CN117124840A - Active grille shutter with pedestrian protection - Google Patents

Active grille shutter with pedestrian protection Download PDF

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Publication number
CN117124840A
CN117124840A CN202210545396.2A CN202210545396A CN117124840A CN 117124840 A CN117124840 A CN 117124840A CN 202210545396 A CN202210545396 A CN 202210545396A CN 117124840 A CN117124840 A CN 117124840A
Authority
CN
China
Prior art keywords
spring
frame portion
portions
spring portion
grille assembly
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Pending
Application number
CN202210545396.2A
Other languages
Chinese (zh)
Inventor
大卫·布莱恩·格利克曼
肖恩·特伦斯·科格伦
达尔尚·阿伦·纳亚克
詹姆斯·艾伦·阿克
亚伦·彼得·克洛普
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Ford Global Technologies LLC
Original Assignee
Ford Global Technologies LLC
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Ford Global Technologies LLC filed Critical Ford Global Technologies LLC
Priority to CN202210545396.2A priority Critical patent/CN117124840A/en
Publication of CN117124840A publication Critical patent/CN117124840A/en
Pending legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60K—ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PROPULSION UNITS OR OF TRANSMISSIONS IN VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PLURAL DIVERSE PRIME-MOVERS IN VEHICLES; AUXILIARY DRIVES FOR VEHICLES; INSTRUMENTATION OR DASHBOARDS FOR VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH COOLING, AIR INTAKE, GAS EXHAUST OR FUEL SUPPLY OF PROPULSION UNITS IN VEHICLES
    • B60K11/00—Arrangement in connection with cooling of propulsion units
    • B60K11/08—Air inlets for cooling; Shutters or blinds therefor
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60R—VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • B60R21/00—Arrangements or fittings on vehicles for protecting or preventing injuries to occupants or pedestrians in case of accidents or other traffic risks
    • B60R21/34—Protecting non-occupants of a vehicle, e.g. pedestrians
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60R—VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • B60R21/00—Arrangements or fittings on vehicles for protecting or preventing injuries to occupants or pedestrians in case of accidents or other traffic risks
    • B60R21/34—Protecting non-occupants of a vehicle, e.g. pedestrians
    • B60R2021/343—Protecting non-occupants of a vehicle, e.g. pedestrians using deformable body panel, bodywork or components
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02T—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION
    • Y02T10/00—Road transport of goods or passengers
    • Y02T10/80—Technologies aiming to reduce greenhouse gasses emissions common to all road transportation technologies
    • Y02T10/88—Optimized components or subsystems, e.g. lighting, actively controlled glasses

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
  • Transportation (AREA)
  • Cooling, Air Intake And Gas Exhaust, And Fuel Tank Arrangements In Propulsion Units (AREA)

Abstract

The present disclosure provides an "active grille shutter with pedestrian protection". A grille assembly for a vehicle is disclosed and includes a front frame portion, a rear frame portion, and a plurality of spring portions coupling the front frame portion to the rear frame portion such that the front frame is movable relative to the rear frame portion. A front end assembly for a vehicle is also disclosed, the front end assembly including a support pad assembly and an active grille shutter system supported relative to the support pad assembly. The disclosed active grille shutter system includes a plurality of spring portions that couple a front frame portion and a rear frame portion such that the front frame is movable relative to the rear frame. A vane is supported by at least one of the front frame portion and the rear frame portion and is rotatable to control airflow.

Description

Active grille shutter with pedestrian protection
Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to a front end structure for a motor vehicle that includes an active grille shutter system having pedestrian protection features.
Background
Active grille shutters are components of the front architecture of a vehicle that control the amount of airflow through a radiator and other heat exchangers to improve vehicle performance. The front region of the vehicle is constrained by pedestrian protection requirements.
Disclosure of Invention
A grille assembly for a vehicle in accordance with the disclosed exemplary embodiments includes, among other things, a front frame portion, a rear frame portion, and a plurality of spring portions coupling the front frame portion to the rear frame portion such that the front frame is movable relative to the rear frame.
In another embodiment of the foregoing grille assembly for a vehicle, a plurality of vanes are supported by at least one of the front frame portion and the rear frame portion, wherein each of the plurality of vanes is rotatable to control airflow.
In another embodiment of any of the foregoing grille assemblies for a vehicle, the actuator is coupled to the plurality of vanes with a flexible arm that is movable by the actuator and is flexible to provide movement of the front frame portion relative to the rear frame portion.
In another embodiment of any one of the preceding grille assemblies for a vehicle, the front frame portion and the rear frame portion define an outer perimeter and the plurality of vanes are disposed horizontally within the outer perimeter.
In another embodiment of any one of the preceding grille assemblies for a vehicle, the front frame portion and the rear frame portion are nested within each other.
In another embodiment of any one of the preceding grille assemblies for a vehicle, the rear frame is fixed relative to the front frame.
In another embodiment of any one of the foregoing grille assemblies for a vehicle, each of the plurality of spring portions includes a front spring portion attached to the front frame portion, a rear spring portion attached to the rear frame portion, and a middle spring portion connecting the front spring portion to the rear spring portion.
In another embodiment of any one of the foregoing grille assemblies for a vehicle, the front spring portion and the rear spring portion are disposed in a common plane, and the intermediate spring portion is spaced from the common plane such that the front spring portion is foldable against the rear spring portion.
In another embodiment of any one of the foregoing grille assemblies for a vehicle, each of the front spring portion, the middle spring portion, and the rear spring portion includes a common thickness in a direction transverse to the longitudinal length that defines a spring constant of each of the plurality of spring portions.
In another embodiment of any one of the preceding grille assemblies for a vehicle, each of the front spring portion, the middle spring portion, and the rear spring portion includes an equal longitudinal length.
In another embodiment of any one of the preceding grille assemblies for a vehicle, at least two of the front spring portion, the middle spring portion, and the rear spring portion include different longitudinal lengths.
A front end assembly for a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure includes, among other things, a support pad assembly and an active grille shutter system supported relative to the support pad assembly, the active grille shutter system including a front frame portion, a rear frame portion, and a plurality of spring portions coupling the front frame portion to the rear frame portion such that the front frame is movable relative to the rear frame; and a plurality of vanes supported by at least one of the front frame portion and the rear frame portion, wherein each of the plurality of vanes is rotatable to control airflow.
In another embodiment of the foregoing front end assembly for a vehicle, the active grille shutter assembly includes an upper active grille shutter assembly and a lower active grille shutter assembly.
In another embodiment of any one of the preceding front end assemblies for a vehicle, each of the plurality of spring portions includes a front spring portion attached to the front frame portion, a rear spring portion attached to the rear frame portion, and a middle spring portion connecting the front spring portion to the rear spring portion.
In another embodiment of any of the preceding front end assemblies for a vehicle, the front frame portion and the rear frame portion are nested within each other.
A method of assembling an active grille shutter system according to another embodiment of the present disclosure includes, among other things, forming front and rear grille portions coupled together with a plurality of spring portions as a single piece; forming a plurality of blades; and attaching the plurality of blades to one of the front and rear grill portions.
Another embodiment of the foregoing method further comprises mounting an actuator to the static structure and attaching a flexible arm of the actuator to the plurality of blades.
Another embodiment of any of the foregoing methods includes forming the front grill portion to nest within the rear grill portion in response to applying a force on the rear grill portion.
Another embodiment of any of the foregoing methods includes forming the plurality of spring portions to provide a predefined spring constant between the front grill portion and the rear grill portion.
Another embodiment of any of the foregoing methods includes forming the plurality of spring portions to nest against one another in a compressed state, wherein the compressed state includes the front grill portion nested within the rear grill portion.
Various features and advantages of this disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description. The drawings that accompany the detailed description can be briefly described as follows.
Drawings
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary front end structure of a motor vehicle.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a front side of an exemplary active grille shutter system.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a rear side of an exemplary active grille shutter system.
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a frame of an exemplary active grille shutter system.
Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view looking down at an exemplary frame of an active grille shutter system.
FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an exemplary spring assembly between frame portions.
FIG. 7 is a top schematic view of an exemplary spring assembly in a folded position.
FIG. 8 is a schematic view of an exemplary spring assembly in an expanded position.
FIG. 9 is a side view schematic of an exemplary spring assembly.
FIG. 10 is a perspective view of another exemplary frame and spring assembly.
Detailed Description
Referring to FIG. 1, an exemplary front end assembly 20 for a vehicle is shown and includes a frame member 22 supporting a support pad 24 and a radiator 26. An active grille shutter system 28 is mounted in front of the radiator 26 to control the airflow through the radiator 26. Controlling the airflow through radiator 26 allows the engine to quickly reach a desired operating temperature to increase operating efficiency.
The front end assembly 20 provides a pedestrian protection feature to reduce potential damage that may result from a collision with a vehicle. The active grille shutter system 28 is in an area that provides protection for the impact zone. The example active grille shutter system 28 includes features that absorb crash energy.
The example active grille shutter system 28 includes an upper grille assembly 30 disposed above the support mat 24 and a lower grille assembly 32 disposed below the support mat 24. The upper grille assembly 30 controls airflow through the radiator 26 and the lower grille assembly 32 controls airflow through other heat exchangers within the vehicle.
With reference to fig. 2 and 3 and with continued reference to fig. 1, an exemplary upper grill assembly 30 is shown and described by way of example. The lower grill assembly 32 also includes features disclosed by the upper grill assembly 30. The upper grid assembly 30 includes a frame 36 defining an outer periphery 38. The frame 36 supports a plurality of rotatable blades 40 driven by actuators 42. The actuator 42 drives a flexible arm 44 that is connected to the blade 40 at a pivot connection 56. In the disclosed example, the blades 40 include four rows of blades that rotate about a vertical axis. The actuator arm 44 is connected to one of the blade rows. The linkage 58 couples all of the blade rows together such that all of the blades 40 move together. The actuator 42 is commanded by the vehicle's controller 34 to open and close the vanes 40 to provide the desired airflow. It should be understood that while a particular blade configuration is shown by way of example, other blade configurations and orientations may be used and are within the contemplation of the present disclosure.
The frame 36 includes a front frame portion 46 nested within a rear frame portion 48. In this example, the rear frame portion 48 is fixed and the front frame portion 46 is movable.
With continued reference to fig. 2 and 3, referring to fig. 4, the blade 40 pivots about a pivot axis 52 and is coupled to the front frame portion 46. The front frame portion 46 is nested within the rear frame portion 48. A plurality of spring members 50 are disposed within the space defined between the front frame portion 46 and the rear frame portion 48. The space between the front frame portion 46 and the rear frame portion 48 defines a crush zone indicated at 68. The spring member 50 is foldable to absorb crash energy exerted on the front frame portion 46 in the direction indicated by arrow 70.
The spring member 50 is configured to provide a spring constant that is predefined to provide controlled movement of the front frame portion 46 relative to the rear frame portion 48 in response to a collision force. The crush zone 68 is sized to provide a predefined energy absorption in response to an impact force in the direction indicated by arrow 70.
With continued reference to fig. 4 and with reference to fig. 5, the example spring member 50, the front frame portion 46, and the rear frame portion 48 are formed as a single piece. The example upper grid assembly 30 is formed using an additive manufacturing process. It should be understood that while an additive manufacturing process is disclosed by way of example, other manufacturing processes are within contemplation of the present disclosure. The additive manufacturing process allows the front and rear frame portions 46, 48 and the spring member 50 to be formed as one piece without additional assembly.
Fig. 5 shows a top view of the spring member 50 with a portion of the rear frame member 48 removed. The disclosed example spring member 50 is Z-shaped and is disposed within the crush zone 68. The force applied against the front frame portion 46 is absorbed by the spring member 50. The front and rear spring portions 60, 64 are disposed in a common plane and the intermediate spring portion 62 is spaced from the common plane such that in a compressed state, the front spring portion 60 can fold against the rear spring portion 64. The spring member 50 compresses itself when the front frame portion 46 is pushed against the rear frame portion 48.
In the disclosed example, the spring members 50 are shown spaced apart across the crush zone 68 between the front frame portion 46 and the rear frame portion 48. It should be appreciated that the number of spring members 50 may be varied to tailor the predefined spring constant and energy absorption. Further, the spring members 50 are disposed within a space around the entire perimeter of the grid assembly 30. The crush zones 68 are provided at each of the sides and bottom of the frame 36 and include spring members similar to those shown in fig. 5 across the top of the grid assembly.
With continued reference to fig. 4, and with reference to fig. 6 and 7, each of the plurality of spring members 50 includes a front spring portion 60, a middle spring portion 62, and a rear spring portion 64. The front spring portion 60 is attached at one end to the front frame portion 46 and at a second end to the intermediate spring portion 62. The rear spring portion 64 is attached at one end to the intermediate spring portion 62 and at the other end to the rear frame portion 48. In the uncompressed state, the spring member 50 biases the front frame portion 46 away from the rear frame portion 48 by a distance 66. The distance 66 allows for a crush zone 68 defined between the front frame portion 46 and the rear frame portion 48.
In the compressed state (fig. 7), the front spring portion 60 and the rear spring portion 64 are compressed against each other. The intermediate spring portion 62 is disposed above the two compressed front and rear spring portions 60, 64.
Referring to fig. 8 and 9, each of the plurality of spring members 50 is configured to provide a predefined spring constant. The spring constant may be provided by varying the length 72 and/or thickness 74 of each of the spring portions 60, 62, and 64. In one disclosed embodiment, each of the front, middle, and rear spring portions 60, 62, 64 includes a common thickness 74 in a direction transverse to the longitudinal length 72.
The height 76 of each spring portion 60, 62, 64 may also be modified to provide a desired predefined spring constant. In one disclosed example, each of the spring portions 60, 62, and 64 are identical, having a common length 72, thickness 74, and height 76. In another disclosed example, the length 72, thickness 74, and height 76 are different for at least two of the spring portions 60, 62, and 64. Further, in one disclosed exemplary embodiment, each of the spring members 50 has a common configuration. In yet another disclosed embodiment, the spring members 50 have different configurations throughout the grille assembly to tailor impact absorption to specific areas of the front of the vehicle.
Further, the spring constant may be defined by the material properties used to form each of the spring members 50.
Referring to fig. 10, another exemplary frame assembly is shown in cross section and includes a first crush zone 86 and a second crush zone 88. The first frame portion 82 is nested within the second frame portion 84. In this example, the second frame portion 84 is stationary and the first frame portion 82 is movable into the second frame portion 84 in response to a collision force. A first plurality of spring members 90 is disposed in the first crush zone 86 and a second plurality of spring members 92 is disposed in the second crush zone 88. The total spring constant of the first plurality of spring members 90 is different than the total spring constant provided by the second plurality of spring members 92. Different spring constants provide different crash performance to absorb different levels of crash forces.
In one example, the first plurality of spring members 90 have a lower spring constant than the second plurality of spring members 92. Thus, the lower impact force results in compression of the first plurality of spring members 90, but not the second plurality of spring members 92. The higher impact force first compresses the first plurality of spring members 90 and further causes compression of the second plurality of spring members 92 to absorb the higher impact force.
In one disclosed embodiment, the first and second spring members 90, 92 and the first and second frame portions 82, 84 may be formed with an additive manufacturing process.
The disclosed example vehicle grille assemblies include features for absorbing crash energy with spring members disposed between movable frame portions. The spring member absorbs energy to provide pedestrian protection at low speeds while maintaining the appearance and operability of the vehicle grille.
Although various non-limiting embodiments are shown with specific components or steps, embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to these specific combinations. Some features or components from any of the non-limiting embodiments may be used in combination with features or components from any of the other non-limiting embodiments.
It should be understood that the same reference numerals indicate corresponding or analogous elements throughout the several views. It should be understood that while particular component arrangements are disclosed and illustrated in the exemplary embodiments, other arrangements may benefit from the teachings of this disclosure.
The above description should be construed as illustrative and not in any limiting sense. Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that some modifications may occur within the scope of the present disclosure. For these reasons, the following claims should be studied to determine the true scope and content of this disclosure.
According to the present invention, there is provided a front end assembly for a vehicle having: a support pad assembly; an active grille shutter system supported relative to the support pad assembly, the active grille shutter system comprising a front frame portion, a rear frame portion, and a plurality of spring portions coupling the front frame portion to the rear frame portion such that the front frame is movable relative to the rear frame; and a plurality of vanes supported by at least one of the front frame portion and the rear frame portion, wherein each of the plurality of vanes is rotatable to control airflow.
According to one embodiment, the active grille shutter assembly includes an upper active grille shutter assembly and a lower active grille shutter assembly.
According to one embodiment, each of the plurality of spring portions includes a front spring portion attached to the front frame portion, a rear spring portion attached to the rear frame portion, and a middle spring portion connecting the front spring portion to the rear spring portion.
According to one embodiment, the front frame portion and the rear frame portion are nested within each other.
In one aspect of the invention, the method includes forming the plurality of spring portions to nest against one another in a compressed state, wherein the compressed state includes the front grill portion nested within the rear grill portion.

Claims (15)

1. A grille assembly for a vehicle, comprising:
a front frame portion;
a rear frame portion; and
a plurality of spring portions coupling the front frame portion to the rear frame portion such that the front frame is movable relative to the rear frame.
2. The grille assembly for a vehicle of claim 1, comprising a plurality of vanes supported by at least one of the front frame portion and the rear frame portion, wherein each of the plurality of vanes is rotatable to control airflow.
3. The grille assembly of claim 2, comprising an actuator coupled to the plurality of vanes with a flexible arm that is movable by the actuator and is flexible to provide movement of the front frame portion relative to the rear frame portion.
4. A grille assembly according to claim 3, wherein the front and rear frame portions define an outer perimeter and the plurality of vanes are disposed horizontally within the outer perimeter.
5. The grille assembly of claim 1 wherein the front frame portion and the rear frame portion are nested within each other.
6. The grille assembly of claim 1, wherein the rear frame is fixed relative to the front frame.
7. The grille assembly of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of spring portions comprises a front spring portion attached to the front frame portion, a rear spring portion attached to the rear frame portion, and a middle spring portion connecting the front spring portion to the rear spring portion.
8. The grille assembly of claim 7 wherein the front spring portion and the rear spring portion are disposed in a common plane and the intermediate spring portion is spaced from the common plane such that the front spring portion is foldable against the rear spring portion.
9. The grille assembly of claim 7 wherein each of the front, middle and rear spring portions comprises a common thickness in a direction transverse to the longitudinal length, the common thickness defining a spring constant for each of the plurality of spring portions.
10. The grille assembly of claim 7 wherein each of the front spring portion, the middle spring portion, and the rear spring portion comprises an equal longitudinal length.
11. The grille assembly of claim 7 wherein at least two of the front spring portion, the middle spring portion, and the rear spring portion comprise different longitudinal lengths.
12. A method of assembling an active grille shutter system, comprising:
forming the front and rear grill portions coupled together with the plurality of spring portions as a single piece;
forming a plurality of blades; and
the plurality of blades are attached to one of the front and rear grill portions.
13. The method of claim 12, further comprising mounting an actuator to a static structure and attaching a flexible arm of the actuator to the plurality of blades.
14. The method of claim 12, comprising forming the front grill portion to nest within the rear grill portion in response to applying a force on the rear grill portion.
15. The method of claim 14, comprising forming the plurality of spring portions to provide a predefined spring constant between the front and rear grill portions.
CN202210545396.2A 2022-05-19 2022-05-19 Active grille shutter with pedestrian protection Pending CN117124840A (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
CN202210545396.2A CN117124840A (en) 2022-05-19 2022-05-19 Active grille shutter with pedestrian protection

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
CN202210545396.2A CN117124840A (en) 2022-05-19 2022-05-19 Active grille shutter with pedestrian protection

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
CN117124840A true CN117124840A (en) 2023-11-28

Family

ID=88861435

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
CN202210545396.2A Pending CN117124840A (en) 2022-05-19 2022-05-19 Active grille shutter with pedestrian protection

Country Status (1)

Country Link
CN (1) CN117124840A (en)

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