KR102658056B1 - Active air flap apparatus and its control method - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an AAF device with an improved structure so that the flap surface is located on the same plane as the bumper skin surface, and a control method thereof. The active air flap device of the present invention includes a housing installed in an opening of a bumper cover and including an opening communicating with the opening of the bumper cover; A flap coupled to the housing by a slide mechanism to close the opening of the bumper cover and installed to be on the same plane as the skin surface of the bumper cover; an actuator that rotates to close and open the flap; and a link mechanism connected to the flap and converting the rotation of the actuator into linear motion to push or pull the flap. Thereby, the flap slides along the opening of the housing when pulled by the link mechanism to open the opening of the bumper cover.

Description

Active air flap (AAF) device and its control method {Active air flap apparatus and its control method}

The present invention relates to an active air flap (AAF), and specifically, to an improved AAF device and its control method in which the flap surface of the AAF is located on the same plane as the bumper skin surface and the rigidity is increased. .

Active Air Flap AAF (Active Air Flap System) consists of a flap structure that opens and closes to reduce air resistance while driving. The AAF device aims to improve driving stability and fuel efficiency.

Referring to FIG. 1, in the open state (a) of the flap 5 of the external AAF 10, external air flows in and an effect of preventing overheating inside the engine room according to the engine coolant temperature, etc. can be obtained, and in the closed state of the flap 5 In (b), fuel efficiency can be improved by reducing air resistance during high-speed driving.

As shown in FIG. 2, most of the current external AAFs 10 are installed on the exterior parts of the front end of the vehicle, especially the air guide 20 of the bumper grill portion 15. And in the current external AAF 10, the actuator 30 is driven as shown in FIG. 3 to operate (rotate) the flaps 5 and 5' by the actuator operating shaft 40. In Figure 3, 5 represents the flap in the open state, and 5' represents the flap in the closed state. In this way, the operating axis 40 of the actuator 30 and the rotation axis of the flaps 5 and 5' are designed to be the same, so that the external AAF 10 has a step difference from the skin surface of the grill portion 15 of the bumper 50. occurs and the design is not integrated, resulting in a sense of design heterogeneity and a decrease in emotional quality. Additionally, if the bumper 50 is integrated with the skin surface of the grill portion 15, interference occurs between the operations of the flaps 5 and 5'. As shown in Figure 4 (a cross-sectional conceptual diagram of the AAF), the flaps 5 and 5' are operated by the flap rotation axis 40', which is the same as the operating axis 40 of the actuator 30, so the flaps 5 and This is because the AAF 10 must be designed taking into account space occupancy when the flap 5' is operated in an open state.

The purpose of the present invention is to propose an AAF device and a control method thereof with an improved structure so that the flap surface is located on the same plane as the bumper skin surface.

According to the idea of the present invention to solve the above problem, for example, when a command to close the flap is received from the ECU, the flap blocks the opening of the bumper cover so that the flap surface is located on the same plane as the bumper skin surface, and then when a command to open the flap is received, The flap is pulled toward the back of the bumper cover (towards the engine room of the car body), and as a result, the flap slides against the bumper cover to open the opening. When the flap closes the opening of the bumper cover, the flap surface remains flush with the bumper skin surface without creating a step.

For the operation of pulling the flap toward the rear side of the bumper cover (towards the engine room of the vehicle body), an actuator and a link mechanism may be used. When a flap opening command is received from the ECU, the rotation means (e.g., actuator) rotates, and this rotational force is converted into linear motion by the rotational motion-linear motion conversion means (e.g., link mechanism) to move the lower part of the flap to the bumper. It is pulled from the back of the cover towards the car body. When the lower part of the flap is pulled, the upper part of the flap slides below the opening of the bumper cover, and the flap is opened.

In order for the flap to slide along the bumper cover, a slot groove is formed to have a long vertical space in the housing attached to the bumper cover, and housing coupling bosses are formed to protrude laterally at both upper ends of the flap. The housing coupling boss is inserted into the slot groove, and the housing coupling boss moves linearly within the straight vertical space of the slot groove, resulting in a sliding motion. Since the flap must slide to open the opening of the bumper cover, the slot groove of the housing must be formed to have an inclination angle with the inner surface of the bumper cover.

The configuration for implementing the above invention idea is introduced as follows.

The active air flap device of the present invention includes a housing installed in an opening of a bumper cover and including an opening communicating with the opening of the bumper cover; A flap coupled to the housing by a slide mechanism to close the opening of the bumper cover and installed to be on the same plane as the skin surface of the bumper cover; an actuator that rotates to close and open the flap; and a link mechanism connected to the flap and converting the rotation of the actuator into linear motion to push or pull the flap. Thereby, the flap slides along the opening of the housing when pulled by the link mechanism to open the opening of the bumper cover.

Here, the slide mechanism for coupling the flap to the housing includes a housing-coupling boss that protrudes laterally at the top of both ends of the flap; And it may include a slot groove formed in the housing corresponding to the housing-coupling boss of the flap in the housing opening portion. As a result, the housing coupling boss is coupled to the slot groove, so that the top of the flap slides along the housing opening along the groove of the slot groove. In addition, the slot groove is inclined to move away from the bumper cover downward, so that when the flap slides down along the slot groove, it gradually moves away from the bumper cover to open the bumper cover.

In addition, the link mechanism connected to the flap and converting the rotation of the actuator into linear motion to push or pull the flap includes: a first link that rotates by receiving the rotational force of the operating shaft of the actuator; And it may include a second link that pushes or pulls the flap by performing a linear movement in the housing by rotation of the first link.

The concept of the present invention introduced above will become clearer through the description of the embodiments described together with the drawings.

According to the present invention, the emotional quality can be improved by eliminating the step by making the bumper skin surface and the flap surface of the AAF device coplanar in terms of design. In addition, structurally, it is possible to obtain the benefit of increased stiffness of the flap compared to the conventional AAF device.

1 to 4 are diagrams related to a conventional external AAF (10).
Figure 5 is a configuration diagram of AAF according to an embodiment of the present invention.
6 to 11 are detailed representation views of individual components of FIG. 5.
Figure 12 is a diagram illustrating the operation of AAF according to the present invention.
Figures 13a and 13b are explanatory diagrams related to securing the rigidity of the AAF according to the present invention.
Figures 14a and 14b are diagrams illustrating OPEN/CLOSE state recognition of the actuator 300.

The advantages and features of the present invention and methods for achieving them will become clear by referring to the embodiments described in detail together with the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below and will be implemented in various different forms. The present embodiments only serve to ensure that the disclosure of the present invention is complete, and those skilled in the art It is provided to fully inform those who understand the scope of the invention, and the invention is defined by the claims. Meanwhile, the terms used in this specification are for describing embodiments and are not intended to limit the present invention. As used herein, singular forms also include plural forms, unless specifically stated otherwise in the context. As used in the specification, 'comprise' or 'comprising' means the presence or absence of one or more other components, steps, operations and/or elements other than the mentioned elements, steps, operations and/or elements. Addition is not ruled out.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In adding reference numerals to components in each drawing, the same numerals are assigned to the same components as much as possible even if they are shown in different drawings, and when explaining the present invention, a detailed description of the related known configuration or function is provided. In cases where it may obscure the gist of the present invention, detailed description will be omitted.

Figure 5 is a configuration diagram of an active air flap (AAF) according to an embodiment of the present invention. And FIGS. 6 to 11 are individual views of each component of FIG. 5.

The present invention is an invention for improving the appearance and marketability of the AAF, and is a structure for eliminating (i.e., making it co-planar or co-planarized) the level difference between the skin surface of the bumper cover 60 and the surface of the flap 200 of the AAF. In the existing case, the rotation axis of the flap was located in the middle of the support housing 100 and rotated 90 degrees to control air inflow, but in the case of the present invention, when the outer surface of the flap 200 is closed, the bumper cover 60 It maintains the same plane as the skin surface of the and when an open command is received, it is pulled to the inside of the bumper cover and slides to open the bumper cover.

The configuration and operation of an active air flap (AAF) according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described through FIGS. 5 and 6 to 11.

An approximately rectangular open housing 100 is installed at an opening designed to perform the AAF function of the bumper cover 60. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the housing 100 consists of an opening 130 attached to the bumper cover 60 and a horizontal portion 140 positioned at approximately a right angle inside the bumper cover 60.

A flap 200 is installed in the rectangular opening 130 of the housing 100 to block the opening 130. The surface of the flap 200 and the skin surface of the bumper cover 60 (FIG. 5 shows the skin surface) (viewed from the opposite side of the surface) are installed so that they are in the same plane. Referring to FIG. 7, the portion where the flap 200 is coupled to the housing 100 includes the housing coupling boss 210 and the flap 200 protruding laterally on the upper portions of both ends of the flap 200, which are depicted as rectangles. ) is the second link connection portion 220 located in the center of the lower long side. These housing coupling bosses 210 and the second link connection portion 220 will be described later.

Again in Figure 5, the actuator 300 is installed below the housing 100. The actuator 300 rotates 180 degrees, and its rotational force rotates the loader 400 through the operating shaft 310, as shown in FIG. 8. As shown in FIG. 9, the loader 400 includes a rotation shaft 410 that is connected to the operating shaft 310 of the actuator 300 and receives rotational force, and a first link connection portion that transmits this rotational force to the first link 500. 420).

The loader 400 transmits the rotational force of the actuator 300 to the first link 500, and for this purpose, one end of the first link 500 shown in FIG. 10 is connected to the first link connection portion 420 of the loader 400. The loader connection unit 510 is connected. Additionally, the other end 520 of the first link 500 is connected to the second link 600 through a pin (not shown). In this way, the two are connected by a pin and can rotate relative to each other.

The second link 600 is connected to the housing 100, and slides along the guide groove 120 formed in the horizontal portion 140 of the housing 100 to make only linear movement (i.e., the rotational force of the actuator 300 → conversion to linear motion). For this purpose, as shown in FIG. 11, the second link 600 has a slide portion 620 that is slidably coupled to the guide groove 120 formed in the housing 100. In addition, the second link 600 is connected to the second link connection portion 220 formed at the lower part of the flap 200 and the pin 630 so that the second link 600 moves forward and backward on the horizontal portion 140 of the housing 100. As the vehicle body moves toward the bumper and engine room, the lower portion of the flap 200 also moves back and forth. To this end, a flap connection portion 610 is formed on the second link 600, which is connected to the second link connection portion 220 formed at the lower portion of the flap 200 through a pin 630.

The upper part of the flap 200 is coupled to the housing 100 in a structure that slides with respect to the housing 100. For this purpose, housing coupling bosses 210 are formed to protrude laterally at both left and right ends of the flap 200, and slot grooves 110 are formed correspondingly at both left and right ends of the opening of the housing 100. Slot groove 110 is in the form of a slot with a long vertical space. Since the housing coupling boss 210 is coupled to the slot groove 110 and the upper part of the flap 200 slides along the vertical groove of the slot groove 110, the flap 200 can only move up and down. Since the slot groove 110 is inclined to move downward and away from the surface of the bumper cover 60, the flap 200 slides from top to bottom along the slot groove 110 and gradually moves away from the bumper cover 60. This opens the bumper cover 60.

Figure 12 is for explaining the operation of AAF according to the present invention.

First, in the closed state of the flap 200, the rotation angle of the actuator 300 is 0 degrees, and as a result, the positions of the loader 400 and the first link 500 are at the set positions, and thus the second link 600 is located at the front of the housing 100. And the flap 200 is closed so that its outer surface is positioned on the same plane as the skin surface of the bumper cover 60. In this state, the housing coupling boss 210 on the top of the flap 200 is located at the top of the slot groove 110 at both ends of the housing 100 (see left cross-sectional view of FIG. 12).

In this state, when the actuator 300 operates (rotates) (see the middle part showing a 75-degree rotation state in FIG. 12), the loader 400 rotates accordingly, and thereby the first link 500 rotates to rotate the second link 500. The movement direction of the link 600 is converted to a linear movement to pull the lower part of the flap 200 (i.e., the second link connection part 220 in FIGS. 5 and 7). As a result, the flap 200 is slid downward by the housing coupling boss 210 contained in the long slot space of the slot groove 110 of the housing 100, so that the upper surface of the flap 200 gradually moves away from the bumper cover 60. become distant. The second picture of FIG. 12 shows a situation in which the actuator 300 is rotated about 75 degrees. Looking at the cross-sectional view below at this time, the housing coupling boss 210 of the flap 200 is moved downward from the top of the slot groove 110, and the lower part of the flap 200 is pulled toward the vehicle body and is tilted. As a result, the bumper cover ( It can be seen that the upper part of the opening part of 60) is starting to partially open.

The right side of FIG. 12 (third picture) shows a state in which the rotation angle of the actuator 300 is 180 degrees and the flap 200 fully opens the opening portion of the bumper cover 60. As the actuator 300 rotates 180 degrees from the closed state, the second link 600 is further pulled to the rear of the housing 100, and the housing coupling boss 210 at both ends of the upper part of the flap 200 is connected to the slot groove of the housing 100. 110) and slides down. In the third picture of FIG. 12, the tilt angle 'a' of the flap 200 is inclined more than 90 degrees with respect to the vertical line and is almost in a horizontal plane, and the housing coupling boss 210 of the flap 200 is in the middle of the slot groove 110. You can see that it is located below the wealth level.

As described above, in the AAF according to the present invention, the surface of the flap 200 is located on the same plane as the skin surface of the bumper cover 60, so there is no level difference when closed as in the conventional AAF, so level management is easy, and the design is designed accordingly. The degree of freedom increases and emotional quality can be secured.

In addition, another advantage of the present invention is that the structural rigidity is increased. In particular, when external stress is applied, the rigidity increases. The problem of rigidity is not only affected in cases of vehicle collision or intentional impact, but also when parking. In reality, in parking lots where space is limited, there are many cases where the vehicle is parked with the gear in neutral, and in this case, the vehicle is moved by pushing the front bumper of another vehicle. In this case, there is a possibility that a person may press the AAF flap, and if the flap is weak, deformation or damage may occur. Moreover, in the case of the existing AAF, there is a step with the bumper skin surface, so it is unlikely that a person will recognize this and press the flap. However, as in the present invention, if the AAF is located on the same plane as the skin surface, it is difficult for a person to recognize it, so it is difficult for a person to recognize it and press the flap. The likelihood of pressing it may increase.

As shown in Figure 13a, in the present invention, the flap 200 has housing coupling bosses 210 at both upper ends of the flap 200 coupled to the slot grooves 110 of the housing 100, and the second link connection portion 220 at the lower central portion thereof is It is coupled to the flap connection portion 610 of the 2 link 600. Due to the slot space structure of the slot groove 110 of the housing 100 and the mounting structure of the second link 600, the flap 200 is firmly fixed and moves from the front to the back of the bumper cover 60 or in the opposite direction. It is difficult to overcome and deformation does not occur easily. In addition, since the upper both ends and the lower center of the flap 200 are the fixed positions of the flap 200, there are three fixing points on the entire surface of the flap 200, so that the external force applied to the flap 200 is evenly distributed. It becomes easier to secure rigidity. In addition, since the housing coupling bosses 210 at both upper ends of the flap 200 are coupled to the inner space of the slot groove 110 of the housing 100, the lateral force applied to the flap 200 is applied to the slot groove 110. The outer wall of the slot is supported, and the link mechanism to which the second link connection portion 220 in the lower middle portion of the flap 200 is connected makes it difficult to forcibly rotate the actuator in the reverse direction even if a lateral force is applied to the flap 200, so according to the present invention, This contributes to securing the rigidity of the flap 200 structure.

On the other hand, as shown in Figure 13b, the flap 5 of the conventional AAF is fixed only by the operation rotation axis 40 connected to the operation axis of the actuator and the idle rotation axis 70 at the opposite end, so there are only two fixing points, and these are fixed. Since both points are rotation axes, the ability to withstand the lateral external force applied to the flap (5) is weak.

Lastly, Figures 14a and 14b are for explaining the OPEN/CLOSE status recognition method of the actuator 300 that receives flap opening/closing commands from the ECU. In order to recognize whether the position of the actuator 300 is in an open/closed state, an open stopper 150 and a closed stopper 160 are formed on the horizontal portion 140 of the housing 100. Each stopper 150, 160 is formed so that the loader 400 is caught by these stoppers to prevent the rotational movement of the actuator 300. For example, when the loader 400 rotates due to the rotational force of the actuator 300 and stops rotating due to being caught by the opening stopper 150, the loader 400 (and therefore the actuator 300) moves to the maximum open position of the flap 200. It is designed to be recognized as being in the closed position of the flap 200, and when the loader 400 is caught by the closing stopper 160 and stops rotating, the loader 400 (and therefore the actuator 300) is recognized as being in the closed position of the flap 200. You can. For example, the actuator 300 may send a signal related to its current position to the ECU, and the ECU may recognize this and issue a command for appropriate operation of the actuator 300.

Here, recognition of the rotational position of the loader 400 and the actuator 300 by mechanical elements called the open stopper 150 and the closed stopper 160 was introduced, but a different method, for example, an optical sensor or a Hall sensor, was introduced. It can also be configured to recognize the positions of the loader 400 and the actuator 300 using electrical elements such as the like.

Above, the configuration of the present invention has been described in detail through preferred embodiments of the present invention, but those skilled in the art will understand that the present invention is disclosed in the present specification without changing its technical idea or essential features. You will be able to understand that it can be implemented in a specific form different from the above. The embodiments described above should be understood in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of protection of the present invention is determined by the claims described below rather than the detailed description above, and all changes or modified forms derived from the scope of the claims and their equivalent concepts should be construed as being included in the technical scope of the present invention. .

Claims (16)

It is an active air flap (AAF) device that is attached to the opening of the bumper cover and closes and opens the opening of the bumper cover.
a flap having a surface located on the same plane as the skin surface of the bumper cover when the opening of the bumper cover is closed;
first means for pulling the flap from the bumper cover when opening the opening portion of the bumper cover; and
A second means for opening the opening of the bumper cover by sliding the flap relative to the bumper cover as the flap is pulled by the first means,
The second means is
A housing attached to the bumper cover and including a slot groove having a straight space in the longitudinal direction of the opening of the bumper cover; and
Including a housing coupling boss that protrudes laterally from both upper ends of the flap and is coupled to the slot groove,
An active air flap device, characterized in that the housing-coupled boss of the flap moves linearly and performs a sliding operation within the straight space of the slot groove of the housing. delete The method of claim 1, wherein the first means is
means for rotating the flap when opening; and
Including means for converting the rotational force of the means rotating when the flap is opened into linear motion,
When the means that rotates when the flap is opened rotates to open the flap, this rotational force is converted into linear motion by a means that converts the rotational force of the means that rotates when the flap is opened into linear motion to pull the flap from the bumper cover. An active air flap device characterized by the following configuration. delete The active air flap device according to claim 1, wherein the slot groove of the housing has an inclination angle with respect to the bumper cover. A housing installed in the opening of the bumper cover and including an opening communicating with the opening of the bumper cover;
A flap coupled to the housing by a slide mechanism to close the opening of the bumper cover and installed to be on the same plane as the skin surface of the bumper cover;
an actuator that rotates to close and open the flap; and
It is connected to the flap and includes a link mechanism that converts the rotation of the actuator into linear motion to push or pull the flap,
When the flap is pulled by the link mechanism, it slides along the opening of the housing to open the opening of the bumper cover,
The slide mechanism that couples the flap to the housing is
Housing-coupling bosses protruding laterally at the top of both ends of the flap; and
Including a slot groove formed in the housing corresponding to the housing-coupling boss of the flap in the opening portion of the housing,
An active air flap device, characterized in that the housing coupling boss is coupled to the slot groove so that the upper part of the flap slides along the opening of the housing along the groove of the slot groove. The active air flap device according to claim 6, wherein the housing further includes a horizontal portion located inside the bumper cover at a right angle to the opening portion. delete The method of claim 6, wherein the slot groove is inclined to move downward and away from the bumper cover, so that when the flap slides down along the slot groove, it gradually moves away from the bumper cover to open the bumper cover. Active air flap device. The method of claim 6, wherein the link mechanism is connected to the flap and converts the rotation of the actuator into linear motion to push or pull the flap.
A first link that rotates by receiving the rotational force of the operating shaft of the actuator; and
An active air flap device comprising a second link that pushes or pulls the flap by performing a linear movement in the housing by rotation of the first link. The method of claim 10, wherein the flap further includes a second link connection portion rotatably connected to the second link,
Active air, characterized in that closing the opening of the bumper cover when the flap is pushed by the linear movement of the second link and opening the opening of the bumper cover when the flap is pulled by the linear movement of the second link. Flap device. The active air flap device according to claim 6, further comprising means for recognizing the closed/open state of the actuator for closing and opening the flap. A method of controlling the active air flap (AAF) device according to claim 1,
A first step of pulling the flap blocking the opening portion of the bumper cover from the bumper cover when opening the flap using the first means; and
An active air flap device control method comprising a second step of opening the opening of the bumper cover by sliding the flap along the bumper cover by the second means as the flap is pulled by the first step. delete The method of claim 13, wherein the first step is
rotating the rotation means to effect flap opening; and
Including converting the rotational force of the rotation means into linear motion,
An active air flap device control method, characterized in that when the rotation means rotates, this rotational force is converted into linear motion to pull the flap from the bumper cover. The method of claim 13, wherein the second step is
An active air flap device control method, characterized in that when the flap slides along the bumper cover, it slides obliquely so that it gradually moves away from the skin surface of the bumper cover.