Rear spoiler with a cooling device for a motor vehicle

A rear spoiler of a motor vehicle is coupled to a charge air cooler that is arranged vertically in the transverse direction of the vehicle. The rear spoiler together with the charge air cooler is adjustable into an inoperative and an operative position. The charge air cooler has an active position when the rear spoiler is in the operative position so that cooling air can flow through the charge air cooler.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority under 35 USC 119 to German Patent Application No. 10 2011 053 831.3, filed on Sep. 21, 2011 the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to a rear spoiler for a motor vehicle.

2. Description of the Related Art

DE 198 06 610 C2 discloses a motor vehicle with a spoiler fixedly arranged on an upper side of a rear region of the motor vehicle. Cooling air feeds for a charge air cooler are arranged horizontally below the spoiler.

It is the object of the invention to provide a rear spoiler with a cooling device for a motor vehicle so that the cooling device improves air supply to a charge air cooler in an aerodynamically advantageous manner when the rear spoiler is in an extended position.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention disposes a charge air cooler in a vehicle in a manner to obtain a high throughput of cooling air. More particularly, the charge air cooler is connected to the rear spoiler so that the charge air cooler is adjustable between an inoperative position and an operative extending position. The charge air cooler that is in the operative extending position is exposed from the vehicle body to below the rear spoiler. The charge air cooler preferably is arranged in the transverse direction of the vehicle and runs vertically so that cooling air can flow through the charge air cooler when the rear spoiler is in the extended operative position.

The charge air cooler preferably extends over virtually the entire width of the rear spoiler and is positioned so that cooling air can flow horizontally through the charge air cooler in the active position of the charge air cooler. The air flow is delimited on one side by an approximately horizontal lower surface of the rear spoiler and on the other side by the vehicle body located therebelow or by a vehicle body part having a horizontal surface. The charge air cooler is extendable together with the rear spoiler and has air passing horizontally therethrough to achieve advantageous effects of aerodynamics, cooling air throughput and heat protection.

The guiding of air to the charge air cooler does not require any air guides that are affected by pressure losses. Additionally, the charge air cooler in the extended state is acted upon frontally by ram air to obtain high cooling air throughputs. The horizontal flow through the charge air cooler results in a discharge of the cooling air parallel to the roadway and the exhaust air flow from the cooler in the rear region leads to an aerodynamically advantageous increase in pressure thereby reducing the air resistance. Furthermore, this arrangement is uplift-neutral and avoids an increase in the rear axial uplift that occurs, for example, when the cooling air is discharged downward.

Stamped formations may be formed in the rear lid so that a sufficient supply of cooling air to the charge air cooler is ensured in the retracted inoperative positions of the spoiler and the charge air cooler. Thus, the cooling air can be conducted to the charge air cooler concealed below the rear spoiler, via. In this case, the cooling air is conducted under the rear spoiler blade of the spoiler through to the charge air cooler.

The charge air cooler and the rear spoiler connected thereto can be arranged in lateral linear guides so as to be retractable vertically into the inoperative position and extendable vertically into the operative position. The guides are arranged on both sides of the rear spoiler blade and ensure that the charge air cooler is extendable exactly in the vertical position thereof and cooling air flows through horizontally.

The rear spoiler that is in the extended operative position may be pivotable about a transverse axis and hence can be positionable on the vehicle body counter to the direction of flow of the cooling air. For example, a rear edge of the rear spoiler blade can be tiltable downward.

An exemplary embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the drawings and is described in more detail below.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

A spoiler1or an air guiding device for a vehicle is arranged on the rear3of a vehicle body2and is adjustable from a retracted inoperative position I in the vehicle body2into an extended operative position II, and vice versa. A charge air cooler4is connected to the spoiler1and is adjustable jointly with the spoiler1between the inoperative and operative positions I and II. The charge air cooler4is connected to the rear spoiler1and extends in an exposed manner from the vehicle body2to below the rear spoiler1when the rear spoiler1is in the operative position II.

The charge air cooler4preferably is aligned vertically and is arranged in the transverse direction of the vehicle and, in the extended operative position II of the rear spoiler1, the charge air cooler4has an active position III through which cooling air L flows. The charge air cooler4extends virtually over the entire width of the rear spoiler1and, in the active position III, cooling air L flows through the cooler4and is directed through the charge air cooler4in the horizontal direction counter to the direction of travel F. The air flow L is delimited on the upper and lower sides by a lower substantially horizontal surface1bof the spoiler blade1aof the rear spoiler1and by an upper substantially horizontal surface2aof the vehicle body2.

The charge air cooler4is concealed in the rear3of the vehicle body2when the rear spoiler1is in the retracted inoperative position I. Stamped formations or the like in the rear lid5enable cooling air L to be conducted below a rear spoiler blade1aof the spoiler1to the charge air cooler4.

Guides10are arranged at the sides of the rear spoiler1so that the rear spoiler1can be adjusted vertically and linearly from the inoperative position I to the operative position II with the charge air cooler4taking up the active position III.

The rear spoiler1that is in the extended operative position II can be pivoted relative to the vehicle body2about a transverse axis6so that the rear edge7of the rear spoiler blade1acan be tilted down and the rear spoiler1can take up an angled position to improve the aerodynamic action of the entire system.