Active wheel spoiler

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10953933-B2
Application number	US-201816107018-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 21, 2018
Priority date	Aug 23, 2017
Publication date	Mar 23, 2021
Grant date	Mar 23, 2021

Abstract

A wheel spoiler apparatus encompassing a flow impingement body, a displacement drive system, and a displacement guidance system, the flow impingement body being displaceable between a retracted inactive position and an extended active position, the displacement guidance system comprising a vehicle connection region in which it is connectable to a vehicle body, and comprising a flow impingement body connection region in which it is connected to the flow impingement body, the displacement guidance system encompasses two four-joint linkages coupled to one another via a common pivot joint.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A wheel spoiler apparatus encompassing a flow impingement body, a displacement drive system, and a displacement guidance system, the flow impingement body being displaceable between a retracted inactive position and an extended active position, the displacement guidance system comprising a vehicle connection region in which it is connectable to an associated vehicle body, and comprising a flow impingement body connection region in which it is connected to the flow impingement body,
wherein the flow impingement body is constituted from at least two different materials that differ in terms of their modulus of elasticity and/or their hardness,
wherein the displacement guidance system has two four-joint linkages coupled to one another via a common pivot joint,
wherein the two four-joint linkages includes a first four-joint linkage that is a flow impingement body-side four-joint linkage having two body-side links that are respectively articulated on the flow impingement body at their one longitudinal ends constituting base longitudinal ends, the two four-joint linkages further includes a second four-joint linkage being a vehicle-side four-joint linkage having two vehicle-side links that are articulatable on the associated vehicle respectively at their longitudinal ends, constituting base longitudinal ends, facing toward the associated vehicle during operation, the body-side links being respectively articulated on a vehicle-side link at their coupler longitudinal ends opposite from the base longitudinal ends, and the vehicle-side links being respectively articulated on a body-side link at their coupler longitudinal ends opposite from the base longitudinal ends.

2. The wheel spoiler apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein at least one flow impingement surface of the flow impingement body, which surface in the active position is exposed as intended to the impingement of wind blast, is constituted from a material having a lower modulus of elasticity and/or less hardness; and at least one connecting configuration that is embodied for indirect connection to the associated vehicle body is constituted from a material having a higher modulus of elasticity and/or greater hardness.

3. The wheel spoiler apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the two body-side links are each articulated at their coupler longitudinal ends on the same vehicle-side link.

4. The wheel spoiler apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the vehicle-side link on which both body-side links are articulated is the vehicle-side link which is located farther from articulation points of the base longitudinal ends of the body-side links.

5. The wheel spoiler apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the two vehicle-side links are each articulated at their coupler longitudinal ends on the same body-side link.

6. The wheel spoiler apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the body-side link on which both vehicle-side links are articulated is the body-side link which is located farther from articulation points of the base longitudinal ends of the vehicle-side links.

7. The wheel spoiler apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein articulation points of the base longitudinal ends of the body-side links are shielded by the flow impingement body regardless of the operating position of the flow impingement body in a direction along the displacement path that the flow impingement body traverses upon its displacement between the inactive position and active position, and orthogonally to the displacement path.

8. The wheel spoiler apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein at least when the flow impingement body is in the inactive position, the coupler longitudinal ends of both the body-side links and the vehicle-side links are shielded by the flow impingement body both along the displacement path and orthogonally to the displacement path.

9. The wheel spoiler apparatus according to claim 1 wherein a bottom surface of the flow impingement body, in the latter's inactive position, closes off an opening of a frame surrounding the flow impingement body, in particular of a part of an underbody liner, through which it is extendable into the active position.

10. The wheel spoiler apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the flow impingement body has a flow separation edge on at least one of its lateral edge regions, preferably at least one lateral edge region being prolonged, in a flow impingement direction, by a flow separation edge beyond a rear wall of the flow impingement body which faces in the flow impingement direction.

11. The wheel spoiler apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the flow impingement body comprises a flow impingement surface, facing against a flow impingement direction, which is convex when viewed in the flow impingement direction, in particular a flow impingement surface curved around only one axis of curvature or around two mutually orthogonal axes of curvature.

12. The wheel spoiler apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein at least one flow impingement surface of the flow impingement body, which surface in the active position is exposed as intended to the impingement of wind blast, is constituted from a material having a lower modulus of elasticity and/or less hardness; and at least one connecting configuration that is embodied for indirect connection to the associated vehicle body is constituted from a material having a higher modulus of elasticity and/or greater hardness.

13. A vehicle having a wheel spoiler apparatus according to claim 1 , the flow impingement body being arranged in front of a wheel of the vehicle in the flow impingement direction in a context of forward travel of the vehicle.

Assignees

• Roechling Automotive Se & Co Kg

Inventors

• Schmitt Andreas
• Grebel Karsten
• Nies Juliane
• Dill Peter
• Petrisor Virgil-Catalin
• Urbach Patrick
• Koppad Nagaraj

Classifications

• Y02T10/82

  Elements for improving aerodynamics · CPC title

• B62D35/02

  Streamlining the undersurfaces {(B62D35/005, B62D35/007, B62D35/008 take precedence)} · CPC title

• Y02T10/88

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

• B62D37/02

  by aerodynamic means · CPC title

• B62D35/005 Primary

  Front spoilers (B62D35/001 takes precedence) · CPC title