:
The air guide device incorporates a hinged lip that can move dynamically between a closed position (for sealing) and an open position (for impact absorption). This dynamic mechanism allows the device to adapt its behavior based on operational conditions, providing both effective air guidance during normal operation and impact protection during pedestrian collisions.
Solution Approach 2:
The elastic connection zone allows the lip to change its physical state between rigid (for sealing) and flexible (for impact absorption). This parameter change enables the same component to serve dual functions: maintaining airtight sealing during normal operation and deforming to absorb impact energy during pedestrian collisions.
2Reliability
If the air guide device is fixed rigidly to ensure tight sealing, then air leakage is prevented, but assembly difficulty increases due to reduced accessibility
Solution Approach 1:
The hinged lip mechanism transforms the assembly process by allowing the lip to be positioned and sealed sequentially rather than requiring simultaneous precise alignment of all components. The elastic connection enables the lip to be manipulated into place and then locked into a sealed position, significantly improving assembly accessibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The elastic connection zone provides self-aligning and self-sealing properties. When the lip is positioned near the radiator, the elastic force automatically guides it into the correct position and creates the seal without requiring precise manual adjustment or complex alignment procedures.
3Manufacturing precision
If the air guide device is made rigid to maintain positioning accuracy, then sealing precision is improved, but the device cannot accommodate positioning dispersions
Solution Approach 1:
The elastic connection zone changes the rigidity parameter of the air guide device, allowing it to be rigid enough for sealing when needed but flexible enough to accommodate positioning variations. This parameter change enables the device to adapt to different positioning scenarios while maintaining sealing precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The hinged lip mechanism dynamically adjusts the positioning of the sealing surface. When the radiator is positioned within acceptable tolerances, the lip maintains precise sealing contact. When positioning dispersions occur, the elastic connection allows the lip to adjust its position dynamically, compensating for the variations and maintaining the seal.
4Ease of manufacture
If the air guide device structure is simplified for easy assembly, then manufacturing cost is reduced, but air guidance efficiency may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The air guide device is segmented into a main body and a hinged lip component. This segmentation allows the complex sealing function to be achieved through a simple hinged mechanism rather than a complex rigid structure, simplifying manufacturing while maintaining or even improving sealing efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The elastic connection zone introduces a parameter change that enables a simple hinged structure to achieve complex sealing performance. The elastic properties allow the simple lip structure to conform to the radiator surface and maintain a tight seal, compensating for the simplicity of the overall structure.
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 provides efficient air guidance to the radiator, ensuring thermal efficiency, easy assembly, and compliance with impact standards by preventing air leakage and absorbing impact forces without damaging the radiator, while allowing for flexible deformation during impacts.
Implementation Method 1
The connection zone of the device may comprise an elastic property fulfilling a lip return function
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~6
AI summary
The invention relates to a device (10) for guiding air, which forms a sealed surface capable of extending from a front surface (1) of a motor vehicle up to a radiator positioned in the front portion of the motor vehicle, the device including a first portion (16) for guiding the air toward the radiator and a lip (17) hinged onto said first portion (16), including a free end (19) capable of engaging with the radiator (6), characterized in that the lip (17) extends forward from the connection area (18) to the first portion (16), the free end (19) thereof therefore being located in front of the connection area (18).