Offset Overtravel Stops for Vehicle Shutter Durability
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The existing shutter devices for motor vehicle front face air flow suffer from overtravel stop weakening and potential breakage due to the force applied by the actuator, leading to vibration and fatigue of materials, especially when the flaps are in open or closed positions.
Innovation Solution
A support frame with offset overtravel stops is designed to distribute the force applied by the actuator across all overtravel stops, ensuring the motor flap comes last into contact, thereby reducing the stress on individual stops and preventing breakage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the actuator applies force to pivot all flaps simultaneously to their extreme positions, then the shutter device achieves complete opening or closing, but the overtravel stop of the motor flap experiences excessive stress and may break
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by arranging overtravel stops at different positions along the pivot arc so that non-motor flaps contact their stops first, before the motor flap reaches its stop. This sequential arrangement allows the actuator to complete its full stroke without the motor flap's overtravel stop bearing the entire pivoting force, thereby distributing stress and preventing breakage
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the overtravel stop function across multiple flaps by positioning stops at different angular locations. Instead of a single unified stop point, each flap has its own stop position, creating a distributed stress system where the motor flap's stop is not overloaded by the combined force of all flaps pivoting simultaneously
2Ease of operation
If the motor flap is connected directly to the actuator and other flaps are connected to the motor flap through a control mechanism, then the shutter device achieves coordinated movement, but play in the control mechanism causes the motor flap to reach its stop first, leading to excessive stress
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses preliminary action by pre-positioning the overtravel stops at offset locations that account for the control mechanism's play. This ensures that even with the inherent delays in the control mechanism, the non-motor flaps will contact their stops before the motor flap, transforming the timing issue into a spatial solution that distributes force appropriately
Data Source
Figure 1~3
Figure 4A~5B
AI summary
The present invention relates to a shuttering device (1) comprising a support frame (3) having: • at least one set of flaps (5) pivoting between an open position and a closed position, and • at least one control element (7) comprising an actuator (7a) connected to a motor flap (5a), causing said motor flap (5a) to pivot, the other flaps (5b) of the set of flaps (5) being connected to said motor flap (5a) by a control element (7b), the support frame (3) having at least one end of each flap (5) an overtravel stop (9) serving as a support for the flap (5) when it occupies its open or closed position, the overtravel stops (9) being offset so that the motor flap (5a) comes into contact with its overtravel stop (9) last when it reaches an open or closed position.