Method for adjusting vehicle grille shutters based on vehicle speed and direction of grille shutter adjustment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10364735-B2
Application number	US-201314092546-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 27, 2013
Priority date	Nov 27, 2013
Publication date	Jul 30, 2019
Grant date	Jul 30, 2019

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided for adjusting vehicle grille shutters based on a direction of motion of the grille shutters. In one example, a method includes adjusting a motor coupled to the grille shutters based on the direction of motion of the grille shutters, a desired opening of the grille shutters, and vehicle speed. Further, the method may include determining the direction of motion of the grille shutters based on a desired motor position relative to an actual motor position.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for operating movable vehicle grille shutters, comprising:
during a first condition when grille shutters are moving in an opening direction to a desired percentage opening, adjusting the grille shutters by increasing a commanded percentage opening of the grille shutters as vehicle speed increases and as the desired percentage opening decreases; and
during a second condition when the grille shutters are moving in a closing direction to a desired percentage closing, adjusting the grille shutters by increasing a commanded percentage closing of the grille shutters as vehicle speed increases and as the desired percentage closing decreases.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein adjusting the grille shutters during the first condition further includes adjusting the commanded percentage opening of the grille shutters based on the desired percentage opening of the grille shutters.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein adjusting the grille shutters includes adjusting a stepper motor coupled to the grille shutters into a desired motor position, the desired motor position including a number of motor counts, each motor count corresponding to a change in grille shutter opening angle by six degrees.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising, when a difference between a current motor position and the desired motor position is greater than one motor count, moving the grille shutters in the closing direction.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising, when the difference between the desired motor position and the current motor position is greater than one motor count, moving the grille shutters in the opening direction.

6. The method of claim 4 , further comprising, when an absolute value of the difference between the current motor position and the desired motor position is not greater than one motor count, maintaining a current direction of motion of the grille shutters and not adjusting the grille shutters.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Macfarlane Kevin
• Semanson Christopher
• Gallo Joseph James
• Fleming Mark
• Buckman Colby Jason
• Jentz Robert Roy

Classifications

• F01P7/10 Primary

  by throttling amount of air flowing through liquid-to-air heat exchangers · CPC title

• B60K11/085

  with adjustable shutters or blinds · CPC title

• Y02T10/88

  Optimized components or subsystems, e.g. lighting, actively controlled glasses · CPC title