JPS6137154B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to improvements in movable air balance panels.

Air balance panels are installed to improve aerodynamic characteristics, and it is known that reducing the bottom ground clearance as much as possible when driving at high speeds improves driving stability and improves fuel efficiency. .

However, when driving at low speeds such as when driving on rough roads, unless the lower end of the air balance panel is raised above the ground, there is a risk that the panel will be damaged by road surface irregularities or obstacles.

The present invention automatically lowers the ground clearance of the lower end of the air balance panel when driving at high speeds, and automatically increases it when driving at low speeds.A wind speed sensor is provided, and its operation activates the vacuum switching valve. It is an object of the present invention to provide a movable air balance panel that can automatically switch the height position of the air balance panel in accordance with the above-mentioned purpose during high-speed and low-speed running by acting on an actuator.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a side view of an automobile equipped with a movable air balance panel 1 showing an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the actuator 2 connected to the actuator 2. Although FIG. 1 shows a case where the lower end of the air balance panel 1 is raised high, FIG. 3 shows a case where the lower end of the panel 1 has a lower ground clearance.

In FIG. 3, 5 is a grill and 6 is a manifold. Reference numeral 7 denotes a wind pressure sensor installed on the rear side of the grill 5, and the structure shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 is shown as an example. The vacuum switching valve 8 is operated to cause vacuum to flow into the vacuum inlet 9 of the actuator 2 from the switching valve 8.

The wind pressure sensor 7 in FIG.
0 corresponds to the diaphragm 11, and the diaphragm 1
1 moves against the spring 12 due to wind pressure, the rod 13 attached to the diaphragm 11 moves and brings the contacts 14 into contact. As a result, current flows through the lead wire 15 of the vacuum switching valve 8 shown in FIG. 6, thereby exciting the solenoid 16 and attracting the plunger 17. Valve 18 is therefore opened and the vacuum inlet 1 communicates with manifold 6.
It flows from the vacuum inlet 9 to the outlet 20 and flows into the actuator 2 from the vacuum inlet 9.

The wind pressure sensor 7 in FIG. 5 receives the wind 10 with the blades 21, turns the generator 22 to generate current, increases the current as necessary, and sends it to the solenoid 16 of the vacuum switching valve 8 in FIG. Flow from the lead wire 23,
Vacuum at the inlet 19 is caused to flow to the outlet 20 by suctioning the plunger 17.

FIG. 7 shows a system in which the wind pressure sensor 7 of FIG. 4 and the vacuum switching valve 8, which is different from the one shown in FIG. At low speeds, the atmospheric inlet 25 and the outlet 20 connected to the vacuum inlet 9 of the actuator 2 communicate with each other, but when running at high speeds and the wind pressure due to the wind 10 exceeds a predetermined value, resistance is exerted against the spring 12 via the diaphragm 11. Then, the rod 13 moves to the right, moves the piston 24 to the right, and the vacuum from the vacuum inlet 19 passes through the hole 24a of the piston.
It flows from the inlet 9 of the actuator 2 via the outlet 20.

The actuator 2 is divided into a negative pressure chamber 27 and an atmospheric chamber 28 by a diaphragm 26. When the vacuum enters the negative pressure chamber 27 from the vacuum inlet 9, the diaphragm 26 moves downward against the spring 29, and the diaphragm 26 The rod 3 attached to the rod 3 also descends. Therefore, the air balance panel 1 connected to the lower end 4 of the rod 3 is connected to the fulcrum 3
It swings around 0 and descends from the state shown in FIG. 1 to the state shown in FIG. 3. Note that the negative pressure chamber and the atmospheric chamber of the actuator 2 may be arranged vertically or horizontally, and a link mechanism may be used in place of the rod 3, so that the panel 1 is lowered when the negative pressure is supplied.

Next, when the vehicle travels at a low speed, the diaphragm 11 of the wind pressure sensor 7 shown in FIGS. 4 and 7 returns to the left.
In the case of FIG. 4, the switch 14 is turned off and the solenoid 16 is de-energized, so communication between the vacuum inlet 19 and the outlet 20 is cut off, and vacuum no longer flows into the vacuum inlet 9 of the actuator 2. The diaphragm 26 returns to its original position due to the compressive force of the spring 29, and the rod 3 rises to pull the air balance panel 1 up to the state shown in FIG. In the case of FIG. 7, the piston 24 returns to the left, and communication between the vacuum inlet 19 and the outlet 20 is cut off. On the other hand, in the wind pressure sensor 7 shown in FIG. 5, the rotation of the blades 21 weakens due to low speed driving, and it is no longer possible to generate a current strong enough to excite the solenoid 16, so the valve 18 is similarly closed and the air balance panel 1 is pulled up as described above. It will be done.

Since the present invention is constructed as described above in detail, the air balance panel is automatically lowered during high-speed driving. Therefore, it is possible to improve driving stability and fuel efficiency. Furthermore, when driving at low speeds on rough roads, the actuator automatically operates in reverse and raises the air balance panel, thereby preventing the air balance panel from colliding with uneven road surfaces or obstacles.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a side view of an automobile equipped with a movable air balance panel showing an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a side sectional view showing an embodiment of the actuator provided in FIG. 1, and FIG. A side view showing a state in which the air balance panel is lowered from the state shown in the figure, FIGS. 4 and 5 are side sectional views showing a wind pressure sensor showing an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. The sectional view shown in FIG. 7 is a side sectional view when a wind pressure sensor and a vacuum switching valve showing another embodiment are directly connected. Explanation of the main parts of the diagram: 1...Movable air balance panel, 2...Actuator, 3...Rod (connecting member), 4...Lower end, 5...Grill, 6...
Manifold (negative pressure source), 7...Wind pressure sensor, 8...
... Bakyume switching valve, 9... Bakyume inlet, 1
0...Wind, 20...Outlet, 26...Diaphragm, 27...Negative pressure chamber, 28...Atmospheric chamber, 29...
spring.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. In a vehicle equipped with a movable air balance panel, an actuator that operates to lower the panel when negative pressure flows in, a wind pressure sensor that operates to switch the vacuum switching valve when the wind speed exceeds a predetermined speed of the vehicle, and the switching valve. A movable air balance panel comprising a negative pressure chamber of the actuator into which negative pressure from a negative pressure source flows in when the actuator is switched, and is operated against an urging force when the negative pressure chamber becomes negative pressure.