CN210852038U

CN210852038U - Air inlet control device and motor vehicle front end module

Info

Publication number: CN210852038U
Application number: CN201790001393.5U
Authority: CN
Inventors: N.迪翁; A.布里塞特; S.格伯
Original assignee: Valeo Systemes Thermiques SAS
Current assignee: Valeo Systemes Thermiques SAS
Priority date: 2016-09-28
Filing date: 2017-09-27
Publication date: 2020-06-26
Anticipated expiration: 2027-09-27
Also published as: FR3056464B1; WO2018060600A1; FR3056464A1

Abstract

Device (2) for controlling the air inlet of a motor vehicle front end module (1), comprising: -a frame (6, 206, 306) supporting a plurality of flaps (8) rotatably movable about a pivot axis, -an actuator (10, 210, 310) arranged in a housing formed in an area of the frame, the actuator being configured to drive rotation of at least one flap. According to the invention, the actuator (10, 210, 310) is mounted in the housing by means of an assembly device comprising at least one elastic snap assembly (24, 224, 324), one part of the at least one elastic snap assembly (24, 224, 324) being formed integrally with the frame.

Description

Air inlet control device and motor vehicle front end module

Technical Field

The present invention relates to the field of cooling motor vehicle engines, and more particularly to the field of devices for controlling the admission of air into the engine compartment, in particular at the front end of the vehicle.

Background

Known front grilles are equipped with moving flaps and associated air inlet control devices that, by positioning the moving flap assembly, can open or close the air inlet into the engine compartment. These devices can be indicated by the acronym AGS (active grille shutter). To this end, the grille comprises at least one frame into which the pivotably mounted flaps are inserted.

When the flaps are in the closed position, they block the passage openings formed in the grille and the air does not penetrate inside the engine compartment, which reduces the drag coefficient (drag coefficient), thus enabling a reduction in fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.

When the flaps are adjusted to the open position, air can communicate through the air inlet and help cool the engine of the motor vehicle. Therefore, the AGS device can reduce fuel consumption and pollution when the engine does not need to be cooled by air from the outside.

AGS devices typically include an actuator that controls at least one flap and its position in the grille to control the opening and closing of the air inlet. The actuator is typically arranged near the flap, in particular at the edge of the frame of the AGS device. It is known to fix the actuator to the frame by means of an intermediate support that is actually arranged between the frame and the actuator. The intermediate support and the actuator are initially assembled at a distance from the frame, and the assembly is then mounted on the frame and screwed to the frame.

The presence of the intermediate support and the fixing thereof to the frame by screwing it thereto complicates the assembly of the AGS device, since on the one hand it is the multiple steps required to mount and fix the actuator and on the other hand the use of fixing screws, which lengthens the assembly cycle time.

SUMMERY OF THE UTILITY MODEL

The present invention belongs to this situation and aims to propose an air inlet control device which is fast to assemble at low cost, so as to be able to simply install and effectively retain the actuator in the grille.

The utility model provides a device for controlling air inlet of motor vehicle front end module, including the frame that supports a plurality of petals, the petals can rotate around the pivot axis to and on the other hand be the actuator, and it sets up in the casing that forms in the region of frame, the actuator is configured to the rotation of drive at least one petal. According to the invention, the actuator is mounted in the housing by means of an assembly device comprising at least one elastic snap assembly, one part of which is formed integrally with the frame.

Direct assembly means that there is no intermediate plate between the frame and the actuator.

According to various features of the invention, either alone or in combination:

the actuator is mounted directly in the housing, without an intermediate plate between the frame and the actuator;

the assembly means for assembling the actuator directly onto the frame comprise at least one positioning assembly and at least one elastic snap-on assembly;

-each of said assemblies comprises a part formed on the frame and a part of complementary shape and size formed on the actuator;

-each of said parts is made integral with the frame and/or the actuator;

the component formed on the frame is a female component and the component formed on the actuator is a male component.

The positioning assembly and the resilient catch assembly may be configured to function by the same translational movement. The translational movement may be oriented along a translational axis perpendicular to a rear wall of the housing in the frame.

In this case, the positioning assembly may in particular comprise a part on the frame, in the form of a slide oriented along the translation axis, and a part on the actuator, in the form of a hook. The resilient snap assembly may comprise a part on the frame in the form of a resiliently deformable pin and a part on the actuator in the form of a perforated finger.

Furthermore, the positioning assembly and the resilient catch assembly may be configured to act sequentially by two different translational movements. The two translational movements may be vertical, the first movement being oriented perpendicular to the rear wall of the frame and the second movement being parallel to the rear wall.

In this case, the positioning assembly may in particular comprise a first positioning member of the frame, in the form of a wall projecting from the rear wall and forming a guide path towards the first housing, on top of which is a covering wall, and a member on the actuator, in the form of a rib, configured in a position between the first hole and the respective covering wall and arranged on a lateral face of the actuator. The elastic snap assembly may comprise a part on the frame in the form of an entry portion leading towards the second hole, on top of which is a covering wall, and a part on the actuator in the form of a rib configured to be in a position between the second hole and the respective covering wall and arranged on a lateral face of the actuator, said rib comprising an elastically deformable tongue configured to be in a position in the second hole when the actuator is assembled to the frame.

Moreover, the positioning assembly and the resilient catch assembly may be configured to act sequentially by a translational movement and a rotational movement.

In this case, the positioning assembly may in particular comprise a part on the frame, in the form of a sheath, and a part on the actuator, in the form of a guide lug. The resilient snap assembly may comprise a first part on the actuator in the form of a flange surrounding the outlet aperture of the flap drive mechanism, the flange forming an over-thickness with respect to the face of the actuator on which it is arranged, and a part on the frame in the form of at least one eyelet in the form of a blade substantially perpendicular to the rear wall of the housing in the frame, the blade comprising an annular or substantially annular portion configured to receive the flange after resilient deformation of the flange as it passes.

The present invention also relates to a motor vehicle front-end module in which an air inlet control device such as the one just described is provided on the upstream side of at least one radiator. It is worth noting that, thanks to the presence of the elastic snap means, the air inlet control device comprises a minimum number of intermediate parts and no or few threaded elements, so that in the event of a frontal collision of the vehicle, if the actuator and the grille housing it are deformed and pushed towards the radiator, the possibility of hard spots is reduced.

Drawings

Other features and advantages of the invention will become more apparent upon reading the following description, given by way of illustration and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

figure 1 is a side view of the front of a motor vehicle equipped with an air inlet control device, schematically presenting visible movable flaps provided in the grille of the vehicle, actuators arranged in the vicinity of these flaps to control their open or closed position, and a radiator set back from the grille;

figure 2 is a perspective view of the grille equipped with movable flaps, seen from the outside of the vehicle, forming a central zone between the two left and right sets of flaps;

figure 3 is a perspective view of the grille of figure 2, seen from the inside of the vehicle, the central area being equipped with actuators controlling the left and right sets of flaps;

figure 4 is a detailed view of the central region of figure 3, with the actuator removed, to show an actuator fixture carried by the frame, according to a first embodiment of the invention;

figures 5 and 6 are views showing a step of assembling the actuator in a central region of the frame, in which the walls of the frame defining the central region have been hidden to make the figures easier to read;

figures 7 and 8 are detailed views of the fixing element of the actuator in the central region of the frame according to the first and second variants of the first embodiment shown in figures 4 to 6;

figure 9 is an overall view of an actuator and relative fixing device according to a third variant of the first embodiment of the invention;

figures 10a, 10b and 10c are views of a fixture, an actuator and the resulting assembly according to a second embodiment of the invention; and

fig. 11a, 11b, 11c and 11d are views of a fixture, an actuator and the resulting assembly according to a third embodiment of the invention and details of the latter.

Detailed Description

The object of the invention is an air inlet control device 2 formed in a motor vehicle front end 1. As shown in fig. 1, the device is preferably mounted on the grille of a motor vehicle 4 and is capable of controlling the air flow through the front end of the vehicle, in particular in the region of a radiator 5 arranged on the upstream side of the vehicle engine compartment (not shown here).

More specifically shown in fig. 2, the air inlet control device 2 according to the invention is arranged in a frame 6, the frame 6 comprising two open areas delimited by vertical walls and longitudinal walls, each open area being provided with an assembly comprising a plurality of flaps 8. In a particular arrangement, and as shown in particular in the figures, the frame 6 comprises a central wall between two open areas, each provided with an assembly of a plurality of flaps 8, which can be arranged parallel and above each other. Each flap is rotationally movable about a substantially transverse pivot axis to move from an open position, in which it allows air from the outside to pass towards the engine compartment and the radiator 5, to a closed position, in which air cannot enter.

The control means comprises an actuator 10 configured to control the movement of one or more components of the flap 8, i.e. the rotation of at least one flap about its pivot axis. An actuator 10 is disposed in a central region 11 of the frame 6 and is configured to control the opening or closing of one or more components of the flap 8 to control the flow of air into the front end of the vehicle 4.

The central region 11 of the frame 6 is shown in particular in fig. 3 and 4. The central region comprises in particular a rear wall 12, the rear wall 12 being substantially aligned with the front face of the frame so as to form a housing to receive the actuator 10. Furthermore, the housing is closed by two side walls 13 (visible in fig. 4) into which the flaps 8 of each of the left and right sets of flaps are respectively fixed.

The control device further comprises a movement transfer plate 14 arranged between the actuator 10 and a drive finger 80 (visible in fig. 4) for driving the flap 8. It is clear that driving the transfer plate 14 by means of an actuator, in particular by means of the driving means 140 visible in fig. 3, enables the flaps mounted on the plate to move in unison and simultaneously. Furthermore, the plate 14 forms a closing wall of the housing of the actuator in the central region 11.

The actuator 10 comprises a housing which houses control means and at least one gear motor assembly for transmitting drive torque for pivoting the flaps. The housing comprises an inlet face 15 through which the power supply cables of the gear motor assembly enter, and two opposite lateral faces 16, which are perpendicular to the inlet face thereof and are arranged facing the lateral walls 13 of the frame 6 when the actuator 10 is mounted on the frame 6. These side faces 16 are connected by a transverse face 17 perpendicular to the side faces and the inlet face 15. An aperture 18 is formed in each side 16, the aperture 18 being configured to receive a drive shaft so that the flaps can be controlled by the drive means 140. A first portion 20 for receiving the motor and a second portion 21 for receiving the flap drive assembly may be defined on each side to which the aperture 18 opens.

According to the present invention, the actuator 10 is mounted on the frame 6 by a direct assembly process, in particular in a housing formed in the central region 11 of the frame, i.e. without an intermediate plate between the actuator and the frame that has to be fixed to the frame after the actuator is first fixed to the plate. In other words, the frame and the actuator comprise corresponding and complementary fixing means which can be assembled directly without the use of intermediate fixing plates, the shape of the parts in contact and in particular the shape of the frame 6 and the actuator 10 being sufficient to achieve this.

The assembly of the actuator directly onto the frame is achieved by means of at least one positioning assembly 22 and at least one elastic snap-on assembly 24, said positioning assembly 22 and elastic snap-on assembly 24 respectively comprising a

first part

22a, 24a carried by the actuator 10, which are complementary in shape to a

second part

22b, 24b carried by the frame 6, more particularly carried by the rear wall 12 of the frame 6. The first part 22a and the second part 22b of the positioning assembly 22 have the main function of correctly positioning the actuator 10 on the frame 6 to enable subsequent mating of the complementary parts of the fixing assembly 24, and it can be noted that once the parts of the fixing assembly are assembled, the positioning assembly can also have a retaining and fixing function, preventing the actuator 10 from having a certain freedom of movement.

In a variant embodiment, the direct assembly may advantageously be removable, in particular to replace and/or repair the actuator 10. The elastic snap-on assemblies are designed to be disassembled without seriously damaging the actuator 10 and/or the frame 6, so that they, in particular the frame 6, can be used again for manufacturing another assembly.

In the embodiments described by way of example below and the description of which will follow, it is noted that the first and second parts of each of the positioning assembly 22 and the fixed assembly 24 are such that the first part carried by the actuator is mostly of the male type, which is housed in the second part of the female type carried by the frame 6.

In each of these cases, in particular in order to limit the number of assembly operations, it is advantageous for the

second parts

22b and 24b to be integral with the frame 6, in particular with the rear wall 12 thereof, which is preferably made of plastic material, more preferably polypropylene, and/or for the

first parts

22a and 24a to be made integral with the actuator 10, which itself is also preferably made of plastic material, or preferably polypropylene.

Next is a description of the structure of the first embodiment given with reference to fig. 4 to 10, and fig. 8 to 10 show a modification of the first embodiment.

In this first embodiment, the first part 22a of the positioning assembly 22 and the first part 24a of the fixing assembly 24 are found on the actuator 10 (seen in particular in fig. 5 and 6), which project from the rear wall 12 of the frame 6, together with the second part 22b of the positioning assembly 22 and the second part 24b of the fixing assembly 24.

As will be described in greater detail, the actuator 10 is fixed to the rear wall 12 of the frame 6 by means of at least one positioning assembly 22 and one elastic snap assembly 24, which are configured to act in succession by means of a first translational movement and a second rotational movement.

The frame 6 more particularly comprises two eyelets 26 projecting from the rear wall 12, arranged facing each other, and a sheath 28 open facing the eyelets. In parallel to this, the actuator 10 comprises a flange 30 projecting from each of the two lateral faces 16, the flange 30 being located laterally of the respective aperture 18, and a boss 32 extending from the periphery of the flange 30 to the transverse face 17. The boss 32 advantageously comprises an inclined plane, so that the thickness of the boss increases in a direction away from the transverse face 17. The actuator 10 further comprises a guide lug 34 protruding from the inlet face 15.

The eyelets 26 formed on the frame take the form of blades extending perpendicularly to the rear wall 12, in which the base 35 is provided with grooves 36, the shape and dimensions of the grooves 36 being substantially equal to those of the bosses 32 formed on the actuator, each eyelet also comprising, as an extension of this base 35, a ring 38, the inner diameter of which is substantially equal to the outer diameter of the flange 30 formed on the actuator. Furthermore, the eyelets 26 are spaced apart between the axes by a distance substantially equal to the thickness of the actuator 10, taken between the two sides 16 at the level of the second portion 21 of the actuator 10.

The mounting of the actuator on the frame will now be described, in particular with reference to fig. 5 and 6, in order to explain in more detail the cooperation of the parts of the positioning assembly and the parts of the fixing assembly.

The actuator 10 is arranged in a central area 11 of the frame forming a housing to receive the actuator, which has a lateral face 17 (visible in fig. 5) facing the rear wall 12 of the frame 6. The actuator 10 is angled so that the guide lugs 34 penetrate the sheath 28 without the eyelet 26 interfering with the second part 21 of the actuator. This is followed by a first translational movement along a first translational axis, as described above and illustrated by arrow T1 in fig. 5. When the guide lug has been inserted into the sheath 28, the operator tilts the actuator in the direction of the back wall about a transverse pivot axis passing through the contact point or line defined between the guide lug and the sheath in a second rotational movement as described above and shown by arrow R1 in fig. 5. The boss 32 then comes into contact with the ring 38 of the eyelet: due to its vane shape protruding from the back wall, the inclined plane formed at the end of the boss 32 and the elasticity of the eyelet 26 facilitate opening of the eyelet to allow passage of the actuator 10, and in particular of the second portion 21, towards the back wall. Tilting of the actuator continues until the boss 32 is inserted into the groove 36 formed in the base 35 of the eyelet and until the flange 30 formed on the actuator faces the ring 38. In this position, the eyelet is no longer stressed and returns to its original position, with the ring of the eyelet engaged around the flange.

The result is evident that the guide lugs formed on the actuator and the sheaths formed on the frame act as parts of the positioning assembly 22, since it is this initial indexing that then enables the complementary parts of the fixing assembly 24, namely the eyelet 26 formed on the frame and the flange 30 formed on the actuator, to be brought towards each other.

Once in position, the drive means 140 are inserted through the ring of corresponding eyelets in the hole 18 formed in the side face 16 of the actuator.

In fig. 7 and 8, a first and a second variant are shown, which differ from the embodiment in the shape of the eyelet. In particular, without departing from the scope of the present invention, and as can be seen in fig. 7, it is possible to provide that the free end portion of the eyelet, i.e. the portion disposed at a distance from the rear wall 12 of the frame, no longer has an annular shape but a partial annular shape, open on the side opposite to the base. This results in the part of the fixing assembly having two branches 40 facing each other, each branch having at its free end an attachment edge 42 extending in a direction towards the other branch. The flange 30 formed on the side 16 of the actuator is then deformed in the plane defined by the base of this variant of the eyelet, so that the branches of the eyelet move away from each other. The guide ramp previously formed by the inclined plane of the boss in the bore described above is thus no longer required, and the base need not include a recess for receiving the boss.

In fig. 8, a second variant is shown, similar to the embodiment, in which the eyelet comprises a groove and the actuator comprises a corresponding boss. In fact, in this second variant, it is worth noting that the boss (not visible here) formed on the actuator has a smaller thickness than the one shown above, so that the base does not comprise a groove, but only a notch 44, which is adapted to receive such a thinner boss when the actuator is tilted against the rear wall.

In fig. 9, a third variant embodiment is shown, in which, with respect to the initially described embodiment, screw fixing means are added to consolidate the position of the actuator with respect to the frame, in particular if the eyelet is for example broken. A post 46 is formed to project from the rear wall 12 of the frame, the post including a threaded bore to receive a clamping screw 48 and clamp the actuator thereto at the level of a fixing lug 50. The post, the clamping screw and the fixing lug forming part of the fixing assembly are advantageously arranged opposite the guide lug of the component forming the positioning assembly.

In each of these variants, the actuator is fixed to the frame by successively performing a first positioning action by a first translational movement and a second fixing action by a resilient catch of a second rotational movement.

Further examples of embodiments of the invention will now be described, without limiting the invention, when the actuator is assembled directly on the frame surrounding the movable flap of the air inlet control device in the front compartment of the motor vehicle, i.e. without intermediate plate.

In a second embodiment, shown in fig. 10a, 10b and 10c, the actuator 210 is fixed to the rear wall 212 of the frame 206 by direct assembly as described above and by means of at least one positioning assembly 222 and one elastic catch assembly 224, which are configured to act successively by the same translational movement, i.e. along a second translational axis perpendicular to the rear wall, as indicated by the arrow T2 in fig. 10 c.

The frame 206 more specifically includes a guide member 52 and a clamp pin 54 protruding from the rear wall 12. The guide member 52 protrudes from the rear wall 212, substantially perpendicular thereto, and has a shape adapted to receive and guide the slider, i.e. it has an opening opposite the rear wall at the free end, a central opening and a groove 53 opening onto the face of the guide member facing the holding pin. This creates a slide for guiding the linear translational movement of the actuator along the second translation axis T2.

The clamping pin 54 includes a head 56 connected to the foot of the rear wall 12 and the support area of the vertically extending foot. The clamp pins are separated so that the slots 58 provide a degree of freedom of deformation for the head 56, the two halves of the head 56 being axially movable towards each other.

In parallel to this, the actuator 210 comprises a hook 60, here projecting from the inlet face 215, configured to slide within a slide defined by the guide member 52 of the frame 206, together with a perforating finger 61 on the face of the actuator opposite to the face on which the hook is arranged. In particular, the hook 60 has a T-shape with a rim 62, the rim 62 being insertable into the guide member through the open free end and preventing the finger in which it is housed from escaping in the guide member by abutting against the edge defining the recess 53. Thus, the hook 60 acts as a slider configured to move in a slide formed in the guide member.

The perforating finger 61 is substantially parallel to the rear wall 112, having a hole 63 configured to allow the gripping pin 54 to pass through it when the two halves of the head 56 are moved towards each other. It can be seen that the head 56 has on its periphery an inclined plane formed by a chamfer and the presence of this inclined plane facilitates a continuous and easy deformation of the head in contact with the edge of the hole defining the perforating finger.

The assembly was carried out in the following manner: the actuator is pressed against the rear wall of the frame, in a suitable housing, by means of a slider operating with a slide to ensure the correct positioning of the actuator. The translational movement continues along the initial second translational axis T2 until the piercing finger 61 encounters the head of the gripping pin. The operator applies a slight pressure to promote elastic deformation of the pin head, which is facilitated by the inclined plane of the periphery of the head. When the fingers are sufficiently pressed against the rear wall 112, the locking head passes over the fingers and returns to its original shape, so that the head prevents disengagement of the fingers without operator intervention. The perforating fingers 61 thus cooperate with the gripping pins 54 to fix the actuator to the frame by means of an elastic snap. This securement may be removed by action of the head 56 to move the head halves toward one another and to allow the piercing fingers to pass through the apertures.

The result is evident that the slider formed on the actuator and the guide member formed on the frame serve as part of the positioning assembly 222, and it is this initial positioning that then enables the complementary parts of the fixing assembly 224, namely the gripping pin 54 formed on the frame and the perforating finger 61 formed on the actuator, to face each other.

In a third embodiment, shown in fig. 11a, 11b and 11c, the actuator 310 is fixed to the rear wall 312 of the frame 306 by means of at least one positioning assembly 322 and one elastic snap assembly 324 configured to act in succession by two distinct translational movements along two different axes.

The first translation movement is effected along a third translation axis T3 perpendicular to the rear wall 312 and comprises the movement actuator 310 abutting against the rear wall 312 of the frame, followed by a second translation movement along a fourth translation axis T4, the fourth translation axis T4 being parallel to the rear wall 12 and perpendicular to the third translation axis T3, the second translation movement comprising the mating of the parts of the positioning assembly 322 on the one hand and the fixing assembly on the other hand with the elastic snap 324 between them.

In fig. 11a, it has been seen that the components carried by frame 306 protrude from rear wall 312, i.e. a first or locating member 64 and a second or securing member 66 arranged in series on rear wall 312.

The first or locating member 64 includes a first aperture formed in the thickness of the rear wall 312 forming the first housing 68, and a first wall 70 projecting from the rear wall 312 forming a guide path towards the first housing 68. The first walls 70 are connected at their proximal ends, i.e. the ends near the first housing 68, by a cover wall 72 covering the first aperture. The cover wall 72 is slotted and extends a certain distance from the rear wall 312 to leave a passage for a locating member carried by the actuator. The first wall 70 has a flared shape at its free end, so as to be able to widen at the entrance of the guide path.

The second or stationary member 66 includes a second aperture formed in the thickness of the rear wall 312, forming the second housing 74, and a second wall 76 projecting from the rear wall 312. These second walls 76 are connected by a second covering wall 78 covering the second hole. The second cover wall 72 is slotted and extends a certain distance from the rear wall 312 to leave a passage for a fixed component carried by the actuator. In addition, the second or stationary component 66 more precisely between the first or locating member and the second or stationary member upstream of the second aperture includes a receiving portion 80 recessed into the thickness of the rear wall to form an entry ramp to the second housing 74. The entry ramp is oriented such that the rear wall is less and less recessed as it approaches the second housing 74.

The components carried by the actuator 310 are visible in fig. 11b, namely a first or positioning component 82 and a second or stationary component 84 arranged in series on the rear wall 312.

These elements project from the transverse face 317 of the actuator 310 and take the form of ribs, here T-shaped, with a base 86 extending perpendicularly to the transverse face 17 and a stem 88 arranged perpendicularly to the base, substantially in the plane of the transverse face.

These T-shaped ribs are arranged in series, spaced apart from each other, with the same spacing as the apertures forming the first and second housings created in the rear wall 312 of the frame 306.

The second or stationary member 84 differs in that the rod 88 includes a resilient tongue 90 on its face opposite the base.

The assembly was carried out in the following manner: the actuator 310 is pressed against a rear wall 312 of the frame 306, and in a suitable housing, the first or positioning member 64 is positioned between the first wall 70 and the second or stationary member 66 in the receiving portion 80. Placing the actuator on the rear wall at the level of the receiving portion produces an elastic deformation of the tongue 90, the tongue 90 pressing against the rod 88. The operator then performs a second translation movement perpendicular to the previous translation movement and along a fourth translation axis T4, so as to slide the first or positioning member 64 carried by the frame in the first housing 68 and the second or fixed member 66 in the second housing 74. In this position, as shown in fig. 11c, the elastic tongue 90 is no longer stressed by the rear wall 312, since it faces and can be spread out into the second hole, forming a stop to prevent disengagement in the direction opposite to the direction of the second translational movement by the purpose of assembly. The T-shaped ribs then contribute to the fixing of the actuator by means of the cooperation of their base with the groove formed in the covering wall and the action of this elastic tongue, the shape of the head being maintained by the corresponding covering wall. Obviously, the operator can make this fixation reversible by means of a manual action on the elastic tongue, followed by a translational movement in the opposite direction to that described for the purpose of assembly.

The variant embodiments described above all comprise a resilient snap assembly, advantageously without screws. Safety screws as shown in the example of fig. 9 may be added according to the requirements of some manufacturers.

The foregoing description clearly explains how the invention achieves the objects set for it, and in particular proposes an air inlet control device which is easy and quick to assemble without having to use screws. In any case, the present invention should not be considered limited to the embodiments and relative variants specifically described in this document, and in particular includes all equivalent devices and any technically operable combinations of these devices with each other.

Claims

1. An air inlet control device (2) for controlling an air inlet of a front end module (1) of a motor vehicle, comprising:

a frame (6, 206, 306) supporting a plurality of petals (8) rotatably movable about a pivot axis,

an actuator (10, 210, 310) disposed in a housing formed in the frame area, the actuator being configured to drive rotation of the at least one flap,

characterized in that the actuator (10, 210, 310) is mounted in said housing by means of an assembly device comprising at least one elastic snap-in assembly (24, 224, 324), one part of said at least one elastic snap-in assembly (24, 224, 324) being integral with the frame.

2. The air inlet control device (2) of claim 1, wherein the actuator (10, 210, 310) is mounted directly in the housing without an intermediate plate between the frame (6, 206, 306) and the actuator (10, 210, 310).

3. The air inlet control device (2) according to claim 2, wherein the assembly means for assembling the actuator directly to the frame comprise at least one positioning assembly (22, 222, 322) and at least one resilient snap assembly (24, 224, 324).

4. The air inlet control device (2) according to claim 3, characterized in that each of said components comprises a part (22b, 24b) formed on the frame (6, 206, 306) and a part (22a, 24a) of complementary shape and size formed on the actuator (10, 210, 310).

5. The air inlet control device (2) according to claim 4, characterized in that each of the components is made in one piece with the frame (6, 206, 306) and/or the actuator (10, 210, 310).

6. The air inlet control device (2) of any of claims 2 to 4, wherein the positioning assembly (222) and the resilient catch assembly (224) are configured for the same translational movement.

7. The air inlet control device (2) of claim 6, characterized in that the translational movement is oriented along a translational axis (T2) perpendicular to a rear wall (212) of the housing in the frame (206).

8. The air inlet control device (2) of claim 7, wherein the positioning assembly (222) comprises a part on the frame (206) in the form of a guide part (52) and forming a slideway oriented along the translation axis (T2), and a part on the actuator (210) in the form of a hook (60) forming a slider.

9. The air inlet control device (2) of claim 6, wherein the resilient snap assembly (224) comprises a part on the frame (206) in the form of a resiliently deformable pin (54) and a part on the actuator (210) in the form of a perforated finger (61).

10. The air inlet control device (2) according to any of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that the positioning assembly (322) and the resilient catch assembly (324) are configured to act one after the other by two different translational movements.

11. The air inlet control device (2) of claim 10, wherein the two translational movements are vertical, a first movement being oriented perpendicular to a rear wall (312) of the frame (306), and a second movement being parallel to the rear wall.

12. The air inlet control device (2) according to claim 11, wherein the positioning assembly (322) comprises a first positioning part (64) of the frame (306) and a first fixing part (82) on the actuator (310), the first positioning part (64) taking the form of a wall (70) protruding from the rear wall (312) and forming a guide path towards the first housing (68), on top of which first housing (68) is a covering wall (72), the first fixing part (82) taking the form of a rib and being configured in a position between the first aperture (68) and the corresponding covering wall and being arranged on a lateral face of the actuator.

13. The air inlet control device (2) according to claim 12, wherein the resilient snap assembly (324) comprises a second securing part (66) on the frame (306) and a second securing part (84) on the actuator (310), the second securing part (66) on the frame (306) being in the form of a receiving portion (80) and being directed towards a second housing (74), on top of which second housing (74) is a second covering wall (78), the second securing part (84) on the actuator (310) being in the form of a rib and being configured to be in a position between the second housing and the respective covering wall and being arranged on a lateral face of the actuator, the rib comprising a resiliently deformable tongue (90) configured to be in a position in the second housing when the actuator is assembled to the frame.

14. The air inlet control device (2) according to any of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that the positioning assembly (22) and the resilient catch assembly (24) are configured to act successively by a translational movement and a rotational movement.

15. The air inlet control device (2) according to claim 14, characterized in that the positioning assembly (22) comprises a first part (22a) on the actuator (10) and a second part (22b) on the frame (6), the first part (22a) being in the form of a guide lug and the second part (22b) being in the form of a sheath.

16. The air inlet control device (2) according to claim 15, wherein the resilient snap assembly (24) comprises a first part (24a) on the actuator (10) and a second part (24b) on the frame (6), the first part (24a) being in the form of at least one flange (30) and surrounding the outlet aperture (18) of the flap drive mechanism, the flange being formed with an excessive thickness relative to the face of the actuator on which it is arranged, the second part (24b) being in the form of at least one aperture (26) and being in the form of a blade substantially perpendicular to the rear wall (12) of the housing in the frame, the blade comprising an annular or substantially annular portion (38), the annular or substantially annular portion (38) being configured to receive the flange after resilient deformation of the flange as it passes.

17. A motor vehicle front-end module (1), wherein an air inlet control device (2) according to any one of the preceding claims is arranged on the upstream side of at least one radiator (5).