Air inlet shut-off device for a motor vehicle, with an automatic return system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11794569-B2
Application number	US-202217855853-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 1, 2022
Priority date	Jul 5, 2021
Publication date	Oct 24, 2023
Grant date	Oct 24, 2023

Abstract

An air inlet shut-off device for a motor vehicle having: a support frame defining a passage opening for an incoming air flow, a curtain movable between a closed position and an open position, an automatic return system for the curtain having: an elastic element which is elastic in elongation along the rolling axis of the roller shaft and secured to the latter in such a way as to be rotated and vice versa; a cylindrical slider intended to move in translation along the rolling axis and in rotation about this same axis, said slider being secured to the elastic element in such a way as to be rotated indirectly by the roller shaft, said slider including a helical groove on its outer surface, the support frame including a fixed finger configured to be inserted in said helical groove.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An air inlet shut-off device for a motor vehicle, the shut-off device comprising a support frame including a first and a second crosspiece that are parallel to one another and connected by lateral uprights so as to define at least one passage opening for an incoming air flow, said device including at least one curtain that can move between a closed position in which the at least one curtain at least partially covers the at least one passage opening and an open position in which said at least one curtain allows the incoming air flow to pass through the at least one passage opening, said at least one curtain including an edge secured to a first roller shaft extending on the support frame along one of the sides of the at least one passage opening, the first roller shaft being connected to a drive device so as to roll up the at least one curtain around said first roller shaft to bring it into the open position and so as to unroll the at least one curtain to bring it into the closed position, and an automatic return system for the at least one curtain which includes:
an elastic element which is elastic in elongation along the rolling axis of the first roller shaft, said elastic element being secured with a first end to the first roller shaft in such a way as to be rotated by said first roller shaft and vice versa,
a cylindrical slider intended to move in translation along the rolling axis of the first roller shaft and in rotation about the rolling axis, said cylindrical slider being secured to a second end of the elastic element in such a way as to be rotated indirectly by the first roller shaft and vice versa, said cylindrical slider also including a helical groove on the outer surface, the support frame including a fixed finger configured to be inserted in the helical groove on the cylindrical slider.

2. The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the elastic element of the automatic return system for the at least one curtain is a spring having turns helically wound around the rolling axis of the first roller shaft.

3. The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the elastic element is a traction spring and in that the cylindrical slider has, at an end connected to the elastic element, a wall forming a housing space intended to receive at least some of the turns of the elastic element.

4. The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein endings of the helical groove on the outer face of the cylindrical slider form stops configured to come into contact with the fixed finger of the support frame so as to define the terminal positions of the cylindrical slider in translational movement thereof.

5. The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first roller shaft includes a hollow end, while the device further includes a central pin arranged inside the hollow end of the first roller shaft such that it projects from said hollow end, the central pin being configured to move in translation inside the hollow end of the first roller shaft along the rolling axis, and in that the cylindrical slider is rigidly secured to the central pin.

6. The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein one end of the first roller shaft has a shoulder and in that the cylindrical slider and the elastic element are positioned coaxially to this the shoulder so as to be movable in translation on this shoulder along the rolling axis.

7. The device as claimed in claim 6 , wherein a linear ball bearing is interposed between the shoulder at the end of the first roller shaft and the cylindrical slider.

Assignees

• Valeo Systemes Thermiques

Inventors

• Minero Ramales Victor Manuel
• Vacca Frederic
• Arab Karim
• Marion Laura
• Gerber Sylvain

Classifications

• B60K11/085 Primary

  with adjustable shutters or blinds · CPC title

• B60Y2306/13

  Failsafe arrangements · CPC title

• B60Y2400/164

  Springs · CPC title

• Y02T10/88

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