Abstract:
An apparatus is disclosed for controlling air flow through a radiator. The apparatus includes a first track and a second track that receive a plurality of panels in a sliding relationship. Top and bottom engagement features of the panels engage each other to extend and retract the panels. The panels may be horizontally aligned in an intermediate or central portion of the apparatus that is disposed behind a bumper beam.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     This disclosure relates to vehicle radiator aperture closing assemblies that are used to restrict cooling air flow through a radiator. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Vehicle radiators may be equipped with shutters or pivoting louvers to reduce engine warm-up time, improve aerodynamics, and reduce the needed to provide warm air to the HVAC system. 
     The general concept of providing a radiator louver closure mechanism that includes an actuator that pivots the louvers is well-known. Other approaches are known including providing a top and bottom opening roll screen for a radiator as disclosed in US Published patent application 2012/0091757A. The concept of providing a pair of sliding doors by the radiator is disclosed in German Published patent application DE102006054970 A1. 
     One problem presented by adding a radiator airflow limiting apparatus is that design considerations limit the space available to package such systems near the radiator that results in excessive front overhang. In addition, the effectiveness of an air flow limiting device may be compromised by air flowing around the device in the open space between the device and the outer body surface. Another problem is that the airflow limiting apparatus may block the opening when airflow through the radiator is desired to be maximized. 
     Radiator airflow limiting devices must be reliable and capable of operating in harsh environments. There is also a need to provide a radiator airflow limiting apparatus that is simple and scalable for different sizes of radiators in a wide range of vehicles. 
     The above problems and other problems are addressed by this disclosure as summarized below. 
     SUMMARY 
     According to one aspect of this disclosure, an airflow control apparatus is provided for a radiator. The airflow control apparatus includes a first track and a second track that are attached to one side of the radiator. A plurality of panels are received in the tracks and an actuator is attached to the panels to move the panels in the tracks from a stacked position with the panels being horizontally aligned to an airflow blocking position with the panels being vertically aligned. 
     The airflow control apparatus as shown is attached to the radiator and has straight tracks and planar panels, but could alternatively be attached to or in close proximity to a body mounted air inlet grill. The tracks and panels in this type of arrangement may be curved in a semi-cylindrical or barrel stave shape. 
     According to other aspects of this disclosure, the panels in the stacked position may be disposed at an intermediate location or in a central location in the tracks in the vertical direction. 
     At least some of the panels may have a first engagement feature on a top edge and a second engagement feature on a bottom edge that engages the first engagement feature of an adjacent panel when the panels are extended from the stacked position. The first engagement feature of one panel may engage the first engagement feature of the adjacent panel when the panels are refracted from the airflow blocking position. 
     The airflow control apparatus and the radiator may be disposed behind a bumper of a vehicle that blocks airflow through a portion of the height of the radiator with the panels in the stacked position being horizontally aligned with the bumper. The portion of the height of the radiator blocked by the bumper may be the central portion or in an offset location. A top set of the panels may have a first engagement feature on a top edge and a second engagement feature on a bottom edge. The second engagement feature may engage the first engagement feature of an adjacent panel when the panels are extended from the stacked position. The first engagement feature of one panel engages the first engagement feature of the adjacent panel when the panels are retracted from the airflow blocking position. 
     According to another aspect of this disclosure, the panels may have a top flange on a top edge that extends both in front of the panel and in back of the panel. The panels may also have a bottom flange on a bottom edge that extends in back of the panel. The top flange may engage the top flange of an adjacent panel when the panels are raised from the stacked position towards the airflow blocking position. The top flange of one panel may engage the top flange of an adjacent panel when the panels are moved from the airflow blocking position to the stacked position. 
     According to another aspect of this disclosure, a radiator closure apparatus is disclosed that comprises a frame including a first side and a second side that define a plurality of tracks extending between a top and a bottom that receive a plurality of panels. The panels extend from the first side to the second side. A first lip on one of the panels selectively engages a second lip on an adjacent panel. An actuator is provided for stacking the panels and un-stacking the panels in the tracks. 
     According to other aspects of this disclosure relating to the radiator closure apparatus the frame may span a horizontally extending bumper of a vehicle. The frame may extend above and below the bumper and the panels may be moved by the actuator from a stacked position behind and within a height dimension of the bumper to an air flow blocking position with the panels being extended from the top to the bottom. 
     The radiator closure apparatus may have a first lip that includes a reversely turned, downwardly extending flange on a first side of the apparatus that is engaged by the second lip that includes a reversely turned, upwardly extending flange of an adjacent panel on the first side of the apparatus. The second lip of one of the panels may engage the top lip of the next panel when un-stacking by pulling the next panel. The first lip may also include a flange on a second side of the apparatus that engages the first lip of an adjacent panel, and pushes the adjacent panel for stacking the panels into a horizontal arrangement. 
     The above aspects of this disclosure and other aspects are described in greater detail below with reference to the attached drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a front perspective view of an air flow control apparatus made according to one aspect of this disclosure shown attached to a vehicle radiator assembly. 
         FIG. 2  is a diagrammatic top plan view of the air flow control apparatus shown in  FIG. 1  attached to a diagrammatically represented vehicle radiator. 
         FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view taken along the line  3 - 3  in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3A  is an enlarged view of a bottom engagement feature engaging a top engagement feature of an adjacent panel to raise the panel taken of circle  3 A in  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 3B  is an enlarged view of a top engagement feature engaging a top engagement feature of an adjacent panel to lower the panel. 
         FIG. 4  is a fragmentary front perspective view of the air flow control apparatus and radiator shown in  FIG. 1  with the top two panels retracted behind a central panel of the air flow control apparatus. 
         FIG. 5  is a fragmentary front perspective view of a bumper beam and the air flow control apparatus fully retracted and disposed behind the bumper beam. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     A detailed description of the illustrated embodiments of the present invention is provided below. The disclosed embodiments are examples of the invention that may be embodied in various and alternative forms. The figures are not necessarily to scale. Some features may be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particular components. The specific structural and functional details disclosed in this application are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art how to practice the invention. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , an air flow control apparatus  10  is shown attached to a radiator  12 . Radiator  12  is a heat exchanger which may be used for regulating the temperature of engine coolant. The air flow control apparatus  10  may be disposed in front of the radiator  12  to allow, restrict, or prevent airflow to the radiator  12  to enhance the temperature regulation of the coolant. The air flow control device  10  may also be used with other heat exchangers, such as a condenser (not shown) for an air-conditioning system, or a combination radiator/condenser. The air flow control apparatus includes a first track  16  and a second track  18  that are disposed on opposite lateral sides of the radiator  12 . The air flow control apparatus  10  is attached to the front side  20  of the radiator  12 . A plurality of panels  24 , in this case five panels, is received between the first track  16  and the second track  18  in a plurality of slots  26 . In the illustrated embodiment, the tracks  16  and  18  are straight and the panels  24  are flat. Alternatively, the tracks  16  and  18  could be curved and the panels could be shaped to follow the shape of the back of the air inlet grill or another body panel defining the radiator opening. The curved tracks  16 ,  18  and conforming curved panels  24  must be carefully shaped to collapse relative to each other. 
     An actuator  28  is used to slide the panels  24  linearly upwardly and downwardly between the first and second tracks  16  and  18 . The actuator  28  is diagrammatically represented and could be a ball screw, winding cables, a linear motor, a fluid cylinder, or the like. The actuator  28  is diagrammatically illustrated and is operated by the controller  30 . The controller commands the actuator  28  to slide the panels  24  in the tracks  16 ,  18  to progressively block off or open air flow to the radiator  12 . The panels  24  extend between the first track  16  and second track  18  so that driving one panel either drags or pushes adjacent panels  24 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , the air flow control apparatus  10  is shown in front of a radiator  12  that is diagrammatically represented in  FIG. 2 . The panels  24  are assembled between the first track  16  and the second track  18 . The ends of the panels  24  are received in one of the slots  26  defined by the first track  16  and the second track  18 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 3 , a cross section is taken through the panels in their fully extended position, as shown in  FIG. 1 . The panels  24  each include a top engagement feature  32  on a top edge  34  and a bottom engagement feature  36  on a bottom edge  38  of the panels  24 . The panels are categorized into a top set of panels  40  comprising the top two panels of the five shown in  FIG. 3  and a bottom set of panels  42  comprising the bottom two panels of the five panels in  FIG. 3 . A center panel  44  is provided between the top set of panels  40  and the bottom set of panels  42 . It should be understood that a different number of panels could be provided and that the center panel  44  could be offset to the top or bottom. A different number of panels could be provided in either the top set of panels  40  or the bottom set of panels  42 . 
     The top engagement feature  32  includes a top flange  56 . The top flange  56  extends in front of a front side  58  of the panels  24 . The top engagement feature  32  also includes a top lip  60 . The top lip  60  includes a downwardly extending flange and extends rearwardly in the opposite direction from the top flange  56 . A bottom lip  64  is provided on the bottom edge  38  of each panel. The bottom lip  64  includes an upwardly extending flange. The references to top and bottom as used herein refer to relative positions and the specific air flow control apparatus  10  as illustrated. The apparatus  10  could be inverted or in some cases could be angularly oriented or disposed to move in a lateral direction. If so, the terms top and bottom should be interpreted as referring to opposite directions depending upon the orientation of the tracks  16  and  18 . 
     The bottom lip  64  engages the top lip  60  of the next adjacent panel  24  to raise the next adjacent panel. The top flange  56  engages the top engagement feature  32  of the next lower panel  24  when the panels are lowered. The top set of panels  40  may be lowered to a position that is horizontally aligned with the center panel  44 . The bottom set of panels  42  are lowered by the actuator  28  (shown in  FIG. 1 ) by moving the lower-most panel  24  downwardly until the top lip  60  on the lower panel engages the bottom lip  64  of the next upwardly adjacent panel  24 . 
     When the panels  24  in the top set of panels  40  are retracted, the top flange  56  of one panel  24  is moved into engagement with the top engagement feature  32  on the top edge  34  of the next lower panel  24  to move the two panels in the top set of panels  40  behind the center panel  44 . 
     When the panels  24  in the bottom set of panels  42  are extended, the top lip  60  of the lower-most panel  24  engages the bottom lip  64  of the next upwardly adjacent panel  24  until they are fully lowered to the extended position shown in  FIG. 3 . When the panels  24  in the bottom set of panels  24  are raised to the retracted position, the top lip  60  of the top edge  34  of the lower-most panel  24  engages the top flange  56  of the next upper panel  24 . The actuator  28  retracts the panels  24  to move the panels  24  in the bottom net of panels  42  behind the center panel  44 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 4 , the radiator  12  is shown with the two panels  24  of the top set of panels  40  (shown in  FIG. 3 ) retracted behind the center panel  44 . The center panel  44  and panels  24  in the bottom set of panels  42  are shown extending between the first track  16  and second track  18 . In this position, a partial reduction in the flow of air through the radiator  12  is provided by the center panel  44  and bottom set of panels  42 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 5 , the radiator  12  is shown with the panels  24  stacked horizontally. A fragment of a bumper beam  68  is shown and the panels  24  are shown horizontally aligned behind the bumper beam  68 . In this position, maximum flow of air through the radiator  12  is assured and the panels  24  do not block air flow through the radiator  12  to a greater extent that the blockage caused by the bumper beam  68 . 
     While exemplary embodiments are described above, it is not intended that these embodiments describe all possible forms of the invention. Rather, the words used in the specification are words of description rather than limitation, and it is understood that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Additionally, the features of various implementing embodiments may be combined to form further embodiments of the invention.