Rear spoiler device for a vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016347380-A1
Application number	US-201414901840-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 24, 2014
Priority date	Jul 4, 2013
Publication date	Dec 1, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A vehicle ( 1 ) includes at least one rear door ( 6, 8 ) with a rear spoiler device ( 14 ). The rear spoiler device includes an air deflector element ( 15, 25, 35, 45 ), which is adjustable between a basic position and a drive position for extending the contour and aerodynamic air deflection. The rear spoiler device further includes one support device ( 18, 28, 38, 48 ) for supporting the air deflector element ( 15, 25, 35, 45 ) in its drive position. The support device has a four-bar linkage ( 18, 28, 38, 48 ) with at least four joints or joint axes (A, B, C, D) for adjusting the air deflector element ( 15, 25, 35, 45 ) between the basic position and the drive position.

First claim

1 . A rear spoiler device ( 14 ) for a vehicle ( 1 ) having at least one pivoted rear door ( 6 , 8 ), the rear spoiler device ( 14 ) comprising:
at least one air deflector element ( 15 , 25 , 35 , 45 ), which is adjustable between a basic position and a drive position for extending the contour and aerodynamic air deflection, and at least one support device ( 18 , 28 , 38 , 48 ) for supporting the air deflector element ( 15 , 25 , 35 , 45 ) in the drive position, wherein the at least one support device includes a four-bar linkage ( 18 , 28 , 38 , 48 ) having at least four joint axes (A, B, C, D) for adjusting the air deflector element ( 15 , 25 , 35 , 45 ) between the basic position and the drive position, wherein the rear spoiler device is configured to be mounted exclusively to the at least one rear door ( 6 , 8 ).

2 . The rear spoiler device ( 14 ) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the four-bar linkage ( 18 , 28 , 38 , 48 ) comprises precisely four joint axes (A, B, C, D).

3 . The rear spoiler device ( 14 ) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the four joint axes (A, B, C, D) in which the air deflector element ( 15 , 25 , 35 , 45 ) is adjustable run parallel to one another.

4 . The rear spoiler device ( 14 ) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the four-bar linkage ( 18 , 28 , 38 , 48 ) forms a positive guidance for adjusting the air deflector element ( 15 , 25 , 35 , 45 ) between the basic position and the drive position.

5 . The rear spoiler device ( 14 ) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the four-bar linkage ( 18 , 28 , 38 , 48 ) comprises:
at least one main oscillating link ( 16 , 26 , 36 , 46 ) of greater length (L 1 , L 3 ) and at least one secondary oscillating link ( 17 , 27 , 37 , 47 ) of a smaller length (L 2 , L 4 ), wherein the main oscillating link ( 16 , 26 , 36 , 46 ) and the secondary oscillating link ( 17 , 27 , 37 , 47 ) each include a front joint ( 16 a, 17 a, 26 a, 27 a, 36 a, 37 a , 46 a, 47 a ) for attachment to the rear door ( 6 , 8 ) and a rear joint ( 16 b, 17 b, 26 b, 27 b , 36 b, 37 b, 46 b, 47 b ), which serves for pivotally connecting the main oscillating link ( 16 ) and the secondary oscillating link ( 17 ) respectively to the air deflector element ( 15 , 25 , 35 , 45 ).

6 . The rear spoiler device ( 14 ) as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the front joint ( 17 a, 27 a, 37 a, 47 a ) of the secondary oscillating link ( 17 , 27 , 37 , 47 ) is attached to the rear door ( 6 , 8 ) further outwards towards a side wall ( 3 ) or the roof ( 4 ) of the vehicle ( 1 ) than the front joint ( 16 a, 26 a , 36 a, 46 a ) of the main oscillating link ( 16 , 26 , 36 , 46 ).

7 . The rear spoiler device ( 14 ) as claimed in claim 5 wherein in the basic position the rear joint ( 17 b, 27 b, 37 b, 47 b ) of the secondary oscillating link ( 17 , 27 , 37 , 47 ) is attached to the air deflector element ( 15 , 25 , 35 , 45 ) further laterally outwards than the rear joint ( 16 b, 26 b, 36 b, 46 b ) of the main oscillating link ( 16 , 26 , 36 , 46 ).

8 . The rear spoiler device ( 14 ) as claimed in claim 5 , wherein a first swivel angle (α 1 )) of the main oscillating link ( 16 , 26 , 36 , 46 ) is smaller than a second swivel angle (α 2 ) of the secondary oscillating link ( 17 , 27 , 37 , 47 ).

9 . The rear spoiler device ( 14 ) as claimed in claim 5 , wherein in the basic position the air deflector element ( 15 , 25 , 35 , 45 ) rests flat on the secondary oscillating link ( 17 , 27 , 37 , 47 ) and the main oscillating link ( 16 , 26 , 36 , 46 ) and substantially parallel to the rear door ( 6 , 8 ) and in the drive position protrudes from the rear door ( 6 , 8 ) at a drive position angle (α 3 ), which is greater than 0° and less than 90°.

10 . The rear spoiler device ( 14 ) as claimed in claim 5 , further comprising two secondary oscillating links ( 17 , 27 , 37 , 47 ) having front joints ( 17 a, 27 a, 37 a, 47 a ) lying in a common joint axis (B) and rear joints ( 17 b, 27 b, 37 b, 47 b ) lying in a common joint axis (D), and a main oscillating link ( 16 ) arranged between the secondary oscillating links ( 17 ), in order to rest with no overlap on the rear door ( 6 , 8 ) in the basic position.

11 . The rear spoiler device ( 14 ) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the air deflector element ( 15 , 25 ) has a front end ( 15 a, 25 a ) with a contour extension ( 54 ), which in the drive position extends over a vehicle structure ( 2 ) of a rear area or up to a side wall ( 3 ) of the vehicle ( 1 ) and bridges an intermediate gap.

12 . The rear spoiler device ( 14 ) as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a side air deflector element ( 15 , 25 ), having vertically running joint axes (A, B, C, D), for extending a contour of a side wall ( 3 ) of the vehicle ( 1 ).

13 . The rear spoiler device ( 14 ) as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a roof air deflector element ( 35 , 45 ), having horizontally running joint axes, for extending the contour of a roof ( 4 ) of the vehicle ( 1 ).

14 . The rear spoiler device ( 14 ) as claimed in claim 1 , further comrpising arresting mechanisms ( 71 , 69 , 52 , 62 ) for at least one of the basic position and the drive position, the arresting mechanisms being mounted to the at least one rear door ( 6 , 8 ).

15 . The rear spoiler device ( 14 ) as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising at least one spring device ( 68 ), which pushes the at least one air deflector element ( 15 , 25 , 35 , 45 ) into the basic position in a first swivel range and into the drive position in a second swivel range.

16 . The rear spoiler device ( 14 ) as claimed in claim 1 , comprising a left-hand side spoiler device ( 9 ) and left-hand roof spoiler device ( 11 ) for attachment to a left-hand rear door ( 6 ) of the vehicle ( 1 ) and a right-hand side spoiler device ( 10 ) and right-hand roof spoiler device ( 12 ) for attachment to a right-hand rear door ( 8 ) of the vehicle ( 1 ),
wherein the rear spoiler device ( 14 ) in the basic position with the left-hand and right-hand rear doors ( 6 , 8 ) swiveled forwards and resting on side walls ( 3 ) of the vehicle ( 1 ) is accommodated between the left-hand and right-hand rear doors ( 6 , 8 ) and the side walls ( 3 ).

17 . A vehicle ( 1 ) having a rear spoiler device ( 14 ) as claimed in claim 16 , wherein the vehicle ( 1 ) comprises two pivoted rear doors ( 6 , 8 ), which can be opened by more than 180° forwards,
wherein the rear spoiler device ( 14 ) is attached only to the rear doors ( 6 , 8 ), and
in the basic position of the rear spoiler device ( 14 ) the rear doors ( 6 , 8 ) can be fixed to the sidewalls ( 3 ) of the vehicle ( 1 ), wherein the rear spoiler device ( 14 ) can be accommodated between the sidewalls ( 3 ) and the rear doors ( 6 , 8 ).

18 . The rear spoiler device ( 14 ) as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the spring device is installed in a bistable arrangement having a dead-point position between the first swivel range and second swivel range.

Assignees

• Wabco Europe Bvba

Inventors

• Dieckmann Thomas
• Krost Jakob Tobias
• Oleksik Josef
• Richter Timo
• Van Raemdonck Gandert
• Zielke Frank

Classifications

• B62D35/007

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

• Y02T10/82

  Elements for improving aerodynamics · CPC title

• B62D35/001 Primary

  For commercial vehicles or tractor-trailer combinations, e.g. caravans · CPC title