BG65383B1 - Air intake for motor vehicles - Google Patents

Abstract

The air intake for motor vehicles is intended in particular for cooling the powerful motors of sports cars. It is of a suitable form and dimensions ensuring improvement of the aerodynamic properties and reducing the overall dimensions of the motor vehicles. It comprises at least one deflector (1) which is provided with one or several walls (5, 6, 9) suitable for conveying air through an opening (4) made in the body of the motor vehicle (2). The deflector (1) is hinged to at least one member (7) of the motor vehicle (2) to be rotated by at least one motor (19) around an axis (3) so as to modify the size of the opening (4). The angle between the rotation axis (3) of the deflector (1) and the vertical symmetry plane of the motor vehicle (2) is not greater than 45 degrees.

Description

Technical field

The present invention relates to an inlet duct for motor vehicles, and in particular to an inlet duct with variable geometry, which can be used to cool sports car engines.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Inlet ducts for motor vehicles, known for example from WO 2001/046570, comprise at least one deflector which is formed by one or more walls adapted to carry air through an opening made in the body of the vehicle and facing it. front end. On the one hand, these inlet air ducts impair the aerodynamic performance of motor vehicles, and on the other hand, they can be large in size when the engine is as powerful as the motor sports car. With the latter, however, the best aerodynamic performance is really important. In fact, if the inlet air duct is not the right size, the motor may overheat dangerously.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide an inlet air duct for motor vehicles that has a suitable shape and size to improve aerodynamic performance and reduce the size of motor vehicles.

The aerodynamic performance of motor vehicles has been found to improve when the angle between the deflection axis of the deflector and the vertical plane of symmetry of the vehicle is preferably not greater than 45 °, better still, if less than 5 °. With this structure, the aerodynamic loads acting on the deflector and against its deflection are reduced with the subsequent reduction of the risk of damage to the motor that drives it.

In addition, the deflector comprises a side wall which is convex and rectangular, a rear wall which is concave and semi-conical with a base facing the outside of the vehicle and an inner wall inclined and shaped to be carried downwards. the air coming through the opening. The deflector is pivotally secured to at least one element of the vehicle by means of one or more pivot elements facing the central axis of the vehicle itself.

By the appropriate layout of the deflector walls and the body beneath it, as well as by the articulation of the pivot joints to the central axis of the vehicle, the aerodynamic qualities of the inlet duct according to the present invention are further enhanced in the closed and open position.

According to a particular aspect of the invention, the body of the vehicle is configured to form a channel defined by an outer, inner, and lower wall to carry air from the opening to the radiators of the vehicle.

It is possible that the inlet air duct is formed above the mudguard of the rear wheel of the vehicle with the deflector, coaxially with the body in the closed position, and that the duct is made in the same body below the deflector.

According to another specific aspect of the invention, the deflector can be rotated by a piston, which moves in a cylinder and is driven by an electric motor, wherein the free end of the piston is rotated by a lever fixed to the deflector while the cylinder is rotated by a clamp, fixed to an element of the vehicle.

According to another preferred aspect of the invention, the inlet air channel is controlled by a device that can not only accurately drive the deflector, but also check its proper movement and operation. For this purpose, the inlet air duct contains one electronic device designed to control at least one electric motor for the movement of at least one deflector, which contains 2

65383 Bl is an electronic power supply powered by an energy source connected to the vehicle's electrical power lines and to one or more memories containing data and programs for the electronic computing power.

Electronic computing tools contain a microprocessor, and memories include flash memory, RAM memory and EEPROM memory.

The electronic computing means are connected to at least one PWM impulse modulation device, which is connected to at least one electric motor and is designed to convert the output of the control signals through the electronic computing devices into signals with a constant voltage and a variable charge cycle.

In addition, the position of the deflector can be detected by an encoder attached to the electric motor and connected to the electronic computing means via an interface. In this way, the electronic device enables the detection of obstacles to the deflector movement and a direct signal to the user of the vehicle.

According to a particular aspect of the invention, the position of the air inlet deflector position may depend not only on the speed of the vehicle, but also on the speed of its motor, as well as on the coolant and / or ambient air temperature, that the deflector is only open when absolutely necessary. For this purpose, according to the invention, the electronic computing means are coupled to a sensor designed to measure the speed of the vehicle to automatically determine the deflector movement in accordance with the speed limits of the vehicle recorded in the memories.

In addition, the electronic computing means are coupled to a sensor designed to measure the speed of the motor vehicle of the vehicle to automatically determine the deflector movement according to the speed values recorded in the memories.

It is also possible for electronic computing devices to be connected to a sensor designed to measure the coolant temperature of a motor vehicle to automatically detect the deflector movement according to the liquid temperature thresholds recorded in the memories.

Another particular aspect of the invention is that the electronic computing means are coupled to a sensor designed to measure the temperature of the air outside the vehicle to automatically determine the deflector movement according to the air temperature thresholds recorded in the memories.

It is also possible for electronic computing devices to be designed to measure the current consumed by the electric motor to signal for anomalies in the deflector movement by signaling means.

According to a further preferred aspect of the invention, the deflector movement can be manually controlled by the user, for example for work tests or for other purposes. For this purpose, the electronic computing means are connected to a button located in the cab of the vehicle to manually control the deflector movement.

Thanks to the deflector movement system, the inlet air duct according to the present invention can change its geometry and thus regulate the air flow passing to one or more radiators according to the cooling needs. Thus, with this construction, it is possible to make the inlet air duct size smaller when the incoming air is sufficient to cool the engine so as to optimize the dynamic performance of the vehicle. This is important at high speeds where the aerodynamic qualities of the vehicle have a strong influence on its performance.

Explanation of the annexed figures

Additional advantages and features of the inlet air duct according to the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description.

65383 Bl of its exemplary embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a partial front view of a closed air intake vehicle;

Figure 2 is a partial front view in perspective of a vehicle with an inlet air duct open;

Figure 3 is a partial rear view in perspective of the vehicle of Figure 1 with a closed inlet air duct;

Figure 4 is a partial rear view in perspective of the vehicle of Figure 1 with the air inlet open;

Figure 5 is a partial front view in perspective of the air inlet deflector of Figure 1;

6 is a partial rear view in perspective of the deflector of the inlet air duct of FIG. 1;

7 is a cross-sectional view of the rear of the inlet air duct of FIG. 1;

8 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view of the inlet air duct of FIG. 1;

Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view of the central part of the inlet air duct of Figure 1;

Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of the electronic device of the inlet air duct of Figure 1;

Figure 11 is an algorithm for the operation of the inlet air duct of Figure 1.

Examples of carrying out the invention

Referring to Figures 1 to 6, it can be seen that the inlet air duct according to the invention contains a deflector 1 which is pivotally mounted to an element of a motor vehicle 2. The movable deflector 1 can thus be rotated about one axis 3, so as to alter the size of the opening 4 that is made in the body of the vehicle 2 and rotate to its front position.

In particular, the angle between the axis of rotation 3 of the deflector 1 and the vertical plane of symmetry of the vehicle 2 is not greater than 45 ° and preferably less than 5 °, more precisely the axis of rotation is substantially parallel to the direction of travel of the motor vehicle 2. The deflector comprises a side wall 5 and a rear wall 6 for carrying the air inside the vehicle 2 through the opening 4. To improve aerodynamic performance, the side wall 5 is preferably convex and has a rectangular shape, doc the rear wall 6 is preferably concave and has a frustoconical shape with the base facing the outer side of the vehicle 2.

Referring to Figures 7 and 8, it is apparent that the deflector 1 is pivotally secured to one element 7 of the vehicle body 2 by means of one or more pivot elements 8 and rotated to the central axis of the same motor vehicle 2 such that the side wall 5 is rotated outwards. The deflector 1 further comprises an inner wall 9, inclined and shaped to carry downward air from the opening.

4. For this purpose, the body of the vehicle 2 is configured to obtain a duct 10 defined by an outer side wall 11, an inner side wall 12 and a lower wall 13 that carries air from the opening 4 to the radiators of vehicle 2 (not shown in the figures). In the case of both central and rear-engined vehicles, it is preferable to have a pair of inlet openings formed above the mudguard of each rear wheel with deflector 1, in alignment with the body of the motor vehicle 2 in the closed position, the groove 10 being made in the same body below the deflector 1. In Figure 7, the deflector 1 is shown with a dashed line 14 in the open position, while in Figure 8 the deflector 1 is shown with a dashed line 15 in the closed position.

Figure 9 shows that the deflector 1 can be rotated in the direction of the arrows 16 by means of a piston 17, which can be driven in a cylinder 18 and is driven by an electric motor 19, for example a Microwin 1:50 motor used by OSLV , Italy. The free end of the piston 17 is rotated in a lever 20 fixed to the deflector 1, while the cylinder 18 is rotated in a clamp 21 fixed to an element 22 of the vehicle 2, for example part of its housing. In the figure, the deflector 1 is shown with a dashed line 23 in its open position.

65383 Bl

With reference to Figure 10, it can be seen that the inlet air inlet according to the present invention contains an electronic control device 24 capable of controlling one or more motors 19 for the movement of one or more deflectors 1. The electronic device 24 contains in particular electronic computing means 25, such as Motorola MC68HC908AZ60 8-bit microprocessor with 16 MHz internal timer variable timing, 26-400 mA power source, overload protected and connected to power lines of the motor vehicle o remedy 2.

The microprocessor 25 is connected to one or more memories, in particular 60 kV flash memory 27, 2 kV RAM 28 and 1 kV EEPROM 29, which contain data and programs for the microprocessor 25, as well as a PWM 30 device (for pulse modulation) ) for motor control 19. In particular, the PWM 30 is connected to the motors 19 and converts the output of the control signals via the microprocessor 25 into signals with a constant voltage and a variable charge cycle. In this way, the speed of the electric motors 19 can be varied by interrupting the electrical energy with which they are supplied. The signal fill cycles are, in fact, calculated by the microprocessor 25 in accordance with the speed of the vehicle 2 and the deflector position 1. This position is in turn detected by the encoders 31 used for each electric motor 19 and are connected to the microprocessor 25 via interface 32. The encoders 31, for example, are known Hall effect encoders that are generally engaged in the same electric motors 19 and measure the displacement of the deflector 1 or element m connected thereto, such as piston 17, with respect to the end position of displacement corresponding more precisely to the closed position of the intake air channel, namely zero steps of encoder 31.

The electricity supplied by the PWM 30 is a product of the intensity of the current circulating in the electric motor 19 (proportional to the torque supplied by the motor itself) by the supply voltage on which the maximum speed of the electric motor 19 depends. By measuring the current circulating in the motors 19, it is possible to obtain the torque generated by them and thus the force acting on the deflectors 1.

By a series of thresholds recorded in one or more memories 27,28 and 29, which depend on the type of movement required and the PWM signal transmitted by the PWM 30, the microprocessor 25 modifies the current supplied to the motors 19 so that is consistent with the correct operation of the deflectors 1. If the current is extremely low, the microprocessor 25 diagnoses abnormal operation, such as the motor 19 with the circuit open or idling of the mechanical transmission. If, instead, the current exceeds the preset thresholds, that is, the force exerted on the deflector 1 becomes too large, the microprocessor 25 changes the position of the deflector 1 by itself through the encoder 31. If the distance from the required position is less than the predefined position the threshold is set, the microprocessor 25 detects, the reflector 1 has reached the end position of motion and stops it. If, instead, the distance from the required position is greater, then the microprocessor 25 detects an obstacle.

This position is potentially dangerous because the obstacle may represent the limbs of a person, so that the microprocessor 25 immediately inverts the direction of motion imposed on the deflector 1 to the starting position to allow the obstacle to be removed, after which it attempts to bring the deflector 1 to the required position. If the obstacle is not removed, the inverse cycle of motion and subsequent attempts to restore the required position are repeated a number of times, after which the microprocessor 25 stops the deflector 1, thereby alerting the user to abnormal operation by signaling means, for example, a signal lamp 33 located of the control panel of the vehicle 2 and connected to the microprocessor 25 via the data interface 34. Obviously, the microprocessor 25 estimates the whole movement

65383 Bl and also each time the number of stages of the electric motor 19 detected by the encoder 31 is equal to a predetermined number of steps.

Through the data interface 34, for example of the CAN (Controlled Area Network) type, the microprocessor 25 is further connected to a plurality of external sensors, also of a known type, namely a sensor 35, suitable for measuring the speed of vehicle 2; a sensor 36 suitable for measuring the speed of rotation of a motor vehicle 2; a sensor 37 suitable for measuring the engine coolant temperature of a motor vehicle 2 and a sensor 38 suitable for measuring the outside air temperature. These sensors are generally already provided in sports cars and are connected to an electronic control unit 39 which controls the operation of the vehicle by itself and thus can be connected to the data interface 34. The microprocessor 25 is further connected to a serial interface 40 for transmitting and receiving data externally, as well as to a digital interface 41, in turn connected to a button 42 located internally in the cab of a motor vehicle 2 for manually controlling the movement of the reflectors 1.

As can be seen from Figure 11, the request for opening or closing deflectors 1 can be sent by the user via the button 42 or automatically through the microprocessor 25 when a predetermined threshold value is recorded in one or more of the memories 27,28 and 29 and as refers to the air temperature measured from the sensor 38 or to the coolant temperature measured by the sensor 37. The threshold values of the temperatures at which closure is prescribed are preferably lower than those at which o brew, so as to avoid undesirable fluctuations nadeflektorite 1.

In order for the motion request to be effectively converted to the motor request 19, the motor speed 2 of the motor vehicle 2 detected by the sensor 36 must be greater than the threshold value, for example greater than zero, while the speed of the motor vehicle 2 detected by the sensor 35 should be lower than one or more recorded thresholds, for example, the first maximum value of the automatic movement speed caused by the sensors 37 or 38 and the second maximum with manual speed triggered by button 42.

In addition, when the ability to start the movement of the over-reflectors 1 is limited by the speed of the vehicle 2, then the possibility of the same deflectors 1 to move is also limited to the same threshold. If the vehicle exceeds this threshold by starting the deflector 1, it shall be converted into the open motion in any case to avoid excessive mechanical stresses on the structures due to the aerodynamic forces acting on the deflectors 1 at high speeds. For example, the maximum speed threshold may be 180 km / h, so that above this value the deflector movement 1 can be prohibited or, if already started, be brought into a certain position, more precisely in the open position. .

The following table is an example of thresholds that can be programmed for the position of the reflectors 1.

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Table 1. Example of thresholds

GS coolant temperature] Air temperature [° C] Motor Speed Wed-Bo [km / h} Position of deflectors T <80 T <30 V <180 Closed T <80 30 <T <38 V <180 Closed T <80 T> 38 V <180 Closed 80 <T <95 T> 30 V <180 Closed 80 <T <95 30 <T <38 V <180 Open 80 <T <95 T> 38 V <180 Open T> 95 T <30 V <180 Open T> 95 30 <T <38 V <180 Open T> 95 T> 38 V <180 Open

The movement of the air deflectors 1 can thus be continuously limited to the satisfaction of the following four controls:

Steering 1: traffic is converted to opening if vehicle 2 exceeds a predetermined threshold speed. Furthermore, the possibility of movement of the defector 1 is restored only if the speed of the vehicle 2 reaches below the threshold minus the hysteresis value, to avoid oscillations of the inlet air channels.

Control 2: If the current consumed by the electric motor 19 is less than the predetermined minimum value of the current, i.e. the mechanical or electrical fault of the motor is detected by itself, the movement stops and the microprocessor 25 signals abnormal operation by signaling lamp 33.

Control 3: If the current consumed by the electric motor 19 is greater than the predetermined maximum current value at an excessive distance from the required position, the presence of an obstacle is detected, otherwise the deflector 1 movement is considered complete.

Control 4: The deflector 1 is stopped when its position detected by the encoder 31 is equal to that required.

As explained above, the position of the defectors 1 is determined by the encoders 31, which calculate the rotation of the electric motors so as to determine the displacement of the pistons 17 with respect to the zero position. The position of the deflectors 1 with respect to the zero position is thus determined and recorded at any time by their motion, or interrupted by a malfunction or by an obstacle. It is thus necessary that the deflector motions 1 can be determined with respect to the exact zero position. For this purpose, the possibility of performing a reset operation is provided, which brings the deflectors 1 to the closed position until the predetermined threshold value of the current is exceeded. After this operation is completed, the incremental (discrete) encoder counter 31 is reset to zero.

Safety functions are prohibited during this reset operation, so that only a diagnostic tool used by di

65383 Bl agnostic garages.

Changes and / or additions may be made by those skilled in the art to the embodiment described above and illustrated above, insofar as they remain within the scope of the same invention.

Claims (19)

Claims A vehicle inlet air duct containing at least one deflector (1) which is formed by one or more walls (5, 6, 9) adapted to carry air through an opening (4) made in the body of the motor a vehicle (2) wherein the deflector (1) is pivotally attached to at least one element (7) of the motor vehicle (2) for rotation by at least one motor (19) about the axis (3) so as to resize of the aperture (4), characterized in that the angle between the axis of rotation (3) of the deflector (1) and the vertical plane of symmetry and the vehicle (2) is no larger than 45 °. Vehicle air inlet according to claim 1, characterized in that the angle between the deflection axis (3) of the deflector (1) and the vertical plane of symmetry of the vehicle (2) is more less than 5 °. Motor vehicle inlet duct according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the deflector (1) comprises a side wall (5) which is convex and substantially rectangular in shape. 4. Inlet air duct for motor vehicles according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the deflector (1) comprises a rear wall (6) which is concave and has a substantially semi-conical shape with a base facing the outside of the vehicle. the motor vehicle (2). Motor vehicle inlet air duct according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the deflector (1) is pivotally secured to at least one element (7) of the vehicle (2) by means of one or more pivot elements ( 8) facing the central axis of the vehicle itself (2). Motor vehicle inlet air duct according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the deflector (1) comprises an inner wall (9), inclined and shaped to carry downward air coming from the opening (4). 7. Inlet air duct for motor vehicles according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the body of the motor vehicle (2) is formed so as to form a single duct (10) defined by an outer side wall ( 11), an inner side wall (12) and a bottom wall (13), for carrying air from the opening (4) to the radiators of the vehicle (2). 8. A vehicle inlet air duct according to claim 7, characterized in that the inlet air duct is formed above the mudguard of the rear wheel of the vehicle (2) with the deflector (1) in alignment with the body in the closed position and the groove (10) is made in the same body below the deflector (1). Motor vehicle inlet air duct according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the deflector (1) can be rotated by means of a piston (17) which moves into a cylinder (18) and is driven by an electric motor (19), wherein the free end of the piston (17) is rotated by a lever (20) fixed to the deflector (1), while the cylinder (18) is rotated by a clamp (21) fixed to an element (22) of the motor vehicle. means (2). Motor vehicle inlet air duct according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it contains an electronic device (24) which is configured to control at least one electric motor (19) for driving at least one deflector (1) ) and contains electronic computing means (25) powered by an energy source (26) connected to the power lines of the vehicle (2) and to one or more memories (27, 28, 29) containing data and programs for the electronic computing tools (25). 11. Inlet duct for motor vehicles according to claim 10, ha 65383 Bl characterized in that the electronic computing means (25) contain a microprocessor and the memories (27,28,29) contain a flash memory (27), a RAM memory (28) and an EEPROM memory (29). Motor vehicle inlet duct according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that the electronic computing means (25) are connected to at least one impulse modulation device P WM (30), which is connected to at least one electrical motor (19) and is designed to convert the output of the control signals by means of the electronic computing means (25) into signals with a constant voltage and a variable charge cycle. Motor vehicle inlet air duct according to one of Claims 10 to 12, characterized in that the position of the deflector (1) is detected by an encoder (31) attached to the electric motor (19) and connected to electronic computing means (25) through an interface (32). 14. Inlet air duct for motor vehicles according to claims 10 to 13, characterized in that the electronic computing means (25) are connected to a sensor (35) designed to measure the speed of the vehicle (2) to automatically determine the deflector movement (1) in accordance with the threshold values the speed of the vehicle (2) recorded in the memories (27, 28, 29). 15. Inlet duct for motor vehicles according to claims 10 to 14, characterized in that the electronic computing means (25) are connected to a sensor (36) configured to measure the speed of rotation of the motor vehicle (2) to automatically determine the motion of the overflector (1) in in accordance with the rotational speed thresholds recorded in the memories (27, 28, 29). 16. Inlet air duct for motor vehicles according to claims 10 to 15, characterized in that the electronic computing means (25) are connected to a sensor (37) designed to measure the coolant temperature of the motor vehicle (2) to automatically determine the deflector movement (1) in accordance with the liquid temperature threshold values recorded in the memories (27,28, 29). 17. Inlet air duct for motor vehicles according to claims 10 to 16, characterized in that the electronic computing means (25) are connected to a sensor (38) configured to measure the air temperature outside the vehicle (2) to automatically determine the deflector movement (1) in accordance with air temperature thresholds recorded in the memories (27, 28, 29). 18. Inlet air duct for motor vehicles according to claims 10 to 17, characterized in that the electronic computing means (25) are designed to measure the current consumed by the electric motor (19) for signaling anomalies in the deflector movement (1) by means of signaling means. 19. Inlet air duct for motor vehicles according to claims 10 to 18, characterized in that the electronic computing means (25) are connected to a button (42) located in the cab of the vehicle (2) for manually controlling the deflector movement (1).