Variable duct apparatus for vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9233605-B2
Application number	US-201414226724-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 26, 2014
Priority date	Mar 28, 2013
Publication date	Jan 12, 2016
Grant date	Jan 12, 2016

Abstract

A variable duct apparatus for a vehicle including first and second louvers to rotate around first and second axes to open and closed positions, the variable duct apparatus including: a link to connect first and second louvers; first and second stoppers disposed at the first and second louvers to control the first and second louvers at an open position; a motor to rotate the first louver; and a control device to perform an opening or closing operation for rotating the first louver to the open or closed position by supplying current to the electric motor until a lock current is detected. The control device includes an abnormality determining unit to determine that an operating state is abnormal when an operating angle of the first louver from a start of the opening or closing operation until detection of the lock current is out of a predetermined reference operating angle range.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A variable duct apparatus for a vehicle, the variable duct apparatus comprising:
a first louver and a second louver that are disposed at a front of a vehicle and configured to rotate respectively around a first axis and a second axis up to an open position and a closed position, the first axis and the second axis extending in the vehicle width direction, the open position allowing air to be introduced into the vehicle front, the closed position causing the introduction of air to be blocked or reduced;
a link configured to connect the first louver and the second louver in an interlocking manner;
a first stopper and a second stopper that are respectively disposed at the first louver and the second louver and configured come into contact with each other to control the first louver and the second louver at the open position;
an electric motor to rotationally drive the first louver; and
a control device to perform an opening operation for rotating the first louver up to the open position and a closing operation for rotating the first louver up to the closed position by supplying current to the electric motor until a lock current value is detected,
wherein the control device includes an abnormality determining unit to determine that an operating state is abnormal when an operating angle of the first louver from a start of either one of the opening operation and the closing operation until the detection of the lock current value is out of a predetermined reference operating angle range.

2. The variable duct apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 1 ,
wherein the reference operating angle range is a range of the operating angle of the first louver from the start of the opening operation until the first stopper and the second stopper come into contact with each other.

3. The variable duct apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 2 ,
wherein the operating angle is a rotation angle of the electric motor during the opening operation, and the reference operating angle range is a range of the rotation angle of the electric motor during the opening operation from the start of the opening operation until the first stopper and the second stopper come into contact with each other.

4. The variable duct apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 1 ,
wherein the operating angle is a rotation angle of the electric motor during the opening operation, and the reference operating angle range is a range of the rotation angle of the electric motor during the opening operation from the start of the opening operation until the first stopper and the second stopper come into contact with each other.

Assignees

• Fuji Heavy Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Hijikata Kenji

Classifications

• F01P2031/00

  Fail safe · CPC title

• B60K11/085 Primary

  with adjustable shutters or blinds · CPC title

• Y02T10/88

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