Abstract:
An apparatus for use with a vehicle grille may include a frame, a shutter, and a drive mechanism. The shutter may be connected to the frame and may be pivotable relative thereto between a first position and a second position. The shutter may include a pivot axis and an engagement member. The shutter may restrict airflow through a vehicle grille in the first position and allow airflow through the vehicle grille in the second position. The drive mechanism may drive the shutter between the first and second positions. The drive mechanism may include a drive shaft rotating relative to the frame and a drive member engaging the drive shaft and moving linearly relative to the frame. The drive member may include an arcuate slot slidably engaging the engagement member.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/386,895, filed on Sep. 27, 2010. The entire disclosure of the above application is incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     FIELD 
       [0002]    The present disclosure relates to a shutter system, and more particularly, to a shutter system for a grille of a vehicle. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    This section provides background information related to the present disclosure and is not necessarily prior art. 
         [0004]    Many automotive vehicles include a grille mounted to a front end of the vehicle. Grilles are often an integral component of the vehicle&#39;s aesthetic appeal and may serve to identify a brand of the vehicle. Aesthetic appeal and marketing considerations can be just as important or more important design factors than the functionality and/or performance of the grille. Accordingly, functionality and/or performance are sometimes compromised in favor of aesthetic design considerations. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0005]    This section provides a general summary of the disclosure, and is not a comprehensive disclosure of its full scope or all of its features. 
         [0006]    The present disclosure provides an apparatus that may include a frame, a shutter, and a drive mechanism. The shutter may be connected to the frame and may be pivotable relative thereto between a first position and a second position. The shutter may include a pivot axis and an engagement member. The shutter may restrict airflow through a vehicle grille in the first position and allow airflow through the vehicle grille in the second position. The drive mechanism may drive the shutter between the first and second positions. The drive mechanism may include a drive shaft rotating relative to the frame and a drive member engaging the drive shaft and moving linearly relative to the frame. The drive member may include an arcuate slot slidably engaging the engagement member. 
         [0007]    In another form, the present disclosure provides a vehicle that may include a vehicle body, a grille and a shutter assembly. The grille may be mounted to a front end of the vehicle body. The shutter assembly may control airflow through the grille and may include a frame, a plurality of shutters and a drive mechanism. The frame may be mounted to the vehicle proximate the grille. The shutters may be pivotably supported by the frame and may include opposing elongated first and second sides and opposing first and second ends. The drive mechanism may include an actuator driving a drive member. The drive member may be coupled to each of the shutters at an engagement location disposed along the first end between the first and second sides to pivot the shutters relative to the grille between a first position and a second position. 
         [0008]    Further areas of applicability will become apparent from the description provided herein. The description and specific examples in this summary are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. 
     
    
     
       DRAWINGS 
         [0009]    The drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes only of selected embodiments and not all possible implementations, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. 
           [0010]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a vehicle having a grille and shutter assembly according to the principles of the present disclosure; 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the shutter assembly and grille of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  is an exploded perspective view of the shutter assembly of  FIG. 2 ; 
           [0013]      FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view of the shutter assembly including a drive mechanism and shutters in a closed position according to the principles of the present disclosure; 
           [0014]      FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view of the shutter assembly including the drive mechanism and shutters in an open position according to the principles of the present disclosure; 
           [0015]      FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view of another shutter assembly including a drive mechanism and shutters in a closed position according to the principles of the present disclosure; and 
           [0016]      FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional view of the shutter assembly of  FIG. 6  including the drive mechanism and shutters in an open position according to the principles of the present disclosure. 
       
    
    
       [0017]    Corresponding reference numerals indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0018]    Example embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
         [0019]    Example embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough, and will fully convey the scope to those who are skilled in the art. Numerous specific details are set forth such as examples of specific components, devices, and methods, to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that specific details need not be employed, that example embodiments may be embodied in many different forms and that neither should be construed to limit the scope of the disclosure. In some example embodiments, well-known processes, well-known device structures, and well-known technologies are not described in detail. 
         [0020]    The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular example embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” may be intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “including,” and “having,” are inclusive and therefore specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. The method steps, processes, and operations described herein are not to be construed as necessarily requiring their performance in the particular order discussed or illustrated, unless specifically identified as an order of performance. It is also to be understood that additional or alternative steps may be employed. 
         [0021]    When an element or layer is referred to as being “on,” “engaged to,” “connected to,” or “coupled to” another element or layer, it may be directly on, engaged, connected or coupled to the other element or layer, or intervening elements or layers may be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directly on,” “directly engaged to,” “directly connected to,” or “directly coupled to” another element or layer, there may be no intervening elements or layers present. Other words used to describe the relationship between elements should be interpreted in a like fashion (e.g., “between” versus “directly between,” “adjacent” versus “directly adjacent,” etc.). As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. 
         [0022]    Although the terms first, second, third, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections, these elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms may be only used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer or section from another region, layer or section. Terms such as “first,” “second,” and other numerical terms when used herein do not imply a sequence or order unless clearly indicated by the context. Thus, a first element, component, region, layer or section discussed below could be termed a second element, component, region, layer or section without departing from the teachings of the example embodiments. 
         [0023]    Spatially relative terms, such as “inner,” “outer,” “beneath,” “below,” “lower,” “above,” “upper,” and the like, may be used herein for ease of description to describe one element or feature&#39;s relationship to another element(s) or feature(s) as illustrated in the figures. Spatially relative terms may be intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures is turned over, elements described as “below” or “beneath” other elements or features would then be oriented “above” the other elements or features. Thus, the example term “below” can encompass both an orientation of above and below. The device may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors used herein interpreted accordingly. 
         [0024]    With reference to  FIGS. 1-5 , a shutter assembly  10  is provided and may include a frame  12 , one or more first louvers or shutters  14 , one or more second louvers or shutters  15 , and a drive mechanism  16 . The shutter assembly  10  may be installed in a front end of a vehicle  18  proximate a grille  20  of the vehicle  18  and may control airflow through the grille  20 , as will be subsequently described. It should be appreciated that the vehicle  18  may be any type of vehicle having a grille, including an automotive vehicle such as a car, pickup truck, sport utility vehicle, crossover vehicle, minivan, van, light commercial vehicle, heavy-duty commercial or industrial vehicle, military vehicle, construction or farm equipment or vehicle, or recreational vehicle, for example. Furthermore, it should be appreciated that the vehicle  18 , regardless of the type or class of vehicle, could include an internal combustion engine, an electric motor, a hybrid powertrain (e.g., an internal combustion engine and an electric motor) and/or any other power source for powering the vehicle. It is also envisioned that the shutter assembly  10  could be incorporated into a boat or aircraft. In some embodiments, one or more of the frame  12 , shutters  14 ,  15 , drive mechanism  16 , and grille  20  may be configured as described in commonly assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/801,403, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein. 
         [0025]    The frame  12  may include a first member  22 , a second member  24 , a third member  26 , and a fourth member  28 . The first and second members  22 ,  24  can be generally parallel to each other and connected to each other by the third and fourth members  26 ,  28 . While the first, second, third and fourth members  22 - 28  shown in the figures form a generally rectangular shaped frame, in other configurations, the frame  12  could have any other shape to correspond to the shape of the grille  20  of a given vehicle  18 . 
         [0026]    Each of the first and second members  22 ,  24  may include one or more guide slots  30  and one or more hinge slots  32 . Each of the guide slots  30  and hinge slots  32  formed in the first member  22  may be aligned with a corresponding one of the guide slots  30  and hinge slots  32  in the second member  24 . The guide slots  30  may include a substantially constant radius and may be substantially semicircular, for example. The semicircular path along which the guide slots  30  extend may be defined by corresponding axes A ( FIG. 3 ) that extend through the hinge slots  32 . While the guide slots  30  are shown in  FIG. 3  and described above as being substantially semicircular (i.e., the guide slots  30  extend along a path that is about one hundred eighty degrees), in some configurations, the guide slots  30  may extend more or less than one hundred eighty degrees. 
         [0027]    The first and second shutters  14 ,  15  may be generally flat, elongated members that may be arranged in pairs including one of the first shutters  14  and one of the second shutters  15 . The sizes and shapes of the shutters  14 ,  15  may be configured according to the size and shape of the grille  20 . Each of the shutters  14 ,  15  may include a pair of opposing edges  40  and a pair of opposing ends  42  that may be generally perpendicular to the edges  40 . Each of the ends  42  may include a guide pin  46  protruding outward therefrom. Each of the guide pins  46  may be disposed approximately halfway between the opposing edges  40 , as shown in the figures. Although, in some configurations, the guide pins  46  may be disposed closer to one of the edges  40  that the other edge  40 . 
         [0028]    Adjacent edges  40  of each one of corresponding first and second shutters  14 ,  15  may include a plurality of hinge sleeves  48 . The hinge sleeves  48  may rotatably engage a hinge pin  50 . The hinge pins  50  may rotatably engage corresponding hinge slots  32 . In this manner, corresponding shutters  14 ,  15  in each pair of shutters  14 ,  15  can rotate relative to each other about the hinge pin  50  between an open position ( FIG. 5 ) and a closed position ( FIG. 4 ). In the open position, the shutters  14 ,  15  of each of the pairs of shutters  14 ,  15  may cooperate to form a generally V-shape, as shown in  FIG. 5 . The guide pins  46  protruding from each of the ends  42  may slidably engage the corresponding guide slots  30 . 
         [0029]    Each of the shutters  14 ,  15  may also include a reinforcement rib  54  that may span at least a portion of the length of the shutters  14 ,  15 . The ribs  54  may provide stiffness and structural reinforcement for the shutters  14 ,  15 . In some configurations, the ribs  54  could span across the width of the shutters  14 ,  15 , rather than the lengths of the shutters  14 ,  15  as shown in the figures. It will be appreciated that the shutters  14 ,  15  could include additional or alternative structural reinforcement features. 
         [0030]    The drive mechanism  16  may drivingly engage the shutters  14 , to selectively move the shutters  14 ,  15  between the open and closed positions. The drive mechanism  16  may include a drive shaft  60 , an actuator  62 , a cover  64 , and a drive member  66 . The drive shaft  60  may include a first end  70  and a second end  72  having a geared portion  74 . The actuator  62  may be a motor or any other electromechanical device, for example, and may drivingly engage the first end  70  of the drive shaft  60 . The actuator  62  may be powered by electrical current received from a battery (not shown) of the vehicle  18 , for example, or any other suitable power source. A control module may control operation of the actuator  62 . 
         [0031]    The cover  64  may be a generally flat, elongated member and may be fixedly mounted to the first member  22  of the frame  12 , for example. The cover  64  may include a cavity  76  and a bearing portion  78  rotatably supporting the drive shaft  60 . The cavity  76  may at least partially encase the geared portion  74 , the drive member  66 , the guide slots  30 , and/or the hinge slots  32 . The cover  64  may protect the drive mechanism  16  from moisture, dirt and/or other debris or foreign objects during operation of the vehicle  18 . 
         [0032]    The drive member  66  may be a generally flat, elongated member having one or more first arcuate slots  80 , one or more second arcuate slots  82 , and a plurality of teeth  84 . The first and second arcuate slots  80 ,  82  may be shaped and sized differently from each other. Each of the first arcuate slots  80  may slidably engage the guide pin  46  of a corresponding one of the first shutters  14 . Each of the second arcuate slots  82  may slidably engage the guide pin  46  of a corresponding one of the second shutters  15 . 
         [0033]    The plurality of teeth  84  may be formed in an edge  86  of the drive member  66  and may meshingly engage the geared portion  74  of the drive shaft  60 . In this manner, the drive shaft  60  and the drive member  66  may cooperate to form a rack-and-pinion mechanism. Accordingly, rotation of the drive shaft  60  may cause corresponding linear motion of the drive member  66  relative to the drive shaft  60  and the frame  12 . The drive member  66  may be slidably mounted to the frame  12  such that some portion of each of the first and second arcuate slots  80 ,  82  may be aligned with some portion of the corresponding guide slots  30  as the drive member  66  moves between the open and closed positions. In this manner, each of the guide pins  46  may be in slidable engagement with the corresponding guide slot  30  and the corresponding one of the arcuate slots  80 ,  82 , and movement of the drive member  66  forces the guide pins  46  to move relative to the guide slots  30  and the first and second arcuate slots  80 ,  82 , thereby causing the shutters  14 ,  15  to rotate between the open and closed positions. Configuring the guide pins  46  such that they extend from the midpoints of the shutters  14 ,  15  (i.e., halfway between opposing edges  40 ), may lower the stresses and stains that the shutters  14 ,  15  are subjected to a result of forces applied to the guide pins  46  by the drive member  66  moving between the open and closed positions. While the drive mechanism  16  is described above as being a rack-and-pinion mechanism, in other configurations, the drive mechanism  16  could be a slider-crank linkage or any other three or four bar linkage, for example, or any other suitable mechanism operable to move the shutters  14 ,  15  between the open and closed positions. 
         [0034]    The actuator  62  or the control module may be operable to detect a low-voltage condition where the actuator  62  is receiving a weak or lower than normal supply of electrical current from the battery or other power source. If and when such a condition is detected, the actuator  62  may move the shutters  14 ,  15  into the open position. In this manner, the shutters  14 ,  15  can be opened prior to a failure of the actuator  62  and/or a complete loss of electrical power to the actuator  62 . 
         [0035]    Additionally or alternatively, the drive mechanism  16  can include one or more spring members  68  ( FIG. 3 ) that are operable to move the shutters  14 ,  15  into the open position in the event that electrical power to the actuator  62  is lost. The spring members  68  may be torsion springs, for example, each having a ring portion  88  and first and second legs  90 ,  92  extending tangentially outward therefrom. The ring portion  88  may engage the hinge pin  50  and the first and second legs  90 ,  92  may engage ends  42  of the first and second shutters  14 ,  15 , respectively, for example. Unstressed or resting positions of the first and second legs  90 ,  92  may form a generally V-shape corresponding to the generally V-shape formed by the first and second shutters  14 ,  15  when the shutters  14 ,  15  are in the open position. Accordingly, when the shutters  14 ,  15  are in the closed position, the first and second legs  90 ,  92  may be disposed approximately one hundred eighty degrees apart from each other and may bias the shutters  14 ,  15  toward the open position. Therefore, if and when electrical power to the actuator  62  is lost, the spring members  68  can move the shutters  14 ,  15  into the open position. It will be appreciated that in some configurations, the spring member  68  could be any other type of spring, such as a compression spring, a tension or extension spring, or a cantilevered spring, for example. One or more spring members could be disposed between adjacent shutters  14 ,  15 , between the shutters  14 ,  15  and the frame  12 , and/or between the frame  12  and the drive member  66 , and/or any other suitable location in which the spring members could be configured to bias the shutters  14 ,  15  and the drive mechanism  16  toward the open position. 
         [0036]    With continued reference to  FIGS. 1-5 , operation of the shutter assembly  10  will be described in detail. As described above, the shutter assembly  10  may be mounted in the vehicle  18  proximate an interior-facing side of the grille  20 . The grille  20  may include cross members  94 , for example, and/or other functional and/or aesthetic features such as a grid structure, a brand badge, and/or a nameplate, for example. When the shutters  14 ,  15  are in the closed position, the shutters  14 ,  15  may block or restrict airflow between the cross members  94 . In some embodiments, the hinge pins  50  may be generally aligned with the cross members  94  such that the shutters  14 ,  15  are substantially concealed when the shutters  14 ,  15  are in the open position, thereby allowing air to flow between the cross members  94 . Because the shutters  14 ,  15  are substantially concealed in the open position, the shutter assembly  10  can be positioned closer to the grille  20 , thereby improving the ability of the shutter assembly  10  to reduce the coefficient of drag on the vehicle  18 . 
         [0037]    When the vehicle  18  is travelling at a relatively low speed, the shutter assembly  10  may be kept in the open position. When the vehicle  18  is travelling at relatively high speeds (e.g., at or about highway speeds), the control module may cause the actuator  62  to rotate the drive shaft  60 , which in turn causes the drive member  66  to move linearly from the open position to the closed position (i.e., from left to right relative to the view shown in  FIG. 2 ). As the drive member  66  moves from the open position to the closed position, the guide pins  46  slide along the guide slots  30  and the corresponding arcuate slots  80 ,  82  from the open position to the closed position. In the closed position, the shutters  14 ,  15  may substantially block or restrict airflow through the grille  20 , thereby reducing drag on the vehicle due to wind resistance. 
         [0038]    It will be appreciated that the control module can be calibrated to optimize airflow through the grille  20  by adjusting the positions of the shutters  14 ,  15  between the open and closed positions while optimizing the intended aesthetic features of the grille  20 . For example, the control module may cause the drive mechanism  16  to move the shutters  14 ,  15  to an intermediate position between the open and closed positions. The control module may control the drive mechanism  16  based on an algorithm that accounts for vehicle speed, wind speed, a temperature of the vehicle&#39;s engine and/or motor, a temperature of engine/motor coolant, and/or a temperature of air conditioning refrigerant, for example, and/or other factors and vehicle operating parameters. Such parameters may be monitored by the vehicle&#39;s on-board instruments (e.g., global positioning system (GPS), a speedometer or oil temperature sensor) and/or one or more dedicated pressure, temperature, and/or noise sensors communicating the with the control module. 
         [0039]    The speed at which the shutters  14 ,  15  move between the open and closed positions can be tuned and/or varied by tuning and/or varying the angle or slope of curvature of the first and/or second arcuate slots  80 ,  82 . For example, the steeper the slope of the arcuate slots  80 ,  82 , the faster the corresponding shutter  14 ,  15  will move between the open and closed positions for a given linear velocity of the drive member  66 . In this manner, the arcuate slots  80 ,  82  can be configured such that the respective rotational speeds of the first and second shutters  14 ,  15  can be different from each other. Additionally or alternatively, the control module controlling the actuator  62  may vary the speed of the actuator  62  to increase or decrease the linear speed of the drive member  66  and the rotational speeds of the shutters  14 ,  15 . 
         [0040]    With reference to  FIGS. 6 and 7 , a shutter assembly  100  is provided and may include the frame  112 , one or more shutters  114  and the drive mechanism  116 . The structure and function of the frame  112 , the shutters  114  and the drive mechanism  116  may be substantially similar to the frame  12 , the shutters  14  and the drive mechanism  16  described above, apart from several exceptions noted below. 
         [0041]    For example, the shutters  114  may be independently connected to the frame  112  such that each of the shutters  114  corresponds to an individual hinge pin  50 . In some configurations, all of the shutters  114  may rotate in the same direction when moving from the open position to the closed position and in the same direction when moving from the closed position to the open position. Accordingly, a drive member  166  of the drive mechanism  116  may include a plurality of arcuate slots  180  all having the same shape and size. Although, in some embodiments, the shape (i.e., the angle or slope) of one or more of the arcuate slots  180  may differ from one or more of the other arcuate slots  180 . In this manner, the rotational speed of one or more of the shutters  114  may differ from one or more of the other shutters  114 . 
         [0042]    The foregoing description of the embodiments has been provided for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure. Individual elements or features of a particular embodiment are generally not limited to that particular embodiment, but, where applicable, are interchangeable and can be used in a selected embodiment, even if not specifically shown or described. The same may also be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the disclosure, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the disclosure.