KR102587612B1 - Active Air Flap - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an active air flap, and more specifically, to an active air flap that controls air flowing in through an opening in a bumper, by controlling the shape of the active air flap to allow air to flow uniformly to the heat exchanger at the rear end. , relates to an active air flap that can prevent air flowing into a heat exchanger from concentrating in one location, thereby preventing a decrease in cooling performance.

Description

Active Air Flap {Active Air Flap}

The present invention relates to an active air flap, and more specifically, to an active air flap that controls air flowing in through an opening in a bumper, when the active air flap is opened, the active air flap allows air to flow uniformly to the heat exchanger at the rear end. It's about air flaps.

The engine room of a vehicle may be equipped with various heat exchangers such as a radiator, intercooler, evaporator, and condenser to cool devices that require cooling and control the vehicle's interior temperature.

In the heat exchange unit including the heat exchanger described above, a heat exchange medium flows, and the flowing heat exchange medium exchanges heat with air flowing in from the outside, thereby performing cooling or heat dissipation.

Figure 1 is a diagram showing a modular front end module in which a heat exchanger, headlamp, bumper, etc. are assembled.

Referring to Figure 1, the front end module includes a carrier 10 including a front panel 11 and a support panel 12 extending at a certain angle from both ends of the front panel 11, and the carrier ( A heat exchanger 30 is mounted on the rear of the front panel 11 of 10, and a bumper 20 is mounted on the front of the carrier 10 to make it modular.

The heat exchange unit 30 is a cooling module including a heat exchanger and is disposed behind the front panel 11.

Since the heat exchange unit 30 has various shapes and configurations depending on the characteristics and design conditions of the vehicle, a detailed description of the configuration and shape will be omitted.

An opening 21 is formed in the bumper 20 to allow external air to flow smoothly into the heat exchanger 30 provided on the inside of the carrier 10.

As shown in the drawing, the opening 21 may be formed to generally penetrate, and may further be provided with a structure in the form of a net or grill to prevent foreign substances, etc. from entering.

That is, when the vehicle is running, external air flows in through the opening 21, and the introduced air flows to the heat exchange part 30 provided inside the carrier 10 and exchanges heat with the heat exchange medium.

At this time, when the vehicle is driven at high speed, the flow of air flowing into the opening 21 also flows at high speed, and the air flowing in more than necessary acts as resistance, so as the driving speed of the vehicle increases, the air flow flows into the opening 21 at high speed. Resistance increases, resulting in poor fuel efficiency.

In order to solve the problems described above, an active air flap is provided between the opening 21 and the heat exchanger 30 to control the air flowing in from the opening 21.

The active air flap 40 includes an air duct 41 formed by penetrating, a door 42 capable of opening or closing the air duct 41 by rotating on an axis inside the air duct 41, and a door portion ( It includes an actuator (not shown) that allows the 42 to rotate, and the air duct 41 is further provided with a guide air duct that guides the air flowing in through the opening 21.

That is, the active air flap 40 opens when the door part 42 rotates in the air duct 41 and moves parallel to the flowing air, allowing air to flow, and when it moves perpendicular to the flowing air, air flows in. can be blocked.

At this time, as shown in FIG. 2, in the case of a vehicle in which the opening is biased toward the bottom depending on the design characteristics of the vehicle, or in the case of an electric vehicle in which the opening is limited to the bottom, the air passing through the opening is in the heat exchanger 30. It is concentrated only at the bottom.

That is, air is concentrated at the bottom of the heat exchange unit 30, and very little air flows into the top of the heat exchange unit 30, so a problem occurs in which the cooling performance of the heat exchange unit 30 is deteriorated.

Republic of Korea Patent Publication No. 10-1428302 (2014.06.01.)

The present invention was created to solve the problems described above. The purpose of the present invention is to provide an active air flap that controls the air flowing in through the opening of the bumper, and controls the shape of the active air flap to the heat exchanger at the rear end. It provides an active air flap that allows air to flow uniformly.

The active air flap according to the present invention includes a carrier 10 including a front panel 11 and a support panel 12, and is mounted on the front of the carrier 10 and allows air to flow to the rear of the carrier 10. In the active air flap 100 provided on the front end module, which is mounted on the rear of the front panel 11 and includes a bumper 20 including an opening 21 and a heat exchanger 30, the active air flap 100 The air flap 100 includes an air duct 110 located at the rear end of the opening 21 and guiding air; and a door part 120 that rotates while coupled to the inside of the air duct 110 to open or close the air duct 110, wherein the door part 120 includes a rotating shaft 121 that rotates. and a front body 122 that extends from the rotation axis 121 and rotates at the front, and extends parallel to the front body 122 from the rotation axis 121 and rotates at the rear, in a direction selected at the end. It is characterized in that it includes a rear body 123 including a guide portion 123-1 that is formed by bending.

In addition, the guide portion 123-1 is located at the position of the air duct 110 of the heat exchanger 30 when the front body 122 and the rear body 123 are positioned parallel to the inflow air. It is characterized in that it is formed by bending in an upward or downward direction to a non-corresponding area.

In addition, the guide portion 123-1 is characterized in that it is formed by bending at a selected angle in the upward direction when the active air flap 100 is positioned corresponding to the lower part of the heat exchanger 30. .

In addition, the door portion 120 is formed to protrude from the rear body 123 and guides flowing air in one or more directions selected from the forward direction, the left direction from the forward direction, and the right direction from the forward direction. It is characterized in that it further includes a protruding guide portion (123-2).

In addition, the protruding guide portion 123-2 is characterized in that it is formed to protrude upward when the front body 122 and the rear body 123 are positioned parallel to the inflowing air.

In addition, the protrusion guide portion 123-2 includes a forward protrusion guide portion formed to guide the flowing air in the forward direction, and a left and right guide portion formed to guide the flowing air in the left or right direction from the forward direction. It is characterized in that it includes at least one of the protruding guide parts.

In addition, the protrusion guide part 123-2 is characterized in that the forward protrusion guide part is formed in all directions, and the left and right protrusion guide parts are formed in a bent shape in the left or right direction in the air flow direction from the forward protrusion guide part. Do it as

In addition, the protruding guide part 123-2 is formed to guide air in the direction in which the heat exchange medium flows into the heat exchange part 30.

Additionally, the protruding guide portion 123-2 is characterized in that it is formed in a pin shape.

In addition, the active air flap 100 further includes a rotating part (not shown) that rotates the door part 120.

The active air flap according to the present invention is an active air flap that controls the air flowing in through the opening of the bumper, by controlling the shape of the active air flap to allow air to flow uniformly to the heat exchanger at the rear end, so that the air flowing into the heat exchanger It has the advantage of preventing cooling performance from deteriorating by preventing it from concentrating in one location.

In addition, the active air flap according to the present invention has the advantage of improving the heat exchange efficiency of the heat exchange part because it can concentrate external air in the direction into which the heat exchange medium flows.

1 is a diagram showing a front-end module
Figure 2 is a diagram showing air flow in the front end module
Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the active air flap according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view of the active air flap according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 5 is a perspective view showing the door portion of the active air flap according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view showing the door portion of the active air flap according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view showing the effect of the active air flap according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 8 is a perspective view showing an active air flap according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 9 is an exploded perspective view of the active air flap according to the second embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 10 is a perspective view showing the door portion of the active air flap according to the second embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 11 is a plan view showing the effect of the active air flap according to the second embodiment of the present invention

Hereinafter, the active air flap according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings.

<First Example>

Figure 3 is a perspective view showing an active air flap according to a first embodiment of the present invention, Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view showing an active air flap according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 5 is a view showing the active air flap according to the first embodiment of the present invention. is a perspective view showing the door part of the active air flap according to the first embodiment of the present invention, Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view showing the door part of the active air flap according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 7 is a diagram showing the door part of the active air flap according to the first embodiment of the present invention. This is a cross-sectional view showing the effect of the active air flap according to Example 1.

Referring to Figure 1, the active air flap 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention is a bumper including a carrier 10 and an opening 21 formed by penetrating to allow air to flow to the rear of the carrier 10. (20) and a heat exchanger (cooling module) 30 located behind the carrier 10, which is provided on a front end module that allows the opening 21 of the bumper 20 to be opened or closed. .

The carrier 10 includes a front panel 11 and support panels 12 extending from both ends of the front panel 11.

The bumper 20 includes the above-described opening 21 to allow external air to flow into the front end module, and is used to cool the air to the heat exchanger 3 to the rear of the carrier 10 through the opening 21. Air flows.

As described above, the opening 21 is formed to allow air to flow in and allow the heat exchanger 30 to operate smoothly. However, when the vehicle is traveling at high speed, more air than necessary flows in, and the more air than necessary flows in acts as resistance. By doing so, it may cause a decrease in the fuel efficiency of the vehicle.

Accordingly, the active air flap 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention is configured to selectively open or close the opening 21, and is located at the rear end of the opening 21 through the opening 21. You can control the air flowing into the rear.

3 to 7, the active air flap 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention largely includes an air duct 110 and a door portion 120.

The air duct 110 is located at the rear end of the opening 21 and penetrates to guide air, and the door 120 is formed inside the air duct 110 to open or close the air duct 110. By being formed, the air flowing in through the opening 21 can be controlled.

To explain in more detail, the air duct 110 may be composed of a first air duct to which the door part 120 is coupled and rotates, and a second air duct that is coupled to the front of the first air duct to guide air.

The door portion 120 includes a pivot axis 121 that is rotatably coupled to the inside of the air duct 110 in the left and right directions, and a front body 122 that extends from the pivot shaft 121 and rotates from the front. ) and a rear body 123 that extends parallel to the front body 122 from the rotation axis 121 and is rotated from the rear.

The front body 122 and the rear body 123 are formed in a plate shape so as to block air flowing in by rotation, and are preferably formed to have a thin thickness so as not to disturb the air flowing when opened.

As described above, the front body 122 and the rear body 123 of the door unit 120 are rotated in the front and rear about the rotation axis 121 by rotation according to the axis rotation of the rotation axis 121. When the front body 122 and the rear body 123 are positioned parallel to the incoming air, they are opened and air flows into the heat exchanger 30, and the front body 122 is rotated by the axis rotation of the rotation shaft 121. When the body 122 and the rear body 123 are perpendicular to the incoming air, air is prevented from flowing into the heat exchange unit 30.

At this time, the active air flap 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention may further include a rotating part (not shown) on which the rotating axis 121 of the door part 120 rotates, and the rotating part may be an actuator, etc. It can be composed of:

In addition, the rear body 123 includes a guide portion 123-1 formed at an end by bending in a selected direction.

The guide portion 123-1 is a heat exchanger when the door portion 120 is opened to allow air to flow, that is, when the front body 122 and the rear body 123 are rotated and positioned parallel to the incoming air. It is formed by bending at an angle selected in the upward or downward direction to a region of (30) that does not correspond to the position of the air duct 110.

That is, when the door part 120 is opened and air flows, air flows in the area corresponding to the position of the air duct 110 among the areas of the heat exchange unit 30, thereby facilitating heat exchange, while the air flows in the area corresponding to the position of the air duct 110. The amount of air flowing into an area of the heat exchanger 30 that does not correspond to the position of the duct 110 is relatively small, thereby reducing the heat exchange efficiency of the heat exchanger 30.

To this end, the active air flap 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes a guide portion 123-1 formed by bending the rear body 123 in a selected direction upward or backward, When the front body 122 and the rear body 123 are opened, the air passing through the door 120 is allowed to flow in the selected upper or lower direction, thereby performing heat exchange that does not correspond to the position of the air duct 110. By increasing the amount of air flowing into the remaining area of the unit 30, the overall heat exchange efficiency in the heat exchange unit 30 can be improved.

In other words, when the door unit 120 is opened by rotating the front body 122 and the rear body 123 to be parallel to the flowing air, the air passing through the door unit 120 is moved to the upper and lower sides of the heat exchange unit 30. It can be guided to flow in a selected direction, which causes the air passing through the door part 120 to flow in the selected direction in the up and down direction through the guide part 123-1, thereby causing the heat exchanger ( By preventing air from concentrating and flowing in one of the up and down directions (30), air can flow evenly into the heat exchange unit (30).

That is, it is possible to prevent air from concentrating in one of the vertical directions of the heat exchange unit 30 and supply air evenly, thereby increasing the cooling efficiency of the heat exchange unit 30.

At this time, when the door portion 120 of the active air flap 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention is rotated and positioned parallel to the flowing air so that the front body 122 and the rear body 123 are opened, It is preferable that the guide portion 123-1 is formed by bending the rear body 123 upward at a selected angle.

That is, when the active air flap 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention is positioned parallel to the incoming air to open the door portion 120 to supply air to the heat exchanger 30, the guide portion ( 123-1) is preferably formed by bending at a selected angle toward the top.

In other words, if the vehicle, including an electric vehicle, has an area limited to the opening 21 of the bumper 20 at the bottom, the air passing through the opening 21 located at the bottom only reaches the bottom of the heat exchange unit 30. A problem of concentration arises.

This means that if air is concentrated only at the bottom of the heat exchange unit 30 for air cooling, the heat exchange efficiency of the heat exchange unit 30 is reduced, and there is a risk that cooling performance may be deteriorated due to the decrease in heat exchange efficiency.

To this end, the door portion 120 of the active air flap 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention is formed by bending the guide portion 123-1 at an angle selected from the rear body 123 upward. By doing so, the incoming air is guided to flow in the upper direction at the selected angle, thereby preventing a dead area in which a small amount of air flows at the top of the heat exchange unit 30.

In other words, the active air flap 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention provides airflow to the top of the heat exchanger 30 when the opening 21 is located only at the bottom of the vehicle or is formed biased toward the bottom. Since air can be supplied evenly to the top and bottom of the heat exchange unit 30, there is an advantage in improving the heat exchange efficiency of the heat exchange unit 30 accordingly.

In addition, this can be accomplished by modifying the shape of the door part 120 constituting the active air flap 100 without adding a separate component to evenly supply air to the heat exchange part 30, so the space in the front end module Because there is no need for additional components, it is possible to prevent an increase in the weight of the vehicle and an increase in manufacturing costs.

<Second Embodiment>

Figure 8 is a perspective view showing an active air flap according to a second embodiment of the present invention, Figure 9 is a view showing an exploded perspective view of an active air flap according to a second embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 10 is a view showing the active air flap according to a second embodiment of the present invention. is a perspective view showing the door portion of the active air flap according to the second embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 11 is a plan view showing the effect of the active air flap according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

The door portion 120 of the active air flap 100 according to the second embodiment of the present invention is formed to protrude from the rear body 123, and flows in the forward direction, the left direction in the forward direction. , and includes a protruding guide portion 123-2 that guides in one or more directions selected from the right direction in the forward direction.

At this time, the protruding guide portion 123-2 has a fin shape that protrudes upward when the door portion 120 is opened, that is, when the front body 122 and the rear body 123 are positioned parallel to the inflowing air. can be formed.

Through this, the protruding guide portion 123-2 is formed in a pin shape that protrudes from the rear body 123 including the guide portion 123-1, thereby directing the flow path of air flowing through the rear body 123 in the forward direction. , it can be guided in at least one of the left or right directions from the forward direction.

At this time, the protrusion guide part 123-2 includes a forward protrusion guide formed to guide the flowing air in the forward direction, and left and right protrusions formed to guide the flowing air in the left or right direction from the forward direction. By including at least one guide part, the flowing air, which may change direction due to the bent guide part 123-1, can be made to flow accurately in the forward direction through the forward protrusion guide part. In addition, it can be guided in one or more directions selected from the left or right directions.

The protrusion guide 123-2 is formed with a forward protrusion guide and left and right protrusion guides, respectively, so that air can be guided in a desired direction. In a preferred shape, the forward protrusion guide is formed in all directions, and the forward protrusion guide is formed from the forward protrusion guide. The left and right protruding guide parts may be bent in the left or right direction in the direction of air flow.

That is, the protrusion guide 123-2 divides the air flow path through which the forward protrusion guide flows through the above-described shape, and directs air in the left or right direction through the left and right protrusion guides bent and extending from the forward protrusion guide. can be guided to flow.

In other words, when only the left and right protruding guides are formed, turbulence is generated by the flowing air colliding with the left and right protruding guides that are different from the forward direction, which may make it difficult to guide the air evenly in the desired direction. . For this purpose, the air flowing in through the forward protrusion guide is divided and flowed evenly, and the air divided by the forward protrusion guide is directed to the desired left or right direction and in both left and right directions through the left and right protrusion guides. It is desirable to guide the flowing air evenly by guiding it.

As described above, the door portion 120 of the active air flap 1000 according to the second embodiment of the present invention allows air to flow into the relatively lower portion of the heat exchange portion 30 through the guide portion 123-1. By guiding the air in the upper direction, even air can be introduced into the heat exchange unit 30, and by flowing the air in any two or more directions selected from the left and right directions through the protruding guide part 123-2, the heat exchange unit ( 30) Air can be guided and concentrated in a direction that improves heat exchange efficiency.

At this time, the protruding guide portion 123-2 constituting the door portion 120 of the active air flap 100 according to the second embodiment of the present invention is formed in the direction into which the heat exchange medium flows among the heat exchange portions 30. It is desirable.

That is, in the case of a heat exchanger such as a radiator forming the heat exchange unit 30, a heat exchange medium with a relatively high temperature is introduced, cooled through an air cooling method, and discharged, so for this purpose, an active air flap according to the second embodiment of the present invention is used. The door portion 120 of (100) is formed so that the bending direction of the protruding guide portion 123-2 is formed in the direction in which the heat exchange medium flows, or is bent so as to increase heat exchange efficiency with the incoming heat exchange medium. .

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and the scope of application is diverse, and anyone skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains can do so without departing from the gist of the invention as claimed in the claims. Of course, various modifications are possible.

100: Active air flap
110: air duct
120: door part
121: rotation axis
122: front body
123: rear body
123-1: Information Department
123-2: Projection guide part
10: carrier
11: Front panel 12: Support panel
20: bumper 21: opening
30: heat exchange unit

Claims (10)

A carrier 10 including a front panel 11 and a support panel 12, and a bumper mounted in front of the carrier 10 and including an opening 21 through which air flows to the rear of the carrier 10. (20) and an active air flap 100 mounted on the rear of the front panel 11 and provided on the front end module including the heat exchanger 30,
The active air flap 100 is
An air duct 110 located at the rear end of the opening 21 to guide air; and
It includes a door part 120 that rotates while coupled to the inside of the air duct 110 to open or close the air duct 110,
The door part 120 is
A pivot axis 121 that rotates,
A front body 122 extending from the rotation axis 121 and rotating in the front, and
It extends parallel to the front body 122 from the rotation axis 121 and rotates from the rear, and includes a rear body 123 including a guide portion 123-1 formed at the end by bending in a selected direction. do,
A plurality of the door units 120 are arranged vertically and spaced apart,
When the air duct 110 is opened, the front body 122 of each door part 120 has the same inclination, and the guide part 123-1 is the air duct 110 of the heat exchange part 30. An active air flap formed by bending upward or downward to an area that does not correspond to the position of.
According to clause 1,
The guide unit 123-1 is
When the front body 122 and the rear body 123 are positioned parallel to the incoming air, an upward or downward direction to an area of the heat exchange unit 30 that does not correspond to the position of the air duct 110. An active air flap formed by bending.
According to clause 2,
The guide unit 123-1 is
When the active air flap 100 is positioned corresponding to the lower part of the heat exchange unit 30, the active air flap is formed by bending at a selected angle toward the upper direction.
According to clause 2,
The door part 120 is
A protruding guide portion 123-2 that is formed to protrude from the rear body 123 and guides the flowing air in one or more directions selected from the forward direction, the left direction from the forward direction, and the right direction from the forward direction. Further comprising an active air flap.
According to clause 4,
The protruding guide portion (123-2) is
An active air flap that protrudes upward when the front body 122 and the rear body 123 are positioned parallel to the incoming air.
According to clause 5,
The protruding guide portion (123-2) is
Active air comprising at least one of a forward protruding guide formed to guide the flowing air in the forward direction, and a left and right protruding guide formed to guide the flowing air in the left or right direction from the forward direction. flap.
According to clause 6,
The protruding guide portion (123-2) is
An active air flap in which a forward protruding guide is formed in all directions, and left and right protruding guides are formed in a bent shape from the forward protruding guide to the left or right in the air flow direction.
According to clause 4,
The protruding guide portion (123-2) is
An active air flap formed in the heat exchange part 30 in the direction in which the heat exchange medium flows.
According to clause 4,
The protruding guide portion (123-2) is
An active air flap formed into a fin shape.
According to clause 1,
The active air flap 100 is
An active air flap further comprising a rotating part (not shown) that rotates the door part 120.

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