Light-Emitting Air Flap with Integrated Optical Guide
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Solution Overview
Problem
Air flap apparatuses on motor vehicles are not detectable in darkness, making it difficult to determine their operating position externally.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a light-emitting air flap with a flap light guide that allows light to emerge externally, coupled with a frame light guide for efficient light transfer, and a control apparatus to manage light emission based on the movement drive system's operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If air flap apparatus is used for vehicle front side cooling, then convective cooling function is achieved, but detectability in darkness is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The flap light guide is integrated within the air flap structure itself, with the light guide channel formed as a cavity or groove in the flap body. This nesting approach allows the lighting function to be embedded without adding external components, maintaining the simple single-piece flap structure while enabling darkness detectability through the light emergence surface on the flap's outer surface.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines the air flap's structural function with the light guide function into a single integrated component. The flap simultaneously serves as both the flow control element and the light transmission medium, with the light guide portion being formed as an integral part of the flap body, merging two functions into one element.
2Illumination intensity
If light guide is integrated into air flap, then position detectability in darkness is improved, but light source power requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The light guide is designed with a specific local structure where light is introduced at one location (light introduction surface) and emerges at another (light emergence surface). The light guide channel is configured to concentrate and direct light efficiently from the introduction point to the emergence point on the flap's outer surface, maximizing light output intensity at the critical visibility location while minimizing overall energy consumption.
3Loss of information
If flap light guide is provided on light-emitting air flap, then position detection is enabled, but scattered light increases
Solution Approach 1:
The flap light guide acts as an intermediary optical element that receives light from the light source and transports it to the light emergence surface on the flap's outer surface. This intermediary structure controls the light path to ensure directed emergence rather than scattering, with the light guide channel geometry designed to maintain light directionality from introduction to emergence points.
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
Enables the detection of the air flap position even in the absence of external light sources, reducing moving mass and installation space while ensuring effective light distribution and minimal scattered light.
Implementation Method 1
at least one air flap of the air flap apparatus, constituting a light-emitting air flap, comprises a flap light guide having a light emergence surface through which light transferred in the flap light guide can emerge to the external environment of the light-emitting air flap
Implementation Method 2
a frame light guide for efficient light transfer
Data Source
AI summary
An air flap apparatus for a motor vehicle encompasses a frame having a flowthrough opening, on which frame at least one air flap is mounted movably relative to the frame, protrudingly into the flowthrough opening or penetratingly therethrough, the at least one air flap being displaceable between a closed position and an open position in order to modify a gas quantity flowing per unit time through the flowthrough opening in the context of a predefined impinging flow, the at least one air flap decreasing a flowthrough-capable cross section of the flowthrough opening more greatly in the closed position than in the open position, the air flap apparatus further encompassing a movement drive system that is coupled in movement- and force-transferring fashion to the at least one air flap in order to drive the at least one air flap to move between the closed position and the open position, at least one air flap constituting a light-emitting air flap including a flap light guide having a light emergence surface through which light transferred in the flap light guide can emerge to the external environment of the light-emitting air flap.