Device for influencing an air flow in an engine compartment of a motor vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9908399-B2
Application number	US-201715440666-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 23, 2017
Priority date	Feb 29, 2016
Publication date	Mar 6, 2018
Grant date	Mar 6, 2018

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a device for influencing an air flow within an engine compartment of a motor vehicle. The device comprises an adjusting means for adjusting the device between two end positions. The device is allocated to a part region of the engine compartment so that in one of the end positions, an air flow that is provided in the engine compartment is in part or entirely either guided into the part region or guided away from the part region.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle comprising:
an enclosure defining an engine compartment having first and second portions and an orifice that accesses the engine compartment;
a shutter having a single vane configured to,
direct airflow through the orifice into the first portion and shield the second portion when in a first position, and
direct airflow through the orifice into the second portion and shield the first portion when in a second position.

2. The vehicle of claim 1 further comprising an adjustment mechanism configured to adjust the vane between the first and second positions.

3. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the first portion is downstream of a cooling module.

4. The vehicle of claim 2 , wherein the first portion houses a vehicle component that is to be ventilated via the airflow.

5. The vehicle of claim 4 , where the adjustment mechanism and shutter are secured to the vehicle component.

6. The vehicle of claim 5 , wherein the adjustment mechanism includes an element that changes form in response to a change in temperature such that the position of the vane adjusts between the first and second positions in response to a change in temperature of the element.

7. The vehicle of claim 6 , wherein the element is a bimetallic element that deforms in response to a change in temperature resulting in different expansions of two metals that comprise the bimetallic element.

8. The vehicle of claim 6 , wherein the element is comprised of a material having shape memory that deforms in response to a change in temperature resulting in a change in crystalline structure of the element.

9. The vehicle of claim 2 , wherein the adjustment mechanism includes an electrical actuator.

10. The vehicle of claim 2 , wherein the adjustment mechanism includes a hydraulic actuator.

11. The vehicle of claim 2 , wherein the adjustment mechanism includes a pneumatic actuator.

12. A method of adjusting airflow in a vehicle engine compartment having first and second portions comprising:
sensing a temperature of the first portion; and
adjusting a single vane to a first position such that the vane directs airflow into the first portion and shields the second portion in response to the temperature being greater than a threshold.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising adjusting the vane to a second position such that the vane directs airflow into the second portion and shields the first portion in response to the temperature being less than the threshold.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the first portion houses a vehicle component and the method further comprises sensing a temperature of the vehicle component and adjusting the vane to the first position to direct airflow into the first portion in response to the temperature of the vehicle component being greater than the threshold.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising adjusting the vane to the second position to direct airflow away from the first portion in response to the temperature of the vehicle component being less than the threshold.

16. A method of adjusting airflow in a vehicle engine compartment having first and second portions comprising:
sensing a temperature of a vehicle component that is housed in the first portion; and
adjusting a single vane to a first position such that the vane directs airflow into the first portion and shields the second portion in response to the temperature being greater than a threshold.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising adjusting the vane to a second position such that the vane directs airflow into the second portion and shields the first portion in response to the temperature being less than the threshold.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Brinkmann Bernd
• Wegers Johann Hendrik
• Nitsche Thomas
• Tietze Julian

Classifications

• B60K11/085 Primary

  with adjustable shutters or blinds · CPC title

• Y02T10/88

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

• F01P2001/005

  Cooling engine rooms · CPC title

• F01P1/06

  Arrangements for cooling other engine or machine parts · CPC title

• F01P7/10

  by throttling amount of air flowing through liquid-to-air heat exchangers · CPC title