Abstract:
A grill assembly for attachment to a vehicle front end including a base grill portion, having a front surface, a back surface, a perimeter portion, and cross-rail portions. The cross-rail portions define a plurality of grill openings therebetween. A plurality of louvers are configured to communicate with the plurality of grill openings. The assembly is in communication with a controller to effectuate generally linearly reciprocal movement of at least one of the base grill portion or the plurality of louvers in a direction generally defined by a direction of travel of the vehicle to vary an amount of air flow through the plurality of grill openings.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/059,302, entitled “Vehicle Grill With Linearly Reciprocal Moveable Louvers”, filed on Oct. 3, 2014, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein. 
     
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0002]    The present invention relates generally to a grill for a vehicle. More particularly, the present invention relates to a grill for a vehicle that utilizes linearly reciprocal movement between a grill portion and associated louvers to close off grill openings and selectively vary the flow of air through the grill to the interior engine compartment. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    Vehicle grills are known to direct airflow into the engine compartment of a vehicle when it is driven. This airflow may be employed to cool components within the engine compartment, including the engine or transmission. However, engine components may not always require the full amount of airflow available to the vehicle. For example, under some conditions, such as when the ambient air and engine are cold, it may be advantageous to reduce airflow into the engine compartment to allow the engine to warm more quickly and provide warm air sooner through the heating and air conditioning system. Closing the openings of the grill, such as through the use of moveable louvers, may also be advantageous, provided that adequate cooling airflow is provided to the engine compartment, to reduce aerodynamic drag and improve fuel economy. 
         [0004]    Grills with moveable grill louvers are known and the louvers are generally operated by an electric motor that drives a gear set to effectuate rotational movement of the louvers to block or restrict airflow through the grill openings. The louvers are typically configured to rotate between a fully open position where unrestricted airflow can occur through the grill openings and a closed position where airflow is blocked. Moreover, moveable louvers have generally been disposed behind the vehicle grill to close off the openings from their backside and thus are not prominently visible. As such, they do not contribute to the aesthetics of the vehicle. These systems also require the use of significant space in the engine compartment for proper rotation and operation, which is a disadvantage for packaging requirements. 
         [0005]    As these systems all suffer from a variety of disadvantages, it is desirable to provide a vehicle grill that improves over these systems in both function and aesthetics. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    Accordingly, it is an aspect of the present disclosure to provide a vehicle grill that utilizes linear movement between the grill and grill louvers to open and close grill openings and vary airflow through the grill. 
         [0007]    It is another aspect of the present disclosure to provide a vehicle grill that can selectively close or partially close associated grill openings depending upon engine and/or vehicle operating conditions to reduce drag when less airflow is required to the engine. 
         [0008]    It is still another aspect of the present disclosure to provide a vehicle grill that enhances function of a vehicle to which the grill is attached and also enhances the aesthetics of the vehicle. 
         [0009]    It is yet another aspect of the present disclosure to provide a vehicle grill that employs linear movement between the grill and associated grill louvers to selectively close the grill openings to allow for faster engine warm up and reduce the carbon footprint of the vehicle. 
         [0010]    It is a further aspect of the present disclosure to provide a vehicle grill that utilizes moveable louvers and minimizes the amount of space requirements in the engine compartment for operation of same. 
         [0011]    It is still a further aspect of the present disclosure to provide a vehicle grill with moveable louvers that are disposed on an outer surface of the grill. 
         [0012]    In accordance with the above and the other aspects of the present disclosure, a grill assembly for a vehicle front end is provided. The grill assembly includes a base grill portion, including a front surface, a back surface, a perimeter portion, and a plurality of cross rail portions. The plurality of cross rail portions define a plurality of grill openings which are configured to permit air flow therethrough from an exterior of the vehicle to an interior engine compartment. The plurality of grill openings are each in communication with at least one louver. The assembly is in communication with a controller to effectuate linearly reciprocal movement of at least one of the base grill portion or the plurality of louvers in a direction generally defined by a direction of travel of the vehicle to vary an amount of air flow through the plurality of grill openings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0013]    Other aspects of the present disclosure will be readily appreciated, as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein: 
           [0014]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a vehicle grill attached to a vehicle in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure; 
           [0015]      FIG. 2  is a schematic illustration of a vehicle grill with a plurality of movable louvers in a fully open position in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure; 
           [0016]      FIG. 3  is a schematic illustration of a vehicle grill with a plurality of moveable louvers in a partially open position in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure; 
           [0017]      FIG. 4  is another schematic illustration of a vehicle grill with a plurality of movable louvers in a closed position in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure; 
           [0018]      FIG. 5A  is a schematic front view of a portion of a vehicle grill with movable louvers in accordance with another aspect of the present disclosure; 
           [0019]      FIG. 5B  is a schematic side cross-sectional view of the vehicle grill portion of  FIG. 5A ; 
           [0020]      FIG. 6A  is a schematic front view of a portion of a vehicle grill with movable louvers in accordance with a further aspect of the present disclosure; and 
           [0021]      FIG. 6B  is a schematic side cross-sectional view of the vehicle grill portion of  FIG. 6A . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0022]    The present disclosure relates generally to a grill for an automotive vehicle. According to an aspect, as shown schematically in  FIG. 1 , the grill  10  may be attached to a front portion of a vehicle  14 . The vehicle  14  may include a central passageway  16  formed in the vehicle front portion  12  that extends between the exterior of the vehicle  14  and an engine compartment  18 . It will be appreciated that the grill may be attached to any suitable vehicle where air can flow into the engine compartment, including for cooling purposes, such as a car, a truck, or heavy equipment. The grill may alternatively be employed on other suitable structures other than vehicles. 
         [0023]    According to an aspect, the grill  10  may be formed of a plastic material and may be formed by a suitable forming process, such as injection molding. Alternatively, the grill  10  may be formed of a metal, a composite material or any other suitable material. According to a further aspect, the grill  10  may have a decorative surface applied thereto, which is intended to enhance vehicle aesthetics. According to an aspect, the decorative surface may be a metal coating, such as Chrome or Nickel that is applied to the plastic grill surface by a metal plating process, such as a conventional electroplating process. However, other types of metal may be employed as a coating and other metalizing processes may be utilized. According to another aspect, the decorative surface may be paint or a variety of other suitable decorative aesthetic finishes or coatings that can be applied to the grill surface. According to a still further aspect, a decorative surface could consist of molded-in-color or insert-molded film, which are available from Lacks Enterprises, Inc. of Grand Rapids, Mich. It will be appreciated that the decorative surface may be applied to all of the grill or only a select portion or portions thereof. According to an aspect, the decorative surface may be applied to only the class A surfaces. According to still a further aspect, the decorative surface or a combination of surfaces may be applied to only a portion of the class A surface. It will also be appreciated that multiple decorative surfaces may be applied to the grill, such as a metal plated layer as well as paint layer over top thereof. Other combinations, configurations, and types of decorative surfaces may also be utilized. 
         [0024]    According to an aspect and as shown in  FIGS. 2 through 4 , the vehicle grill  10  can include a base structure  20 , having a top rail  22 , a bottom rail  24 , a pair of opposing side rails  26 , and a middle rail  28 . According to an aspect, the grill  10  may also include a plurality of grill openings  30  that are formed between the rails in a front face  32  of the grill  10 . The grill openings  30  may be configured to permit air to flow through the grill  10  generally in a direction from the vehicle exterior into the engine compartment  18 . The grill openings  30  may also be defined by a plurality of side surfaces  34  that extend inwardly away from the grill front face  32  toward the engine compartment. According to an aspect, one or more of the plurality of side surfaces  34  may be sloped or angled inwardly. It will be appreciated that the grill front face  32 , the openings  30  and the side surfaces  34  may have a variety of different configurations. The grill may include any number of rails or none at all and may thus include a variety of different number of openings. 
         [0025]    According to a further aspect, the grill  10  may include a system for selectively opening or closing the grill openings  30 . In the open position, full airflow may be permitted to flow through the openings. While in the closed position, airflow may be prevented from flowing through the openings  30  into the engine compartment. 
         [0026]    According to an aspect, the system can include a plurality of louvers  40  that are in communication with each of the grill openings  30 . The louvers  40  may be configured to move with respect to each of the grill openings  30  to selectively block air from flowing therethrough or to allow air to flow therethrough unobstructed according to parameters defined by the system. The louvers  40  may also be moved to a variety of other intermediate positions to restrict airflow by partially blocking off the grill openings  30 . The degree of obstruction and position of the louvers  40  may be controlled by a suitable control system and algorithms for opening and closing the grill openings  30  based on a variety of predetermined conditions or factors. 
         [0027]    According to another aspect, the system may be employed to control airflow into a variety of other vehicle locations and may be employed in connection with a variety of other suitable structures. For example, the system may be employed to control airflow into the vehicle passenger compartment, for combustion or for other uses. According to another aspect, the disclosed system may be employed to selectively open or close other airflow passages, holes or ducts. 
         [0028]    According to an aspect, each louver  40  may be configured to generally match the size and shape of a corresponding grill opening  30  with which it is designed to communicate. As shown, the grill openings  30  may be generally rectangular in shape. According to an aspect, the louvers  40  may have a corresponding rectangular shape. It will be appreciated that the size and shape of the grill openings  30  and the corresponding louvers  40  may vary. According to an aspect, each louver  40  can include a front surface  42 , a back surface  44 , and a plurality of side surfaces  46  that extend between and connect the front surface  42  and the back surface  44 . According to a further aspect, the louver side surfaces  46  may generally match the shape, contour and slope of the inside side surfaces  34 . According to an aspect, the louver side surfaces  46  may be angled in order to generally match the configuration of the grill opening side surfaces  34 . According to an aspect, the shape of the louvers  42  may be designed to predominantly restrict airflow through the grill openings  30  when in the closed position. 
         [0029]    According to an aspect, the louvers  40  may be moveable with respect to the grill openings  30 . According to an aspect, the louvers  40  may be moveable in a linear direction, i.e., fore and back with respect to the direction of travel of the vehicle. This is contrasted with the rotational movement of louvers in prior systems. According to an aspect, the louvers  40  may be linearly moveable between an open position (see e.g.  FIGS. 2 and 3 ) and a closed position (see e.g.  FIG. 4 ) to expose or close off the grill openings  30 . 
         [0030]    In the open position, generally shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the louvers  40  may be displaced or spaced outwardly (forwardly with respect to the direction of vehicle travel) from the openings  30  such that air may flow around the louvers  40  and into the openings  30 . In the closed position, the louvers  40  may be nested in each of the grill openings  30  such that airflow through the openings is predominantly blocked. It will be appreciated that a variety of suitable structures may be employed to translate the louvers  40  between the open and the closed position. According to an aspect, linkage structures or moveable rods may be in communication with the louvers  40  to move them under direction of the control system in connection with a driving mechanism, such as a motor. It will be appreciated that any suitable structure may be employed for translating the louvers  40 . In the nested position, the side surfaces  46  of the louvers  40  may engage the side surfaces  34  of the grill  10 . It will also be appreciated that the louvers  40  may move linearly in a direction normal or perpendicular to the face of the grill. 
         [0031]    According to an aspect, the louvers  40  may be constructed as horizontal slats that have elongated rectangular sides. The louvers  40  may have a variety of different configurations, sizes and shapes. The louvers  40  may be formed of a plastic material, however, it will be understood that they can be formed of a metal or a variety of other suitable materials. According to an aspect, the louvers  40  may also be formed of a plastic material and may have a decorative surface or coating, such as a metal layer, thereon in the same fashion as discussed above in connection with the grill. Again, the decorative surface may be applied to just the front surface  42 , i.e., the class A surface. The decorative surface may consist of a combination of different types of aesthetic treatments. 
         [0032]    According to an aspect, in operation, the louvers  40  may be in a closed position at startup of the vehicle  14 . As the vehicle  14  begins to travel, the louvers  40  may move to an open position for heat management purposes. Thereafter, as the vehicle increases to a certain predetermined speed, the louvers  40  can move to a closed position to reduce the coefficient of drag and provide improved aerodynamics for the vehicle. It will be understood that the louvers  40  can be controlled linearly to move at various predetermined different speeds and to different degrees of displacements depending upon the vehicle. For example, they can be partially closed under certain circumstances to allow limited airflow. Alternatively, the louvers  40  can be controlled to move under other conditions besides or in addition to vehicle speed. The exact conditions under which the louvers  40  move between the open and closed position is not critical and is not intended to be limiting. Moreover, under some conditions, the louvers  40  can also be partially open or partially closed to restrict air flow, but not totally blocking air flow through the openings  30 . The movement and timing of the louvers  40  may be effectuated by a controller (not shown) that is in communication with the motor unit. It will also be appreciated that the louvers  40  may remain stationary and the grill  10  may translate forwardly and rearwardly in a generally linear path to effectuate opening and closing of the grill openings  30 . According to an aspect, due to the angled configuration of the side surfaces  34  and the rails, in the closed position, the louvers  40  are recessed or flush with respect to the front face of the grill. 
         [0033]      FIGS. 5A and 5B  schematically illustrate another configuration of an exemplary grill opening  50  and corresponding louver  52  for a vehicle grill  10  in accordance with an aspect of the disclosure. It will be appreciated that the grill  10  can include multiple grill openings  50  and multiple corresponding louvers  52  and that they can also have different or varying shapes. According to an aspect as shown, the grill opening  50  may be configured generally as a parallogram. According to another aspect, the louver  52  may also be generally shaped as a parallogram such that in the closed position, the louver  52  may nest in the grill opening  50  to block off air flow through the grill. According to another aspect, the grill opening  50  may be smaller than the grill opening  30 . 
         [0034]    According to an aspect, the louver  52  may be configured to reciprocate between and open position where the louver  52  is removed from engagement with the opening  50  to allow airflow to flow through the opening and a closed position where airflow is blocked from passing through the opening. According to another aspect, the louver  52  may be disposed rearwardly of the opening  50  and may be configured to communicate with a backside of the opening  50  in the closed position. In the open position, the louver  52  may be disposed rearwardly from or behind the opening  50  such that airflow may pass through the opening  50 . Again, the louver  52  may be in communication with a controller and a control system to control movement of the louver  52  between the open position and the closed position, including one or more intermediate positions therebetween. 
         [0035]    According to a further aspect as shown in the Figures, the louver  52  may be disposed forwardly of the grill front face in the open position and can include a front head portion  54  and a stem portion  56 . The stem portion  56  may extend into the opening  50 . In the closed position, the stem portion  56  may reside substantially in the opening  50  and extend from the front surface  51  to the rear surface  53  of the grill  10 . Also, in the closed position, the front head portion  54  can engage the front surface of the grill portion  10 . As also shown, an area  55  of the front surface of the grill portion  10  may be recessed or sloped inwardly adjacent the opening  50  such that the front head portion  54  can be flush with or recessed with respect to the front surface  51 . Additionally, the louver  52  can include an enlarged lower portion  57  that can engage with a corresponding surface  58  in the opening  50  to provide support for the lover  52  in the closed position. 
         [0036]      FIGS. 6A and 6B  schematically illustrate another configuration of an exemplary grill opening  60  and corresponding louver  62  for a vehicle grill  10  in accordance with an aspect of the disclosure. It will be appreciated that the grill  10  can include multiple grill openings  60  and multiple corresponding louvers  62  and that they can also have different or varying shapes. According to an aspect as shown, the grill opening  60  may be configured generally as an oval or circle. According to another aspect, the louver  62  may also be generally shaped as an oval or circle such that in the closed position, the louver  62  may nest in the grill opening  60  to block off air flow through the grill. According to another aspect, the grill opening  60  may be smaller than the grill opening  30 . 
         [0037]    According to an aspect, the louver  62  may be configured to reciprocate between an open position where the louver  62  is removed from engagement with the opening  60  to allow airflow to flow through the opening and a closed position where airflow is blocked from passing through the opening. According to another aspect, the louver  62  may be disposed rearwardly of the opening  60  and may be configured to communicate with a backside of the opening  60  in the closed position. In the open position, the louver  62  may be disposed rearwardly from or behind the opening  60  such that airflow may pass through the opening  60 . Again, the louver  62  may be in communication with a controller and a control system to control movement of the louver  62  between the open position and the closed position, including one or more intermediate positions therebetween. 
         [0038]    According to a further aspect as shown in the Figures, the louver  62  may be disposed forwardly of the grill front face in the open position and can include a front head portion  64  and a stem portion  66 . The stem portion  66  may extend into the opening  60 . In the closed position, the stem portion  66  may reside substantially in the opening  60  and extend from the front surface  61  to the rear surface  63  of the grill  10 . Also, in the closed position, the front head portion  64  can engage the front surface of the grill portion  10 . As also shown, an area  65  of the front surface of the grill portion  10  may be recessed or sloped inwardly adjacent the opening  60  such that the front head portion  64  can be flush with or recessed with respect to the front surface  61 . Additionally, the louver  62  can include an enlarged lower portion  67  that can engage with a corresponding surface  68  in the opening  60  to provide support for the lover  62  in the closed position. 
         [0039]    The specification and illustrations of the embodiments described herein are intended to provide a general understanding of the structure of the various embodiments. The specification and illustrations are not intended to serve as an exhaustive and comprehensive description of all of the elements and features of apparatus and systems that use the structures or methods described herein. Many other embodiments may be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reviewing the disclosure. Other embodiments may be used and derived from the disclosure, such that a structural substitution, logical substitution, or another change may be made without departing from the scope of the disclosure. Accordingly, the disclosure is to be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive. 
         [0040]    Certain features are, for clarity, described herein in the context of separate embodiments, may also be provided in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features that are, for brevity, described in the context of a single embodiment, may also be provided separately or in any sub combination. Further, reference to values stated in ranges includes each and every value within that range. 
         [0041]    Benefits, other advantages, and solutions to problems have been described above with regard to specific embodiments. However, the benefits, advantages, solutions to problems, and any feature(s) that may cause any benefit, advantage, or solution to occur or become more pronounced are not to be construed as a critical, required, or essential feature of any or all the claims. 
         [0042]    The above-disclosed subject matter is to be considered illustrative, and not restrictive, and the appended claims are intended to cover any and all such modifications, enhancements, and other embodiments that fall within the scope of the present invention. Thus, to the maximum extent allowed by law, the scope of the present invention is to be determined by the broadest permissible interpretation of the following claims and their equivalents, and shall not be restricted or limited by the foregoing detailed description. 
         [0043]    Although only a few exemplary embodiments have been described in detail above, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible in the exemplary embodiments without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of the embodiments of the present disclosure. Accordingly, all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the embodiments of the present disclosure as defined in the following claims. In the claims, means-plus-function clauses are intended to cover the structures described herein as performing the recited function and not only structural equivalents, but also equivalent structures.