Aerodynamic control system for vehicles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9783247-B2
Application number	US-201514960782-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 7, 2015
Priority date	Aug 20, 2015
Publication date	Oct 10, 2017
Grant date	Oct 10, 2017

Abstract

An aerodynamic control system for vehicles may improve aerodynamic performance of a vehicle and enhance fuel efficiency and driving stability of the vehicle. The aerodynamic control system includes a diffuser combined with a rear bumper at an ascending position so as to constitute part of a bumper surface of the rear bumper and separated from the rear bumper at a descending position so as to pass air exhausted from a lower part of the vehicle to a rear part of the vehicle along upper and lower surfaces of the diffuser, and a diffuser driving unit that connects a vehicle frame panel in a front of the rear bumper to the diffuser, supporting the diffuser on the vehicle frame panel, and adjusting upward and downward movement of the diffuser and the angle of the diffuser.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An aerodynamic control system for a vehicle, comprising:
a diffuser being a panel-shaped member configured so as to be completely separated from or combined with a rear bumper of the vehicle, combined with the rear bumper at an ascending position so as to constitute part of a bumper surface of the rear bumper, and separated from the rear bumper at a descending position so as to pass air introduced into a lower part of a vehicle frame through upper and lower surfaces of the diffuser; and
a diffuser driving unit configured so as to connect the vehicle frame panel to the diffuser, supporting the diffuser on the vehicle frame panel, and adjusting a vertical position of the diffuser and an angle of the diffuser,
wherein the diffuser driving unit includes a dual cylinder device disposed between the vehicle frame panel and the diffuser, comprising a first cylinder unit configured to move the diffuser vertically and a second cylinder unit configured to rotate the diffuser so as to adjust the angle of the diffuser.

2. The aerodynamic control system of claim 1 , wherein the diffuser has a long panel shape extended leftwards and rightwards in the length direction of the rear bumper.

3. The aerodynamic control system of claim 1 , wherein the diffuser is a panel-shaped member combined with the rear bumper at the ascending position so as to form the lower surface of the rear bumper.

4. The aerodynamic control system of claim 1 , wherein the dual cylinder device includes:
the first cylinder unit including a cylinder main body mounted on the vehicle frame panel so as to be fixed to the vehicle frame panel and a piston rod moving forwards and backwards in a vertical direction;
a cylinder strut connected to the piston rod of the first cylinder unit and hinged to the diffuser; and
the second cylinder unit including a cylinder main body hinged to the cylinder strut and a piston rod moving forwards and backwards and hinged to the diffuser.

5. The aerodynamic control system of claim 4 , wherein the dual cylinder device further includes a mounting part fixed to the vehicle frame panel and to which the cylinder main body of the first cylinder unit is fixed.

6. The aerodynamic control system of claim 4 , wherein, in the second cylinder unit, the piston rod moves forwards and backwards in the vertical direction in the cylinder main body, and a hinge joint part between the piston rod of the second cylinder unit and the diffuser is located at a rear position, as compared to a hinge joint part between the cylinder strut and the diffuser.

7. The aerodynamic control system of claim 1 , wherein:
the diffuser has a long panel shape disposed in the length direction of the rear bumper; and
the diffuser driving unit includes a plurality of dual cylinder devices disposed in the length direction of the diffuser.

8. The aerodynamic control system of claim 7 , wherein two dual cylinder devices are disposed in the length direction of the diffuser.

9. The aerodynamic control system of claim 1 , wherein the dual cylinder device is disposed in a space between the vehicle frame panel and a back beam of the rear bumper.

10. The aerodynamic control system of claim 1 , wherein the diffuser is rotated in a standing direction or rotated in a direction of laying down in the backward direction of the vehicle so that the angle of the diffuser is adjusted.

11. The aerodynamic control system of claim 1 , further comprising a controller configured to output a signal to control operation of the diffuser driving unit according to the speed of the vehicle, wherein the controller is set:
to output a control signal to raise the diffuser so as to form part of the bumper surface of the rear bumper, if the vehicle speed is a reference speed or lower; and
to output a control signal to lower the diffuser and to adjust the angle of the diffuser, if the vehicle speed exceeds the reference speed.

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kim Hak Lim

Classifications

• B62D35/007 Primary

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

• B62D35/02

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

• Y02T10/82

  Elements for improving aerodynamics · CPC title

• Y02T10/88

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