An airflow sealing system for a body-on-frame vehicle includes at least one flexible interface configured to control airflow between a vehicle body-mounted cooling pack assembly and a vehicle chassis-mounted air intake assembly. The chassis-mounted air intake assembly may be a lower air scoop/deflector. The at least one flexible interface includes a first end attached to a portion of the chassis-mounted air intake assembly and a second end slidably contacting a portion of the body-mounted cooling pack assembly. The second end may be slidably biased against a sealing plenum associated with the body-mounted cooling pack assembly. The at least one flexible interface may define a wiper seal between the body-mounted cooling pack assembly and the chassis-mounted air intake assembly. Chassis-mounted air intake assemblies and body-on-frame vehicles including the airflow sealing system are provided.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This disclosure relates generally to airflow deflectors. More particularly, the disclosure relates to an air deflector for a body-on-frame vehicle, including a flexible interface regulating airflow between a vehicle body-mounted cooling pack assembly and a vehicle chassis-mounted air intake assembly.

BACKGROUND

As is known, body-on-frame vehicles include a rigid chassis/frame supporting the vehicle drivetrain and a separate body mounted to that frame. While tending to be heavier than unibody vehicle constructions, body-on-frame vehicle construction provides certain advantages, including comparative simplicity of design, construction, and modification, high frame torsional strength, reduced exterior noise due to isolation of the body from the frame such as with rubber pads, and ease of repair of damage. For this reason, body-on-frame is often the construction method of choice for certain vehicle types including pickup trucks, truck-based sport-utility vehicles, off-road vehicles, certain vehicles subjected to heavy towing stress, and others.

Body-on-frame vehicles which specify advanced cooling requirements, which are common in certain vehicle types such as pickup trucks, rely on multiple sealing parts in the vehicle front end and under the vehicle to draw cooling air into the vehicle cooling pack (radiator(s), condenser, oil cooler, transmission cooler, power steering cooler, etc.). However, body-on-frame vehicles present a unique design challenge in that certain sealing components must be installed on the vehicle chassis/frame, but others must be installed on portions of the vehicle body. Still other sealing components are required to bridge the vehicle chassis/frame and vehicle body. Because in a body-on-frame vehicle there is typically relative movement between the body and the frame, sealing components bridging the body and frame must compensate for that relative movement.

Typically, this compensation for relative movement between the body and frame is accomplished by designing “slack” in the sealing components, i.e. by providing a seal that at least partially regulates airflow despite relative movement between the vehicle body and frame. While substantially effective, such slack decreases cooling efficiency. This can be a significant issue in light of modern requirements for vehicle efficiency, safety, and other standards requiring high-performance sealing systems. Accordingly, a need in the art exists for sealing systems for body-on-frame vehicles which both accommodate the relative movement between the vehicle body and frame, but which also provide highly efficient airflow seals to meet modern cooling standards.

SUMMARY

In accordance with the purposes and benefits described herein, in one aspect the present disclosure is directed to an airflow sealing system for a body-on-frame vehicle, comprising at least one flexible interface configured to control airflow between a vehicle body-mounted cooling pack assembly and a vehicle chassis-mounted air intake assembly. In embodiments, the chassis-mounted air intake assembly is a lower air scoop/deflector. The at least one flexible interface includes a first end attached to a portion of the chassis-mounted air intake assembly and a second end slidably contacting a portion of the body-mounted cooling pack assembly, the second end in embodiments being slidably biased against at least a sealing plenum associated with the body-mounted cooling pack assembly. In embodiments, the at least one flexible interface defines a wiper seal between the body-mounted cooling pack assembly and the chassis-mounted air intake assembly.

In another aspect, a chassis-mounted air intake assembly for a body-on-frame vehicle is described, comprising a vehicle chassis-mounted front air scoop/deflector and an airflow sealing system configured to control airflow between the front lower air scoop/deflector and a vehicle body-mounted cooling pack. In embodiments, the front air scoop/deflector is a lower air scoop/deflector associated with a vehicle front bumper. As described, in embodiments the airflow sealing system comprises at least one flexible interface including a first end attached to a portion of the chassis-mounted front lower air scoop deflector and a second end contacting a portion of the body-mounted cooling pack assembly. In embodiments, the second end is slidably biased against at least a sealing plenum associated with the body-mounted cooling pack assembly to provide the airflow seal. The at least one flexible interface may define a wiper seal between the body-mounted cooling pack assembly and the chassis-mounted air intake assembly.

In yet another aspect, a body-on-frame vehicle is provided, comprising a chassis element, a body element, a chassis-mounted front air intake assembly, a body-mounted cooling pack, and an airflow sealing system configured to control airflow between the chassis-mounted lower air scoop/deflector and the body-mounted cooling pack. In embodiments, the airflow sealing system comprises at least one flexible interface bridging the chassis-mounted lower air scoop/deflector and the body-mounted cooling pack. The flexible interface includes in a first end attached to a portion of the chassis-mounted air intake assembly and a second end contacting a portion of the body-mounted cooling pack, the second end in embodiments being slidably biased against at least a sealing plenum associated with the body-mounted cooling pack. In embodiments, the at least one flexible interface defines a wiper seal between the body-mounted cooling pack assembly and the chassis-mounted air intake assembly.

In the following description, there are shown and described several preferred embodiments of the described vehicle body-on-frame sealing system. As it should be realized, the described systems and devices are capable of other, different embodiments and its several details are capable of modification in various, obvious aspects all without departing from the sealing system as set forth and described in the following claims. Accordingly, the drawings and descriptions should be regarded as illustrative in nature and not as restrictive.

Reference will now be made in detail to the present preferred embodiments of the vehicle body-on-frame sealing system of the disclosure, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawing figures.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference is now made toFIG. 1illustrating a body-on-frame vehicle100including a chassis/frame element102which supports the vehicle drivetrain (not shown) and a body element104. As summarized above, modern body-on-frame vehicles100rely on multiple sealing parts in the vehicle front end and under the vehicle to direct cooling air to the vehicle cooling pack (radiator(s), condenser, oil cooler, transmission cooler, power steering cooler, etc.) and/or to underbody components requiring cooling, and present unique design challenges relating to installation of certain sealing components on the vehicle chassis102(referred to herein as the upper sealing system), installation of other sealing components on portions of the vehicle body104(referred to herein as the lower sealing system), and installation of still other sealing components which are required to bridge the lower and upper sealing systems, all while compensating for relative movement between the vehicle chassis element102and the vehicle body element104and any sealing components installed on those elements.

With reference toFIG. 2, the front end assembly of vehicle100is shown in isolation, including the vehicle chassis102and a portion of the vehicle body104. As shown, the chassis102and body104are depicted prior to a fully decked position, i.e. before mounting the body to the frame (see arrow A). An upper airflow deflecting assembly200includes at least side deflectors202which on vehicle assembly are attached to a grille opening reinforcement (GOR; not shown for convenience) and an upper airflow deflector204. A lower airflow deflecting assembly206may include a front airscoop/deflector208, which when the vehicle is assembled is disposed substantially behind a vehicle front bumper210. In the fully decked position (seeFIG. 3), i.e. on mounting of the body104to the chassis102, an interface300is defined between the upper airflow deflecting assembly200and the lower airflow deflecting assembly206.

Interface300is shown in greater detail inFIG. 4, which also shows a GOR400to which side deflectors202are attached as described above. A sealing plenum402is associated with the upper airflow deflecting assembly200, which partially controls airflow to a cooling pack (radiator(s), condenser, oil cooler, transmission cooler, power steering cooler, etc.; not shown) of the vehicle100. As will be appreciated, because of relative movement between the vehicle body104and the vehicle chassis102, sealing plenum402, which does not attach in any way to the chassis102, cannot completely control the airflow path to the cooling pack. Thus, efficiency of the direction of airflow to the cooling pack is compromised.

To solve this problem, one or more flexible interfaces404are provided as shown, mounted to a portion of the vehicle chassis102adjacent the lower airflow deflecting assembly206. As best shown inFIG. 5, the one or more flexible interfaces404are attached at a first end406to a portion of the vehicle chassis102, adjacent to the lower airflow deflecting assembly206. Any suitable fasteners (one or more bolts, screws, rivets, etc.) are contemplated for use. For reasons which will be described in greater detail below, a second end of the one or more flexible interfaces404are not attached to any element of the vehicle100. In an embodiment as depicted (seeFIG. 4), a central flexible interface404aand two side flexible interfaces404bare provided.

As shown inFIGS. 5 and 6, on assembly/decking of the vehicle body104to the chassis102, the second end408of the one or more flexible interfaces404a,404bslidably contact a portion of the upper airflow deflecting assembly200at interface300. In the depicted embodiment, central flexible interface404aslidably contacts sealing plenum402, and side flexible interfaces404bcontact a portion of the vehicle body104. By this slidable contact, a wiper seal is formed, which as is known creates and maintains a suitable seal during relative motion between the two surfaces being sealed. Thus, despite any relative motion between chassis102and body104, the desired airflow seal is established and maintained. The described contact/airflow seal is established and maintained during decking of the chassis102and body104, and also during dynamic and static vehicle operation after assembly.

As will be appreciated, by the described sealing system a high-efficiency seal is provided imposing little to no stress on any fasteners used, since only one end of the described flexible interface404is actually directly attached to any portion of the vehicle100. The described sealing system further obviates any requirement of a direct connection between the vehicle upper and lower airflow deflecting or airflow sealing systems. There is likewise no need for precise alignment of the upper and lower sealing systems during vehicle assembly to provide the desired airflow seal, and further no sealing parts must be installed at all during line assembly of the vehicle. Rather, all needed sealing parts/components are attached to the vehicle body and/or frame prior to decking, thus decreasing labor and associated costs during vehicle assembly.