Vehicle Intake Air Guide Sealing for Heat Exchanger Air Leakage

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Solution Overview

Problem

The existing air guide systems for vehicles fail to effectively direct airflow from the grill into the heat exchanger, leading to leakage and reduced aerodynamic and cooling performance.

Innovation Solution

An intake air guide device comprising an air guide surrounding the heat exchanger and extending towards the grill, and a sealing guide extending backward from the grill to surround the air guide, reducing leakage by overlapping with the air guide.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If an air guide is provided to guide air from the grill to the heat exchanger, then air flow guidance is improved, but air leakage occurs between the air guide and grill, reducing aerodynamic performance

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveair flow guidance efficiencyVSAvoidaerodynamic performance

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The sealing guide is nested within the space between the air guide and the grill, creating a multi-layered sealing structure that effectively blocks air leakage paths while maintaining the air guide's functionality

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Solution Approach 2:

The sealing guide acts as a flexible sealing element that can adapt to the space between the air guide and grill, effectively closing leakage gaps without rigid structural constraints

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

2Productivity

If an air guide is provided to guide air from the grill to the heat exchanger, then air flow guidance is improved, but cooling performance of the heat exchanger is reduced due to air leakage

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveair flow guidance efficiencyVSAvoidcooling performance

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Solution Approach 2:

The sealing guide acts as a flexible sealing element that can adapt to the space between the air guide and grill, effectively closing leakage gaps without rigid structural constraints

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

3Device complexity

If air is allowed to escape between the air guide and grill, then device simplicity is maintained, but noise is generated during air leakage

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveair guide structure simplicityVSAvoidnoise from air leakage

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The sealing guide acts as a flexible sealing element that can adapt to the space between the air guide and grill, effectively closing leakage gaps without rigid structural constraints

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

Solution Approach 2:

The sealing function is extracted as a separate component (sealing guide) from the air guide structure, allowing the air guide to maintain its simple form while the sealing guide specifically addresses the noise problem by eliminating air leakage

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentUS12251983B2Intake air guide device for a vehicle

Publication Date: 2025.03.18 HYUNDAI MOTOR CO LTD

AI summary

An intake air guide device for a vehicle includes an air guide surrounding the outside of a heat exchanger mounted on a front portion of a vehicle and extending forward to guide an airflow so that the air flowing into the front portion of the vehicle flows into the heat exchanger, and a sealing guide extending backward from the front portion of the vehicle to surround the air guide in a state of being spaced apart from the outside, and extending inward or outward to overlap the air guide.