Active grill shutter vane design and vehicle system

Abstract

An integrated assembly includes a vehicle bumper system, and upper and lower air shutter sections with subassembled shutter vanes movable between closed and open positions, an actuator mechanism for moving the shutter members between positions. When in the fully open position, the shutter vanes are aerodynamically designed to minimize air drag, both as air flows past the vanes and also during after-vane airflow (and during after-bumper-beam airflow). When in the fully closed vane position, the vanes seal against each other to provide a highly efficient and leak-resistant air-blocking assembly.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows: 
     
         1 . A shutter vane apparatus for use in an active grill shutter apparatus for a vehicle, comprising:
 a vane body including opposing first and second aerodynamic surfaces forming a leading end, a middle, and a trailing end, with the trailing end tapering generally to a narrow edge;   the first surface including a concave region defining a concavity along the leading end, and extending along a convex region from a rear of the concavity to a thickest part of the middle portion and then forming a first narrowing tapering surface to the trailing end;   the second surface including a convex region extending from the leading end downwardly and rearwardly to the thickest part and then forming a second narrowing tapering surface to the trailing end.   
     
     
         2 . An apparatus including first and second vanes each having a shape of the vane body defined in  claim 1 , wherein the second surface of the trailing end of the first vane is shaped to fit mateably into the concavity in the leading end of the first surface on the second vane. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus defined in  claim 2 , including a linkage connected to the first and second vanes, and an actuator connected to the linkage for selectively moving the first and second vane simultaneously. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus defined in  claim 1 , wherein the vane body includes outboard and inboard ends, each including a pivot pin for pivotally mounting the vane body for rotation about a longitudinal axis extending along the vane body. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus defined in  claim 4 , wherein at least one of the outboard and inboard ends includes an arm extending away from the longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus defined in  claim 5 , wherein the arm includes a pivot and a linkage connected to the pivot. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus defined in  claim 6 , including an actuator connected to the linkage and adapted for connection to a vehicle electrical control unit. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus defined in  claim 1 , wherein the vane body has a cross section with a length to height ratio of 35:7. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus defined in  claim 1 , wherein the concavity is about 2-4 mm deep. 
     
     
         10 . A grill shutter system for a vehicle having a front end including a bumper reinforcement beam, a power plant, and a cooling component, comprising:
 a shutter frame defining an opening for passage of air and configured for attachment to the front end in front of the cooling component;   a plurality of vanes with aerodynamic upper and lower surfaces that are operably positioned in the shutter frame, the vanes being movable between a closed position where mating surfaces of adjacent vanes abut to block airflow through the shutter perimeter frame, an open position where the aerodynamic upper and lower surfaces allow airflow through the perimeter frame with minimal drag, and at least one partially-open position therebetween that allows limited airflow; and   an actuator and linkage connected to the vanes for moving the vanes between the operative positions.   
     
     
         11 . The system defined in  claim 10 , including an engine control unit operably connected to the actuator for operating the plurality of vanes to optimize vehicle performance. 
     
     
         12 . The system defined in  claim 10 , wherein one of the mating surfaces of the vanes includes a longitudinal concavity defined along a leading edge of each vane, and where another one of the mating surfaces includes a trailing end shaped to fit matingly into the concavity on an adjacent one of the vanes when in the closed position. 
     
     
         13 . The system defined in  claim 10 , wherein each of the vanes includes a vane body with outboard and inboard ends, each including a pivot pin for pivotally mounting the vane body for rotation about a longitudinal axis extending along the vane body. 
     
     
         14 . The system defined in  claim 13 , wherein one of the outboard and inboard ends includes an arm extending away from the longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         15 . The system defined in  claim 14 , wherein the arm includes a pivot connected to the linkage. 
     
     
         16 . The system defined in  claim 13 , wherein the vane body has a cross section with a length to height ratio of 35:7. 
     
     
         17 . The system defined in  claim 12 , wherein the concavity is about 2-4 mm deep. 
     
     
         18 . The system defined in  claim 13 , where an interior of the vane body includes polymeric material and also gas pockets which reduce a total weight of the vane body. 
     
     
         19 . A method for a vehicle having a front end including a bumper reinforcement beam, a power plant, and a cooling component, comprising:
 providing a shutter frame defining an opening for passage of air to the cooling component and configured for attachment to the front end in front of the cooling component;   providing a plurality of vanes with aerodynamic upper and lower surfaces that are operably positioned in the shutter frame, the vanes being movable between a closed position where mating surfaces of adjacent vanes abut to block airflow through the shutter perimeter frame, an open position where the aerodynamic upper and lower surfaces allow airflow through the perimeter frame with minimal drag, and at least one partially-open position therebetween that allows limited airflow; and   selectively moving the vanes between the operative positions to control air flow to the cooling component.   
     
     
         20 . The method defined in  claim 19 , wherein the mating surfaces include a longitudinal concavity on a leading edge of each of the vanes and a mating shape on a trailing edge of adjacent ones of the vanes, and where the step of moving the vanes to the closed position causes the trailing edge of the adjacent vanes to move into the concavity of the mating surfaces on adjacent vanes.